Lavabre, Marcel: - Born in the lavender-growing region of southern France, Marcel Lavabre has been involved in every aspect of aromatherapy for 20 years. A producer of essential oils in France, he supervised production from gathering plants and distilling to bottling and marketing. He is cofounder of the American Aromatherapy Association and now heads Aroma Vera, an essential oils company based in Culver City, California.