Geraldine Howard, Aromatherapy Associates co-founder, died yesterday afternoon (7 January) after a long battle with cancer.

Aromatherapy Associates issued a statement, saying, "Geraldine was celebrated across the world for her huge contribution to the industry...She was also recognised as one of the best-loved people in beauty and wellbeing and her passion, enthusiasm and love for her work was infectious.

"...Geraldine’s philosophy was to treat people well, always be fair and live a full life with no regrets and having spent much of her career educating people, she is known across the globe for her kindness, generosity of spirit and incredible passion," the statement continued. "Working tirelessly to spread the word and try and help improve lives, Geraldine has always credited a huge amount of her success to the people who have surrounded and supported her over the past 30 years and for those people she was eternally grateful."

Howard got her start in aromatherapy in 1973, when, at age 21, she joined Micheline Arcier’s renowned aromatherapy clinic in Knightsbridge, London, where she met Sue Beechey.

Beechey and Howard founded Aromatherapy Associates in 1985, and grew the British brand to international success in the spa world.

Tributes have begun pouring in via social media, with industry friends calling her “inspiring,” “awesome,” “majestic” and “down-to-earth.”

Geraldine Howard - as @KathleenBM a giver of peace. What an amazing legacy and an incredibly sad day.

— Grace Timothy (@GraceTimothy) January 8, 2016

So sad to hear Geraldine Howard passed away last night. One of the most inspiring yet down to earth people I've met https://t.co/ADhOEsZyOA— Eve Oxberry (@eveoxberry) January 8, 2016

An inspiring and awesome woman has sadly passed away, Geraldine Howard created @aromaassoc and her life lives on in those beautiful products

— Mark, The Spa Man (@MediaMarkSmith) January 8, 2016

Recently, Howard was awarded the Leading Woman in Wellness award at the Global Wellness Summit, where she addressed the audience via video.

“My views on wellness and health have changed as I’ve gone through treatment,” she said in the video message. “Particularly over the last 18 months, with a rampant cancer that has spread throughout my body. I now believe more than ever that it's vital medical therapies and natural remedies are used together."

Howard also gave insights into her approach to illness in the video, saying, "If I didn’t have faith and believe that what is meant to be will be, and there's a divine world that guides us, I would have found it very difficult to manage.

"Coping is about prayer and contemplation. For some people this comes through a religion, for others it’s through meditation – it’s different for everyone and it’s about finding that inner self and your own beliefs – and really believing the guidance is there.

"It's important to believe in something," she continued, "and it's important to stress that you have to FEEL it and believe it, this is really different from intellectually telling yourself you're going to get through it.

"Everyone has to find a connection that works for them," she said, "Every medic has told me I'm fighting it with positive thinking and belief."

Aromatherapy Associates said in its statement that "it was always Geraldine’s mission to tell the world how incredible essential oils are, and she saw Aromatherapy Associates as more than a business; it was her way of life. Most recently, in response to her own health challenges, she blended an oil called Inner Strength, helping to raise tens of thousands of pounds for innovative new cancer research. Such is testament to Geraldine that even in the midst of her personal struggle, she found a way to help other people."