H eadlines
Locals Team Up to Make Mask-Wearing Smell Better
L OCA L
ANDY GOTLIEB | JE MANAGING EDITOR
AFTER MORE THAN a
half-century of business
experience, Norman Feinstein
has an eye for a promising
business idea.

Or, more accurately, a nose
for one.

An insurance broker by
trade, the 86-year-old is
teaming with his former neigh-
bors on a product made more
timely by the pandemic — the
ScentClip, a tiny clip-on essen-
tial-oil reservoir that attaches to
the outside or inside of a mask,
making the mask-wearing
experience more pleasant.

So, how did this partnership
come about?
The story goes back about
20 years, Feinstein said, when
his late wife Harriet, who
was a builder, constructed a
home on a neighboring lot in
Wynnewood. Young medical
professionals Mark and Deb
Pizzini bought the house. The
Feinsteins and Pizzinis became
friends. A few years back, Mark
Pizzini, who is an anesthesiol-
ogist, was tinkering with scent
products. Harriet Feinstein, who
by then was ill, liked the scents,
which also made her feel better.

Mark Pizzini also noticed
members of his surgical team
concealing bad smells by
smearing local anesthetic mint
lidocaine into their masks.

The practice worked, but
members couldn’t feel their lips
afterward. Norman Feinstein
Photo by Marlene Feinstein
“There really was not a
good solution for it,” he said.

“I thought there had to be
something better than this.”
Meantime, recovery room
nurses began using essential
MAKING NEW FRIENDS,
WHILE ENJOYING
FAMILY AT
PAUL'S RUN!
Our wonderful amenities and services, including Five Star dining,
health and wellness programs, professional housekeeping, an on-site
country store, and on-site physician services.

Paul’s Run is a
NO-ENTRANCE FEE Community.

Contact us for more information
or to schedule a virtual tour at
1-877-859-9444 PaulsRun.org/Save
9896 Bustleton Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19115
10 OCTOBER 8, 2020
JEWISH EXPONENT
From left: Norman Feinstein, Deb
Pizzini and Mark Pizzini
ScentClip Photo by Andy Gotlieb
Courtesy of the Pizzini family
oils as aromatherapy to soothe
nauseous and anxious patients.

Pizzini put two and two
together and began developing
ScentClip with the idea that
operating staff could cover
up bad smells while simul-
taneously benefiting from
aromatherapy. It took five years
to develop the product. The
scent in each clip is designed to
last for days to weeks.

About a year ago, Feinstein
became more
involved, becoming an investor and
partner in the project, not to
mention its primary manager.

Given that his daughter was
handling the lion’s share of
his brokerage firm Corporate
Consultants, he felt he had
time to spare to run the
parent company, which is
called Aroxel.

“I said, ‘I’m looking for
something to do,’” he said,
adding that he also is director
of internet security company
Cymatic. “I’ll run this.”
The project has proven
challenging for Feinstein,
especially the manufacturing
part. “Just to get it produced was
and still is difficult,” he said.

“It was totally frustrating not
to get our manufacturing done
sooner.” But things now seem to
be falling into place, with
full-fledged production slated in
the next week – and seemingly
no competitors.

“We have a blue ocean out
there,” Mark Pizzini said.

ScentClip launched on
Kickstarter on Sept. 30,
seeking $2,500. As of Oct. 5,
$3,526 was pledged. The goal is
to have ScentClips available on
Amazon later in the fall. For
now, the two scents available
are periwinkle lavender and
apple orchard, although up to
a dozen are planned.

The goal now is marketing,
which is definitely a family
affair for both the Feinsteins
(a cousin is assisting) and the
Pizzinis, whose 20-something
daughters Maria and Anne (as
well as a cousin) are handling
social media.

“We have a wonderful
team with three generations,”
said Feinstein, who has since
remarried, had a joint second
bar-bat mitzvah with wife
Marlene at Temple Shalom in
Broomall and now splits his
time between Newtown Square
and Florida. “We all get along
really well.”
Deb Pizzini said Feinstein is
the key to it all.

“Norman is keeping this
project moving along,” she
said. “Norman is the driver on
the team.” l
agotlieb@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0797
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM