by Sandra Fu

Everyone loves a happy ending and no one more so than entrepreneur-extraordinaire Emilie Davidson Hoyt. For what seemed like a curse turned out to be catalyst for success. How could she have predicted that the horrible, debilitating migraine headaches she suffered as a child would be the precursor to a lucrative career? As anyone who has ever suffered from migraines can attest, the pain is excruciating and often leaves one curled into the fetal position with the lights out and palms pressed into the eyes. As a young girl not much seemed to help her pain, then one day her father returned from a business trip with a gift of soap made with lavender essential oil. She noticed that it appeared to ease her pain considerably, so much that she would sleep with it under her pillow at night. Thus began her passion for natural products.

The only thing that makes a person happier than finding a way to ease the pain is to share it with others. And that is exactly what Davidson-Hoyt did. She started out with only a few soaps made from olive oil and various essential oils, including them in gift baskets for friends and family. Soon Lather became a corporate gift basket-company and then demand for the products grew even more. In late 1999 Davidson-Hoyt opened her first store in Pasadena’s Historic Old Town. Now with one more store in the Los Angeles area, one on Santana Row in San Jose and the most recent store in Scottsdale, Arizona (which opened earlier this year) Davidson Hoyt certainly has her hands full.

She shares a few principles that helped conceptualize the business.

First, give people their money’s worth. Many companies spend an exorbitant amount of money on packaging instead of what is inside. You would be amazed at how much a fancy bottle and pump will run you - probably half the price of the product. At Lather they maintain an 80/20 ratio on ingredients to packaging and they truly pride themselves on the quality of what they put in their products. “We have found the most beneficial and unique ingredients from all over the world to make our products with,” Lather attests. And they also let you know what they won’t put in, “We will never cheat your skin with artificial fragrances, colors or synthetic ingredients.” If you look at their ingredient lists you can see for yourself.

Secondly, be ethical while doing it. Ms Davidson-Hoyt decided this was equally as important to her. Lather never tests their products on animals and they go one step further by refusing to work with labs that do. As members of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) they vow to maintain this stance and are included on PETA’s list of compassionate companies.

Third, quality is a must for her business. Lather searches all over the world for unique ingredients excellent for your skin, including hard-to-find essential oils. Something to consider, since oftentimes skin care products are packed with preservatives - sometimes near the top of the ingredient list -- which means there is more interest in increasing the shelf live of the product and less of the nurturing ingredients that actually benefit your skin. Davidson Hoyt’s vision can be summed up with her mission statement, “To create individually composed, personal care products using only the highest quality of ingredients in environmentally compatible packaging, while offering these products in an educational and supportive manner to consumers.”

Service is also of the utmost importance to her. Lather offers over 50 different essentials oils (some of the rarest and most expensive) available by the drop, which you can custom-blend with their various bath, body and hair care products. Her employees are armed with up-to-date information on all ingredients and are always available to help make decisions personalized to the customers likes. They can also provide skin care tips and information on technique.

Speaking of skin care tips, Davidson-Hoyt offers some advice to help you achieve a smooth and moisturized body during the upcoming colder months. She says the two most important things to do are exfoliate and moisturize. “A common mistake people make is they put lotion over dry skin without exfoliating,” she explains. “The cells aren’t quite dead yet and putting lotion on dry skin is like keeping them on life support.” She says the skin won’t flake or peel, but it tends to look dull. She also advises that once you have exfoliated (she recommends Lather’s Cranberry Sugar Scrub) you should not be afraid of intense moisture. She attests that if you use good quality, natural products you should not have a negative experience.

Ms. Davidson-Hoyt and her company Lather is a testament that even a negative experience can be turned into a positive, even profitable venture. If you focus, you can achieve anything.

To find out more about the Lather product line go to www.latherup.com

© Melt Magazine 2003