Radiant Life

Lather’s $9 soap bars come in 13 different scents, including lavendar lime, lemongrass, orange peel, patchouli olive and clove. Radiant Life

Essential oils, changing behaviors key to Lather

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

As a preteen, Emilie Hoyt suffered from migraines. The extreme headaches kept her from everyday activities.

“Time stands still, and you’re trapped somewhere awful,” Hoyt says. “You’re in that other realm. You’re in so much pain. They’re debilitating. I can’t see. My left side of my body I can’t move. It just gets stuck in this place until it passes.

“As I was growing up, I discovered they were triggered in part by synthetic fragrances and perfumes.

“Eliminating those ingredients from my world, I learned how prevalent they were in so many products. That’s not just a bottle of perfume but so many products we interact with every day.”

The Colorado native was forced to toss her hair products, makeup, suntan lotion — everything she relied on as a 13- or 14-year-old. She constantly read labels, trying to find products she could use.

“In doing so, I was trying to find products that I could be excited about using without any added perfume or synthetic fragrances. That was next to impossible.

“Whether it was a high-priced item that was being marketed as very special or one that was found on the shelf at a drug store, I couldn’t use it.”

Twenty years ago, Hoyt took matters into her own hands and founded Pasadena-based Lather, a brand that eschews synthetic fragrances in face, body, hair and wellness products. Instead, she uses essential oils.

“I graduated college and I worked in public relations for the nonprofit sector,” she says. “I learned about crafting messages and educating people. We were really focused on changing behaviors.”

For some time, she worked on Lather’s products while she was working her day job.

“I was really searching out and finding some lovely independent small-batch-type companies that were making really lovely products,” she says.

“They were really simple products like soaps, candles, etc. When I decided that I really wanted to do this, I reached out to those companies. I talked to the owners or the makers.”

A soap-maker schooled her, and that led to Hoyt’s first product, an olive oil soap.

“It’s still in the Lather line, and it’s featured prominently,” she says. “It’s such an experiential product. It has beautiful essential oils and lovely bases. It can make such a difference in day-to-day life, even though it’s just a bar of soap.

“It’s a product that’s dear to the Lather brand.”

The $9 soaps come in varieties like lavender lime, rose tangerine lavender, lemongrass, honey almond, orange peel, vanilla bean and shea, oatmeal lavender, patchouli olive, clove, rosemary and peppermint, and eucalyptus and clay.

Candles and bath salts came next.

“It wasn’t until I had a lot more knowledge and experience that I started a lot of the products that the brand’s known for today,” Hoyt says.

Now she has stores in Pasadena; Long Beach; Fairfax, Virginia; Phoenix; Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport; and Honolulu.

“We’ve been part of Pasadena for the last 22 years,” she says. “We’re a woman-owned independent business. We always felt very loved and supported by the community.

“We have retail stores, but we do have an amazing website and we reach people all over. Pasadena is our hometown, where our office is and where our fulfillment center is.”

Hoyt is looking forward to getting through the COVID-19 variants and seeing customers return to her retail shops. Lather has become known for its Pamper Parties, private events held in the stores for guests to sample the company’s most popular products, enjoy mini treatments, and learn about the benefits of natural aromatherapy skin care.

Hoyt says they’re ideal for birthdays, bridal or baby showers, club meetings, girls’ nights out or office parties.

Similarly, there is Lather Lends a Hand, during which time attendees shop for a cause. They have the same features, but guests can make purchases to generate donation funds for an organization. The charity of choice receives a check for 20% of the proceeds from the group’s sales.

“In Pasadena, we’ve had so much success and interest in (Lather Lends a Hand),” she says. “Unfortunately, through COVID, we’ve had to wind that back, although we have done virtual parties. We’re excited about connecting with our community again. I think I speak for everyone that it’s going to be great when we’re past all of this.”

Lather Historic Old Town 17 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena 626-396-9636, lather.com 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays

With the uncertainty and turbulation of our world over the past few years, there’s never been a better time to get your affairs in order and ensure a stress free and financially secure life for yourself. If you’re a property owner who is at least 62 years old, you can do just that by obtaining a Reverse Mortgage. Prominent Financial group is here to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Reverse Mortgages to help you assess how you could benefit from this program.

What is a Reverse Mortgage?

There is currently 10 trillion dollars of un-tapped equity in the United States Housing Market due to the recent increase in home prices. This means that you could be sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars yourself and not even know it. A reverse mortgage is opposite of a traditional mortgage loan and is one where the bank will make payments to you as a lump sum or monthly installments against your accumulated equity. You can get a reverse mortgage, even if you still have an existing mortgage as long as you are within certain qualifications.

How long does a Reverse Mortgage last and who is responsible for paying it back?

Unlike traditional mortgages, reverse mortgages do not have any time limits as long as the borrower maintains their home, pays taxes, homeowners insurance, and lives in the property. Reverse Mortgages last for the duration of the borrower’s life or until they decide to sell the property - which means you don’t ever have to pay anything back as long as you’re living in your home. Heirs have the option to keep the property and refinance the loan to their name or sell it. If they decide to sell, proceeds from the home’s sale are used to pay off the loan balance and the remainder of the equity goes to the estate and/ or the borrower’s heirs.

Are there any restrictions on how the Reverse Mortgage proceeds may be used?

Absolutely not! Many borrowers use those funds to pay off other debt, have cash on hand, maintain their existing quality of life, travel, invest in a hobby and help their kids. In addition, one of the biggest perks is that the IRS does not consider a reverse mortgage cash flow as income, so these funds are not taxed.

What happens if I outlive my life expectancy or if the loan balance exceeds my home’s value?

So you’ve exceeded your life expectancy - good for you! If this is the case, you and your heirs are protected and do not have to pay the difference back as long as you continue to live in the home and do not sell it.

What advise do you have for someone considering a Reverse Mortgage?

In the past, there’s been some stigma around reverse mortgages because there were bad players who abused the program. Because of this, increased compliance regulations and certain policies have been implemented, which eliminate those poor lending practices. It’s also important to go to a trusted mortgage professional who will guide you to make the best choices for your specific needs. At Prominent Financial Group, we take utmost pride to ensure that every person’s scenario is analyzed holistically, and that our clients’ decisions will add value to their life. We are passionate about educating our clients with full transparency and ethics, which makes both us and the borrowers fully confident in their financial endeavors.

Prominent Financial Group 535 N. Brand Bvld., Suite 290 Glendale CA 91203 t: 818-476-4133 www.PFG365.com

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