From soap to LATHER, Pasadena-based beauty entrepreneur Emilie Davidson Hoyt has turned a small soap company into a brand that bathes in contentment with millions of people every day.

A serious migraine sufferer since childhood, Emilie grew up ultra-sensitive to her surroundings, especially the chemicals and fragrances found in most cosmetic brands. When her father brought back a lavender soap from a business trip, Emilie found that it relieved some of her pain, and began placing it beneath her pillow at night to help her relax. It was with this discovery that Emilie gained an interest in natural, healing ingredients, and decided to create LATHER as an alternative to synthetically-based skin care brands on the market.

What started in 1999 as a small line of pure olive oil-based soaps quickly grew into a comprehensive collection of exfoliating body scrubs, hydrating body crèmes, results-oriented facial treatments, soothing bath gels, and aromatherapy candles. The first LATHER store opened in Pasadena, CA; today, others stand in Atlanta, GA and Scottsdale, AZ.

As we round our 10th anniversary, what continues to make LATHER stand apart from other companies is a dedication to finding and cultivating only the finest ingredients. LATHER has always maintained, “It’s what’s inside that counts,” using only pure essential oils, vitamins and antioxidants, and rare fruits and herbs – and never using synthetic fragrances or colors. Now, we’re also sourcing organic ingredients when possible, and are on track to have all of our products be paraben-free and SLS/ALS-free by mid-2010.

LATHER may go to the ends of the earth to source ingredients, but packaging is kept clean and simple. We believe that what goes IN the bottle remains more important than what goes ON it. To further simplify, our sample packs, shopping bags, and gift cards are all comprised of 100% post-consumer recycled materials. Additionally, customers can return empty LATHER containers to our stores to receive 10% off their next purchase.

As always, we maintain our commitment to cruelty-free beauty. LATHER is a proud member of PETA, and does not test our products on animals, nor will we work with labs that do.

We hope you enjoy the LATHER difference.