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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Police Reports Liking Tango helps make hay for abused horses Top five day hikes within reach of Ashland Free class offers home security tips Winter weather could hit Jackson County hillsides today Education Bracing for Common Core Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland Ashland Runs on Volunteers: OLLI classes pay dividends in joy of teaching, learning New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Environment Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Business Ashlander starts up a natural pet food supplement business Should workers be paid at least $15 an hour? Ride & Drive: 2016 Mazda CX-5 Cars We Remember: Car lover knows his 348/409 engines Business profile: Couple opens second Pita Pit in Ashland Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others State News Nation - World Obituaries Lawrence R. Hugo III Death Notices Gordon Geeseman William D. Enyart Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Ashland High events postponed to today Chasing the career grand slam: 3 reasons Rory will win in Augusta, 3 reasons he won’t 3 new baseball books worth a read this season Brook Lopez scores 32, Nets beat short-handed Blazers SOU-OIT softball games moved to Wednesday High school Ashland High events postponed to today Upset-minded Raiders swept by No. 17 Concordia AHS softball team routs Churchill Four-year letterman Fredrickson leads sizzling Grizzlies Grizzlies ace first MWL test Southern Oregon University SOU-OIT softball games moved to Wednesday Upset-minded Raiders swept by No. 17 Concordia Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Voices Latest Stories Our View: AIFF does Ashland proud Letters to the Editor, April 8 Our View: One tree vs. the Ashland community Council Corner: Why baseball and Guanajuato are important Letters to the Editor, April 7 Editorial Our View: AIFF does Ashland proud Our View: One tree vs. the Ashland community Our View: Ashland climate plan: Small steps add up Our View: More of the same at SOU? Our View: Restoration remorse over Ashland's Plaza Letters Letters to the Editor, April 8 Letters to the Editor, April 7 Letters to the Editor, April 4 Letters to the Editor, April 1 Letters to the Editor, March 30 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Council Corner: Why baseball and Guanajuato are important Chris Honoré: The enemy of my enemy is my … frenemy? Herb Rothschild: Stick to the facts Jeffrey Gillespie: Dancing the Pyongyang Polka Editor's Notes: Not falling, flying Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Get a poem a day A Country Cajun Revival comes to the Unitarian Community blog: Poets, put on your party shoes Spring exhibitions open at Schneider Museum of Art Community blog: Ashland High grad performs at OSF's Hip Hop Open Mic Theater Ticket Availability Ticket availability in Ashland theaters, April 7 Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Music The Farr Side: No Zayn Malik? One Direction stays the course A Country Cajun Revival comes to the Unitarian Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March Visual Art More films, excitement than ever for AIFF Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies Movie review: Suspend all belief in reality — ‘Furious 7’ is just fun Movie review: The action is even more insane in ‘Furious 7’ Movie review: ‘While We’re Young’ is a thought-provoking comedy-drama Alan Alda knows the secrets to acting, marriage Movie Listings: April 3-9 Food and Drink Business profile: Couple opens second Pita Pit in Ashland Tot owners buy Playwright, hire Amuse chef Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Dear Monty: How real estate relocation companies work 5 Things to Do This Weekend (April 10-12) Lost in Suburbia: Timeline of a Man Cold Dave Ramsey: What’s the goal? Top five day hikes within reach of Ashland Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: AIFF does Ashland proud ... Ashland Calendar, Wednesday, April 8 ... Liking Tango helps make hay for abused horses ... Our View: AIFF does Ashland proud ... Ashland Calendar, Wednesday, April 8 ... Liking Tango helps make hay for abused horses ... EMZ BLENDZ The sweet smell of soap-selling success Family-run business cleans up at Ashland store, online and in B&Bs Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Dec. 4, 2014 at 8:56 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Dec. 4, 2014 at 8:56 PM » RELATED CONTENT • E-biz navigates tangled Web » Social News Nearly-native Ashlander Emily Whitlock got her start in the soap business while stressing out for years as a teaching assistant. She was studying business and art at Southern Oregon University and found she handled her stress by doing something she loved — making soaps and lotions from natural, organic ingredients.  “I started selling them at the Lithia Artisans Market when I was 21 and it just took off from there,” says Whitlock.  “We love it. Andy (husband) and I make the soaps every day at our studio in Talent. It’s a very bonding family time. Everyone tells me I smell good, like all the fragrances we use and when I make a deposit they tell me my money smells good.”  For the last 10 years, the couple has been selling their soaps, lotions, lip balms and other comforting items as Emz Blendz at 93 Oak St., by Standing Stone. They sell about a third of their wares at www.emzblendz.com.  It’s billed as a natural soap company, using all natural oils. It’s all organic and biodegradable, she notes, and “all super good for your skin and good for the environment.”  The various goodies come in 30-plus “flavors,” she adds, with a smile.  The tiny, charming shop is lush with a cascade of smells and, as you walk around it, you discover many applications you may never have thought of, such as “tub truffles.” They’re like bath bombs that foam and fizz, bringing fragrance and effervescence and moisturizing, says Em.  A tiny, alluring forest of lip balms come in 11 flavors and are made from shea butter, cocoa butter, aloe vera, vitamin E and bees wax. There’s castile soap with olive oil. Sugar scrub with olive oil, she explains, exfoliates and polishes skin as it buffs off dead cells. A sizeable part of the business is supplying bed and breakfasts with soap and other guest amenities. Tourists are fond of their products and spread the word, so they get many B&B orders from around the nation.  One regular customer, Galina LeBlanc, bought some "Baby Bum Cream" for her infant, noting it was full of healthful-sounding stuff  — olive oil, bees' wax and other all natural oils. She also likes the pet shampoo, she said.  “I love what I do and I think that helps you have a happy life,” she says. Her husband nods agreement, noting he handles all the photography, website and heavy lifting for the business, while daughter Jaden, 17, a senior at Ashland High School, does the art on their packaging.  “Making the soap is a very family bonding experience,” says Andy, describing how they mix soaps and other potions in vats, and let soaps set, cure and mellow for a month. Their wares make great gifts, says Em, and business triples during the Yule season.  “They are awesome presents because they’re personal. Each one is a piece of art. They smell good and,” she jokes, “they disappear, so you have to come back and buy more.”  Whitlock, 37, was born in Cottage Grove and brought here as a child by her parents. She started making soap in her kitchen in 1998 and gifting it to friends and family.  “I discovered the art and magic of soap-making as an artist who lives through my senses and am inspired by my love of nature’s scents, my native Oregonian upbringing, my creative spirit and my intuitive sense of comfort.” By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Dec. 4, 2014 at 8:56 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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