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An expert on the topic of Natural Beauty and Making your own cosmetic products with simple kitchen and garden ingredients. Janice Cox comes to you with her new book called, Beautiful Lavender.
A Southern Oregon native out of Medford, Janice joins us to talk about the wonderful properties that Lavender has and to talk about some of our local Lavender Farms.
Please checkout Janice’s wonderful book and take a look at some of her other information at her website and over at Mother Earth News at the links below!
Beautiful Lavender – https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Lavender-Janice-Cox/dp/1948734184
Mother Earth News – https://www.motherearthnewsfair.com/speakers/janice-cox/
Natural Beauty at Home – https://www.naturalbeautyathome.com/
Transcription
Brian: Janice Cox is an expert on the topic of Natural Beauty and making your own cosmetic products with simple kitchen and garden ingredients. She’s the author of three best selling books on the topic natural beauty at home, natural beauty for all seasons and natural beauty from the garden.
She is currently the beauty editor for Herb Quarterly Magazine and a member of the editorial advisory board for Mother Earth Living magazine.
She lives in Medford, Oregon with her husband. She’s a member of the Herb Society of America, International Herb Association, United States Lavender Growers Association, Oregon Lavender Association and Garden Communicators International. Janice Cox Welcome to Grants Pass VIP.
Janice: Thank you, Brian. It’s nice to be here.
Brian: Yeah, it’s great to have you on just for a little bit of background for everybody. Janice was on an episode of my other podcasts, Off The Grid Biz Podcast. She was on that last year for some earlier books and for her speaking schedule that she had with the Mother Earth News Fair. So I’m happy to have her back here.
Her latest book is, Beautiful Lavender.
Why don’t you tell us a little bit about it, Janice.
Janice: Well, yes, that’s right. I talked to you last time at about the fair we had up in Albany and you even made it up there to the fair, which was great, I like that. But this year…so I did that fair, and I think you even came to it, I used to give a talk all about lavender and growing lavender and using lavender and just enjoying lavender.
So out of that talk came this book or it’s more, real actually written more workbook style, because that’s kind of what I like is when people come up to me with my books, which are written cookbook style, and they’re all written up and people make notes in the margins are swapped out ingredients and really made it their own. I wanted to incorporate that in this new series of books.
I wrote one on loofa and then this one is all about lavender. And so there are pages that you can actually write on make notes, so all your information stays in the same place.
If you bought a plant at a nursery and you just loved it. And you want to remember the variety and you want to remember the address of the nursery you can put it in the book, or if you’ve changed one of my recipes around for shortbread cookies, you can make notes there so we call it it’s a book but it’s also a workbook. That’s kind of the new thing now.
Brian: Yeah, absolutely. The subtitle is a guide and workbook for growing using and enjoying lavender. So this is everything from A to Z when it comes to lavender which is amazing because I mean it goes through the history. I mean, I’m not sure how many of you had ever heard that. When they discovered King Tut’s Tomb. They opened it up and it smelled like lavender immediately.
It’s amazing how something like that would last that long.
Janice: It shows how important an herb it was because to be in a King’s Tomb, right?
Brian: Absolutely. And it mentioned you know, Queen Elizabeth the first love lavender and just everything from the history to how you can grow it and the different varieties and you’ve even got a great map here for the hardiness zone for the US to kind of give an idea of where person would be able to grow what types and I mean it just goes on and on.
There’s so much here and uses, and you still include the whole thing is not a cookbook you have a number of recipes available in it. So that’s, it’s really great stuff.
What drew you to lavender in the first place?
Janice: I’ve always loved lavender, I have it in my own yard. But lavender is probably never been more popular than it is right now. Especially with what we’re going through, the lavender farms are doing really well because their sales of product and lavender and oils have almost tripled because the best known there’s like I think over 100 uses for lavender.
It’s a very versatile herb, but probably the most well known is for its treatment of anxiety. And so and it’s calming and relaxing since people that are stressed out you know, using lavender products or smelling lavender or even just walking out and looking at some lavender, it really calms you down.
In fact, I even just prove this, I went to the grocery store Oh, before the book came out and I walked up and down every aisle and I knew I would find lavender and maybe body care products. But I didn’t realize how many other products feature lavender now and I almost filled the whole shopping cart. We won’t tell my husband how much I spent on it.
But I had cat litter, I had laundry detergent, I had beer, I had sodas, I had teas, I mean not just a cream and a lotion in a bar. So I mean lavender really is out there because a lot of people and if we’re lucky here in Southern Oregon, we have some really amazing lavender farms very close by, they are open and you can go visit and take your class you know experience the plant and just see how they’re growing and buy some of their products.
Brian: Absolutely. And you sent me this map and great pamphlet the Oregon lavender destinations, which you can find at OregonLavenderDestinations.com. This is put out by the Oregon Lavender Association, is that right?
Janice: That’s correct, The Oregon Lavender Association and you don’t have to be a lavender farmer to be a member, anybody that just wants to learn more about lavender or enjoys it can join, they have different levels of membership, I think I’m considered a friend of lavender.
And they also have all the way up to lavender farmers. But if you get their newsletter, you get recipes. And these maps now the maps are available in a lot of tourist locations at the visitor center.
Some hotels have, you know, nowadays, it’s kind of harder to find those brochure kiosks. We just went to a state park and they had them behind Plexiglas and you had to talk to the Ranger to get one because they don’t want people touching them.
Brian: Because of COVID and everything.
.Janice: Right!
COVID has kind of changed everything but it but it’s increased lavenders popularity.
Brian: Has it really?
Janice: Yeah, because it’s also antibacterial. So a lot of people that are cleaning their house, there’s I have recipes in there for a natural household cleaner. But because people are cleaning their house more, they also want a natural scent, they want natural products. And lavender is anti bacterial and will help clean your not just your body but also your house.
Brian: Absolutely.
So why don’t you tell me a little bit more about how has COVID affected you in your activities in your life?
Janice: You know, actually it’s changed the way I’ve done business. I guess since this is a business podcast, I was going out face-to-face with people and running workshops, hands on workshops and that has all changed.
Everything’s gone to the virtual world, I’ve had to kind of become more tech savvy, I even set up a little video shoot in my backyard, and my daughter was the cameraman, and instead of doing the workshops live, we record them because the Mother Earth News Fair now has gone virtual. So if you go on their site, you can buy a ticket, the ticket used to be if you went to the fair $20. Well, that’s the same price, but you now can have access to maybe, I think it’s like 56 videos now, we’re up there.
So all the speakers have kind of gone ahead and either done their presentation online, you know, like a PowerPoint or they’ve recorded new things out in their yard or out in their on their homestead. So the amount of content virtually is really going up.
Also, you know, I’ve always written articles that has people have had an interest in more, you know, online articles. Because I think people are just home more and they’re looking for content.
They’re looking for things to watch and they’re looking for things to do. So they’re you know, people are cooking more, crafting more, gardening more. So that’s all a good thing for me.
And that also, I’ve had both my daughters move back home. So that’s kind of another COVID bonus and all all during this time period.
Brian: Wow, that’s great.
What brought you to the Rogue Valley. I remember one time you were telling me you were living you lived in Australia, what brought you to live in this area of the world?
Janice: Well, actually I’m from Southern Oregon, I grew up in Klamath Falls. So left and you know, went we lived a lot of different places around the country. And then right before we moved back to Southern Oregon, we did live in Australia, my youngest daughter was born there, my husband had an opportunity.
And that’s actually where I really got into making my own body care products. It was a little bit out of cost savings and then out of necessity, I just couldn’t find things that I was used to use it.
You know, today, the cost savings is always a good thing. But it’s also lifestyle choice.
A lot of people want to use natural things. And they’re concerned with what they’re using on their skin, hair and their body. So I took all the things that I made and put them into a cookbook where we move back to Medford and that became my first book, Natural Beauty At Home which was back in I think 1993 so it’s been out there for a while not to date myself or anything but.
Brian: That’s great.
What keeps you going with all of this?
Janice: Well, I haven’t really changed my interest has always been the cook the crafting and making my own body care products and the natural skincare haircare and that’s really what I’ve built my, I guess, career on, it shifts a little bit every now and then what maybe I used to do a lot of magazine work is now more online work.
I do more speaking now that my children are grown and out of the house when they’re little, I really didn’t want to leave the house as much so but the mission is still the same.
I love sharing my passion for lack of a better word of, you know and making my own skin and hair care products. In fact, I was just asked, there’s a herb company up in Eugene, Mountain Rose Herbs who I love all their products. And we’re going to go ahead and do some videos in the fall.
And so you might have to have me back on, I can tell you more about that.
But we’re going to do some videos and that’s really kind of my direction now. So I kind of think good comes from all things right now. It’s maybe hard to see that some people are seeing that but I think the skills that we’re getting through this and the the amount ways that we’re reaching people is different.
Even the fair, people were really kind of down on doing away with the Mother Earth Living Fair. But more people are able to watch it now, in different locations. Before, we only had maybe six locations and now it’s opened it up to the world, because we didn’t have international viewers. So that is kind of a good thing.
And there’s a cost savings. I just went to a conference and people really liked having a virtual conference because they didn’t have the travel costs, and they also could still be at home and do their job. And with their family, there’s still not something to be said for face to face. So I’m not going to say that the whole virtual world is a wonderful place.
Yeah, I think it’s because I still, I’d rather be up here face to face with you. And so and I would rather doing my workshops, and really, you know, getting my hands dirty…or not that dirty, maybe clean I should say, because we’re making bath bombs and things with people, but it’s okay.
Brian: Oh, that’s great.
Janice: I do like curbside pickup. I hope that stays.
Brian: Yeah, there’s a lot of neat advantages that have kind of been pushed forward through this technology or otherwise. So you’re doing well with the with all the technology dealing with online video, and all these other things that are coming along.
Janice: I don’t know if I’m doing well, but I’m learning.
I mean, I’ve learned to shift my desk away from the window. And I went and bought a curbside pickup at Best Buy and got a microphone. So I have learned things. But um, yeah, so I think it’s just you’re always learning growing right, changing.
So that’s the thing, I think if anything it’s taught us all to be kind of more flexible, because that’s where a lot of anxiety or the use of lavender is coming from is people just the unknown.
After all this, I do feel for businesses, we just, you know, as I haven’t traveled a lot this is the year where we’re kind of just staying close to home or going in the state of Oregon.
But and summer is a good time because restaurant owners things like that have kind of figured out how to feed people outside. But hopefully this changes soon, because it’s a big stands for people having to change their you know, just the way they do business.
Brian: Yeah, no, that’s very true.
Have you seen….you mentioned other businesses. Have you seen anybody that you’ve inspired, not to toot your own horn, but being that you’re encouraging so many people to do their own thing. Have you seen other people go out and start their own businesses or other or other things off of just some of the the simple ideas that you’ve put out there?
Janice: Yes, definitely, I have, and this year with the lavender book, because it came out at the start of all this. And it’s a really good price point. And we have a really good wholesale price.
So I’ve had a lot of lavender farms and nurseries across the country order it and are selling it. One we use it at the fair as a handout.
So when you purchase a workshop, you also get this as a handout.
Well, you know, I don’t necessarily have to teach it somebody on the farm could also teach this and offer it as a handout. So it’s kind of a value added.
Or it also sells products because people need lavender to make the the crafts or the recipes in the book. But I have seen I just went to my daughter and I this morning before I did your podcast, we went out to a really cute little farm where the girl now has made an Airbnb.
And then also she had a sunflower field where you know, she’s booking so you have to make an appointment, but people are going out there. And they are taking photos and you can pick sunflowers and you get a bucket.
I’ve seen a lot more people doing like one offs, like you make an appointment. So you have this experience. And you know, the lavender farms are doing that where maybe they have small groups and they’re socially distance, but they’re making a wreath or they’re making body care products. And so you know, I don’t know if I personally have inspired it, but I know that people that have my books are making products and either selling them is kind of a cottage industry or using them to sell their own produce products, etc.
Does that make sense?
Brian: Yeah, that’s a great thing to know and see that’s really great.
Janice: I just see a lot more of these pop ups. Like even my girlfriend had a pop up Art Gallery. And she put it out on her Street and she sold out like the first day she had made all these because she’s been not leaving her house.
She made all this art, put it out in front of her house and her pop up Art Gallery.
She I said to her, you know she she should have an opening or something and she was going to do it like but she didn’t really want to encourage gathering outside of the street but yeah, it was, she I think she’s done it three times now.
But these pop up you see a lot of the little pop up shops. I have another friend that does it. She lines her driveway with flowers that she cuts in her yard. And then you know people can come by and you know some people just are sharing it out of kindness to kind of boost everybody up and other people are asking for donations or selling it. So yeah, pop ups are out there.
Brian: Absolutely.
Janice: Have you seen a pop ups in your area?
Brian: Yeah, I mainly I see things online. I’m out in the country so I don’t see too much unless I head into town. But I see people advertising them all over the place.
It’s really cool to see people doing anything they can just to be able to get by. It’s really great.
Janice: Right. I think that that’s the thing is a lot of these businesses because they can’t have people inside, like I just went to, like, we’re pretty good in Oregon. But you know, I just went to Pennsylvania with my daughter, because we had to put all her stuff in storage. And you can’t go inside anywhere.
So I mean, everything’s out in the sidewalk out in the street. And you’re really, you know, maybe you used to be able to get 100 people in your restaurant now you could maybe put 20 out on the sidewalk. No, it’s kind of and I don’t know. So hopefully this is over by winter, because nobody’s gonna want to be out there and absolutely not.
Brian: Yeah, in this weather for sure.
Janice: Yeah.
Brian: Is this your fifth book that you have coming out?
Janice: Yes. Yes it is..
Brian: Fifth book, so what can you tell other people about what the process is in writing books and how does that change for you over time?
Janice: I think actually writing books is probably easier than it. In some ways, it’s easier because you, there’s so much self publishing and small publishers out there.
When I first started, I had a New York publisher. And so that was great, because they have great distribution and they had good marketing, but I had very little control.
I mean, I basically sent everything in and then I was sent back my book, which was great. So I loved it, and I’m not gonna, I love my publisher. But then now, the smaller publishers, I think you’re more involved, even Beautiful Lavender, most of the photos I took myself.
And so it’s more bare bones, but you have more creative input. You also have more marketing input, like I can, you know, if I want to put things out there, or create my own website, or my Instagram account and do some special promotions, I have the flexibility to do that.
But you can write, I have friends that do everything themselves, you know, self publish it, and then you take on a little bit more financial responsibility. But you also get more financial reward. So it’s kind of, you know, risk reward type thing, you know, a big publisher is taking all the risk, so you’re not going to get as much per book. It’s all good.
I mean, I see a lot of books out there, people keep thinking books are going to go away. I don’t think so. But they have evolved.
Even this workbook style is a new way of doing a book that people really like it’s an affordable price point. I think right now it’s full retail is 17.99. And you know, and that’s a good price for a book.
Brian: Absolutely. That’s really a great concept.
What do you think is the greatest benefit to writing and putting out books?
Janice: You write a book because you’re passionate about the subject, whether it’s nonfiction or fiction, you know, you just you really are so passionate about the subject that you want to share it with the world and you want to inspire other people and you want to educate.
I think a lot of writers are, you know, infotainment, or entertainers, you want to either inspire somebody, like just you’re their imagination. That’s the fiction people.
I’m not a fiction writer, but nonfiction, I just want to share my knowledge with other people inspire them and where they take it. Like I said, what makes me feel the best is when somebody comes up to me and my book is marked up and even if they have comments about it, that’s fine.
I mean, just the fact that they’re using my book reading it, and they’ve done something with it really fills me up. So I think that’s when you’re writing books. You just have this want to share things. And then the benefit is getting that back, realizing that you have to share something with the world, and people will read it.
Brian: No, that’s fabulous. That’s fabulous. And it’s so fits you because I remember you saying last time before this book had even come out you had said that you love when people come back and it’s all tattered. It’s got scribblings in it and everything. And so you came out with a workbook. It’s like your script.
Janice: Yeah, because I do say that all the time. So that I really do believe that I started out I think, you know, there was a side of me. I was at home, I had this knowledge and I did want the flexibility of being a stay at home mom.
So I wanted you know, I wanted some income, but I also wanted some kind of a psychic income, you know, being able to do something and share things with people but also being able the most important job take care of my children and raise them and be at home. So it kind of went hand in hand.
Now my kids are gone and I still like I just liked so much, you know, talking and sharing with people. I haven’t stopped writing.
Brian: Absolutely. We’re recording this in August of 2020 for those of you listening if you’re listening to this way in the future, just a little bit of perspective from where you’ve been through in this last year.
Janice, do you have any overall advice for people out there for keeping sane and keeping out there and being active?
Janice: Yes, hopefully for in the future, you don’t need my advice.
I think, you know, you read all those things, I think self care is important. You know, because if you don’t feel good people around, you aren’t going to feel good.
So taking good care of yourself will benefit, not just yourself but everybody of course. All the basics, drinking lots of water and going outside, they say that a lot of the stuff going on today, people just be able to go outside is a huge benefit even for 10 minutes a day.
I also think just staying busy having a purpose. If you wake up and you have a purpose or something to do that day, it makes a big difference. Then if you’re just binge watching Netflix, but that can be your purpose, too. If you set that as your purpose. I’m not going to put you down for that, because I’ve already watched lots of Netflix.
And that’s a whole nother podcast to talk about.
But I think, yeah, just having a purpose, being busy, you know, trying to fill yourself up as best you can. But I kind of feel like during this COVID thing, I go three good days one bad day, and I’m okay with a one bad day, I let myself kind of habit sometimes and then but not too much.
You kind of have to then snap out and drink some water, go outside smell some lavender.
Brian: That’s great advice all around. It really is I mean, some of its deceptively simple, but it’s really is what it’s all about and I appreciate you saying that.
What could a listener do, who wants to find out more about you and perhaps your latest book, Beautiful Lavender?
They can go to my website, JaniceCox.com, my name.com. And they could also go to the Mother Earth News Magazines website because my books are on there.
And there’s also information I have some videos there with my presentations through the Mother Earth News Fair Live, in Mother Earth News Magazine Fair Live.
So you can go on that and I guess there’s a if you go to my website, you can message me and look for my books. They’re everywhere. Or hopefully, they’re on Mother Earth News and they’re on Amazon.
Brian: We’ll have all those links in the description for anybody that wants to go and check that any of those things out.
We really appreciate you coming on the show. Janice, thanks so much for being on. Grants Pass VIP.
Janice: Oh, thank you, Brian. I appreciate it and I like being on your show.
Brian’s Closing Thoughts: It was so great meeting back up with Janice after having interviewed her before. I there’s a lot of things I really like about Janice.
One is she’s extremely creative. It’s obvious by looking in any of her books, you go and check out her websites and so forth. But I also like how flexible she’s been through the years. If you look at what she’s been able to accomplish, and she’s done it, apparently without even putting off a sweat.
She’s just endlessly flexible.
So she wanted to do things like she was doing right now. But she was raising children. When they left the home, she was able to go out and do speaking, and do things at a distance that she couldn’t do before.
As she was building things up and doing speaking, she got to the point to where she couldn’t do that because of COVID-19. And so she started learning how to do things, online things that she wasn’t familiar with, but she was willing to learn that flexibility says a lot about a person’s character, I think, and their ability to get things done.
It’s something we can all learn from.
The last thing I really like about her is her passion, and her desire to share her passion with others, whether they be strangers or friends. She’s just all about making and sharing skin and hair care products, which is really cool.
The main thing she brought up was she said, “good comes from all things.” And I think that’s a great philosophy to live by and think about.