Just as Utah residents were wondering if there would be any good snow this year, mid-February dumped more than 12 inches, breaking records in certain towns. For most, the snowfall presents prospects for great sledding, snowboarding, and skiing. For Orem empty nester Jan Whiting, however, the fresh snow has been an entrepreneurial springboard for her new organic snow cone startup. 

Ever since her youngest son moved out and she started selling DoTERRA in 2019, Whiting says she has considered herself a health advocate. As she is getting increasingly concerned nowadays with what we put into our bodies, she says the choice to turn all of this snow into vitality-boosting snow cones was only “natural”. 

“I couldn’t believe all of this fresh, non-GMO snow that we had gotten recently. So much healthier than typical shaved ice you’d find at say, Bahama Bucks,” says Whiting.                                                                                        

Whiting’s Orem based snow cone shack features organic snow cones that each claim to have very specific and even more miraculous healing properties. In place of traditional syrup, each cone is flavored with essential oils and sweetened with monkfruit extract. Her menu touts unique flavors like “Tea Tree Cilantro Sunshine” and “Lemongrass Douglas Fir Fantasy”. In fact, Whiting offers a whole range 31 different flavors, allowing for a different flavor every day of the month.

Whiting says she sees her shack as more of an apothecary than anything. Her goal is to provide Orem with easily accessible alternative medicine. 

“My cones heal from the inside out- everything from inflammation to dandruff,” says Whiting. “I just want people to know that there’s more to medicine than pharmaceuticals and vaccines.” 

“So…is the Sandalwood Melaleuca cone supposed to make my mouth burn?” says a recent customer. 

Responses to Whiting’s stand haven’t all been positive. Some critics are concerned with her use of real snow, as snow has been shown to soak up pollutants in the air, such as car exhaust. In addition, Whiting has yet to accept that some essential oils are only to be used topically, and not ingested.

Due to a lack of licensure, Whiting’s shack was recently evicted from the Orem Kohl’s parking lot. She is currently figuring out relocation. In the meantime, you can order your cones off of her Facebook Marketplace posts.