elle110

awesome...love them both...

I must ask where you got those tubes and how you got them crimped at the bottom

elle

Most of my customers actually take the bars out of the tin and use them on their entire body, I make sure they know that it can be used every where regular lotion is used. And I have directions on the bottom of the tin with directions on use, because so many are given as gifts etc. also promote them with the added benefit of being able to use the entire product, unlike traditional lotion that never seems to empty out. Another great thing about lotion bars is that they are Airline appoved, they don't fall under the 1 oz guide line for traveling so they can be carried on with no restrictions. I have a ton of Airline customers and overseas customers who travel because of this The marketing on these is endlesss, nurses, postal workers etc.

Just putting in my in regards to preference.

I don't really like them either. I think mostly I just don't really understand them, lol. They should be called Balm Bars instead of Lotion Bars. A lotion goes all over the body in large areas. A Lotion Bar is WAY too much of a pain to try to do this with. They are great for spot treatments though.

And I think if you gave it an 'added benefit' somehow like... for itch releif, or as Chris mentioned- bug bites, super duper healer for dry cracked elbows etc, they would make more sense to customers.

I do have ONE customer who gets itchy legs but since he works with his hands he can't use lotions because it will make his hands soft and they get nicked and banged easier he says. So he is the perfect candidate for this kind of 'hands free' application. And then there are those who might want to apply it at work and don't want to go back to the keyboard or other tools of the trade all moisturized/greased up and dropping things just because they wanted to apply some to their knees or elbows or something. These instances though are few. But if you market it in a way that gears buyers up for a specific use they might take to them really well. For instance, I'd be more likely to buy it as a 'portable solution' to heavy bottles of lotion.

Not only am I the type that needs to read everything on the package so I feel confident I'm using it right, I also need to be conviced that I REALLY need it in the first place, lol.

Angie, why can't you just pull back on the beeswax a little and up the oils. BTW, CB has massage bars as well and if i remember right the recipe is no different than their lotion bars

Elle

First off you have to remember that JE is a direct sales company like Mary Kay so that is why they have the huge numbers of those being sold .

Their lotion bars are being sold at home parties where a rep can teach customers how to use them, what they are for, what their benefits are for and the customers can try them out before buying them. Something we may have a hard time doing especially if you simply sell off of a website.

Now, I love the idea of calling them Balm Bars and I may just steal that from you lol! I know when I gave my lotion bars in a swap practically everyone loved it. The downside of lotion bars is how long the dern things last lol! One bar practically lasts me a year, however I go through normal lotions at least every 3-4 weeks so I have to purchase more lol.

Another one I am wanting to do is a lotion bar that softens up a bit more than my normal lotion bars and can be used for after-sun care or even as a massage balm bar. That is on my drawing board to start experimenting with to see if I can make my current lotion bar become softer when hitting warm skin . Any ideas?

Angi

Ok, these are my specialty...I sold close to 2,000 of these last year (2007), mainly just doing my 8 shows and the little bit of time I have been my store. They are one of my hottest items and they get hotter by the day. I have been selling them for 5 years.

Mine are in tins, they are 1 oz. and I have over 30 fragrances.

The #1 challenge with the lotion bars is educating the consumer on how to use them, that is why I have not done a lot of wholesaling with these because if they get into the hands of a shop owner that just sticks them on the shelf and never talks about them they will not sell, and, unfornately most shops are like this because the owner may not be there and has not trained staff to promote the product. I have one account that sells them like hot cakes and she gives every person that enters her store one to sample...

The other thing about them is that in most circumstances they do not sell in the deodorant tubes or push up tubes...I don't know why but any soapers that have them in the tubes at shows I do usually don't sell any

Another thing that sells them is to offer them in fragrances not just EO and promote them as the long lasting product they are and charge more for them because they last as long as several bottles of lotion. I sell mine for $7.50 and no one blinks an eye

Every person that comes to my booth is handed the lotion bar and given the famous "lotion bar speel" sp? I have developed over the last several years, I most definitely know that I sell them better than anyone who works for me because of my confindence in promoting them but I have several people who work the shows now who are getting pretty good:)

I offer a "3 for" deal and a majority of people buy the 3 packs to give as gifts, heck at Christmas time peoeple buy 6, 9 or more.

I just opened a store in August and I have people now coming from over 45 miles to get them, they may see someone at work with one etc. They are definitely a conversation piece. Besides my soap, they are my best-seller, I will never stop making them.

Some areas do sell better than others, and usually the first time they are introduced, say to a new show, they may not sell that great but usually by the next year they start really catching on

Funny thing, I was a CB rep for about 3 months a long time ago (b4 I started my own gig) and I hate their lotion bars, the texture that is, they are way to sticky. On the other hand, their are several fragrances that I really love of theirs. Unfortunately direct sales are not my cup of tea so I quickly got out of that.

They are definitely something to consider and are great sellers if marketed well

what are your ingredients? what type of mold are you using? how much FO are you using?

Elle

does this help:

http://wholesalesuppliesplus.com/StoreCategory.aspx?CatalogID=9&GroupID=550&CategoryID=1732&CategoryName=Deli+Style+Tubs

also, I think I remember MMS having ice cream containers

HTH

Elle

I absoluitely love that soap, the shape and thickness are awesome! Is that just a piece of pvc from the hardware store or an actual mold?

I want one! Of the soaps I mean:)

They are all so beautiful but my fav is the triple heart:)

It is a blend of honeysuckle, jasmine & rose.

Aha, I just saw that on the Root site, I wonder if I mix Instant Karma, honeysuckle, jasmine and rose I will get close...off to the experimenting lab

Thanks everyone for you input

Natures Garden has an awesome FCG and it is a top seller for me, I add a small amount of comfrey for visual affect, they love it...

Has anyone ever smelled ROOT candles Sampaquita? I have a customer who is in love with it and would like me to duplicate it, the closest thing I can find so far is Instant Karma but there is another note that I cannot place in the candle...or does anyone know of anywhere that makes a dupe of it?

TIA

Elle

Wow...those look awesome, love the first ones you did, they were a lot more than an attempt BTW, when you cut soap thas petals or seeds on top turnt the loaf over on its top and cut from the bottom then you won't get runners in your soap. Trust me, I learned the hard way...

Elle

i am so digging the Lavender girl...the buds on my soap did not discolor maybe you will get lucky...hope to see you next month

Anyone know who carries a dupe to B&BW Pink Grapefruit...customer request and none of the sample I have ordered even compare...B&BW smells like other citruses in the base

TIA

Elle

I love these, they are very unique, my little girl would go nuts, since she loves disney and purses

AWESOME SOAPS! I would name it White Waters, I don't see any mud in that beautiful creamy white bar...

Hummm...how did you get the JB not to seize, I make it all the time and have a race against the clock, barely get me swirl in the soap and it starts seizing. BTW...mine is almost the same color, teal with white swirls

So are these looms for beginners or advanced?

I love the sweater and the tanks you made, just gorgeous

Oh my God, those are so sweeeet. Ok, please tell me you sell these, or are willing to do some pieces. I have been trying to contact a business on the internet, she make poly cupcakes and they are scented with FO, but she has not gotten back with me because she is so busy.

Please email me if you are willing to discuss some wholesale pieces, I want cupcake charms so bad for my store and yours and the other lady's are the only ones that look so realistic.

Elle

That it absolutely fab, reminds of creamsicles. Didn't it feel good to be able to duplicate something, that was my fear when I first started making soap, will I ever get the next batch to look anything like this one.

Love it...

Yummo, they look awesome, of course you can show M&P here.

The tins will rust when in contact with anything that has water in them, so I would not use for soap, they would work great for the massage bars though.

I use the 2 oz tins and the bars made in the muffin tins fit nicely

I love them, I have been making and selling those bars for 5 years now and they are a #1 seller, I package in the tins as well. I use muffin tins for a mold, what did you use?

Love the labels also, I am having new labels designed for mine as well, they were so boring.

Good luck, I know you will sell hundreds, just make sure you let everyone try them and poof there gone:drool:

Beautiful soaps...btw, if you use Lavender EO no seizing, you have to worry mainly about FO florals.

I have a website and do about 11 big shows a year and next week I am opening my storefront. I am carrying my entire line plus a lot of cool gifts. I am carrying Webkins, Robeez, Graffiti Zoo candy, Ganz gifts and a lot of home fragrance such as reed diffusers, candles and air freshners. I will post pics as soon as we are in, the shelves and counters are being painted this week, then we wax the floors and start loading the shelves with product.

I have some pics of my booth somewhere on here if you do a search:grin2: