asheebeans

WSP has ONE base that is paraben free, I believe. All the rest of their lotion bases do contain parabens. I can't remember which one, sorry. :embarasse Kids are making me lose my mind!

I do a lavender soap with powdered chamomile and do use UM violet for a killer purple swirl. I love color too! LOL :rolleyes2

Oh yeah, I had more green stripes than an Irish Spring bar!!! :embarasse LOL Live and learn!!

That is how I do it too, and no chunkies!

Is 1 1/4 Tablespoons of Peppermint EO alot for that recipe?? I haven't used EO's in anything other than soap, but I thought that in bath salts and such you usually measured them out by dropperfuls, not Tablespoonfuls? :undecided

OMG, my customers love LoveSpell, Pink Sugar (still my bestseller), & OMH. I know....bo-ring!

The question should be "Where DON'T I keep supplies"!! There are some in my kitchen cabinets, some in my fridge, some in my computer room and some more taking over the breakfast bar in my kitchen. I envy you guys who have a separate workspace!!

Whatever you do, don't make the mistake I did waaay back when and use them for MP!!! Green streaks may be pretty in hair, but not on your skin!!! LOL :embarasse I haven't used them for CP yet, sorry. Just thought I would chime in!

Thanks much!! You should see my mold inventory, it is ridiculous! :embarasse I was wondering how you would depreciate the value of them year after year as they do get worn over time, obviously. Talk about waiting until the last minute! I usually had my taxes done and mailed the day after we got all of our forms in the mail. This year has been an experience to be sure!!! I wish I could start over somehow. I think there is a computer program in my future, because trying to keep track of all this is insane!!! I have two toddlers and two teens, on top of working full time and running this biz too. Every time I look at the stack of tax forms I want to burst into tears!! It'll all be over soon, thank goodness, and I am buying soapmaker, quickbooks, craft biz software or something!!! I am NOT going through this sh## next year! Okay, vent over now......and thanks again Robin and Beth!!

I started my biz last year Sept. (officially) and am in the middle of finishing up the tax nightmare I caused myself by my horrible record-keeping. I got my inventory done (yay!) and have a question regarding "supplies" for tax purposes. Do I include my molds (soap, candle, etc) in my "supplies"? Just wondering if I had to add their value in with all of my other raw materials. Thanks much!

Honestly to me, it smells as nasty as the first batch of it I ever poured! I am not a big Gingerbread fan and am dropping it from my line. Why torture myself any longer? I haven't found a gingerbread fragrance yet that wasn't overpoweringly bitter and nasty smelling.

Anything over 15% coconut dries me out something terrible! Have you tried dropping the coconut a bit? Up that lard, too! You would be amazed how lard makes your soap more conditioning! I do around 30-35% lard and love it! I use it in just about every batch.

Oh yeah, NG's got great stuff!!! I love their Curve for Men in soap, even though it turns funky colors. (an interesting violet shade) It smells like a yummy fresh man, straight from the shower!!! That was another one that at first I thought it was a dud....waited a few weeks and wow!!! I have soaps that I made with that scent a year and a half ago and they still smell like I made them a week and a half ago!!!

Great job!! Yeah, swirls on the first batch just never seem to go right! LOL Hey, at least you got around the same color that you wanted!!! LOL My first batch I wanted blue and got green!!! My first batch was Castile too. Once I felt that slimey lather, right into the trash can it went! I needs me some bubbles!! More tomorrow? Oh yeah, you've been bitten by the bug!! heehee

$1.75 here. Egads, with a dollar store on every corner in this neighborhood it is hard to sell them at that price!!!

I'm not sure about your question, but I just wanted to tip you off that you spelled Castor Oil wrong on your site so you could fix it.

I know there have been a few times where I thought the fragrance was rather weak in my soap. I would wait it out a few weeks and POW!!! The fragrance would come out and it would smell divine!!! Don't waste precious FO by adding extra. If you are buying from reputable suppliers, 1 oz. per pound of oils should be plenty!!! JMO.

What a neat thread!

www.kennedyscountry.com

That's what has kept me from trying new things too. There are a few scents I know I want from different suppliers but I keep holding off because of the shipping. I watch the classies and see if any of them come up on the cheap-cheap!

:spit: SPEW WARNING WAS IN ORDER THERE!!!!

Handmade soap, sugar scrubs (just for me, I don't sell them), lip balms and lotions.

Four color swirl????? You are my hero!!!! :smiley2: Pics please??

Ugh, don't get me started on people like this!! Sure, we were all new at one time and excited to learn all about the craft. But, we didn't learn overnight. Remember back to the first candles you made? The first batch of soap? (I still remember my baby poo green LoveSpell soap that was supposed to be blue! heehee) Most of us know that it was research, hard work and alot of testing to get from those first products to the awesome products that we make today! I think that is why it chaps our arses when someone wants to come along and take the cheap 'n easy way out. I have people ask me all the time "Where do you get your supplies from?" Instead of asking them where they buy their tampons from (like the smart-a$$ in me wants to), I will just smile and say instead "Oh, all over the place!" If they ask me if I will teach them to make candles, etc. I will just give them the cost of $100 an hour plus supplies, letting them know it will take several hours of lessons. I love the blank expression on their faces when you mention all the different wicks there are......then you start on the waxes....."Oh, you mean there's more than one???" LOL By the time you mention the cost of insurance and keeping meticulous records for tax purposes you will have the running from the room screaming!!! If this girl was insistent and kept calling you I would answer one day and simply tell her as politely as possible that you have spent hundreds (maybe thousands? Totally possible in this biz) in testing and hours upon hours of research and that you cannot give out any proprietary information. I'm PMS'ing tonight, can ya tell??

When I think of those scents.....lavender, chamomile, etc....I'm thinking "Spa, baby!" I'm wondering if you can play on the spa angle. It sounds like a nice upscale blend. Don't you love doing your own blends?