blazerina

It really is all PRETTY MUCH the same as far as the BASE goes. Some are more gel like, some are more liquid soap like. I recently heard that anything you can use on your body is just as good if not better for your hair. (for normal hair types) It may not always have things in it SPECIFICALLY for hair, like volumizers etc- but it CAN be used on hair same as on body. It will clean your hair just like it will clena your body. It's all just surfactants and soap like ingredients. The general purpose is the same. To strip oil and dirt. They just wont be so blatant as to use the exact same ingredients and package it as two different things (although some do that too or with very minor changes) A body wash sounds better than shower gel. It has a more 'Spa/indulgent' ring. You can make a shower gel creamy and pearly or a body wash translucent and gel like. I think companies take a lot of liberties with names for their products so it really doesn't mean anything anymore. JMO.

Hi Carebear... I was browsing these recipes and found this. I'm just curious if when you say 70% Jojoba... do you mean Jojoba butter or oil? Thanks so much. This sounds incredibly simple... I could do this!

Thanks Crafty. I appreciate your response. Not what I wanted to hear, BUT, lol....thanks. :smiley2: I guess I will forgo the visual effect and just make regular ol lip gloss, lol.

Hi all. I'm trying to find out if I can make the Lava Lip Gloss type gloss in the applicator bottles. I didn't realize that all the posts I've seen about them were in the ROLLER BOTTLES... duhhh me- I bought the applicator type bottles. So I was just wondering if the applicator sponge would mix it up too much or what if anything it would do differently. TIA - Blaze

If your local grocer has a health food area or sells lots of organic foods, you might find them in the beauty products/hygeine aisle. Often times these types of stores will have gallon size buckets of all natural bases and you grab an empty 8 or 16 oz bottle from the shelf and you pump your own out of these bigger buckets, then you pay for the bottle as well as price per lb of the base, but you can also just buy the bottle. It's not really cheap this way but it probably works out in the end by not paying shipping or having to wait. Where are you located? Someone might know the area and know of a health food store or local supplier that's close.

I recently got some from Elements Bath and Body I beleive it's called. I'm not sure if they went as big as 16 oz, but you buy by the peice and it's really affordable prices.

My first batch of MP was from Michaels.... and as expected, no lather. I kind of figured all MP was this was so when I read on here about oils and additives that help with lather I decided to try castor oil. Now it really depends on what your opinion of 'good lather' is. It certainly doesn't bubble up and foam like bubble bath or anything but the castor oil really did make a difference in my second batch... and perhaps the better base I used that time as well. Castor oil is affordable and a good all around oil to have on hand. I've also added this along with Vit E oil and it still gives a nice light but decent creamy lather.

I have seen it said that Vit E acts as a preservative and I have seen it stated that it only preserves oils. Some things I read give me the idea that it is not ENOUGH of a preservative to use alone for that purpose. Although, I'd love to find something that I could use that was 'naturally occuring' that would in fact REALLY do that job. But I hear there is no such thing. Only that Vit E kind of helps things along and keeps certain things for a bit longer... but what is 'a bit longer'??!! Soooooooooo confusing!

Hmmm....i'm imagining going around knowing ( in my secret little world ) that I taste good. Lmbo- Hmmmm....Interesting. I'm also thinking this could be used for revenge purposes.... how about a little Habanero ...sucker!...oh i'm terrible. Next subject.

Hi- I've made tarts so far with a few different waxes that I purchased new myself. My question is, how do you know what to do with a slab of wax that is unmarked? I picked up what looks to be a two lb chunk from a thrift store that rescues cats. People donate stuff to them and they sell it and feed and house cats that are about to be put down from the humane society. Very admirable I thought and I wanted to experiment with different waxes so I picked it up. Though i'm no where near an expert, it does seem to be a harder type wax. I'm interested in making everlasting type candles and then of course the tarts. With tarts it's simply a matter of throw. Where as everlastings, balloon candles and water candles might be more particular in what their structure requires. So is there anyway to 'read' certain characteristics of it to see what it is intended for? Are there any obvious signs? I know i'm going to have to just test, but I guess i'm thinking of longevity issues and such if I make these as gifts. ETA: If i had a candle thermo I spose I could kind of read at what temp it melts...but I don't. (yet) Maybe I should wait until AFTER Christmas to try it out <wink-wink> Thanks so much for any info!

On the one hand... this is me having a 'duuuuh' moment, lol.. on the other hand i'm always needing to know the 'facts'... like EXACTLY what is it, lol. But it makes total sense that it is probably something citrusy. I've never noticed a scent from these candles other than maybe a 'clean' type of cold throw. Now mind you... nor have I ever looked at the ingredients of one... As a matter of fact I happen to have one waiting to go out in the mail cuz i'm baaaaaaaad that way, lol... let me look at it--- And I quote " The 'green dot' contains a blend of natural citrus (:highfive: Scented) and wood oils that effectively neutralizes stale tobacco odors. This safe and effective air freshener does not mask odors, but leaves room fresh and clean." It almost smells like Lime and the colum is set in a bit deeper than the top of the candle and it's sweating! Just a tad though. Must be really laiden with the EO's. And guess what? This is from that company that Harley pointed out, too funny. I got it at Wal-mart. It is a Lord Byron Smoker's Candle.

I did a quick search for you and am only able to tell you that '6' stands for Polystyrene (sp). It is considered a form of styrofoam. Someone more knowledgeable will have to tell you if that kind of plastic is ok for FO's and hot wax. Eta: I'm all about problem solving, so if you find that you can't use these only because they would break down under the FO... what if you coated the inside of your cups with a quick layer of plain wax? Time consuming probably- yes. But it would make them usable as the Fo would not be in contact with the cup, you could use up any cheap or old unscented wax, AND the bonus is: 'Sealed for best scent retention'- people would eat it up, lol.

The smokers candles... or smoke eliminator candles have always had a green or blue column as well. I don't know what it consists of, but i'm guessing some basic additive that some may use all the time anyways. Does anybody know what that is? I know i've seen a supplier or two sell a smoke eliminator FO, but there has to be a basic type of EO that does the job... like Lemon and anise do in soap.

i double posted, please forgive me:o

I know very little about this stuff so far but I was thinking the same... wow that is a lot of fragrance oil. From what I gather, this makes an extremely small batch right? Or one big bottle of spray... one whole oz of Fo to one bottle? Am I reading that right? (wow)

From my experience only... the reason why the wax should not stick is because of the flexibility of the plastic cup. All that needs to be done to release any kind of wax... (except soy which I don't use and can't speak for) is to break the seal of wax against container. With out flexibility this is difficult, but in these loose plastic cups I can not immagine much difficulty. JMO.

My sister is a bit of a health nut, not exactly a fanatic but she definitely trys hard to live a healthy (pure) life. She is convinced- because she has researched it and experienced it herself with enough pedictability that her body reacts to - I beleive it's the parbens. She says they mess with her hormones and cause her to palpitate... and she just starts to feel sluggish and yucky overall...IF she uses them repeatedly. But she will still use something that has them in it if it intrigues her enough . If someone gifts it to her for instance or she just can't resist the smell or affect she will use it/buy it. But you would have to be VERY allergic to parabens or such to have instant reactions like that, as they are said to 'build up'. And we all know that sooooooooo many things have them in it- it would be extremely difficult to pinpoint unless she was willing to make a lifestyle change. When/if you get the chance to talk to her, ask if she still has any of the offending product. If she has it, tell her you will refund her and that you need the product back so that you can inspect it and check it for problems. (which really just means sniff it, give it a good look over and maybe try it on yourself a bit- you need to be confident that you are aware one way or the other of if there is an issue or not.) Either way, if she doesn't have it- or even if she does.... tell her you would love the opportunity to make it right with her and offer her free samples of anything else you make so that she can find something that works for her with out the risk of committing to a full size product that she can't use. There is nothing wrong with playing into the falsity of her delusion if in fact thats what it is, - as long as you play on the 'people can be allergic to so many things and everyone's chemistry is so different' angle...most likely as someone already said, she just wants attention for it and if you hear her out and if she feels you are willing to bend over backwards to 'make it right' she will have a hard time finding something negative to say about you/your product. Since it is a small town, I would think it is worth it to salvage each and every customer that you can. It's easier for me to say than to do, I hate kissing butt, lol... but I at least do realize you will get so much farther that way and it helps keep the drama at bay. I've lived in small towns alllll my life- I know how all that goes, lol. So I say just be the ever so concerned crafter and seek her out to pucker up, 'because you care.' Which is the truth right?

Can you print on rice paper? Lol- that way it's supposed to melt in the water and doing so helps make the fortune your own! Whut? Lol.

If it makes you feel any better, it turned orange on me too- and I only make Melt and Pour soap, lol. I thought I just added too much because to my knowledge(limited as it is) I didn't think mp morphed things the way CP can. Go figure. I do see the red in the swirls... and the body of the soap does look orange. You can call it Tigermint, lol.........I would.

Not EXACTLY sure about bulk.......but bees wax, (and bee products) is what Glory Bee is all about. They have all kinds, check them out. A link to them is posted in the fragrance section sticky thread on company abbreviations. Scroll down past the first long list and look under 'others' I beleive.

Now that's funny! I was just thinking I wanted to buy some crap wax, lol. So glad I was tipped off about it going on sale soon. I won't waste any of my money on that silly good stuff.

I've used sucker molds for soap and what I use to plug the sucker outlet is that yellow or blue putty that is for hanging posters with out pushpins. It doesn't take much of anything that will initially stop the flow and then it sets pretty quick as most candy molds hold smaller amounts and thus cool faster. Fimo or something of the like would probably also work as it would handle the heat of hot wax.

OOOOOOOOkie dokie, lol......I think I just got hit with the stupid rake........are some flavor extracts NOT edible? What do you look for to know? Now i'm really lost. Eek. The whole thing sounds too difficult, lol. My sister makes occasion cakes and I want to make lip balm...and I know some use Wilton flavors to do so, so I asked her if she had any she no longer used. She said she had lots to give me and I was soo excited, lol.. then she says......."oh I thought you wanted EXTRACTS. No I do not have oils. These are alcohol based... not sure if those would work for your use. " :rolleyes2 She knows more about this stuff than I do and she only makes cakes, lol. Anyhoo, thanks ladies. I will just use the Lemongrass Peppermint flavor oil that I recently got, and slowly build up my stock of others. Can't wait. I like to put it on my lips straight out of the bottle . I don't think i'm alone though in feeling the need for a variety... I've noticed some on the board are Flavor oil hos almost as much as some are Fragrance oil hos, lol.

Lets face it- ultimately it is the consumers responsibility to know what they are buying. If I sold either products, I certainly wouldn't lie....or mislead intentionally. But I think it's pretty ridiculous all the law suits and all the reasons why we have warnings on our blow dryers to not use them in the bath tub... sometimes.........we are idiots, lol. 'We' meaning... the general public as consumers. I do beleive that many who sell soy do so because they are pro soy --because they themselves have been misinformed. I didn't say ALL... I said 'many'. And I said that is what I 'beleive'. Lol. A lot are merely responding to the demand for it. We have all at one point or another been unduely impressed by some sales pitch or other... so I would not personally hold it against anyone if they perpetuated the misinformation regarding the aforementioned parrafin vs. soy myths. Sad as it is that this happens. It really is difficult to obtain unbiased information. For this reason, I think these boards are wonderful tools to help at least open the mind. As was mentioned earlier by one who works with retail claims... a company knows they can put out bad information and reap rewards, not punishment. By the time someone realizes it's a bogus claim, the information is out there and it's not eraseable. We must hold ourselves as consumers to the ultimate responsibility of knowing what we purchase. For crying out loud... don't trust 99.9% of what you read or hear! If I say I am 5'5 139 lbs on my drivers liscense... you know you probably shouldn't beleive it, lol. I find this debate completely engrossing and imformative especially- you see I live in an area that is HIGHLY green oriented. I thought about putting my tarts in those little plastic food service cups... but I know that would so not fly. I'd be berated for creating so much plastic waste! Because of where I live I was intrigued by the idea that some M&P bases are labeled as having come from 'organic' materials. But upon further reading you realize that you CAN NOT claim it is organic...it is only MADE FROM SOME raw materials that are. Therefore, I will not buy and resell it based on that 'benefit'. It's like saying I made a salad with MOSTLY real food. Sure there is some gravel bits in there but hey.... at least SOME of it is real--woohoo. (if that is a stupid analogy, forgive me, It's late, lol) KNOWING that is has SOME cerfified organic material is irrelevant to me because I ALSO know that is has other that is not. My point is- Soy is the same way. To the average consumer (and I don't think the ones in my area are, lol) who will chose Soy, the fact that soy is perceived as 'more natural' will be THE reason they choose it-whether over parrafin or just at all. You can explain all the in depth pros of soy all you want, but they are already sold at 'natural'. And being silly gulible consumers we INFER one products naturalness as being another products un naturalness. Even if you don't say 'Soy burns cleaner'... just 'Soy burns with little soot'.... we think......'oh... the others are full of soot, I see.' Retailers/candle artisians should do their best to watch their wording, but ultimately the consumer hears what they want to hear. It doesnt offer any immediate resolution to this issue, but seriously, we really need to think about the next generation we are raising and do our best to head off the whole idea that if you read it on the internet, or even if your teacher said so... it must be true and you have no reason to question it. So much of all these posts are filled with pasted quotes from 'official' websites both for, neutral and against the issue at hand... based at least somewhat on someones own experience. And we are supposed to beleive it because you experienced it and put it in writing and said so yourself? Show me your title that shows you are a well renowned expert in the field and I MIGHT beleive you. Show me that you make NO money based on the things you say, and I MIGHT beleive you. An earlier poster said she will buy something if it says it's recycled and be appreciative for the alternative rather than question the integrity of the claim. It might be eye popping to be privy to the real fact that in the end, that recycled product took twice as much energy to produce. And it probably costs more.... who does this benefit??? I hope i'm not getting too off track here... in my mind it all relates to the debate over which is best. Many here are well imformed and thus say both are good for their own reasons... now if we can just teach our kids, friends, husbands, mother in laws, etc... to be more cynical and less trusting, lol. It's a good thing, really!!!

Dang. :undecided