MySwirlingSuds

I haven't tried this one yet, but it's on my wishlist because it looks like it would leave skin softer than the average shower gel http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/body-wash-base-cosmetic-base-p-575.html

I see most etailers selling them for $5-$7 each

You can use any skin-safe fragrance oils in shampoos, but make sure you blend it in a 1:1 ratio with Polysorbate 20 before adding or else the fragrance oil will not emulsify into the shampoo.

I encase the entire bottle in shrink wrap - haven't had any leaks that I know of.

You can purchase professional stock photos and graphics with unlimited use licensing at www.istockphoto.com for a couple dollars each. They have over 2 million files available! I got my avatar background there (hard to see in such a small size, but it's a graphic of iridescent floating bubbles). You can use any graphics software to set up labels pretty easily. I use Microsoft PhotoDraw - it's very user-friendly. Now if I could just control my obsession with constantly revamping and tweaking my labels...

Got it from Garden of Wisdom

I bought some zeolite powder - the mineral you can add to any formula that doesn't contain water to make the product "self-heating" when you add water - because I want to try adding it to my hot oil treatment to see if I could get it to heat itself up when you apply to wet hair. Just wondering if anyone else has ever tinkered with it and if you think it might work for this purpose...

Read your post this morning, then happened to run into this while I was shopping! http://www.thepersonalformulator.com/wvss/product_info.php?cPath=12&products_id=963&osCsid=0c3eb00386a7c1d79badd32304bc2fd6

Best place for duckies (and maybe some other things - they have a huge inventory): www.orientaltrading.com

I had a bad experience the one time I ordered - took me over two months to get my order. I tried to call but could only get a machine and I never got any response to my emails until I threatened to chargeback my credit card - then my package mysteriously appeared a few days later, but one item was missing (at that point I just let it go). I don't know what's going on there, but it's a shame because the products are good, you just can't trust that they will actually arrive.

I've been testing and experimenting for over a year now and am just about ready to start selling on Etsy. I think you've got the right idea to start with bases and expand from there. For me, it took a LOT of online research into ingredients and techniques and formulas to really feel like I knew what I was doing. I also tried every base I could get a sample of - the difference in quality is astounding. To start your inventory, I would recommend investing in a few really good quality body-safe fragrance oils and definitely research and select some good preservatives, since not all bases are pre-preserved. Once you are confident, you can move to customizing your bases with butters and oils for different characteristics, then finally start creating your own formulas. In my opinion, you definitely need to blend your fragrance oils in a 1:1 ratio with Polysorbate 20 before mixing into a base. I've never been able to get them them fully blended without it. You may also want to research thickeners, like Crothix, because some bases really thin out after adding fragrance oil and a touch of thickener will get them right back in shape. Here's a percentage conversion chart that I use every time I make something: http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/PDFS/ConversionChart.pdf Good Luck!

I just bought some Hydrovance to try and agree that it doesn't have any of the stickiness of glycerin. From feeling the texture, I'd bet it would improve the slip of your lotion.

SweetCakes has a fabulous dupe that's really strong in M&P

My all-time favorite will always be NG's Pink Lemonade. It's the only FO I have a 16oz bottle of!

Look for a sifter at Dollar Tree, too - I got an awesome one with a nice fine screen and attached collection cup. It's been perfect for my body powder.