BLSoaps

I had an "oh duh" moment when this was suggested to me a while back. I still wanted the properties of shea, especially since my marketing is based around shea butter. But I swapped out my Shea Butter with Liquid Shea Oil. I had to up my beeswax and solid oils to make up for the consistency change, but the formula is now perfect! It's always absolutely smooth, creamy, rich. I love it. And it sells like hotcakes. I was forced into solving the grit issue for a huge international wholesale account for the lip balms. I was glad I fixed the problem, and I think the result is better than the original.

I think for me this falls under one of my mottos for my businesses. If you want to be viewed as a professional, then you must act like a professional, and look like a professional. For the "look like a pro", since most people don't see me during a sale, it means my websites, and my products, and my labels, must look professional. And most of the professional companies do two labels. Company name, logo, product name and scent, and maybe some promo stuff on the front. All the FDA required stuff on the back. I also include usage directions, and usually a little advertising plug about the product on the back label as well. To me, this is the most professional looking approach. I like how my products look, and I've frequently been complimented on my packaging (retail business) when I actually find myself doing shows (I don't do very many). But ultimately, it's what you're comfortable with. If you like the look and feel of one label, all info on the front, then go for it. It's certainly not prohibited. Carol's Daughter's labels are like this, and her company is doing very well. Go with what's right for you and your company.

With things like this you don't need them. Anything with water needs a preservative. All oil bases that potentially have water coming into contact, and being left in the container (like scrubs, which are often used in the shower), need a preservative. Items like lip balms or lotion sticks or lotion bars, do not need a preservative. Things like body butters (no water added ones), are at the makers discretion. Keep in mind the dirty or wet fingers could be used to scoop out the product, leaving tiny amounts of water or grime in the container. This could fester and become a breeding ground for nasties. I make a whipped shea butter that I currently don't add preservative to. If I start selling more of it wholesale, I may reconsider. Right now, I include detailed usage instructions, and explain the concerns about not having a preservative contained, and a disclaimer that we won't be held reliable for problems due to misuse of product. It very clearly states to use clean dry hands, or preferably a clean dry scoop, to remove the product from the container. I doubt many to use a scoop. I don't, and I'm the one who put the warning on it! LOL! But it helps to cover my butt in case someone is stupid with it. But like I said...if I start selling more of it, and it's sitting on store shelves more, I'll probably add a preservative.

I make a ton of lip balms, and I agree with most of the consensus here that it shouldn't be mold. Using butters in lip balms can be incredibly tricky. I actually stopped using shea butter in lip balms because I always ended up with gritty lip balms. Basically, as it cools, the stearin (one of the fatty acids) in Shea Butter cools more quickly than the rest of the oils and forms tiny pieces of grit. I've seen these show up on the top of my lip balms looking whiter than the rest of the lip balm, because it's white, and doesn't absorb the color of the other oils in the batch, it can stand out. The only other thing I can think to ask is regarding the flavor oil you used. Where'd you get it from? Was it intended specifically for lip balms? Some people recommend using oil based flavor oils that are used in candy. I've never used them, so I don't know if they'd cause issues in the lip balm, but they might.

Preservatives have always been a touchy subject for me, something I feel very adamant about. I just posted within the scrubs thread, and a lot of it is very relevant here, so I'm copying parts of it. Usually by the time you can tell that your lotion has gone bad, it's been bad for quite a while. It scares me how many people are so adamant about using no preservatives that they end up selling products that are potentially dangerous. And it scares me even more when they start saying they can do it because "Such-n-Such" company does it. Every once in a while, a self-preserving formula can be created, such a self-preserving lotion. However, the huge companies that do this, create these with incredibly high tech labs, and usually in clean rooms (think similar to hazmet suits & conditions, but to keep from tainting something rather than something tainting them). They spend insane amounts of money creating these formulas, and have tested and retested and retested to get them this way. And in my opinion, I still think it's a law suit waiting to happen. I know some companies have been sued. So they pull the offending product, tweak something just slightly so they can say it's a new product, and give it a new name, and put it back out on the market. Is it right or ethical? I don't think so, but obviously they don't care. I'm sorry, like I said, this is a topic I feel very strongly about. Lotions are my specialty. Heck, they're my main source of income! I've studied (and still study) everything I could get my hands on when it comes to preservatives. I know a lot, but I know there's still a lot more out there. I talk frequently with ISP (manufacturer of many preservatives), and other experts in the field. And some of the information is startling, and others are downright terrifying. So please, preserve your products carefully, especially if you're selling. And this is the post I left in the Scrubs Thread. Someone asked if she should add preservative to her scrub.... As for preservative, YES, PLEASE preserve it. You'll surely come across those that will say it doesn't need, since it doesn't have water in it. But most people use these in the shower or the bath. So the chances of water being introduced are very very good. And once water is introduced, the opportunity for mold and bacteria growth is outstanding. A few tips regarding the preservatives, research them thoroughly, especially if you decide to go with an emulsified scrub. If using polysorbates as the emulsifier, it will gradually break down paraben based preservatives, and eventually render it ineffective. Not a good thing. However, you cannot just pick any old preservative. It needs to be one that will work properly in an anhydrous (no water) environment. I've stopped recommending preservatives because I believe the more people know about preserving their products, the better their products will become. Preservatives aren't fun, but they are, IMHO, the most crucial part of any formula. If your preservative isn't effective your product isn't just bad, it's dangerous. A few places you can research. Lotioncrafter.com has a lot of information about preservatives on the site. Jen is wonderful and also willing to answer questions if you have them. I've also frequently gone directly to the manufacturer (ISP), and asked them questions. They also are incredibly helpful, and also will be the most accurate in their answers. Some suppliers will share information regarding using the preservatives they offer, but I've found that not all of them are correct. Here's a good basic chart and guideline from ISP. It's far from all inclusive, and there are always factors and ingredients that this list doesn't incorporate, such as the polysorbates counteracting the parabens. It recommends various versions of LiquaPar for anhydrous products, but if your formula was emulsified using polysorbates, over time, your preservative would be broken down, and eventually fail. Not a good thing. So research research research, and then research a little more. It's overwhelming, but incredibly critical to producing a quality formula. http://www.ispcorp.com/products/pres...ide/index.html In case it breaks, try this... http://tinyurl.com/la4nr

I've done both oil/sugar scrubs, and emulsified scrubs. For selling and shipping, I prefer the emulsified, because it significantly cuts down on leakage issues. But I still love the sugar sitting in a pool of oil. I have very dry skin, and this moisturizes my skin much better than the emulsified ones. As for preservative, YES, PLEASE preserve it. You'll surely come across those that will say it doesn't need, since it doesn't have water in it. But most people use these in the shower or the bath. So the chances of water being introduced are very very good. And once water is introduced, the opportunity for mold and bacteria growth is outstanding. A few tips regarding the preservatives, research them thoroughly, especially if you decide to go with an emulsified scrub. If using polysorbates as the emulsifier, it will gradually break down paraben based preservatives, and eventually render it ineffective. Not a good thing. However, you cannot just pick any old preservative. It needs to be one that will work properly in an anhydrous (no water) environment. I've stopped recommending preservatives because I believe the more people know about preserving their products, the better their products will become. Preservatives aren't fun, but they are, IMHO, the most crucial part of any formula. If your preservative isn't effective your product isn't just bad, it's dangerous. A few places you can research. Lotioncrafter.com has a lot of information about preservatives on the site. Jen is wonderful and also willing to answer questions if you have them. I've also frequently gone directly to the manufacturer (ISP), and asked them questions. They also are incredibly helpful, and also will be the most accurate in their answers. Some suppliers will share information regarding using the preservatives they offer, but I've found that not all of them are correct. Here's a good basic chart and guideline from ISP. It's far from all inclusive, and there are always factors and ingredients that this list doesn't incorporate, such as the polysorbates counteracting the parabens. It recommends various versions of LiquaPar for anhydrous products, but if your formula was emulsified using polysorbates, over time, your preservative would be broken down, and eventually fail. Not a good thing. So research research research, and then research a little more. It's overwhelming, but incredibly critical to producing a quality formula. http://www.ispcorp.com/products/preservatives/content/selguide/index.html In case it breaks, try this... http://tinyurl.com/la4nr

I visited the KY site to try and get a grasp on what type of a product the Soy Whip is. Ingredients wise, it's a very thick cream. Stearic Acid acts as a thickener in lotions, and on both the Body Glaze and the Soy Whip, it seems incredibly HIGH to me. I make Custom Lotion Bases, and I can tell you that I typically use Stearic at about 1-3%. Where it falls in their ingredient listing tells me its significantly higher than that. There's really not much skin benefit from Stearic Acid, it's pretty much mostly added as a thickener and to add body. I can see it's use in a whipped lotion if you're wanting the whip to stay like a whipped butter would. I also can't imagine not being able to add any oils to the soy whip. Ingredients wise it's incredibly limited. Only the Soy Oil has any kind of beneficial properties. I can understand your disappointment in not being able to add anything other than FO. If you're serious about searching for someone new for your bases, come talk to me. I'm sure we can create something that you'll love.

I get most of my labels at onlinelabel.com. I'm currently working with an inkjet, but we're planning on upgrading to a laser with our task return. I typically, however, purchase full-sized clear labels sheets, which you should be able to get from any office supply store (made by avery, sold in 25 sheet packs for roughtly $22-23). By buying the full sized sheets, I can then trim to the size I need, rather than try to find a label size that fits my container. It saves me a lot of hassle, and probably a decent amount of money, since I don't have to have 6 different sizes of labels on hand. As for the printing, I just print normal, and haven't had any problems. After printing, I spray them with Krylon's Triple Thick Glaze to help waterproof them. This is the step I'm hoping to cut out with the laser printer. I've had some tell me they'll be water proof, and others (usually the companies), who tell me I'll need to test them. IOW, they won't claim anything, and cover their butts in doing so! LOL! So sometime in the next few months, I'll be testing a bunch of laser printers and clear labels. I'm not really looking forward to it.

If you find the base isn't what you're looking for, contact me. I'm in Utah, and make Custom Lotion Bases. I ship my products condensed (you add distilled water to the consistency you want your final product to be) and I can get 3 "gallons" in a Flat Rate Box. (64oz of condensed base typically makes 1 gallon, and I can get 3 sets of the 64oz bases in flat rate box, hence the 3 "gallons" )

I recently started selling the colorants that I've been using to make CP soap for ages. FD&C Blue #1 turns a beautiful purple in CP soap. It's what I use every time I want a purple. Yeah, the morphing can be confusing, but I just trust the knowledge of what I learned in kindergarten (yellow and red make orange), and my knowledge of the morphing, and I usually end up with the colors I want. If you want to take a look at some of the colors I can achieve with these dyes (I sell a number of different colors, not just the purple), you can check in out at www.blsoaps.com If you (or anyone else) want some help with getting purple some, just PM me!

This is very similar to what I do. I'm currently testing tinted lip balms, and like you, didn't want to waste any more tubes than absolutely necessary. So I took one lip balm tube, marked it with permanent marker (bottom and cap) so it wouldn't accidently get mixed in with the several hundred tubes that were spread out on my table waiting to be labeled. Then I twisted the bottom up almost all the way. I had my lip balm melted, and I used a pipette to just barely top it off. Took maybe 1 ml. When it cooled, I ran into the bathroom, tried it on, and checked out if the color was dark enough. Since I was trying tinted I needed a mirror. You'd just need to test it for consistency and graininess, unless you really want to go look at yourself in the mirror! When I discovered that it takes a whole lot more colorant than I ever imagined to get an actual tint to show up on my lips, I just kept retesting with the same tube. I'd roll it down, give myself a little room at the top, and fill it with the next batch. (keeping insanely close notes the entire time!) I only "wasted" one tube, and I had the worlds softest lips by the end of the day!

And I thought I was the only insane one here! I, too, have three boys 6 and under. My added joy is two of them have ADHD! Add a travelling husband on top of that, and two businesses, and I think I have the official mad house! LOL! Sorry I can't add much on the topic. I make tons of lotion, but not lotion bars. However, I do make an awesome lip balm, which is similar, but totally different packaging wise. Good luck! I've always thought the lotion bars packaged in the tins were so cute!

I make Custom Lotion Bases. If you want to check ours out, we're at www.soapersworkshop.com. We've gotten great reviews from our customers, and also just a few days ago, a fabulous review came out in The Saponifier.

As you've read from the others, yes, you can make lip balm without beeswax. I just wanted to toss in one other experience I had with lip balms when I first started making them. I bought a block of beeswax from Michaels, and used it to make lip balms. And my lip balms were gritty. I was told by others it was most likely the shea butter causing the problem. I tried again, this time with no hard butters (nothing that could accidentally grain on me like that), and it was still gritty. It was the beeswax. It wasn't the highest quality (I'm not saying yours won't be, just that mine wasn't), and somehow caused tiny bits of grit to form in my balm. I now make lip balms by the thousands (I have a huge international wholesale account), and I still make them using refined white beeswax. I toyed with switching to soy, but kept telling myself, "don't fix what ain't broke!" There are non-beeswax options, but you'd have a lot harder time finding them locally than you would beeswax. I have some soy wax if you're interested in trying some.

Sorry, re-read your post, and caught one last thing in it. Cost wise, once you know what you're doing, and as long as you're able to purchase your ingredients for good prices, it should be cheaper to make your own than to buy a base. But like learning any new product, you're going to be tossing out bad batches. It's ultimately up to you if it's worth the time, effort and cost of learning a new craft, or going with someone who's experienced.

I don't think it's deceptive to say you made it. I've had a number of customers express concern about that exact thing. I make and sell custom lotion bases, and I always tell them go for it! It's a handmade product. All of the ingredients may not have been put together BY them, but they made the lotion their own by adding scent and colorant. I don't think it's deceptive. As for wanting to make your own, that's awesome! It can be a complicated craft, but fun! It's a science and an art, all on it's own. I wish I had some places to point you to for learning, but I've been making my own for nearly 4 years. Any links I had for basic lotion making were lost when my husband goofed on backing up my bookmarks when we upgraded computers a few years ago. I will say this however. Please thoroughly research the preservative issue. Lotion making is more of a science than a lot of the other toiletries, IMO. And they need to be carefully and properly preserved or they not only get nasty, they become very dangerous to use. And by the time you see anything growing in them, it's WAY too late. ISP's website has a lot of information about the preservatives that they sell (and they sell a lot of different preservatives). You also could get some good information on preservatives, and also on lotion making from Jen at lotioncrafter.com. But you can put together some of the most amazing and fabulous oils in the world in your lotion, but it won't be any good (and actually would be quite dangerous) if you don't preserve it correctly. Do lots of research, and if you still have questions, feel free to ask me.

I recently found a bar from my 2nd batch - over 3 years ago. Still smelled fabulous (but not all FO/EOs will hold up this long), and it felt great in the shower! As long as they're made properly (good oils, proper measuring, etc), they'll last indefinitely, and be better with age. So we should change that saying.... instead of "like a fine wine, XXX gets better with age." We need to change that to "like a fine soap"...LOL!

That's awesome! I've always counted myself INSANELY lucky to have a local soap supplier that sells lye to walk-ins. Doing a happy soap dance for you!

Onlinelabels.com has 1.8x1.8 labels available. I ordered a sample sheet, just to make they would work before ordering. I haven't printed on them yet, but size wise they're great. A touch smaller than they need to be, but no trimming required whatsoever! Lindsay Goodwin Soapers Workshop