BLSoaps

I've only heard of adding the hot lye water directly to the hard oils and using the heat to melt the oils. I don't think I'd trust adding lye to oils, and THEN adding water. If any of those lye crystals didn't dissolve...owie!

Out of curiosity, what are you trying to figure out?

Knowing myself from a consumers point of view, I toss hang tags, usually on the first use. Make sure your contact info is on a sticker somewhere on the candle, like the bottom, or you'll struggle with repeat business. Just a thought...

I haven't used Dead Sea Salts before (bath salts have never sold very well for me, so I hardly ever make them anymore), but I thought they were supposed to be slightly damp. From the salts I have made over the years, I've never had a problem with them getting damp. I always used a blend of Epsom and Sea Salts.

If I'm totally wrong on the DSS being damp salts, then just ignore me!!!

Another option, you could just work with them being damp. It's been ages since I tried this recipe, but because it sounded interesting, I tried it. I'm pretty sure it's from Ingredients To Die For, back when they were To Die For Soaps. I don't know if it's still in their formulary or not.

But basically, you add a little bit of a light oil and cyclomethicone to the salts. I think they called it Silk Saltz, or something like that. It was really nice, made it a moisturizing bath (the salts always dried out my skin).

For smaller quantities shrinkwrapstore.com is great. I also got my impulse sealer from them. Awesome service, great products, great prices, and super fast shipping. I loved that I didn't have to order a million and a half bags, like many places require. I've been using their 4x6 bags for my soap, but I'll probably bump up to the 6x6 bags, just because it'll be easier, and therefore faster, to get my soaps in the bags. Sometimes they just don't slide in easily.

ULine is also a great place to purchase from, but they do have higher minimums. If you make a lot, this is great, they also have wonderful prices, service, etc. But if you don't need a lot, you're going to have shrink wrap for the rest of your life!!!

While this doesn't help with your current batch, I can say that I can't figure out the cracked tops either. I poured a batch of Vanilla two weeks ago. I have a mold that's divided into 4 logs, and I poured the Vanilla in two of them. One cracked, the other didn't. If it had been the inside loaf that had cracked, I would have passed it off as a heat issue, but it was the outside loaf, which would have been the coolest log (most air circulation).

I don't have it happen often, but I don't mark my bars down when it happens. I've found that most people, except the creators, don't mind these small imperfections. Obviously it's your call, but I don't think there's any need to mark them down. I've always thought of it as adding a little character!!!

You'd run the risk of them fractionating (separating basically), but as long as you melt down the entire base the next time you use that, and get it blended back together really well, I can't think of a reason it wouldn't work. But I do admit my brain is pretty fried since our computer bit the dust yesterday, and we had to do some pretty fancy scrambling to get ourselves back together and back online...

The FD&C and D&C colorants are safe to use in all those mediums.

As for why the Blue #1 turned brown, I'm guessing it's your FO that discolored it. I don't make MP, something in it makes me itch, but I'm very familiar with that colorant. It should have colored it blue, with faint undertones of green.

Let us know what FO you used, and if for some reason it's not the FO, then hopefully someone with more MP knowledge than me can come up with a reason why the base would make it morph.

The instructions say, "give it a shake and give it a shot."

That is a great Instruction line! I tend to be boring with mine, but that one I love!!!

You are right in that there are too many stupid things people could do. I'd cover the not for consumption, and flammable if that's a concern with the ingredients.

Some essential oils can be used.

Peppermint

Spearmint

Many of the citrus oils, but they really should be the folded ones...

I know some people put lavender in... I can't stand the smell of it, so I wouldn't dare, but that's my own personal tastes!

If you don't have these on hand, I've seen Peppermint EO at many health food stores, as well as some other EOs. They're always significantly pricier than buying them online, but it'll work if you can't resist waiting!!!

HTH!!!

A lot of the warnings would depend on what ingredients were in the spray. If you're using an alcohol (even if you're going the legal route and it's perfumers alcohol), you've got flammable and do not drink warnings. Cyclomethicone is also flammable.

You're probably going to want to include things like "Not for consumption, do not spray in eyes. If sprayed in eyes, flush with water for 20 minutes, and call a doctor." If you're using candle scents that aren't skin safe, you'll want to make sure they know the spray is not intended for body use.

Basically, think of all the stupid things people could do with it.... there's your warning suggestions.

I'm not trying to sound antagonistic, just asking a question... If you do not have a cart on your website, how are you planning on collecting orders? I'm assuming email or phone. That's fine if you are.

Just a word of advice from someone who's been working through the internet only, a retail website really needs a fully functioning shopping cart, where the customer doesn't need to interact with me at all. Now before someone accuses me of being hypocritical , since I ran my supply site for about 5 months without one, taking all orders by phone and email, it's a little different. We're a community. Soapers, Chandlers. Most of my customers already knew me from the groups and this forum. It made it so there's a lot less hesitation in contacting me with critical financial information.

But the people who will be invited to these online parties, they won't know you at all. And human nature, very simply, will make them much more hesitant to call you up, and give you their credit card information.

Like I said, I'm not trying to be antagonistic, I just wanted to make sure you viewed your set up from a customers point of view. It's not very expensive to set these things up nowadays. A lot of shopping carts are free nowadays. You'd just need to make sure they have the capability of collecting credit card information. That info is then sent to you for you to process with your merchant of choice. Other merchant systems process the card completely, and you don't even need to worry about it or handle the information (these do tend to be a little more expensive though).

The concept is wonderful. I had toyed with the idea about a year ago, and got sidetracked. But I should look into setting it up again. Actual home parties are hard for me to do time-wise. And with gas prices, people are reluctant to come to them, even if they are close. That and people are busier and busier these days. This seems like a nice relaxed way to go about it instead!!!

A popular tactic for the companies that claim thousands of hits a day/week/etc is very cheap spamming tactics. Basically turning your website into a pop up. Yes, people land on your site, but far from willingly. And if people start reporting you, your website will be a lot worse off than it originally was.

I really like your user name, and think it work beautifully as a company name!

One little thing I also wanted to mention. Someone said something about using a line 'every scent begins with Kaye', a twist of the jewelers line. They can come after you for this if they've TMd that line, and I'll be they have. Yes, it's a slogan, so it's a little different than company names, but if it's very well known, it's still 'stealing' to take it, change it slightly, etc. If it goes to court, you may win, they may win, but either way, it'll be costly.

Here in Utah, we're known for our skiing, and our ski resorts. One of the state slogans (on most of our license plates) is "Greatest Snow on Earth". Gee, sounds awfully similar, huh? Now I haven't seen any proof of this, since it apparently happened before I moved to Utah, but PT Barnum apparently tried to sue (whomever it was he would need to sue in a case like this) over the use of that phrase, since they'd been using Greatest Show on Earth for years. Since "Greatest Snow on Earth" is still on my license plate, Utah obviously won, but in cases like these, you never know which way they'll go. In my opinion, come up with something uniquely yours, and you won't need to worry over it.

I agree with SoapMom. If you're already filling a wholesale order, and another wholesale order comes in, wants you to rush it, the only way that you can do that is to drop the current one. IMHO, you're then shortchanging the service you're giving to the 1st WS customer. And then what happens if you get another rush order in? I can just see this slope getting more and more slippery.

If you have a lead time, stick to it. If they didn't order in time, well, they'll definitely know better for next time. As long as it's clearly stated in your WS policies, they can't fault you at all. Also, you can't charge a rush order fee unless that's been outlined in those policies as well.

I'd be upfront, tell them you can't get the order filled in that time (because if you do, then they'll expect that every time, and they won't have learned a thing). Figure out what you CAN ship by then, let them know, with the change in shipping costs, and offer to ship in two sets. And gently remind them of your required lead time.

If you (or anyone else for that matter) get calls from people about doing SEO, marketing, increasing traffic, etc., for your site, just make sure you tell them that first you're not interested, and two, to take you off their call list. I was getting enough of these calls that I even listed our business number on the Do Not Call registry. They don't usually check that before calling, but it does make it illegal for them to call you back if you tell them not to.

IMNSHO, any marketing company like this that has to make incredibly cold calls to get business, they're either not very good, or they're a scam. There are a LOT of very good companies to work with if you need help with your website, but they don't have to go searching for their customers. Their customers usually find them. Either through referrals, or their website through search engines. If they don't have good search engine rankings for themselves, then why in the world do you think they'll be able to help you with yours???

Sorry, these phone calls always irritate me. I usually get a half a dozen a month or so...

Walmart has a set of 4 stainless steel stock pots for $20.00. I use these for all different sizes of soap batches, from as little as 3 lbs up to 15 lbs. And I still had TONS of room in the largest pot, even with 15 lbs of soap in there. This set was one of the best purchase I made. Honestly makes me wonder how in the world I only survived with one before. Added plus, they all nestle inside each other for very easy storage!

I understand your rant about plastic. I've always felt that as long as I don't cross use the plastic, or recycle plastic from something else, I'm safe using it. And like you said.... it all ends up going into a plastic container for the final packaging...

There is a Flash Point Calculator on Jenny Welch's LotionCrafter site.

http://www.lotioncrafter.com/store/Flashpoint-Calculator-p-15.html

I've used it numerous times to make sure I'm legal when shipping things.

I very frequently make 2-3 gallons at a time with a stick blender. Basically, you need to be able to get all the way down to the bottom without immersing the motor part on the stick blender. If you need larger batches than that, you can still make it with a stick blender, you'll just need a WIDER container, not a larger one. Honestly, as long as the container is clean and sterilizable (is that a word???), it can be used. Just pour the heated water in first, not the heated oils, as the oils can warp some containers but the water probably won't. As I'm expanding I've been looking into all kinds of different methods of making larger and larger batches.

As one person pointed out to me (for looking outside the box), you could even make a huge batch of lotion in one of those large rubbermaid tubs (a good example of why you should pour the water in first, not the oil).

As for mixing equipment, there are lots of options for drill attachments that you can use. I've spoken with some lotion makers who are making larger batches than me, and one specific brand keeps coming up for attachments, and that's the Jiffy Mixers. Apparently its design is better for NOT mixing in air, which is a problem with many of the drill attachments (often called squirrel attachments, or paint mixers) I keep meaning to order one in, but I have to mail a check in for it, and I keep forgetting to do it.

While it's not quite as cost effective, it would eliminate the doubts over cleaning them out... You can purchase these as water containers. I've seen them in quite a few different sizes. Some of them are definitely pricier than others, but it should work, and you wouldn't have to worry wondering if you got everything cleaned out.

I agree with Jami. Holy cow, that's a lot of ingredients, and most of them not natural. I know someone suggested talking to me about recreating this as a custom base... I can tell you already, I don't carry at least 75% of this list.

But I'll take a quick stab at the list with rough definitions of the ones I know. Some I'm skipping over because I'm not 100% sure on what it is, and I don't want to steer you wrong if I'm wrong. I swear I've forgotten more about lotion ingredients than most people have even learned . The ingredients I carry, I know them well. The things I don't use, I probably have read a definition on them at some point, but no longer remember what it's used for. So for the majority of the list, I'm going to let you research. Just take each ingredient individually, google it, and you'll get more info than you'll ever want or need.

Also, looking at the list, knowing the recommended usage rates for a good portion of them, the Aloe Gel by far, is the main component of the blend. The other ingredients are going to mostly be used at 3% and less.

Stabilized Aloe Barbadensis Gel - self explanatory

- Cyclomethicone - light weight silicone, supposed to add a nice silky/powdery dry down feel in lotions. To me and my skin, when too much is used, however, it can feel greasy.

- Squalane - usually Olive Oil derived, very good oil

- Glycerin - humectant

- Isostearyl - I know it's an 'alcohol', so I'm guessing it's an emulsifyier, but I'm not 100%

- Benzoate - ??? not sure on this one at all

- Caprylic/capric triglyceride - Fractionated Coconut Oil

- polyglyceryl-3 methlyglucose distearate - Emulsifier

- glyceryl stearate - Emulsifier

- peg-100 stearate - Emulsifier

- fragrance - self explanatory, however, since usage rates for FO are usually 2-3% max, you know everything below this on the list is used in very tiny proportions...

- hyaluronic acid - moisturizes skin, reduces wrinkles

- living ionic minerals - this one I found more than a little bizarre!

- calendula officinalis flower extract - self explanatory

- anthemis nobilis(chamomile) flower extract - self explanatory

- panax ginseng extract - self explanatory

- camellia sinensis(green tea) leaf extract - self explanatory

- retinyl palmitate(Vitamin A) - self explanatory

- Cholcalciferol(Vitamin D3) - self explanatory

- Tocopheryl acetate(Vitamin E) - self explanatory

- Beeswax - self explanatory

- cetyl alcohol - emollient / secondary emulsifier

- stearyl alcohol - emollient / secondary emulsifier

- allantoin - aids cell regeneration, originally comes from the plant comfrey, but nowadays is usually created scientifically. But it's a very good lotion ingredient.

- xanthan gum - I believe it's used to thicken and add volume, but I'm not 100%

- methylparaben - preservative

- propylparaben - preservative

- dmdm hydantoin - preservative

- tetrasodium edta - preservative

I do recommend you double check my findings on all these. I did quick google searches, and this is what came up. But I'd still double check me... Like I said before, I'm not completely familiar with all these ingredients.

I hope this helps though.

I'm sorry you're having so many problems with them. I hope you're able to work things out. I've mostly heard good things about them. So other than being cautious about handing out her SSN, I'm surprised by this.

It sounds like it could be a great opportunity for exposure. I'm assuming you have a website that these ads would refer them to. If you had a store front, that would be even better. Not knowing the extent of your sales set up, it's hard to know.

I would negotiate for a guaranteed fundraiser though, not just the possibility of one. Then you'd KNOW you'd at least be reaping some benefit from it.

Also, regardless of whether or not anything comes of it, I would think it'd be tax deductible. The promotional opportunities are good though. Obviously the stuff they do. Also, you could have a lot of fun with promoting the team on your website as well. It could be fun to add blog updates on how the team is doing, something that changes frequently enough to work at bringing people BACK to your site often. Perhaps see if you could get a few team members involved in the blog. You could donate gift baskets to the Homecoming King/Queen & Court. Make a big deal about it, see if they'll let you present them to them on the field.

There are lots of possibilities with this, but you'll have to look for some fun ways to make it work, and then DO IT! I think it sounds like a lot of fun!

Suds gave you good advice for getting the air bubbles out of this batch. Here are some suggestions for preventing it from happening with future batches. I'm sure you realize it's your stick blender mixing the air in. Some stick blenders naturally will whip more air in than others. But if you always keep the sitck blender fully immersed in your lotion (don't pull it up towards the top very much), you'll significantly cut down on the air. Also, you never want it to create a vortex (the tornado like tunnel down the middle). If this happens, you're whipping air in.

Hope this helps! Air bubbles are definitely a PITA!

This thread intrigued me, and I thoroughly agree with most of what was said. You went ABOVE and BEYOND with this customer. Honestly, since I knew she was trying to scam stuff out of you, I think you offered more than was necessary.

I took a look at your site, and I can definitely see where the problem is with your shopping cart. I hope you're planning on getting in there to change it soon. Is there any reason you aren't listing your 4 products separately. Even knowing ahead of time how it was set up, it was still a little confusing to me. As a customer who honestly doesn't know any better, I imagine it would be very confusing. I'm not condoning her behavior at all, but you do need to fix these problems with your cart, and I highly recommend you get it done before your sale on the 7th.

Also, just a little bit of advice, from one internet merchant to another. I would never announce ahead of time about having a sale. As a consumer, unless I needed something from you right away, I would purposely wait until the sale to buy anything. While people buying from your sales is good, you don't want to cause them to purposely wait to buy. One, your profits are less simply because of the sale discounts. And Two, they may forget about the sale and never even come back. Just something to think about...