Jami

I have been using mine based on the weight. I am unclear on why it would only be the oils when the whole scrub base can come into contact with water. Sugar figures into the base of the product.

If you are making any other product, do you base your preservative on just the oils in it or on the whole recipe weight? Foaming bath butter is based on the whole weight when sugar is added, not just the bath butter base. I think that is why it made sense to me to use the weight of the recipe, not just the oils.

Here is what it says for Liquipar which I use:

Recommended usage level in personal care products: 0.5%-1.0% of total formulation weight.

I am not wrapping my mind around the oils only theory yet.

I have been making sugar scrubs and love them. I am wondering why one would use salt in a scrub. The reason I am asking is that I keep reading not to use salt if you have a cut/knick etc as it can cause burning. This isn't the case with sugar scrubs so they just seem "safer" to me without negative feedback from someone that my salt scrub made them burn if they didn't read a warning label.

Can someone enlighten me as to the benefit of salt vs. sugar?

Thanks!!

Costing example:

50 lbs of tart/votive wax: $55

Shipping for wax: $20

Total for wax $75

50 lbs = 800 oz

$75 (wax) divided by 800 oz = 9 cents per ounce

1 ounce of FO for 1 lbs of wax $1.50 (based on 1 lb of oil costing $16 and shipping)

$1.5 divided by 16 1 oz tarts = 9 cents for FO

Shrink wrap and label 8 cents

Total cost per 1 oz tart is 27 cents

This was calculated on high end costs because my cost for wax, shipping and FO is quite a bit less.

My personal cost averages 20 cents for a 1 oz tart. I sell mine for $1.25. I use souffle cups that I buy at Sam's. My cost for those are 2 cents each ($40 divided by 2,000 cups). My labels MIGHT cost 2 cents each on the high end lol I try to catch my oils on sale. My FO cost will vary but it averages out. I pay $55 for 50 lbs of wax which includes shipping from CS.

Retail is 3 - 4 times cost. As you can see, my profit higher than that at 5 times cost.

Tarts have the biggest profit for me. I can't justify higher costs than what I charge nor do I think they will sell as good at a higher cost. I charge $3 for clamshells and that is 4 times my cost. I hate to go bigger on tarts by making them more than 1 oz. Everyone's tart warmer size will vary and not all will hold something bigger. My experience is they don't like to cut the tarts in half just to fit their warmers so they shy away from bigger tarts.

Everyone's costing will vary depending on where you get your supplies. I just wanted to show an example of what cost is vs. how to price it.

*stomps feet on the ground*

Why couldn't I have see this just ONE day sooner? I was in Florida for the past week and came home yesterday afternoon. I could have brought home a BUNCH of sand to try this out *sigh* lol

This was really neat to watch. Thanks for sharing!

Most men honestly can't grasp the concept of us making the products. They say why would people buy from you when they all seem to buy from Bath and Body Works, Yankee etc.

Once they go somewhere and SEE what the prices are, maybe even try what others are selling, THEN it becomes THEIR idea and they say, honey you should be doing that lmao

My ex and I are really good friends. He made fun of me for making the stuff. For his birthday, I made him up a gift pack from my grandson. He came back telling me he can't use any other shower gel or lotion because they dry his skin out and mine doesn't. He even said my candle smelled better than the ones he has been buying. HELLO, why do you think I started doing this? lmao

Ok I have to ask, what did putting it in the fridge do? I use basically the same formula as you do and don't have any problems. Some FO's are stronger than others but I can still smell them nicely.

percent means "divide by 100" in a way - so:

8oz X 0.05% = 8oz X 0.0005 = .004oz = 0.11 grams

did you really mean 0.05%? that seems low.

I was a little confused by that too. I wasn't sure if she was referring to 1/2% or 5%. I think it was supposed to be the 1/2%. The emulsified body butter recipe calls for 1% and that recipe is 52% water so the 1/2% makes sense.

If I can figure out how to combine the lather of this one and the moisturizer aspect of the bohunk #14 recipe, I will be very happy. I might just make both batches and combine the two to find out what happens lol

I used my scrub this morning. It soaped up great. I was pleased with the lather not like straight shower gel but really nice for a scrub. It has just enough sugar to keep from feeling scratchy. I am going to try upping the oil just a tad or even trying RBO instead of jojoba. I want it to be just a little more moisturizing.

Great recipe and thanks for sharing!!! I WILL be using this one

I get mine at Sams Club. I bought 2 oz clear cups and fill them a little over half full or so. I was using the black ones but I pulled out some that I made back in April (my own private stash) and the cups were cracked. Not sure why though.

I prefer the cups for those who have bigger bowls to melt the tarts in. I use clamshells for those with smaller bowls so they can just plop a square or two in without over flowing the bowl.

I keep a supply of PET bottles here and transfer my FO's to those bottles from certain suppliers. If I didn't like the scents so much, I wouldn't bother lol It is just an option for those who don't like the bottles they come in but love the scents.

:tiptoe:

Polo is good in shower gels for guys. My son wears Very Sexy for him and said there are two versions. This one is version 1 and he wears version 2...oops lol He and my daughter's b/f do like it in shower gel though.

I ordered a sample of the Blue Sugar and it should be here Wednesday. I am curious to see what I think of this scent. Pink Sugar is so popular here for women, it would be fun to see the Blue Sugar popular for their hubby's/bf's.

I just wanted to let ya know I made this up today. I didn't use as much preservative as you did. I used 1/8 tsp for 8 oz. It was a little confusing with your calculations. .05 = 5%. One post you referred to .4 oz of preservative and another you referred to .04 oz. I just used 1/8 tsp since I am going to be using this myself.

Other than that, I made it as is. I will probably test other oils too. I did like how easy it was to make and the texture of it.

I just hope there is some lather using the shower gel. I would love to figure out a foaming sugar scrub without using the foaming bath butter. The FBB dries my skin out too much after a few days and I can't seem to get past the "soap" scent lol I have been playing around with a few recipes of my own.

I will keep ya posted tomorrow when I use it how I like it.

Thanks katshe! I got out in our 110 degree heat today just to go get some honey. Does that mean I am a full fledge addict?

I will be trying this tomorrow. I will let you know how it comes out

For car scents, anything coconut like pina colada, coconut pineapple etc, vanilla and fruit scents where I am. I have one lady who is a truck driver that has to have coffee scents in her cab lol. Bathrooms they seem to like light florals, clean scents and fruit. For the kitchens, lemon scents and food scents.

My personal favorite for bathrooms is Pink Sugar and the rest of the house I like fruit scents or cinnamon scents.

I think starting with a little variety of scents will give you an idea of what people like and those are the ones you can focus on in your area.

I got everything out and was going to try this one but I can't find where I hid my honey so the kids wouldn't use it all

What does the honey do in this recipe? Can it be omitted or replaced with something else? If it will make or break the recipe, I will wait until I go to the store and buy honey. *sigh* lol

oops, I meant to post this under the recipe thread

I have some FBB and tried a 2 lb batch. I took some out and put it in a container before I played with other ingredients. I added a little SAO and sugar. My skin was so dry after 2 days of using it that I put it aside.

Can I take this batch and add oil or something to make it useful or should I scrap this batch and start again?

What can I had to make it more moisturizing? If I used butters, how do I do that? All I have seen is the recipe that calls for FBB, oil of choice and fragrance. Sugar can be used until saturated.

Is this basically what everyone goes by? If so, what kind of oil besides SAO is good? I don't want to waste my remaining 6 lbs so any info would be EXTREMELY helpful.

Thanks!!!!

WSP has 4 oz Pearl Ivory Cylinder & Pearl Gold Flip Top on surplus but no picture. Has anyone ordered these? If so, how are they?

Thanks!!

If you give out samples, you need to follow up with them. You have to show them you want their business. If someone brought me a sample and didn't follow up, I would take that as a reflection of what to expect if I wanted to place an order with them.

I also quit using the 416 for tarts. If you let them sit for more than a month, you have powdery, ugly looking tarts. This isn't the normal frosting for soy. It's way beyond that.

I have a 40 lb box going to waste. I am going to try mixing it with some granular paraffin that I got from KY Candle and see if I boost this ugly wax. It's a shame that I like the GB444 and GB415 so well to hate the 416. I did mix some of the 416 with the 444 and it helped but I still ended up with the powdery look sporadically throughout the tarts.

Well this was the first thing I made from scratch and I wasn't aware of so many suppliers out there. I just wanted to get them ordered lol I ordered from MMS www.thesage.com They are in Utah so it took me a week to get my order here in TN. They do have great prices and a great supply list to choose from.

Where do you live? I am sure we can point you to a supplier closer to you.

Body Sprays here. My son, my daughter's b/f and some of my friends with husbands all come to me for sprays. Some scents they like are very sexy for him, polo, CK One, Cool Water, Eternity and just about anything with a vanilla sandalwood blend. I usually make them shower gel to match the spray. They like that they can mix up and use different scents without the expense of cologne which they wore til it was gone lol.

Once in a while mine set up differently on the bottom than they do the top. I make them and cool them all the same. I came to the conclusion that palm wax has a mind of its own sometimes lol

IPM is Isopropyl Myristate. It helps the oils feel like they are absorbing into the skin quicker and helps cut the greasy or oily feeling. It kind of leaves a dry velvety feel to the skin.

When I make something that just feels greasy or oily to me, I add some IPM to it. It seems to help. It is an inexpensive additive that I couldn't be without lol.

I don't think there is any type of needle work I haven't tried and done. The main ones I found that I like the best and do the most needle knit, loom knit, crochet, crochet beading, and swedish weaving.

I used to love doing woodworking but my woodshop became my candle and BB workshop lol My kids thought I had lost my mind when I would ask for a saw, router or tools for my birthday or christmas :embarasse

I just wish there were more hours in a day, I had more arms and hands to do it all.