TheQueen

I've tried both and prefer the sugar scrub significantly over the salt scrub. If you have any owwies on your skin the salt will most assuredly sting. Sugar scrubs won't do that. My skin feels sooooooo good after the sugar scrub treatment. However, the bottom line is what do YOU like better as it's a purely personal preference, in my never-to-be-humble opinion.

Also try here: www.elementsbathandbody.com/Sampler-Sizes-c-122.html

This is a great scrub formula that I find to be very gentle; however, use it in very small amounts as it will clog your drain (ask me how I know ) 76% Oils of choice (I use cocoa butter, rice bran oil, jojoba, macadamia nut, or whatever else I have on hand) 10% Stearic Acid 8% Cetyl Alcohol 3.5% Polysorbate 20 1.5% Fragrance 1% appropriate preservative Sugar in amount equal to all the above Enjoy!

Pay attention to what your HEAD says. That's where your intellect resides. Just my never-to-be-humble opinion.

They really aren't "milk" products at all--most will say "non-dairy creamer" or similar words. Why don't you try it and see how it turns out then let us know so we may copy you. And no, that wasn't a smart remark, I truly want you to do that and report back to us.

Soap doesn't require distilled water; however, if you're making lotion it's pretty much a MUST-DO.

To get distilled water, water is heated in a distillation column thereby creating vapor; the vapor is then captured, having left behind most impurities, forming the distillate or what we know as distilled water. I buy mine. HTH.

OK, let's just say, for arguments' sake, that you have listed ALL the ingredients in this particular product and you have since I've been to that website and checked out this product myself. Next, just for arguments' sake, let's say that you claim the products you have highlighted in RED will have preservative qualities because Dr. Haushka has them in his products and he would certainly know what he's doing since he's been doing it since 1940. I did just a smidgeon of research (googled 'em) and here is what I found: anthyllis vulneraria: kidney vetch (no preservative qualities) alcohol: WHAT KIND OF ALCOHOL? glycerin: humectant and solvent (no preservative qualities) cetearyl alcohol: emulsifying wax (no preservative qualities) lecithin: antioxidant (no preservative qualities) bentonite: clay generated from alteration of volcanic ash (no preservative qualities) hamamelis virginiana: common witch hazel (no preservative qualities) citral: used in perfumes and flavorings and the manufacture of other chemicals (no preservative qualities) citronellal: imparts perfume or flavoring (no preservative qualities) geraniol: antioxidant (no preservative qualities) limonene: used as solvent or cleaner linalool: scent compound used in fragrance and perfumery (no preservative qualities) eugenol: used in perfumes, flavorings, EOs, dental fillings and cement material as antiseptic (no preservative qualities) benzyl benzoate: used to treat lice and scabies infestations--PESTICIDE (no preservative qualities) xanthan gum: stablizer/binder for cosmetics products (no preservative qualities) This could indicate one of two things: (1) this product contains NO preservatives, in which case I would be scared to death of the microbes growing in it; or (2) the listing is incomplete, in which case the customers are being deceived outright. You started this thread by saying "I have just started out at lotion making and have a few questions about preservatives." But when we answered your questions in an informative and straight forward manner, you say we treated you like a child. The childlike behavior here is yours because we apparently didn't tell you what you wanted to hear. Rather, we told you what you NEEDED to hear. The information provided to you was given in the spirit of helpfulness and concern for both you and your customers, be they family, friends or paying customers. You would do well to remember that.

I'd like to see their ingredients list if you're thinking they don't use preservatives. Believe me, and a lot of others here, I certainly would NEVER purchase a lotion product that does not contain a preservative no matter how high end they are. Sterile laboratories don't make for a bacteria-free lotion out here in the real world. And you need to be really careful if you are thinking of using citric acid, grapefruit seed oil or alcohol as a strong broad-spectrum preservative. It ain't necessarily so. You need to do a quite a bit of research about preservatives (and consequences of the lack thereof) before jumping in to this little venture. And, as ChrisR said, be sure you have your lotion challenge tested for the safety and protection of your customers.

If your lotion contains water it is always a good idea to use a preservative because all manner of undesirables can and will take up residence. And wouldn't you much rather use a preservative than risk those nasties? I sure would. However, that said, if you're making fairly small amounts for your personal use, you may keep the bulk of your lotion in the refrigerator for a short duration (a few weeks). If I were selling lotion I would NEVER make it without preservative; that's just too large a risk. And read the descriptions of each preservative under consideration very carefully so you use the proper one for your formulation.

I made about 16oz of a lovely sweet almond oil and honey lotion yesterday. My first attempt at lotion a few months ago was less than stellar so after mulling it over again for a couple of weeks, I jumped in yesterday and did it. So far it's very smooth and creamy and I really really like it. I don't know why lotion makes me nervous, but it does. Tell me about your attempts at making lotion so I'll get over my heebie jeebies.

O...M...G those are stunning. Makes me wanna try a swirl.

I'll have to ask her about where she burns, if it's in the same place. Good question.

I did ask about the possibility of a draft and she said no there wasn't anything like that. I'll have her bring the container back so I can have a look at it. The ones I have tested I test in my bathroom which is a fairly large space (it will cause the least amount of trouble in the bathroom as we have cats). I have noticed that sometimes I can smell the candle in my bedroom much better than in the bathroom. Thought it was just me. :rolleyes2 OK, on to the next phase, whatever that night be. Again, thanks for your help with this.

My understanding was that she burned the candle for at least 3 hours, possibly a bit longer. The jar is rather smallish, about 3" tall and 2.5--3" wide and the wick is HP 105. However, she DID say there was quite a bit of residue on the sides so the wick may, in fact, be too small. The other candle she tested for me in an identical container with the same wick had a great HT with consistency every time she lit it but it was not a Millcreek FO. Well, I guess that's why it's called testing, eh? Hey, thanks so much for the information.

I use PS 20 at 3.5% and it works well and I don't use e-wax at all--stearic at 10% and cetyl alcohol at 8%. HTH.

I've just recently started making small candles using Millcreek's Soy 125 and her Pink Sugar FO and Fresh Fruit Slices FO at the ratio of 1oz per pound of wax. However, my friend who is acting as a tester indicated that the PS/FFS FO combination did not have a consistent hot throw--at times she could smell it just fine and at other times not at all, and her BF said the same thing. Any suggestions?

If you're speaking of wickless candles, certainly. Just make them as you would any other candle but with no wick. You heat them on a candle warmer.

Well, ya know what? I did a search and did NOT come up with this. Wow, thanks so much! Now I look really stupid but that doesn't take much!

Does anyone know who actually sells [Monarch] White Christmas FO? I love this FO but now have an EMPTY sample bottle and I don't know where to get more of this wonderful fragrance. I've seen several versions of W/C but don't know if any of them are the same as the one I had. Got any suggestions?

http://www.thesage.com/recipes/recipes.php3?.State=Display&id=158 http://home.earthlink.net/~skinesscentuals/Lotion.html Hi, Tasha--I think this is a good place to start. There are others out there but I'm not at home and so can't give you more information. I will post more later, but I'm sure someone else will have other places to show you. Hope this helps you. Anne

Gee, I must be a a very tiny minority--I use PS in my sugar scrubs as it just seems to fit the product so well. This FO has grown on me over the last year or so. Mind you, I don't want it to fragrance everything I have and I HATE it in lotion, but it's so soft and sweet in the scrubs I make.

I knew I'd get good answers and advice here! Thanks so much for all this knowledge. I'll just take a chill pill on the scale issue and use the one I have which is perfectly fine.

I will only be making no more than 4lb batches, but want to be sure my water/lye weights are as accurate as possible. Am I overthinking this??

I've just begun making soap again after many many years and do not like the scale I have as it doesn't weigh in small enough increments. It works perfectly well for non-soap products, but not good enough for soap. I need a recommendation for a good scale that weighs to at least .01 gram increments. Any suggestions?