coco

Get suckered has it

I switched to these from ice/dry ice packs because they were such a hassle to deal with. While the paks do only stay cold for a period of time, I think the 1st day of added "chill" really does save the product. The only thing I use them for is my whipped sugar scrubs, and although the pak is no longer cold when it arrives, I really do believe it manages to keep the product itself cool enough to resist melting until day 2 or 3. I shudder to think of the jar of oil they would receive if I didnt use them

For those that lose money in the hot months due to the inability to ship "melty" items. Depending on the size, they run around .25 each. http://www.drypak.com/shippingRefrigerants.html

LOL! Between these and the scrubs, my kids are always screaming "where's the sugar"?! I'm sorry, no Kool-Aid for you!

They aren't incredibly sudsy, more of a creamy lather. Oils will always reduce the amount of suds (think of dish soap in a greasy pan- surfactants are meant to cut the oils), it is just the nature of the beast. It really is near impossible to have the best of both worlds when it comes to suds and moisture, but you can come close! Some surfactants will definitely leave your skin feeling softer than others, and is completely a matter of what your skin "likes". For example, most people find SLSA drying, while it leaves my skin really soft. Go figure.. Before you determine that they are too soft, be sure to pop them in the freezer for a bit because it does take quite some time for the butters to set up. If following this recipe and using melt and pour, I have found that some batches seem to contain quite a bit more water than others. Leaving the cubes out for a few days before wrapping will allow for some of that to evaporate out and the cubes will harden up. I am swamped with shows for the next month, but am dying to get in on this swap! And I haven't forgotten about the class, just waiting for some breathing room in my schedule!

Just because they are "paraben-free" does not mean they are preservative free. They simply use a different preservative. I have personally never seen a base with no preservative, but if you take a look at the ingredient list you can find out pretty quick.

I do $4 and $5 depending on the size and how much work has gone into them (embeds etc).

I have been ordering from them for years and they are great. Fast shipping, great customer service!

I have my labels printed at a place that does banners and signs and they DO actually print white ink. Depends on what type of equipment the printer has. It runs about $6 a square foot...

I don't know that I would say they work better. It is definitely personal preference. I like a finer grain because of the creamy feel (it dissolves faster). That said, I do like extra scrubby and tend to use alot of sugar. I have also used pumice and made them foot scrubs, and even ground loofah (which I LOVE). Play, experiment, have fun!

I will be doing a class on these here coming up shortly (trying to find the time)! Will keep you posted.

Exactly. Nothing more than a glorified sugar/salt scrub. Made with a higher amount of salt and marketed for hands instead of the body. Nothing fancy about it!

Re-posted by request: 60g BTMS (or Ewax) 50g Shea Butter 50g Cocoa Butter 50g MP 10g Carrier oil of choice 5g Vitamin E Approx 500g Sugar FO/EO to taste *I use a preservative because I am paranoid about water content in the soap, as well as possible water introduction to the container, but completely your call. Melt BTMS, Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter. Heat MP until just melted and add carrier oil, FO and vitamin E. Stir and add to melted butters. Slowly add sugar until you reach desired "scrubbiness" and pack into molds (ice cube trays work great) or silicone baking dish. I refrigerate mine at this point until it sets up. If using a tray, be sure to cut up (small cookie cutters also make for fun shapes-think holidays) before it completely hardens or it will be a real treat to cut. If you do not want to use MP, double the amount of Cocoa Butter and use SLSA or the surfactant of your choice (I don't have exact amounts on this, as I am still playing with the perfect balance of a combination of surfactants. I suggest adding a small amount at a time until you reach desired amount). If this is too firm, lower the Cocoa Butter and up the Shea. I adjust the recipe accordingly in the Summer and Winter months. This is a fairly forgiving recipe that can be played with for consistency. Have fun!

You can just use ewax if you have it.

60g BTMS 50g Shea Butter 50g Cocoa Butter 50g MP 10g Carrier oil of choice Approx 500g Sugar

I couldn't agree more and I've been thinking the same thing. I have recently been playing with my foaming scrub recipe to see if I can get a consistency for cubes without the MP. Greek, I would be very concerned about that honey growing nasties!

Conditioning emulsifier. It gives a nicer feel, though you could also use ewax nf.

60g BTMS 50g Shea Butter 50g Cocoa Butter 50g MP 10g Carrier oil of choice Approx 500g Sugar

Thanks Soapmom- so it is the TD and not the foam that is causing it? I remelted numerous times and it still won't incorporate. I'm about to lose my mind.

I normally don't do alot of melt and pour, but recently purchased some Stephenson base for molded projects. I ordered 25 pounds of crystal clear and 25 pounds of white, both of which were poured into a bag in a box (have I mentioned how much I hate this)? The clear is fine, though the white is half foam (foam is pure white and the soap is semi-opaque which is odd). When I melt it down and color it, there are chalky white streaks that do not accept color, nor do they go away with an alcohol spritz. Is this unincorporated TD? The foam? I contacted the supplier last week and have received no response.

I use shea and cocoa butter in mine and they are nice and creamy. I will dig up the recipe if you are intersted.

Just play around! I would just mix it half and half, but you may find that your skin prefers one over the other. Try the emu on its own and see how you like that. If the emu feels better, then use a larger proportion of that (or vice versa). Another suggestion, try soaking a cotton ball in some milk or yogurt and applying it to your skin-they both contain lactic acid which gently exfoliate and normalize the skin. I do mild chemical peels (the lactic is my favorite) every month for exfoliation and swear by them. I was shocked after I did my first one at how readily my skin absorbed oils after I shed all those crusty old skin cells!

Sorry, I just saw this! To be honest, I don't know much about rosacea, though the oils and butters you mention are known for helping with skin conditions. You could definitely use a lotion or cream, I just feel that the added ingredients in lotion (as well as the preservative) could sometimes be more harmful than good for sensitive skin, whereas a balm can be made with all natural oils and needs no preservative. If you use beeswax, you don't need butters and vice versa. The point of using either of those is to get a thicker consistency in order to be able to spread it on (aside from the qualities of the butters making it nicer of course). That said, if consistency isn't an issue for you, you could also just mix emu and jojoba together and put it straight on as. Sometimes simple is better and those 2 oils (in my opinion of course) are amazing for the skin!

Thanks for the concern, but after 10 years in business it may be a little late to "reconsider my method". It isn't meant to last days, but yes it does keep things cold for MUCH longer than a few hours. I have been told that items are still fairly cold when they arrive 3 days later, so yes it is effective. I ship whipped scrubs ALL summer long and have never had a single one arrive melted. As for the ice packs, they are in a ziplock within a ziplock etc so that they don't leak (larger orders will get dry ice). The few items that don't ship flat rate? I would rather pay the extra shipping and a few bucks for some dry ice than have zero sales, but that's just me.

I freeze everything before I ship it. Depending on what the item is, I will sometimes even freeze a small amount of water in a ziploc and include it like an ice pack-works well!