TheWickedWick

Not sure what you were paying before but check out Nature's Garden.

I use KY's parasoy mix for tarts and out of the scents you listed:

Fruity Rings smells just like the cereal Fruit Loops

Candy Corn is great-smells just like the candy-great for Halloween

Pumpkin Crunch Cake - really great

I haven't tried the others you mentioned.

You might want to try:

Mrs. Claus Cookies (NG)

Peppermint Patty (NG)

Amish Friendship Bread (NG)-great seller for me

Orange-Clove (NG)

Pumpkin Creme Brulee (AH/RE)

Pumpkin Cheesecake (AH/RE) (both of these are really yummy)

Cranberry Marmalade (Candlescience)

Mistletoe (Candlescience)

Raspberry Truffle (Candlescience)

Very Vanilla (Candlescience)

Country Christmas (AH/RE)

Plumberry Spice (KY)

Madagascar Spice (AH/RE)-I renamed this Spiced Wassil

Fallen Leaves (AH/RE)

Apple Jack & Peel (I forget where I get this from but lots of suppliers carry one)

That's all I can think of right now.....have fun and let us know how some of the other ones did. Always looking for something new.

Karen

I buy a lot of my containers from Nature's Garden. Don't know if they have what you're looking for but you might give them a look see. Also try Elements Bath & Body..I get my .75 twist up tubes for my lotion bars aka butter bars from them. Great service and turn-around time on both of these. (I'm on the east coast as well).

Karen

I may have to rethink the sweetner from AH/RE again and just keep stirring in between pours. They are close to me and I can get shipments the next day which is great. Never realized sweetners were this difficult. I've tried not using any and for some reason here they don't seem to like them. I only use a tad when I do sweeten so they are only slightly sweet so I can't figure out why people don't like them unsweetened...I guess it's just what you get used to.

Thanks everyone for all your input. Next time I'm at the health food store I'll look for the finely ground Stevia.

I think NG removed the link because of people having issues with it. With the recommended usage rate it had seepage issues (I think is what I read). It's a shame because I just bought some and received it this week but have not tried it because on their Facebook page people were have such issues. Just my luck!!

Fingers and Toes crossed!!! Good luck..hope it works out the way you envisioned. Let us know what happens.

Chris...I use their crystal clear m&p base, ultra white base and head-to-toe lotion base...if you don't mind me asking...who did you get to replace them..that is if you use these bases? I also live on the East Coast and while ordering one or the other doesn't seem expensive..adding multiple items puts it way out of reach for me. On the m &p base, I really need the low sweat variety.

Thanks for any info.

Karen

Who do you think has the best sweetner for lip balms that disperse in your base and does not give a "gritty" feel and sweetens the entire base equally? I've tried AH/RE which is a Stevia product in coconut oil but it does not totally disolve in my base. I've heard good things about MMS's sweetner but do not know exactly what it is. Anyone know? What about Oregon Trail...how did that perform? Also the product offered by NG which is sorbital has not been having good reviews - not disolving in your base which leaves the last half of your balm base sweeter than the first part unless you continually stir. Kinda looking for a "natural" sweetner but it's not manditory.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

That's a good idea about trying to match popular perfumes. It's something I have not thought about. Thanks for the heads up!! Hopefully this will spur my gel sells.

What are some of your favorite or most popular fo's for shower gels. For some reason I can't seem to hit on what people are going for. I know it depends on region and target customer age group. My group seems to be in the over 40 range (which I am) but I'm no help to myself because I kinda like everything (within reason).

I've done lilac, cucumber mint, sun rippened raspberries and honeysuckle-jasmine with little response. Maybe I need something out of the ordinary. Any suggestions?

Karen

I'm voting for the 4 oz size. I get bored with a scent quickly and 4 oz. would let me change up without having leftovers that I put away and then forget I have.

Karen

From NG......

Peppermint Patty

Fruit Rings (smells like Fruit Loops cereal)

Bubble Luscious (pink bubblegum)

Hot Cocoa (smells like Tootsie Rolls-to me anyway)

Tooth Fairy Taffy (another bubblegum type scent-they love the name!)

Apple Of My Eye-a new scent from NG- (a yummy apple scent)

Gee...a couple of days ago my reply would have been different but I delivered 8 bars of an orange scented soap to one of my wholesale accounts last Friday and they called and said they sold out of it in two days!! So I guess right now my best scent would be orange. Who knew!!! Guess I'll be making more orange.

Karen

Oh Barbara, it's beautiful!! I can't wait to see it cut either. I love anything with orange. How long before you can cut it? I so admire cp soapers...maybe one day I'll have to try it but wish I had a mentor here with me when I do. Don't know anyone around here that does it but maybe when it's my time to try it I will. That's my philosophy anyway.

Karen

Abbie....thanks..that's good news. Glad to know the pumpkin is a best seller in the fall. Will have to put it on my list.

Amen...it's addictive. I hope there's never a 12-step program !

I started out thinking I wanted to make candles and now...I don't even know where my lighter is!!

Scented...that would be great. Let me know how they are. They don't have a lot but the ones they do have sound really good.

Has anyone ever tried the flavor oils from Moonworks in lip balms? Looked on the SRB and did not find anything.

Thanks

I like Flannel Sheets from AH/RE...very good throw and has been very popular around my neck of the woods.

Scented...at least I know that's two scents not to try. I understand from the SRB people have had that problem with the Chai Tea. It's a shame..I would love a good Vanilla and Chai. Do you happen to know of any?

Yep..what they said. I use a low sweat white and clear base from WSP and so far (knocking on wood) I have not had any problems and I live in the humid South. I've also made PA's goat milk soap using my white base with a few modifications, and so far so good.

Okay..first of all I give high props to Oregon Trails and a lady there named Suz. She emailed me back last night and suggested that my using all Jojoba Oil in my recipe was the problem since Jojoba Oil is technically a wax. So I was using a wax and a wax (beeswax) in my formula therefore not allowing the oil soluable flavor oil to mix . She suggested I switch out the Jojoba with Sweet Almond or something of that nature and see how it did then.

Well, I made a small (2 oz. batch) again with the Pink Lemonade and wouldn't you know it.......IT WORKED!!. No oil pooling, everything was great.

Isn't that great????? And, what terrific customer service..even when they were closed someone was monitering emails and took the time to email me twice. Gotta love that type of thing since we seem to be in a generation of "customer NO service".

Just thought I would give a happy update

(:whistle:Betcha can't guess were I'll be ordering my flavor oils from)

Karen

I have one shop were it's 25% for the shop. I sell so-so there but it's only tarts as she makes her own b&b products. In the fall & winter my tarts sell great but now that the weather has warmed up here, it's only so-so. However, where I can sell my soaps, lotions, scrubs, gels, etc. I do really, really well and it's a 50/50 shop. I make more $$ there but it's because of volume and my prices are higher. The shop that sells my tarts retail them for $2.50.

When you're just starting out and trying to get your name and products out there, I'm trying to concentrate on that aspect and not worrying too much on the split. The 50/50 shop has been great as I have been getting special volume orders for bridal showers, bridesmaid gifts and welcome baskets so it's paid off for me.

As I become more "known", I feel I'll be able to negotiate splits with other shops. This is my plan anyway.

Thanks CareBear...you're right...it's not right...these oils are formulated for lip balms and they should mix in without doing something special. I emailed Oregon Trails but they are closed on the weekend so I won't know anything until Monday or so.

If anyone has had this problem or knows some special something I should do, please let me know. They smell amazing and they have had good reviews on the scent review board. The only one I saw that had this type of problem was the Chai Tea flavor oil which I did not order because of this.

I only did two 2 oz batches so it's not a big loss but losing any amount of stock when you're on a tight budget is heartbreaking IMO.

Somebody please help me before I scream!!! I'm trying to make lip balms. My recipe is 30% beeswax and 70% Jojoba Oil. I'm using Oregon Trails flavor oils (no sweetner) and they are just not mixing in. I've tried Pink Lemonade and Voodoo Berry. They are just floating around in my mixture and when I pour the leftovers into a little cup the oil is sinking to the bottom. I'm heating my balm mixture to around 135-140* and stirring and stirring and not matter how much I stir the flavor oils are just not incorporating.

What am I doing wrong? Please...this just shouldn't be this hard!!

Karen