charlottesmom Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Hello, I'm new here....and a bit overwhelmed. My very generous husband has decided to *loan* me some $$ (at a good interest rate :rolleyes2 ) to make some bath and body products for fun and possibly to start a business down the road. I'm a stay at home mom who's kids are all in school full time now so I need something to do. I made a list of the things I want to start with (bath bombs, salt scrubs etc..) and started doing research on the computer, needless to say I've got imformation overload! There are so many recipes, suppliers and message boards my head is spinning (this is the only message board I've actually joined though, as this seems to have the nicest folks and the most information). I'll not be getting my *loan* for another couple of weeks so I have a lot more researching (and notetaking) time ahead of me. Are we allowed to ask questions about specific suppliers (I'll have to read through the rules again...I skimmed :embarasse ). Hope to see a lot of you all in the future...:wave: Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindym Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Yep you are absolutely allowed to ask questions about specific suppliers. You would most definitely want to check out suppliers closest to you. Also suppliers that have a wide range of products to offer, one stop shopping will save you some dollars. Also check out the classifieds and the co-op section when you have access. It is a great place for new people to get supplies for a good price.Might be a good idea to decide what you want to concentrate on first. You really don't want to overwhelm yourself by trying to make a lot of products at one time. Master one and move on to the next one.Good luck. And welcome to the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlottesmom Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 I think maybe I should concentrate on the "trickiest" first and that seems to be bath bombs, it also seems to be one of the least expensive to start with. It would certainly stop the head spinning with all the "I want to do that's!" to concentrate on one thing. Now if I could only keep myself off etsy!! Specific questions: I was planning on buying most of my FOs from Peakcandle...are they any good? I think I've decided on Brambleberry for soap base (I've dealt with them before when I made B&B Christmas gifts a couple years ago), I'm very intrigued by their low sweat melt and pour. I've also dealt with Camden Grey and really like their butters (bought shea, mango and cocoa butter from them in the past). Who are the best (reasonibly priced) FO supplier(s)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindym Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 I think maybe I should concentrate on the "trickiest" first and that seems to be bath bombs, it also seems to be one of the least expensive to start with. It would certainly stop the head spinning with all the "I want to do that's!" to concentrate on one thing. Now if I could only keep myself off etsy!! Specific questions: I was planning on buying most of my FOs from Peakcandle...are they any good? I think I've decided on Brambleberry for soap base (I've dealt with them before when I made B&B Christmas gifts a couple years ago), I'm very intrigued by their low sweat melt and pour. I've also dealt with Camden Grey and really like their butters (bought shea, mango and cocoa butter from them in the past). Who are the best (reasonibly priced) FO supplier(s)?Peak's fo's are great. Most of my line consists of them. Make sure you are buying B & B safe oils. I would also buy my soap base from Peak's as well if you are buying fo's there anyway. They sell SFIC bases and they a good quaility. Butters is a mixed bag. Never used Camden Grey before. If I am buying in bulk I use Columbus Foods. Often there are co-ops for butters and oils. Keep an eye out for them. It is truly the best way to get lower prices and check out the classifieds on the board. Oils By Nature has great butters. They can be pricey but very good quality. Good Luck and get into the classies. Make sure you check out the i trader rating of the people you are buying from. Most people on this board are reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smacky Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 For right now concentrate on a lot of research and experimenting.Don't go out and buy huge masses of everything.Look on the classifieds here and all the forums you may go to, to find smaller amounts of ingredients to experiment with.Later on when you know your preferences and have recipes perfected you can buy more quantities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlottesmom Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Thank you all for the replys, I'm going to keep it below $75.00 to begin with , just getting basic supplies. I've decided to start with Bath Bombs and Bubble Bars, that should keep me busy for quite awhile. When I get into Body Butters (whipped and otherwise) will my basic stand mixer be okay even though it's Not a KitchenAid? It dosn't have the whisk type attachment that some of the recipes reccomend, just the 2 beaters. Should I invest in one or is it not necessary? Again, thank you for all the help! Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smacky Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 As long as it has a good motor and can withstand some hard use, I'd say you would be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekeeper_sd Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 One thing you might think of when looking at recipes for different products it to find recipes that contained a lot of the same ingredients. For instance, my lotion bars, lotion and lip balms all contain a lot of the same oils and butters. That way I can use those same ingredients on several different products and don't have to buy all new ingredients for each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlottesmom Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 Smacky, I'll give my mixer a try when the time comes, it's a pretty good one so hopefully it will suffice. I've priced the Kitchen Aid ones and Yikes! But from what I hear they're great mixers!Beekeeper, That's an excellent idea! I'll definately keep that in mind when perusing recipes. I have noticed there seems to be 3 must haves (cocoa butter, shea butter and sweet almond oil), you can never go wrong purchasing them. ~Becky~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asheebeans Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Just a heads up for down the road if you decide to become a biz--don't forget about people with nut allergies re: Sweet Almond Oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlottesmom Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 True, true...so many things to keep in mind...Maybe I'll have a whole nutless line as a friend of mine has a daughter who is allergic to nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singleyellowrose Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 If you find a recipe that you like, you can always "sub" out an oil for another. I personally like AKO. (Apricot Kernal Oil) and have used it in place of SAO(Sweet Almond Oil). Gets rid of the chances of a nut allergy for someone. And remember Shea NUT butter. I have some customers that can use it, but can't use anything with a nut OIL in. Also, ask away. We will help you the best way we can. However, please don't get offended when we tell you to search for it.Sometimes, that is the best reading and learning. BTW... Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlottesmom Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 SYR, Don't worry about offending me by suggesting I "search for it", I love researching (especially about something I'm passionate about). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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