Update on Ingredients - ORGANIC!

Product Body is now using organic high oleic sunflower oil across the board replacing all high oleic sunflower oil that we have been using prior. This change began in April and the website shall reflect this as soon as we can update this. We are also now using organic palm oil that is also farmed using sustainable farming practices.

We try to use natural and organic ingredients when it is feasible, but we also try to maintain fresh, quality products at a reasonable price. I read an interesting article today "Being Organic Or Natural Won't Necessarily Make A Product Green". You may be interested in it. Sometimes natural practices without thought can create an even bigger problem.

As product manufacturers, we need to look at the larger picture.

This organic news is good news. The palm oil especially. You can read a bit about the Orangutan species and why buying sustainable palm oil is important over on my soap blog here and here.

Dumping

It's like the old days when I first started concocting formulations. I did the research, created a "masterpiece", then dumped it in the trash bin. This was a good summary of the many batches of body goo I made for myself. Luckily, I didn't give up, yeah?

It felt like a little of that beginner's unluck muse was on my shoulder watching me on Friday and Saturday because I tried to make a huge batch of bubble bath cupcake frosting for my bath bomb cupcakes for the shop and I failed miserably. I don't know what happened except that I think I completely misread the recipe and added way too much water, then compensated with all the other ingredients, which never worked and just wasted ingredients..... all I can say is... I threw out over a gallon of frosting. That was a killer because I was all ready to have the prettiest cupcakes on the planet. (well, in Jupiter anyway, which is a planet but not on this planet.)

Then on Saturday, I went back to my original bubble bath royal icing recipe and it came out beautifully. It was a recipe for four cupcakes. When I was done and cleaned up the blender, I had my daughter (who was on Spring break and needing to make these cuppycakes with me) triple the recipe so we coud finish icing the rest of the bombs, I was mixing and mixing.....and what....was.....happening......the icing was.....all........ wrong. Oh mother of GAWD. Now what!?

I reviewed her math after the mixing had been done and realized she quadrupled one of the ingredients. Scrambling around and compensating for the mistake, mixing in more of the ingredients that hadn't been properly added, the darn icing just never got to where it was meant to be. It was thick and foamy looking, not silky and sticky looking the way it's supposed to look.

Hence, more dumping and more wasting.

I hate wasting.

Honestly, I have been quite preoccupied with a couple of medical issues, but now, hopefully that is behind me. So, with this coming week of recovery, I shall dream big and think positive with big fluffy peaks and those cupcakes will be grand.

YES!

(hey thinking positively can't hurt)

Dreamy Whipped Dream

Tangerine Whipped Dream- 100% Natural, Vegan 

I made some today and I felt like I was in the Chocolate Factory with Charlie.  The Dream was fluffy and light and cloud-like.  Yummy whipped mixture of shea + aloe + olive butter, coconut oil, tapioca starch and tangerine essential oil.  

Made for stretching and healing bellies.

Wish I had some when I was preggers!

No More Parabens In Crush On You!

I played around and made a sign about our awesome news.... click on it to read.

Having A Fabulous Face: DIY Masks

Having A Fabulous Face: Masks and Creams 

(guest blogger, Vicky Zhou)
 
One of the best ways to improve the condition of your face is to use a combination of masks and creams to rejuvenate the skin, restoring moisture that has been lost. 
 
When it comes to selecting masks and creams, you will really want to take into account the type of skin you have, so you can be sure that the mask and cream you choose matches your exact needs.
 
Often, the types of masks and creams you will run into include ones for dry skin, irritated skin, oily skin, regular skin, combination skin, or acne prone skin. 
 
By selecting one that matches your current skin condition, you will ensure that it provides the greatest improvement to you.
 
Here are some masks and creams that you can make to use when you are really in the mood to pamper yourself. 
 
Yogurt Face Mask For Sensitive Skin
 
This is a terrific and easy to make mask to use on sensitive skin when you want something that feels both cooling and refreshing. You can alter it to suite other skin types by adding a couple of drops of lemon or lime juice if you have oily skin, or a couple of drops of honey for those with dry skin. 
 
1 cup natural yogurt
½ cup oatmeal (preferably non-sweetened)
 
Simply combine the two ingredients together and then dab it on to the face. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes and then wash off with a warm washcloth. 
 
Oily Skin Oatmeal Face Mask
 
If you are prone to oily skin and want a simple to make mask that delivers great results, consider an egg white oatmeal face mask.
 
½ cup oatmeal 
1 egg white
1 drop of lemon juice. 
 
Mix the oatmeal and the egg white together first, then stir in a tiny amount of lemon juice. Spread this mixture (note that it will be thick) over your skin and let sit for about five minutes.
 
Once the time is up, simply rinse off by splashing the face with warm water and then laying a steamed washcloth on top of the skin for a few minutes. 
 
Banana Face Mask For Oily Skin
 
Another great way to treat oily skin is with a banana face mask.
 
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp honey
lemon or orange juice.
 
First mash up the banana. Once it's turned into a paste-like consistency, mix in the honey and blend until distributed. Finally, stir in the orange or lemon juice and then apply to your face for 15 minutes.  To remove this mask, use a cool washcloth or splash water over the skin. 
 
Clay Face Mask For Anyone
 
If you want a generic clay face mask that will improve the condition of your skin, this is it. This mixture will keep for up to an entire month so make a large batch at a time and then store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Try and apply at least once each week. 
 
1 ½ tsp green French clay
1 tsp kaolin clay
1 ½ tbsp aloe vera gel
1 tbsp rosewater
2 drops lavender oil
 
Begin by mixing the clays together first, then add in the remaining ingredients. Spread over your face and let sit for about 10 minutes or until dry and skin feels slightly tighter. 
 
Carrot Face Mask For Oily Skin
 
If you're looking for a good natural face mask, this one is the perfect fit.
 
2-3 large carrots
4 ½ tbsp honey
 
First, cook the carrots so that they are soft enough to mash.  Once you've drained the water, mash them up and then mix with honey.  Spread over your face and let sit for about 10 minutes. 
 
Rinse the face mask off with cool water and then follow it up with a thin layer of moisturizing cream.
 
So, next time you are looking to improve the condition of your skin, give a face mask some consideration.  They are very simple to make if you do not wish to purchase one and often use ingredients that you'll typically find in your home pantry or fridge. 

About Guest Blogger: Vicky is a freelance writer, editor, relationship expert, and soon to be author.

Now Available Online

As I spoke about my fear of being copied or taken advantage of, I had removed my ingredient list of each product from our website. I didn't like the idea of things being stolen. Recipes....but the reality is, no one can know my recipes, they can just guess and try to replicate. As Anne-Marie (from Soap & The Finer Things) states, "...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." This I know, but thank you Anne-Marie for reminding me. In fact, I try to remind myself of that but sometimes my brain fails me. AND, I have to help my daughter understand this concept, too, when her little brother runs around doing what she does (even though sometimes he can be parrot-like).

So now, vegans can know if a formula is vegan, or natural or both, or not. Because of our Farm Sanctuary charity donations and involvement, we have had many vegans asking me what the ingredients are. Funny, how that came up after months of me not thinking about it, and then it becoming an issue for me just days before the emails.

Here is the link to the ingredient page. Each product has a link at the bottom of the description of each product, too. This will make it easy for everyone to know what they are really looking at.

I had some temporary insanity regarding removing the ingredients, but I am back and completely sane and together.

Ingredients Listed Or Not Listed

Because I felt that a couple of my competitors (which shall remain nameless) were "copying" some of my popular products, I removed the ingredient lists of each product from the website. Instead, if they really wanted it, they'd have to buy it and read the label just like everyone else.

After cruising along other sites, I found that I wasn't so interested in going much further with the company if no ingredients were listed with each product. I would instantly jump to the conclusion that their stuff must be full of unmentionables and that if it wasn't listed, why would I want it? Okay, watch out... This is me being a consumer. Not pretty and I am full of contempt for companies that are untruthful or slippery.

I look for blatant honesty and I respect those that expose themselves whether or not they will be accepted. So I asked myself if I was just being short sighted. My customers should know if they want. Period.

Okay, now I will have the ingredients put back, hopefully in a week's time, AND I am hoping to make some vegan products and notify what products are vegan or organic or natural, etc... Unfortunately, honey is NOT vegan, because it is produced by bees. Although the apiary that I purchase the Tupelo honey from "farms" the honey from free range bees (is that really a term?) along a river in northern Florida. No cages. No cruelty.

Ingredient lists will be replenished. Sorry to have kept you waiting.

Anyone wants to say anything about honey and honey collecting? I am very curious to know your thoughts!

Tupelo Honey....

I have been getting a lot of emails about the Honey Scrub I have been asked to create. I am picky about what I sell, so it has to be right before I put it out there. I am very close to completing it but it needs more tweaking. I have tupelo and orange blossom honey that I am working with, however, the tupelo is grown locally, and I am always looking to work with local farmers and suppliers.

Every time I see the word "tupelo", I think of Van Morrison's song, "Tupelo Honey".

My New Favorite Thing

I have been on a mission to find a coconut scent that I like from well over a dozen different vendors of mine. They never smell like coconut, though.....not even close to the real thing. It is kind of like every candle that claims it's vanilla, smells like this gross bleck. I actually love the smell of real vanilla but can't stand vanilla in general because it smells heavy, musky, yucky and fake.

So I still haven't found the perfect coconut fragrance oil, but I finally bought some organic virgin coconut cream oil and when I popped that cap off.... Wow! Gorgeous coconut smell wafted from the rim. It was a perfect blend of coconut and coconut. Not a strong smell, but a true scent. I had to pry my nose out of the opening. I could have breathed it in like that all day. Well, it really goes to show ya that the real thing is key.

I might have to play around with some coconut products very very soon. More concoctions, I love it!

I have 4 of these coconut trees a-swaying in my backyard and they are bursting with coconuts! I should get a machete to hack off the shell to get to the goods. (Knives don't work. We've also tried smashing on concrete, cracking, hammering....those are hard suckers)

Bath Melts and Bath Cupcakes

My children are between camp and school so we decided to try some "baking" in the kitchen. Not a huge success as far as the final project, but we all had fun creating them, and I am sure they'll have even more fun bathing with them. I used Ann-Marie's bath cupcake recipe loosely (very loosely). I worked around it with my own ideas, changing this here and that there, but I think it all was a flop.
The cupcakes came out too mushy. I was going for a squishy marshmallow texture, but instead, I ended up with a crumbly fudge-like base. I pored them in paper cupcake holder to keep them contained, because before I stuck them in the freezer, they were pretty gooey.

My frosting consisted of confection sugar, cream of tartar, 3 egg whites(the real ones), color, warm water and caramel lip flavoring. I had no meringue or egg white powder and I used far too much water (that was an accident). Then we topped our own cupcakes with cosmetic glitter, Starbucks Mocha Powder, real caramel, and smashed bittersweet chocolate. The toppings were the most fun to play with and eat.
Of course working in the kitchen with two ten year olds and a seven year old can be a slight challenge, but I had no agenda except for having fun and seeing what we could create with what we had in the house.
As I mentioned in my last posting, I want to get more creative and introduce more fun colorful items to the line, but I have a long way to go. The confection perfection that some have may be unattainable for me because I am a mixer and maker, not a decorator. I tried today, but I am not so good at it. I will keep trying because it is fun, but I am not at all close yet!

Pumpkin Is The Obvious Choice

I concocted dozens of batches, most ended up in the garbage immediately. We are now finished with our formulating and testing and we all love the scrub. My mother has visited a number of times and commented on the smell of my garbage... "You have the best smelling garbage of anyone I know!" Hmmm. Strange comment. I suppose she is right; My garbage smells like pie!

Pumpkin is great for your skin- the enzymes found in pumpkin dissolve dull skin and contain essential fatty acids, antioxidants, zinc, and high levels vitamins A and E which can diminish the appearance of wrinkles, and some say can soften the effect of stretch marks. It also contains high amounts of antioxidants. Free radicals are the primary agents in the advancement of the aging process, and antioxidants, applied topically and eaten, are the best defense... So, if you eat plenty of pumpkin and rub it all over your body, you are ahead of the game. Sounds good to me.

It will be available September 1st, just in time for Fall - weighing 9.5 ounces. And priced under $20! I am still working on other Autumn surprises, including the Honey Scrub which is still going through our vigorous testing process. We are close for those who have been asking.

As I have said before, I welcome comments; I love to hear from you, so please let me know your thoughts.

Pumpkin Scrub For The Fall

Well, formulations are complete on our new Pumpkin Scrub (I know, boring name, but to the point). We formulated batch after batch and the whole place filled with pumpkin smell for weeks! It smelled as if someone was baking a pumpkin bread or pie. (The scent still lingers....)

I am pretty excited. I have been fanatically researching new ingredients, their properties, finding suppliers for them and so on. I think we are spot on with this scrub, but I have no interest in duplicating it with different fruit or vegetables. I like to create new, unique scrubs each time. More work and more fun make it more interesting for buyers. I look at competitor's scrubs, and it feels like their just tweaking one or two ingredients, but basically, they all have the same stuff in it. Makes sense if one is happy with a formulation, duplicate, duplicate. But, not me. I find that each product is its own entity and that my next scrub will be completely different.

I have started my Honey Scrub, for those of you who told me they want me to create one. I am close, but not quite happy with it. I must change a couple of things to make it right, but OH MAN, honey is amazing! It is a wonder ingredient. Sticky, yes, but so good for your skin and so yummy smelly. Since my research on honey, I am thinking of doing a multiple honey taste test. I had no idea how many different kinds of honey there are. I will be purchasing all of my honey locally from a well known Florida apiary.

I'm not a big bee fan, but they make honey, beeswax, and royal jelly, all good for you. So to celebrate, I had honey on buttered toast last night for dinner. Dripping with honey. :-)

OK, OK, I will create honey for you

I got an overwhelming response when I asked you all whether you were interested in a semi-sweet coconut dough scent or a sugar honey scent and the poll has bent the scale towards the honey. So, I will get back to work on my honey concoction and you will have your honey, honey....

I have a few things in m pocket and I am ready to share come Fall.

"Mad Scientist 2"

Sounds like a very bad, scary independent film.

Sometimes it feels that way in the formulary and sometimes it's like one of those mornings when you wake up feeling that new, fresh, positive outlook on life. I have been very content making body products for the last 3 years. In fact, we are in the process of completing a new product for Fall. Very fresh, very cool, very yum.

Those of you who have been selected by us will receive a small sample of our "1st go around" before finalizing the secret formula. We like to get folks who are not our friends to try our new prods voluntarily so that we can get the most candid feedback available from people who are true product junkies. We will then open up the gates in late August for the new, ultimate Fall body experience!

As you have noticed I have a pattern of keeping y'all in suspense. . . . . So stay tuned!

:)

Mad Scientist

I apologize for the lack of posting lately. I have been furiously concocting formulations of moisturizers and by the end of the day, I am pretty much spent. That energy I get from working a typical day here was depleted, because I was in my mad scientist mode. I am out to make the perfect concoction. A skin moisturizer that leaves skin unbelievably soft,but not greasy....completely natural and smelling lovely. I am working on a way to make a "cream" without water as my base. Butters tend to be, well....buttery and greasy. Lotions and creams are made with mostly water, which helps in that it's not so greasy, but with water one must use preservatives. There are limitations. Natural preservatives like vitamin e and rosemary extract are great for increasing the shelf life of oils, but do nothing for protecting the product from mold, yeast, and preventing against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Once water is introduced to a formulation, it will start to degrade and grow bacteria and/or mold.

There are synthetic paraben-free preservatives, but still sadly synthetic. So here I am trying to create the masterpiece of creams, without chemicals and without being too greasy, and I am frustrated. (sigh).

There are other alternatives, so I must continue researching and just you wait, I will create the elixir magnifique! However, I still remain humbled...

Palm Oil - A Mixed Bag (a reprint)

This is a "reprint" of a blog posting from Soap and The Finer Things In Life, a soaping blog written by Ann-Marie Faiola, soap and business extraordinaire. This might be interesting for the soapers out there.

"Palm Oil is one of my favorite oils in soap making. It contributes to a harder bar and also helps Coconut Oil do its job and lather up big bubbles. Unfortunately, there are some negative repercussions from using Palm Oil to the environment.

How can something natural be harmful to the environment? Demand for palm oil is the leading cause for rain forest deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Friends of the Earth. The land occupied by palm oil plantations has doubled in the last ten years in Indonesia, endangering the habitat of the orangutan, Asian elephant and the Sumatran tiger. These plantations pollute the soil and water with use of pesticides.

Things that you can do if you're a soap maker using Palm Oil: try to use Olive, Sunflower and Canola in larger proportions in your recipe. Buy sustainably grown Palm Oil that is grown in rehabilitated agricultural areas or from smaller farms that don't harm animal habitat and migration patterns. You can support companies that are part of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil Production, co founded by the World Wildlife Fund."

I have great respect for people who hand make cold process soap. I have always dreamed of trying it, but for now, I'll leave it to the ones who can. Thanks, Ann-Marie, for the great info!

Oh, Peony!

I have fallen for the gorgeous packaging and intoxicating scent of Henri Bendel's Peony candle. I was browsing through Bath And Body Works yesterday, looking at some of my competition, and I arrived at the candle section. You know how much I love candles. Henri Bendel really has outdone themselves with simplistic, colorful and appealing packaging for their candle series. There are many many scents to choose from, but some of the scents are absolutely foul, but most are lovely so definitely sniff before handing over your plastic. My favorite flowers to look at are pale pink peonies. They are so delicate and sweet and perfectly shaped. Now I can enjoy peony in a candle. I wish the candle was soy or beeswax, but Bendel says the wax is vegetable based which is far better than paraffin.

Then, sort of off the topic of Bendel but on the topic of candles...Thought I'd share some interesting information about paraffin candles that everyone should know:

Soy vs Paraffin

SOY

• Soy wax is made from soybeans and vegetables, both renewable resources.
• Soy wax burns much cleaner and purer as it is all natural, non-toxic, and non-hazardous.
• This wax is biodegradable leading to reduced landfills.
• Soy wax residue can be washed away with warm water and soap.
• Purchasing soy products supports the soy farmers of America, which stimulates our economy and lessens dependence on international resources.

PARAFFIN

• Derived from petroleum, a limited resource
• The burning of paraffin wax contributes to indoor air contamination by emitting petro-chemicals causing soot deposits and carcinogenic particulate matter.
• This wax contains petroleum by-products and additives that inhibit biodegradability.
• Paraffin wax residue is quite troublesome, often impossible, to remove.
• Purchasing paraffin products not only supports our dependence on this crude oil but also supports an industry riddled with environmental faux pas.

If you find yourself at that store instead of my website buying home fragrance or other products, smell the Henri Bendel candles. Some are very pleasing.

New Butters I've Tested This Week

I have become aware of some new butters that are being made and I got my hands on a few of them. Mmmmm. All butters I tried this week were infused with either lemon, tangerine, chamomile, green tea, lime, lavender and lemon grass. Orange Peel Oil has a cleansing and toning effect on skin and can improve oily, acne prone skin. The orange butter is derived from orange peel oil and orange peel wax, specifically from Florida oranges, which contains a high level of Bioflavonoids (polyphenols). Bioflavonoids have anti-cellulite and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the chamomile butter, smells like Sleepy Time Tea. My personal favorite so far is the tangerine butter. So intense. I am still waiting for my samples of pumpkin seed butter and pistachio nut butter.

Oh boy! Guess who will be playing around in the formulary on Monday? :)

Adding Honey To The Mix

I've always been skeptical of honey in body products because when I was a new mother, I remember not being able to feed my 10 month old anything with honey in it, because, "The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that raw honey not be given to infants under one year of age because of the rare possibility of being infected with the bacteria that causes botulism " quoted from Dr. Sears. I guess this scared me enough to specifically exclude honey form my recipes/formulations, but honey has always called to me. It's golden color, pure origin, sweetness and benefits to the skin... well, I can't really ignore it any more.

I thought to pass on it as an ingredient because I hated the idea of any bacteria touching any of my customers, but the more I read, the more I realize it benefits on the skin have nothing to do with infants and their ability to digest it in the delicate systems. I have far more research to do, but I think honey will be the next ingredient I introduce to our line of skin care. It is just too yummy, natural and positive for us all to ignore! What has taken me so long, I ask myself?!

Bodacious Body Butter Mousse

Oh, it is coming soon. It is new, whipped to a light mousse consistency and I can tell you now how much I wish I could have used this when I was pregnant both times! Before we created this mousse, we were bombarded with emails and calls from women about the effects of Mama Bomb (our belly balm) on their skin... Great news about all sorts of skin conditions "miraculously" disappearing before their eyes. I had no idea it would be used for so many things! Eye lash conditioner? up the nose moisturizer? Who knew? So, I figured that a poured balm like Mama Bomb needed a partner in crime... another all natural belly goo that feels scrumptious to touch and glorious to spread. As you may already know, I am very tactile and the "feel" of everything is so key to everything I put my skin on. I have designed it and you all are going to love it! It really feels light and airy and moussey! Like chocolate mousse without the calories!!

So with this said, keep your eyes peeled for the launch of the new yum yum platter from Product Body because, once we settle on mellow scents, you all will be knocked over!

Kiss!