Thank You Palm Beach Post!

Wow wow wow!

We've been so busy since our write-up in The Palm Beach Post on Monday I think I've had 5 minutes to breathe. This is a GOOD thing. No complaints here. :)

Staci Sturrock wrote such a wonderful piece on our company and really knocked it out of the park. I couldn't have asked for a more positive piece. Really. Since that morning, we have been slammed with orders and our soap has been flying off the shelf.

We also stocked our shelves the same morning the article appeared at Amici Market, a gourmet grocer on Palm Beach Island, and they sold out of almost everything that day. We had to re-stock the next day.

I have been soaping like crazy so that there isn't too much time between when we run out of stock and when the new soap will be ready, but I do hope you understand if your favorite bars are temporarily unavailable. We put great care and time into the soap we make and we can not rush the product. You know we have to do it right.

On that note, I would love to know what soaps are your favorite because I think we may drop a few and add a few based on sales, so if you have a strong opinion about one or two, please yell out!

Interview With Jen

I was interviewed by Jen Adkins of About.com a month or so ago and forgot to post it. (huh?) Well, I guess I've been busy.

Here is the interview if you want to go there to read it.

And thank you, Jen for the press!

Here it is as I have copied it, too:

Interview with Joanna Schmidt, Entrepreneur and Blogger

Owner of Product Body and The Soap Bar Blog

By Jen Adkins, About.com Guide

As the founder of Product Body, Joanna Schmidt is a pro when it comes to creating sweet bath and body products. I've always been a big fan of her shop. Even before I tried my hand at soap making, I knew I needed to pick Joanna's brains a bit. Especially because she's busy with her second love, The Soap Bar blog, where I spend endless hours monthly. She shares with us her experience creating bath and body products, soap and running a business.

Tell us a little bit about how you got started making soap, and what your big break was. I started The Soap Barblog because I had a love for handmade soap and found a void online. I was looking for soap blogs with information, reviews, lessons…a hodgepodge of information and fun, but I couldn’t find anything like it, so I started one.

I also believe, as a small business owner, having sent my bath and body products to bloggers all over the country, that those bloggers really were the folks that gave me the press I needed to jump-start my company’s business. If it hadn’t been for the blogger’s trying the samples I sent and them and raving about them, I wouldn’t have gotten the customers who found us and who we still have!

OK, so back to your question… I never intended to make soap, but after 7 months writing the blog, I was given so much encouragement from my readers, that I felt a sense of community and excitement by the whole idea of it, that I went for it and I haven’t ever looked back. I love soap making - it’s one of my favorite things to do.

Can you remember the first time you made a soap/skin care item? Was it a success? Tell us about it. I don’t remember the first, but one of my first fondest memory was making the chocolate sugar scrub we used to make. Mmmm. It had organic cane sugar, exotic oils, Ghiardelli’s bittersweet chocolate and essential oils. It was decadent and sinful.

I stopped making it because my customers were complaining that their white towels were getting stained from the fine particles of chocolate that were left on the skin along with the light sheen of oil. My quiet-in-my-head answer was, “Shhh, use a darker towel, it is awesome and you go to bed smelling like a box of fine chocolate!” So it was a success AND a failure.

When you were a newbie, where did you get your info? Can you recommend any books or online websites to check out?Like you, I followed information and the wisdom of David Fisher on About.com, used soapcalc.com for my lye calculator so I could figure out how my oils and butter would change my soaps hardness, conditioning, lather, etc, and read blog after blog, watched video tutorial after tutorial. I am a information hog/whore, call me what you will. When I am interested in learning something, I have an insatiable thirst. I can’t help it.

• Video I used to learn how to line my mold.
• Cold process soap photo tutorial
• Hot process soap photo tutorial

Share with us your biggest soap making mess-up? I think it was my first batch, actually! I honestly don’t know where I got the recipe. It was a basic one. The next day when I went to unmold it, it was solid on the outside and jiggly on the inside. I asked my readers for help. Answers. Someone asked me what lye calculator I used, and I had no idea what they were talking about. Hahaha! I obviously really did not do all my homework. I was given some tips, I cooked it up, added water, some extra lye and made some awkward soap. It worked okay, but that was a lame attempt at soap. Was it the worst, though? No, I’ve had to chuck a few batches, but this one was the most interesting with the jiggly interior.

What about the product or recipe that you are most proud of?I think I am most proud of my soaps. I make bath and body products and the Ski Bomb is awesome, everyone loves it, but the soaps are more ME. I can put me into them, I am proud of them.

What supplies would you recommend a newbie have on hand before thinking about making soap? Dedicated soap making stuff like a pitcher for the lye, a plastic spoon, a large glass mixing bowl or large plastic pail, a stick blender, one or two silicone spatulas, kitchen gloves, shop goggles, glass measuring cups, a scale, a microwave or a double boiler, soap molds…. I know I must be forgetting something but you definitely need all these things before you even get to the oils, butters, distilled water, lye, fragrances, clays, botanicals, micas, and anything else you want to adorn your soap with.

What are your favorite supply stores?

Oh, I have so many and I wish they were all under one roof! It kills me to order from 6 different suppliers and pay six different shipping charges. Awful! Some of my favorites are:

• Soaper’s Choice/Columbus Oils
• Brambleberry
• Southern Soapers
• Majestic Mountain Sage
• Camden Grey
• Snowdrift Farms
• Chemistry Store
• Coastal Scents

These are just some of the suppliers I use regularly. I love Nashville Wraps for tissue paper and Paper Mart has wonderful grosgrain ribbon for a great price (25 yrds for under $2!). And then I like going toMichael’s to buy paper and specialty items for soap decorating ad holiday stuff.

You haven't been a soap maker for an extremely long time. How long was it from the day you made your first soap to the day you had your first sale? Because I already had a bath and body products company, it was a very easy. I made sure that my friends and family didn’t complain about anything before I would ever sell anything, but when I thought my soaps were ready, I had an easy go of it.

What challenges have you noticed when it comes to selling soap and skin care items? That people are extremely adamant about what they require for their skincare needs, but over the years I realized I can not meet everyone’s needs. I need to build what I think is high quality, and it will draw those who it draws.What 3 things do you wish you knew before you started making soap?

• 1. I wish I studied a little more before actually taking on making my first batch of soap (which is weird, because I really did think I had studied, too!)
• 2. I wish I knew how to make my own wooden soap molds so I could make any size or shape mold I want anytime I want.
• 3. I wish I had taken a class or known a soap maker /had a mentor that I could have watched in action before I took the plunge.

If you could convince someone to buy homemade soap vs. deodorant soap at the store, what would you tell them? I tell people that most commercial soaps are basically pressed detergent. Some commercial soaps add sodium laurel sulfate which is a surfactant that is a known irritant and they remove the glycerin made in soap to sell it separately - either for lotion manufacturers or to make glycerin soaps.

Handmade soap, on the other hand, is chock full of glycerin which is naturally occurring from the saponification process which is the chemical reaction caused by the lye water and the oils and butters combining. That’s what creates the skin loving combination of ingredients that make SOAP.

Of course you use your own soap and products religiously, I'm sure, but do you have any other favorite soap shops we should check out? I‘ve been excited about Haus Of Gloi lately. Britton is in her 20’s and I love the look of her soap, the design work, her style, the scents are to-die-for, and her photography is stunning. I think she’s unique and she will go places, Chica! Go check her out!

So there it is in its entirety. But if the links don't work, go check it out on about.com. :)

*

Ooooo! Another Rave! Thanks, Dollface!

Cindy Bokma, the talented writer, mother, (to me) comedian, fashionista, extrordinaire who writes Hello Dollface blog and Conversations With Famous Writers blog has written about our products, again.

What a HONEY PIE!

I'd love to regurgitate it here, but you should go over there and read it yourself.

Some of my favorite words...

Hands down
Julia Child
lathers up
whisper
no lie
Hello?
heaven
sniffing me

Cindy, perfume. I like it.....


;)

The Saponifier Magazine

Did you know I wrote an article for The Saponifier Magazine? Tamara Dourney is the managing editor and asked if I'd be interested in writing for the magazine. Well, I'm not the best writer even AT ALL, but with my husband's editing expertise, it worked out just fine.

'Herbal Wisdom' Editor

Oh yeah. Would I have ever guessed I'd be one of those? Not a chance. And I bet you are shaking your head wondering what drug I've been taking. Go see for yourself : meet the team
I'd love to do this for every issue, but I'm not sure how long they'll want me. I'm not sure how much herbal wisdom this noggin has. I'm good at researching though. THAT I can do well. And I take photographs (they used two!) taht aren't too bad. I'm actually pretty excited to be a part of The Saponifier and I look forward to earning the title. :o)

not martha

I think I love Megan Reardon who writes not martha, which is a blog I love and read every day. She wrote all about Product Body today and I am super excited, thrilled and still catching my breath from her blush-inducing comments!

See about not martha's give-away and Read her review of Product Body here!



....there is much more in her review...this was just a screen shot.

Don't you love Megan, too??

Thank you!!!!!

Queen Of Scrubs?

Kristen Kelly of Beauty Addict did it again.  She wrote another wonderful review of our Sugarfoot on her blog and I am blushing once again from her praise.  If you want to read the entire review, go here to read "The Two Sugarfoots (Sugarfeet?)".  Here are a couple of highlights I snagged:

...I'm just gonna come out and say it: Joanna Schmidt is the Queen of Scrubs.

...packed to the gills with scrubby bits. This is key for me these days, especially after my recent disappointment with that useless L'Occitane scrub.

...And like all of Product's products, it feels and smells absolutely heavenly. It comes in two scents, but really, who cares about Ruby Red Grapefruit when you can have COOKIE?

Thank you, Kristen!

***Kiss***

Scoutie Girl Features Product Body

I love Scoutie Girl.  There are so many amazing indie businesses that get featured, and I admit, I have bought from many of them.  Jan finds some amazing products.  Today, she found us, and we are thrilled!  Please go check out the Product Body feature here and if you have never checked out her blog, I urge you to make Scoutie Girl a daily read.  It is truly a gift resource you'll never miss with.

Thanks, Jan!

9 Best Coconut Skin Care Products - We Made The List!

About.com listed Mama Bomb Coconut Milk Bath Soak among the 9 Best Coconut Skin Care Products.  What an honor!  Listed among the very big hitters, we are the only indie company included in their head to toe top picks.  That feels good.

Plum Is The New Black

According to the New York Times (some time last week), the color plum will be the new black. Now, who makes these predictions and how does it work? My thinking is that some designer somewhere decides to spread a fashion rumor and make a ton of clothes, stilettos and credit card designs in whatever color they close their eyes and magically choose on a whim. I don't buy into it. Sorry. I like plum, but more than the color, I like the name. That's really all. I don't like being told what I need to start wearing or producing because all of a sudden some bozo behind a desk claims it to be so. I say, "Fe!"

Know what colors I think are cool? Cranberry red, pomegranate red and calming cream. Of course black is a staple for me. I like the color and it looks good with anything and everything. I happen to own a lot of black and that's that on that matter.

Here are some plum things that I think look cool, but not because someone tells me it's cool.

Felted bracelet- 3 Fun on Etsy



Handmade polymer beads - Polyclarific's Shop



Plum tee - ChicksWith Sticks



Ginger plum salt spa bar - Crazy Times Candles

DeLush Gushes

Here it is, but you can go to their site to see the whole thing.

Product Body Crush On You

What They Say: "We've got a crush on you...and we'll do anything for someone we love. So we've formulated a unique and amazing exfoliating and moisturizing skin cleanser that you're gonna want to marry.

Crush On You is like nothing you've ever felt (unless you've run your hands through a bowl of extra moist sugar cookie batter). It's loaded with sugar that not only scrubs you clean but sloughs off dead dry skin cells. The macadamia nut oil and fresh shea butter we whip in moisturize your skin, leaving it soft and supple. Finally, the incredibly gentle body wash that holds it all together rinses you off as clean as a whistle, leaving your skin soft, clean and fresh feeling...."

Melissa Says: I tested this in an absolutely scrumptious scent, Pecan Praline. It's exactly as they describe - a wonderful whipped consistency, full of skin-scrubbing sugar, that leaves you soft, ever-so-lightly moisturized (not oily!) and smelling yummy. In my bath-junkie opinion, this is a no-brainer. In terms of scrubs of this quality, this one is worth every penny.

Shopping Tip: The 4.75 oz. "try me" container is MORE than ample to last more than a few baths or showers, and get you to fall in love. If you aren't sure, go ahead and order that size. If you know you'll love it, you'll be super-happy to get your larger 9 oz. jar.

Retail Price: $22.00, 9 oz. / $9.00, 4.75 oz. (at Product Body's Shop online)

DeLush Rating:

Foam and Hallmark Loved Our Whipped Shea

Product Body made it into Foam and Hallmark magazines this month.  Both features were on our Double-Whipped Shea Butter.  The Foam feature was focusing on natural green products and the feature in Hallmark was about moisturizers that work.  

Press is good.

Back To Work

It has been a week and a half since I really worked or blogged and I am itching to get back. When we coasted into this holiday with the kids being off of school and family in town, I didn't want to stop working.  I was ready to storm in and get pumped for the new year.  Sell, sell, sell, get more press, make new products, be more influential, involved, business savvy, etc.   I have a lot of formulating to do tomorrow as the pile of orders call to me, but the real work lies in my ability to sell.  I have to start getting on the horn every day calling spas and boutiques and getting my products prepped for the press.

I do not make resolutions every year as many people do, but I try to make goals and meet those goals.  My goal for January is to bring in business like no other month yet.  This is hard for me because I keep thinking, "I'm not good at this."  But I don't give myself enough credit. Honestly, I realized in a discussion I was having with a family member that well over half of the wholesale customers we have came to us.  I had never contacted them initially.  Ok, you are probably scrunching up your nose and thinking, "how does that make her good at...?" 

I always thought that it is easier to have people come to their own discoveries rather than being pushed into them.  Using the press has been far better than free advertising because consumers take people's product reviews as found gold.  Who can really trust anything an ad tells us anyway?  I know I don't believe anything an ad tells me.  (This all came to me when was 13 years old and I ordered breast enlargement gel and nothing happened.  I was convinced it would make my flat chest grow because it promised it would.  Silly me....and thank goodness).

In addition to selling and creating relationships with the press, I treat my retail customers very well and it pays off in many ways.  Typically, I think it is hard to get companies on the phone to begin with but then to be treated with the respect they deserve?  That is priceless.   I love every one of the customers  I have had contact with.  Every single person I deal with is so nice!!  And the compliments stream in about the products, thank goodness... because what a bummer it would be if it didn't work on others the way it works on my family and friends!

Business building... always a challenge.  I think I'd be feeling far more confident if I had myself an MBA, but my schooling background is Education.  I have to learn from others and from my own mistakes.  So be it.  Once I get caught up on my orders, I'll be back-a-bloggin' and working me arse off to revv up business for El Product Body.  The selling nerves I feel?  Maybe those jitters will just turn to adrenalin and I'll be off like the Roadrunner with only dust in my trail.  

poof

We Are Blushing...

Anne-Marie of Soap Queen Blog, was guest star at Rare Bird Finds and chose our Butter Scrub as her #1 pick on Fab 5 Friday.  

Thank you, Anne-Marie!  What a huge compliment coming from you.

Beauty Banter Review: Product Body

Sarah Howard of Beauty Banter wrote an awesome review about Product Body.  I sent her our Crush On You, Whipped Shea Butter and Cream and it seems she loved it (blush).  She has a wonderful blog that is a daily read of mine.  Product reviews, beauty trends and makeup tips ... Sarah is an all around style maven.

Thank you, Sarah.  I Think I Love You (The Partridge Family reference)

You Have One Body.  Make It A Product Body.  

:) yeah, baby

Mary J. Blige + My Pumpkin Scrub

Mary J. Blige looks stunning on the cover! Inside the magazine in the beauty pages, GenLux included us among their Holiday guide:


You can see the whole thing on our Press page at Product Body.

Happy Halloween and boo to you!

"Lotion Commotion"

Knit Simple Magazine
2007 Holiday Issue

Product Body moisturizers are recommended to knitters on page 8. This is a hip magazine. Knitting has entered a completely different realm in the fashion world. I think it is accepted into the young culture and is considered cool to be a knitter. Every photo is of a young woman, and the projects are gorgeous!

We Love Foam!

Crush On You was featured in this month's Foam. The nicest glossy magazine dedicated to the surf, geared to girls and women and includes articles, fashion and other trends. Nice.


If you can't read it, go to the Press section on productbody.com.

Just had to share. :)

The Beauty Addict: Kristen Kelly

Kristen is the beauty blogger that has written about us more times than anyone, and definitely helped put us on the map. Beauty Addict is a favorite of mine, one I go back to time and time again. She is a true authority on aal things beauty related, and she's funny.

Without even telling me, I found a post (The Itchy & Scratchy Show) on her blog about moisturizing her arm which has been in a cast for weeks. One of her 2 picks for moisturizers was Product Body's Mama Bomb. So I publicly thank her and ask all of you to check out her blog if you haven't already.

Kristen, thank you again for your kind words!!

Soap Blog

My friend had a beauty - life blog and announced that she was interested in testing and reviewing handmade soaps. I thought it was a great idea! Her life, however, recently took a turn in another direction and is unable to keep up with the project. I decided to take on what she started (with her blessings) because A) I love soap and B) I want to help expose handmade soap makers to the public and give them the kind of press that jump started Product Body only a short time ago.

Beauty bloggers review make-up, body products, bath stuff, fashion, you name it. People have come to me, both individual customers and spa/shop owners through the reviews that several beauty bloggers posted about our products. The bloggers were great. I first contacted them to see if they might be interested in trying my products, then I mailed them samples and waited.... hoping they were going to post positive things about us. Well, they did, and without the exposure they gave us, I don't think we would have been considered for the magazines we've been in so far or have secured some of the retailers that carry Product.

I can't wait!! So here is my OTHER blog (as if I am not busy enough!), where I will be posting shortly! It is called The Soap Bar Blog. Come check it out soon, and if you make soap, send me some and I'll write about you!! :)

So excited!!

Another Interview

The interview with Cheri at Beauty Buffet blog just got posted on her website. I interviewed months ago and forgot I revealed my addiction to Haagan Daz chocolate peanut butter ice cream. (I ate a half a pint just last night ;-0).

You should check out the blog when you get a chance. She has product reviews, beauty tips, diy recipes and more.