Articles

Looking for cost effective ways to build your business while maximizing a small marketing budget? Find ways to keep the customers who’ve already purchased from you coming back for more. Here are some affordable ways to do just that.

You can try mixing oil and water by shaking them vigorously in a bottle, but before you know it, they’ve separated and the lighter oil is floating on top of the heavier water. This is because water is polar – meaning one end is more negatively charged and one end is more positively charged – while oil is non-polar without an electrical charge. In chemistry, like dissolves like, which is to say that two or more polar ingredients can mix together, such as water and alcohol or water and glycerin, and two or more non-polar things can mix together, like olive oil and shea butter or using an essential oil in a lotion bar. But to get these lovely polar and non-polar ingredients to come together in a lotion, we need an ingredient that loves them both to come to our rescue. Save us, emulsifiers!

The approach of summer often means the opportunity to explore new points of sale where you can generate business, including local farmer’s markets, festivals and craft & art fairs. Though selling your wares at such locales can be a fun way to enjoy the beautiful weather while you broaden your brand exposure and build a greater awareness about your business in your community, they demand a different strategy than those you apply to your “standing” business model. Here are a few simple tips to ensure that your business realizes the best possible return on investment if your summer plans involve taking your business on the road. 

With the change of the season comes the transition to open-styled footwear, which means you're going to want your feet looking their best. Follow this simple recipe for a Beachy Foot Scrub to get your feet summer ready!

Powder colors are the most economical way to color soap, but they can be tricky to use. In this video, we offer some tips and tricks for coloring melt and pour soap with powder colors. With powder pigments and ultramarines, we recommend incorporating the color with glycerin before adding to the melted soap base. Mica powders are easier to mix, and can be added directly to the melted soap base. Watch this video to learn more about using powder colors in melt and pour soap!

Harnessing the refreshing and regenerative energy of the ocean, products with sea salt invoke a sense of calm and renewal. With so many ways to add this trendy ingredient, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect fit for you. Use the guide below for a quick overview on the different ways you can add sea salt to your summer line.

Busy entrepreneurs struggle with balance all year long, but during the holiday season it can seem unbearable. Here are some things to remember during this busy, yet wonderful time of the year.

Shampoo bars are one of my favorite things in life. Pretty dramatic, but true! It’s incredibly hard to find shampoo designed for oily hair, and after my first use, my hair felt clean for the first time in years! Not only are they package-less and environmentally friendly, but you’ll find you use far less product as it goes exactly where you want it to go instead of slipping through your fingers. It’s a must around the house and on vacation to act as a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

Lotion is a popular product and can be an easy addition to your product line. Unfortunately the most difficult part of lotion making can often be the final step, packaging. Although this may not be a big issue when you are making small batches, it can be especially tricky when you start producing on a larger scale. Here are some of our favorite tips and tricks for filling those pesky lotion bottles! 

Kaolin clay adds silky slip, a creamy lather, and gentle oil control to soap. See how much to use and how to add it without clumps.

Handcrafted soapmakers sometimes encounter a layer of white crystals that appears on the surface of soap, a phenomenon they call “soda ash.” One might imagine that the term “ash” describes the ashy appearance of this layer, but it actually goes back to the dawn of industrial chemistry. Long before there were giant multinational corporations or huge manufacturing complexes, alkaline materials (lyes) were produced in the service of three commodities: glass, paper, and soap.

If you have been a consumer or formulator of cosmetics for any length of time, you have likely run across cosmetic products claiming to be "made with edible ingredients." Some companies even claim their products are "so natural; you could eat them." To examine what this means, we first need to define "edible." Edible is defined as something fit to be eaten (often used to contrast with non-edible or poisonous examples). Products that are intended to be consumed are regulated by the Food division of the Food & Drug Administration. These items are not regulated quite the same as cosmetics.