News: FDA Globalization 2009

It was only a matter of time before the original FDA Globalization Draft was fast-tracked into a bill. If you are not aware of this proposed legislation, you can learn more here.

It appears that the recent Peanut Butter/Salmonella outbreak has provided an incentive to push the bill through the House of Representatives and as of January 27th, this has become a reality. You can click here to read the FDA Globalization Act of 2009. The bill is 136 pages long. Pages 115-124 specifically relate to cosmetics. A copy of the press release regarding the FDA Globalization Act of 2009 can be accessed here.

At first glance, it seems that the originally proposed requirements of this legislation have been significantly altered in favor of small businesses. Gone is the proposed $2000 yearly fee. In its place will be a requirement to register your business with the Food & Drug Administration, free of charge (pages 115-116). Currently, registration is optional. Besides the requirement of registration, the FDA is NOT requesting inspection of your facilities.

Additionally, when manufacturing a product to sell, you will need to submit your ingredients for the overall product. You will not need to submit for each individual fragrance, provided the ingredients for your base does not change (page 119). Under the proposed draft, this required filing will also be free of charge.

The last major change involves adverse reactions to a product. Right now, reporting "Adverse Events" to the FDA is voluntary. This means that if one of your customers reports that your product gave them an allergic reaction and/or sent them to the hospital (which is highly unlikely), the FDA would currently like you to report this but they do not make you report it. In the future, reporting serious Adverse Events will be mandatory within 15 days of the event. See the copy of the bill for a full definition of Adverse Events (page 122).

Indie Beauty Network founder Donna-Maria Coles-Johnson brought up an excellent point that there should be some sort of allowance for an exemption for some businesses based on sales, although this has not been addressed in the current draft.

Note: While a great deal of research has been done amongst myself and others in the industry, I am not a lawyer and the above information is provided simply as my own analysis of the facts available. It is highly recommended that you read over the proposed legislation to form your own opinion.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Pack A Lunch!

In this economy, easy solutions to life's quandaries present themselves rather quickly! How quickly we forget the benefits of simple things like packing a lunch. When the pennies need to be pinched, packing a lunch can help you save some serious dough! Plus, it's an opportunity to keep you healthy so you can save on medical bills too!

The Clever Dudette breaks it down to almost a $1000.00 savings per person per year. That's a lot of money saved from one simple act!

Packing a lunch doesn't have to be boring, just check out these tips from eHow.com on how to pack a great lunch and save money too!

Too trendy to carry a brown paper sack, regardless of the savings? Maybe you don't want to contribute to the landfill by throwing your bag away day after day! Check out the Munchler Bags from BuiltNY! After all, what good is a lunchbox that doesn’t look good?

Have a lunch thief at the office? Don't worry, we got that covered too! Grab a pack of anti-theft lunch bags from the. These cleverly printed baggies make your lunch look like it's spoiled so would-be thieves will think twice about stealing your PB&J!

Now who said brown-bagging it was a bore?

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

UPS Winter Weather Delays

The following bulletin just arrived from UPS regarding the recent winter weather conditions.

"Severe winter weather in the U.S. is affecting all transportation carriers. UPS operations have been impacted, including the main UPS air hub in Louisville, KY. Poor highway conditions have also affected ground and freight transportation. UPS has deployed contingency plans and is making every effort to keep your shipments moving.

The UPS package guarantee does not apply when transportation networks are affected by weather. You can track your shipments or view the latest information in the
Service Update on ups.com."

Our area received between 14"-18" of snow this week and has been hit with numerous snow bans. UPS was not able to pick up packages from our facility today because of the sheer volume of snow still on the roads. We apologize for this unavoidable delay.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

New Fragrance Oil Testers

When we upgraded our website last fall, many of you noticed that our fragrance sampler disappeared. After much deliberation, consultation of previous years trends and investigation into fragrance sampler purchases we detected numerous issues with the sampling program we had in place and chose to suspend the program until a solution presented itself.

Many of you noted that the 3/16 dram perfume vials we were using did not offer a large enough sample for batch testing. We even received reports that some recipients were applying the undiluted fragrance oils directly to the skin because they "came in a perfume vial".

We are now introducing a convenient 1 oz size for all of our Manufacturers Grade Fragrance Oils & Natural Fragrance Oils. These tester sizes will be packaged in Amber Glass with an insert that allows dispensing of the fragrance by the drop. Cost for these 1 oz testers will range from $3.00+ depending on the oil.

As of end of business today, we have updated 25% of our fragrances to reflect the new size. We anticipate completion of this upgrade by Thursday 1/29/09.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Poll: What would you like to see in 2009?

We're asking you! What would you like to see added to our online catalog in 2009?

Take a moment to participate in our poll and "all your wildest dreams could come true"! But seriously, we really want to know what products, ingredients, additives, packaging, etc. you're looking for.

If you don't see something listed in the poll that you just have to have, please leave us a comment below to tell us what you're looking for and why!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Euphoric Foot Bath

Winter weather wreaks havoc on tired, neglected feet. Give yourself a break with a foot bath! The following recipe combines relaxing salts blended with moisturizing coconut oil. The use of tapioca starch yields a dry end-product that is not "oily" to the touch!

You will need:

8 oz Dead Sea Salt - Fine Grain
8 oz Epsom Salts
2 oz Tapioca Starch (about 2 cups)
2 oz Coconut, Fractionated Oil
10 ml (2 tsp) Euphoria* Essential Oil Blend

Phase 1: Place tapioca starch in a blender reserved for formulating (it is helpful if your blender has a top with a removable plug in the center). Cap your blender and with blades on, pour oil and fragrance through center of lid and mix until thoroughly combined. The tapioca starch should still be powder-like in appearance and may look slightly lumpy. If it looks like a paste or has the consistency of tiny balls, you have used too much oil. (It is imperative that you weigh your ingredients for your recipe to turn out successfully.) Pour tapioca starch/oil blend into a sterile glass or stainless steel bowl and set aside.

Phase 2: Add dead sea salt and epsom salts to the tapioca starch mixture from phase one. Using gloved hands, mix ingredients gently until thoroughly combined.

Phase 3: Package in an airtight container.

To Use: Measure out product into a very warm foot bath. Soak feet for 15-30 minutes before toweling off and applying moisturizer. We used 1/4-1/2 cup per bath. This treatment is ideal prior to foot massage.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Moisturizing Milk

You will need:

4 oz Avocado Oil
4 oz Stearic Acid
5 ml (1 tsp) Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
2 oz Vegetable Glycerin
16 oz Distilled Water
7.5 ml (1.5 tsp) Liquipar Optima (Preservative)
7.5 ml (1.5 tsp) Fragrance (optional)

Phase 1: Combine avocado oil and stearic acid in a double boiler over low heat until it becomes a clear liquid. Remove from heat and set aside.
(At the same time, you should be heating the ingredients from Phase 2 in a separate double boiler.)

Phase 2: Combine distilled water, baking soda and vegetable glycerin over a water bath or in a double boiler. Heat until it boils and slowly add the water solution from Phase 2 to the oil solution in Phase 1. The mixture will foam slightly as carbon dioxide (CO2) is released from the baking soda.

Phase 3: Pour the entire mixture into a mixing bowl (or blender). Whip on high speed for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will be light, white & fluffy. Cover and allow the mixture to cool completely.

Phase 4: Add fragrance (optional) and preservative when cool, and mix again to incorporate completely before packaging.

Note: This recipe yields a very watery, thin moisturizer. It could be dispensed in a spray application, but we used a standard PET Bullet bottle with an Orifice Reducer and Silver Phenolic Cap.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Aphrodisia Butter Cream

The essential oil of ylang-ylang is used in aromatherapy. It is believed to relieve high blood pressure, normalize sebum secretion for skin problems, and is considered to be an aphrodisiac. In Indonesia, ylang-ylang flowers are spread on the bed of newlywed couples.

Studies on the role of aroma in the perception of attractiveness show that women look an average of six years younger to men when the scent of grapefruit is present while the men viewed the women's photos. We've combined both of these scents to create the following cream. The scent is not too floral and not too fruity, making it perfect for both sexes!

You will need:

16 oz Tropical Butter Cream
3.5 ml (approx 2/3 tsp) Grapefruit, White Essential Oil
1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Combine ingredients in a glass or stainless steel mixing utensil. Blend well to thoroughly incorporate essential oils. Package in an airtight container like our airless pumps!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Surplus Fragrances

We are making room for new and exciting products and ran across some surplus fragrances that have been reduced for quick sale. These are not stock items and many of them were brought in for custom orders and then never used. We have extremely limited quantity of many of these items and when they sell out, they are gone for good!

Amaretto Fragrance Oil
Bamboo & Sugar Cane* Fragrance Oil
Bergamot Grapefruit Essential Oil Blend
Bergamot Mandarin Fragrance Oil
Cranberry Fragrance Oil
Daisy Garden Fragrance Oil
Lemon Drop Flavor Fragrance Oil
Lemon Sorbet Fragrance Oil
Lemon Sugar* Fragrance Oil
Menthol Flavor Fragrance Oil
Nuts Over Vanilla Flavor Fragrance Oil
Rice Flower & Shea* Fragrance Oil
Toasted Marshmallow Fragrance Oil

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Sensual Massage Oil

A perfect gift for Valentine's Day or in a bridal shower gift basket, this sensual massage oil could really be used anytime you need an excuse for a little one on one time with a special someone! Simple to make, fun to use...what more could you ask for!

You will need:

6 oz Coconut, Fractionated Oil
4 oz Grapeseed Oil
2 oz Macadamia Nut Oil
4 oz Almond, Sweet Oil
5 ml (1 tsp) Tocopherol T-50 (Antioxidant)
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) Vanille Essential Oil Blend
1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil

Combine all ingredients in a glass mixing utensil. Mix thoroughly to incorporate the ingredients before packaging.

FYI: This oil blend can also be used as a sensual bath oil by pouring directly into bath water. Be sure to exercise caution when exiting the bath as oil will make surfaces slippery.

Note: Although oils look beautiful packaged in glass (like our 5oz Woozy bottles), glass may be too slippery to work with in a massage setting. For this reason we recommend using a plastic bottle equipped with a flip top turret or a standard lid with an orifice reducer to better control dispensing.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Gentle Facial Scrub

You will need:

4 oz Colloidal Oatmeal
2 oz Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
1 oz Dendritic Salt

Distilled Water (Normal/Combo Skin), Jojoba Oil, Clear - Organic (Dry Skin) or Witch Hazel Distillate (Oily Skin)

Combine dry ingredients until well blended. Store in an airtight container.

When ready to use, spoon several tablespoons (1-2 oz) dry ingredients into a bowl. Add your choice of wetting agents to form a paste. Apply to face in a circular pattern, taking care to avoid the eyes. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry before using toner and applying a facial moisturizer.

Note: Do not pre-mix the dry scrub with the wetting agent as these ingredients are unstable without a preservative.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Lavender Facial Toner

You will need:

8 oz Witch Hazel Distillate
10-15 drops Lavender, Bulgarian Essential Oil

Combine ingredients in a bottle equipped with a fine mist sprayer. Shake well and spritz over face, avoiding eye area.

FYI: Toner can also be smoothed over problem areas with a cotton pad to better control application.

Note: Because we did not use any emulsifiers in this recipe, it may be necessary to shake this product well before each use to incorporate the essential oils.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Free Stock Photos For Your Website!

We've blogged before about where to find high-quality stock images for your website. Since "borrowing" images from other websites falls under copyright infringement, it is a good idea to have a source for images that won't break the bank and won't cause you legal woes.

Donna Maria at the Indie Business Blog first introduced us to 123RF.com and it has proven to be a fantastic tool! Better yet, it hasn't cost us a dime! Simply create an account on the 123RF website and you can download unwatermarked images absolutely free from a wide selection of ever changing professional photos. Simply locate the Free Images link in the upper right side of their site to see which images are currently available gratis! You can also buy credits to pay for images that aren't being offered for free.

The image for this blog post was downloaded FREE at123rf.com!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Found (Not Lost) Items!

We located several items we either bought too many of, or thought we had sold out of! Save big on the following items!

2 oz Sophisticate Jar & Top (Silver Band)

• Beautiful jars for high-end creams!

24/410 White Ribbed Flip Spout Top

• Perfect for dispensing concentrated liquids. Offers great control for liquids that need to be dispensed by the drop. Fits 24/410 containers.
  

24/410 Silver Metal Phenolic Cap

• Beautiful metallized silver phenolic top! Twist-on application fits 24/410 containers. We recommend using a 24mm press & seal liner with these caps. They are surplus and constructed very well, but many appear to be missing liners.
  

24/410 8 oz Clear Red PET Apothecary Oval

• We thought we had sold out of these completely, but there are still 14 units left. Perfect or Valentine's Day! Red PET Bottle comes with the metallic silver phenolic tops shown above.
  

6" White Handled Fan Brush (Boar Hair)

• These handy brushes will be a part of our permanent inventory. They are perfect for applying facial masques!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

New: Witch Hazel Distillate

Witch hazel is an astringent produced from the leaves and bark of the North American Witch Hazel shrub (Hamamelis virginiana).

The essential oil of witch hazel is not sold separately as a consumer product as the plant does not yield enough essential oil to make production viable. However, witch hazel is available for cosmetic use (referred to as hydrosols or distillates) that are gentle and contain a percentage of alcohol as a preservative.

Witch hazel is mainly used externally on sores, bruises, and swelling. Witch hazel hydrosol is used in skin care. It is a strong anti-oxidant and astringent, which makes it useful in fighting acne. It has been recommended for psoriasis, eczema, aftershave applications, cracked or blistered skin, for treating insect bites, poison ivy and as a treatment for varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

Witch hazel is also traditionally known as a good first reaction against shaving cuts and abrasions. It is also recommended by The Doctors Book of Home Remedies as effective for helping sunburns.

Our shipment of Witch Hazel Distillate is expected in stock 1/16/09!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Clearance Spa Accessories

There are still many items in our Spa Accessories catalog that are on sale! Most of these items have been discontinued and will be removed from our website when we have sold out.

Red Satin Bow with Elastic Band

Black Nylon Mesh Bath Puff - 50 gram
Blue Nylon Mesh Bath Puff - 50 gram
Mint Green Nylon Mesh Bath Puff - 50 gram
Orange Nylon Mesh Bath Puff - 50 gram
Pink Nylon Mesh Bath Puff - 50 gram
Purple Nylon Mesh Bath Puff - 50 gram
Red Nylon Mesh Bath Puff - 50 gram
Yellow Nylon Mesh Bath Puff - 50 gram

Winter Penguin Duck Toys
Reindeer Duck Toy

Blue Microfiber Wash Cloth

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Clearance Containers & Packaging

The following packaging items are on clearance. They will be removed from our site when they are sold out!

Frosted Plastic Tin Tie Bags

24/410 8 oz Clear Red PET Apothecary Oval w/ Silver Cap

3.7 oz Victorian Jar

12.5 oz Victorian Jar

8 oz Clear French Square Glass Bottle & White 43/400 Lid

5 oz Clear Glass Woozy Bottle 28/400

Clear View Silver Deep Metal Tin - 6 ounce

125ML HDPE Foamer Natural Round Bottle w/ Clear Overcap (10 pieces)

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Clearance & Discontinued Items

The following items are on clearance and will be removed from our website when sold out. We cannot restock any of the listed items:

Bases:
Acerola Berry Peel Off Face Masque (1lb)
Bilberry Peel Off Face Masque (1lb)
CUSTOM Foamer Soap, Liquid - (128 oz)
Foamer Soap, Liquid
Warming Scrub Base
After Bath Lotion
EZ Lotion Blending Base

Reed Diffuser Oils:
Ambrosia Reed Diffuser Oil
Christmas Eve Reed Diffuser Oil
Clean Linen Reed Diffuser Oil
Cranberry Reed Diffuser Oil
Holiday Reed Diffuser Oil
Lavender Reed Diffuser Oil
Lemon Sugar Reed Diffuser Oil
Ocean Mist Reed Diffuser Oil
Rose Garden Reed Diffuser Oil

Fragrance & Essential Oils:
Bamboo Fragrance Oil
Caribbean Therapy* Essential Oil Blend
Cranapple Fragrance Oil
DEET Buster Essential Oil Blend
Happy Essential Oil Blend
Harvest Essential Oil Blend
Hyacinth Fragrance Oil
Lemon Zest* Fragrance Oil
Light The Way* Essential Oil Blend
Palmarosa Essential Oil
S'mores Fragrance Oil Sweet
Cinnamon Pumpkin* Fragrance Oil

Natural Oils:
Emu Oil

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Valentine's Day Fragrance Ideas

Having trouble choosing fragrances themed towards Valentine's Day? The following list will give you a starting point, but you can always create a blend of your own to make your products unique!

Amber Musk
Amber Sunset*
Aquolina Pink Sugar type*
Baby Bee Buttermilk type*
Baby Powder
Banana
Bitter Almond
Blackberry Amber*
Butt Naked
Buttercream
Cherry Bomb
Chocolate
Chocolate Cake
Cinnamon & Clove
Citrus
Coco-Mango
Coconut
Coconut Macaroon
Cotton Candy
Egyptian Musk
Euphoria*
Fig & Melon
French Vanilla
Fudge Brownie
Graceful
Hawaiian White Ginger
Hazelnut
Honeycomb
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle Vine
Kiwi Strawberry
Lavender
Lavender Fields
Lavender Rose
Lavender Sage
Lavender Vanilla
Lick Me All Over
Lovespell*
Madagascar*
Orange, Blood
Orange Blossom
Orchard Peach
Patchouli
Patchouli Rose
Patchouli Vanilla
Peaches 'N' Cream
Peppermint
Pink Peppercorn
Plumeria
Pomegranate Flower
Pomegranate Fruit
Pure Seduction*
Rain
Romantic Rose
Rose Bouquet
Sandalwood
Sangria White Peach
Sensual Vanilla Musk
Strawberries & Champagne
Strawberries & Cream
Strawberry Rose
Sugared Figs
Summer Berries
Sweet Pea
Taratahi Lilac
Teak & Sandalwood
Tobacco Flower
Vanilla Hazelnut
Vanilla Rose
Very Sexy for Men*
Warm Vanilla Sugar*
White Musk
Ylang Ylang

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Get Organized In 2009!

I admit that I'm a procrastinator. Aknowledging that this is a weak area has helped me to become a better organized person in both my business and personal life. One method that keeps me organized is the use of a daily planner. I actually use two methods, a spiral bound weekly planner and a loose-leaf daily planner.

As soon as any appointments are scheduled, they are immediately entered in my weekly planner. Any paperwork, accessories or other data that is required for the appointment is listed via bullet point beneath the appointment. I also use this planner to track birthdays, charity events, tradeshows and other engagements.

Every night, before I go to bed, I use my loose-leaf daily planner to remind myself to check my weekly planner for appointments. This is a simple sheet of paper that lists the date, appointment times, phone calls to be made and goals to accomplish. I also list any ideas I've had that day such as recipes, blog posts, new products, etc. As these items are completed, I can easily check them off. Items that are not completed are moved to the next days planner until completed.

You can buy planners online or the loose pages at most office supply stores or download templates at no charge online. You could also create a template in Excel or Word and print as needed from your own computer (I do this to keep my agenda neat and organized and to avoid deciphering issues when my handwriting gets out of control!).

This is a simple method that works to keep me on track. It is inexpensive and when used consistently requires little time or effort. I find that when my time is utilized efficiently, I am much more productive!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com