Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Body Scrub

You will need:

4 oz Bulk Dead Sea Salt Scrub
4 oz Bulk Sugar Scrub
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) Cinnamon Roll Fragrance Oil
0.15 cc Radiant Mocha Mica

Phase 1: Measure Dead Sea Salt Scrub Base into a zipper-type baggie and add half of the fragrance oil. Combine thoroughly. Our body scrub base will accept 1% fragrance oil without breaking the emulsion. Higher levels of fragrance will cause the base to become thin and runny.

Phase 2: Measure Brown Sugar Scrub Base into a zipper-type baggie and add the other half of the fragrance oil. Combine thoroughly. We added 0.15 cc (using one of our convenient mini-scoops) of Radiant Mocha Mica to this base to add a little sparkle.

Phase 3: To package, cut a corner off the bottom of each of your zipper bags and pipe alternating layers into a sterile container.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Easy Body Splash

You will need:

8 oz Body Splash Base
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) Fragrance Oil
2-3 drops (approx) Liquid Dye - Water Based (optional)
1 - 8 oz PET Bullet Bottle
1 - 24/410 White Pump Spray Cap

Phase 1: Dispense fragrance oil of choice into the bottom of your bottle using a dropper.

Phase 2: Add body splash base to bottle containing your measured fragrance oil, reserving some space at the top to allow for mixing.

Phase 3: Add a few drops of water soluble colorant to the bottle, apply closure and shake well to incorporate.

Tip: Do not use a lot of liquid colorant as too much dye may stain clothing or skin.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Exfoliating Hand Wash

Quick and easy to make and with the added benefits of exfoliating bamboo silk powder, dirty hands will be clean in a jiffy! Perfect for gardeners too!

You will need:

8 oz Suspension Gel Base
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) Bamboo Silk Exfoliator
1 ml Cranberries & Cassis Fragrance Oil
10 drops D&C Red #33
1 - 8 oz PET Boston Round
1 - 24/410 Natural Pump

In a sterile, glass mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until mixed throughout. You may wish to mix the bamboo powder with a little of the suspension gel before recombining with the other ingredients to help avoid lumps.

This recipe takes very little time and can be altered using other exfoliants such as pumice powder or kiwi seeds, a different fragrance and different or no colorant.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

New Fragrance Oils!

Perfect for the holidays (or anytime of year), we have added the following fragrances to our ever expanding collection:

Cinnamon Roll - Smells like: Cinnamon, Brown Sugar & Cake Icing



Cranberry & Cassis - Smells like: Cranberry, Dark Berries [Blackberry, Black Currant (Cassia)], Citrus & Allspice


Night Sky - Smells like: Bracing Peppermint, Balsam Pine & Juniper Berry



Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Simple Lotion

You will need:

0.50 oz Emulsifying Wax NF
1 oz Sunflower Oil
1 oz Rice Bran Oil
4.50 oz Distilled Water
0.25 oz Germaben ll (Preservative)
0.25 oz Aloe Vera Powder - 200X
1 ml Allantoin USP
2.5 ml Fragrance Oil (optional)

Phase 1: Combine emulsifying wax, sunflower & rice bran oil in a double boiler over low heat. Melt until clear and remove from heat source.

Phase 2: In a separate vessel, combine distilled water, aloe vera powder & allantoin powder and mix thoroughly to combine. Raise heat of water mixture from room temperature to close to the same temperature of the melted oils/wax. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.

Phase 3: Slowly combine water mixture with oil mixture using a stick blender or mixer to fully incorporate. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Phase 4: When lotion has cooled to the touch (as close to room temp as possible), add preservative and optional fragrance. Blend well to incorporate before packaging in airtight containers.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

What is Emulsification Anyway?

An emulsion is a mixture of two or more unblendable liquids. Emulsification is the process by which emulsions are prepared.

Emulsions tend to have a cloudy appearance, because the many microscopic particles combining together tend to scatter light as it passes through the emulsion. Emulsions are unstable and do not form spontaneously. Shaking, stirring or agitation of some form are required to create them, and over time, emulsions tend to revert back to the original state of the ingredients contained within them (i.e. think of a vinagarette that separates back into oil and vinegar and you get the picture). Surfactants can increase the stability of emulsions so much so that, once formed, the end product does not change significantly over years of storage.

An emulsifier is a substance which stabilizes an emulsion, frequently a surfactant. A wide variety of emulsifiers are used in skincare to prepare emulsions such as creams and lotions. Common examples include emulsifying wax, cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate 20, and ceteareth 20.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Emulsified Salt Scrub

You will need:

1 oz Stearic Acid - Vegetable TP
1.5 oz Emulsifying Wax NF
2.5 oz Almond Oil, Sweet USP
1.5 oz Jojoba Oil, Clear (Organic)
1.5 oz Olive Butter
12.5 oz Dead Sea Salt - Fine Grain

5 ml (1 tsp) Fragrance Oil (optional) -

We used Paradise Fragrance Oil

Phase 1: In a double boiler over low heat melt stearic acid, emulsifying wax, olive butter, almond oil & jojoba oil until clear. Remove from heat.

Phase 2: Pour melted butters, oils & waxes over dead sea salt and stir to combine. Add optional fragrance and stir again to combine. Allow to sit overnight (alternately, you can cover and pop in a cooler until it sets).

Phase 3: When scrub has set, stir again and package in airtight containers.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Product Liability Insurance

Now is the time to revisit the necessity of carrying liability insurance for your skincare products and candles. If your company provides any products to the consuming public, then your company needs product liability or completed-operations coverage. You will want to discuss your coverage with an insurance professional so that you have a clear understanding of what is covered (for example, some policies will cover economic damages, but not punitive or statutory damages).

For those seeking insurance, we highly recommend you check out (and join) the Indie Beauty Network, where you can also connect with other crafters just like you!

Visit The Indie Beauty Community

You can find more information regarding affordable product liability insurance online at: http://indiebeautynetwork.com/channel-ibnyou/insurance.asp

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Changing Direction: Stepping Out of The Comfort Zone

What we see depends mainly on what we look for. ~ Sir John Lubbock

My best ideas come to me while running. The brainstorming is an unexpected benefit to working out! I find myself often sticking with the familiar because there is a certain comfort that comes with doing things that feel "comfortable". It is comfortable for me to run the same trail every day. There are few obstacles, I know every twist and turn and it takes an expected amount of time to complete my workout. It's predictability allows me to zone out and think about what I need to accomplish that day.

Sunday I ran a trail I don't run often because it was hot and the trail was shaded and cool. This trail is covered in root systems, rocks and other obstacles like stairs and hills. I have always been afraid of this trail because of a fear of (quite literally) falling flat on my face. Forced out of my comfort zone, it required full focus on my surroundings or I would risk falling. Focusing on the obstacles around me, I came to realize that I'm not really afraid of falling or tripping on a root. What was the worst case scenerio? If I fall, I can pick myself up, dust off and continue onward. I run nearly every day which has made me strong and agile. I was out of my element, but had the tools to navigate things like rocks, roots and stairs.

This directional focus translates into professional life also. It is so much easier to do things the same way we've always done them because new systems or ways of doing things take time to adjust to. Call it getting stuck in a rut or maybe even losing focus, but sometimes we need something external to shake things up, put an obstacle in front of us and force us into a new direction. In many cases, we already possess the tools, we just need the motivation.

Jamila White (The E-Commerce Diva) made a statement that resonated with me. She said she "is saying YES to things I normally say no to. (Or at least saying yes to doing old things in a new way)." Sometimes we have to take ourselves off our normal path in order to truly experience what life has to offer us.

Maybe taking a new path simply means running a more difficult trail, filled with obstacles. Maybe it means saying YES when you would ordinarily say NO. Maybe it just means you need to change directions. Whatever it means to you, find a way to step out of your comfort zone this week. You never know where a new path may lead!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Tropical Butter Cream - Reformulated with Optiphen!

Tropical Butter Cream is our most popular cream base and after many requests, we have reformulated with a paraben-free, formaldehyde-free preservative! The same quality and ingredients have been used, but with an alternative preservative to Germall® Plus powder. Optiphen® is a formaldahyde-free and paraben-free preservative which consists of Phenoxyethanol in an emollient base of Caprylyl Glycol.

This unscented body cream includes Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter. In addition, we include Vitamin E and C, plus Japanese Green Tea to help combat free radicals. This cream is suited for the body, but many use this on the face (although really not designed for facial use).

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Natural Body Butter - Reformulated with Optiphen!

Natural Body Butter is one of our most popular cream bases and after many requests, we have reformulated with a paraben-free, formaldehyde-free preservative! The same quality and ingredients have been used, but with an alternative preservative to Germall® Plus powder. Optiphen® is a formaldahyde-free and paraben-free preservative which consists of Phenoxyethanol in an emollient base of Caprylyl Glycol.

This traditional beeswax and borax night cream has origins dating back 100 years ago. It is over 98% natural, highly emollient and has over 50% oil content. Historically, this was referred to as a night cream or waterless cream in Eastern Europe. Thick, long lasting and capable of moisturizing the driest skin, it is more like an ointment than a typical cream and includes 3 natural oils, Aloe Vera and Chamomile extract.

Natural Body Butter can be marketed as a Body Butter (for feet, elbow, knees and heels), Stretch Mark Cream, Baby Diaper Ointment, Gardeners Hand Cream, and/or as a Winter, Heavy Duty or Restorative type cream. The beeswax/borax to oil ratio is closely formulated, so we don't recommend adding any additional carrier oils, however, adding fragrance/essential oils is fine.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

July Blowout!

We have an extraordinary number of items on sale right now!

Some items are being discontinued by their respective suppliers and others will no longer be available when we run out because in those cases, the manufacturers have become victims of the economy. These types of items are listed under both the Surplus/Closeout as well as the Sale sections of our site.

Other items are overstock and we need to reduce inventory on them before we move into a larger space. These items are listed under the Sale section of our site.

As we are going through boxes, preparing for the move, we are running across items we thought we had already sold out of or didn't realize we had, so more items will be uploaded over the weekend. Make sure to check back often over the next week for more specials!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Sale: Select Herbal Powders & Seeds

Sale: Select Preservatives

Are You A Member of the AAB?

This spring, we joined the Association of Artisan Businesses. The Mission Statement of the AAB is simple: Association of Artisan Businesses is a national non-partisan, professional organization whose mission is to assist individual artisans in reaching their full business potential while also promoting awareness of the artisan industry to the public, government agencies and elected officials.

The Association of Artisan Businesses recently awarded business grants to three outstanding artisans! These grants enable member artisans to continue expanding their businesses by providing funds to purchase materials, pay rent, prepare for exhibitions, and other related expenses. (View full Press Release)

Funding for AAB grants are provided through association vendor dues. Smell No Evil, Ltd (dba BathBodySupply.com) is proud to be a participating vendor member! We are extremely pleased that our dues are being used to help contribute to the success of other artisans.

For more information about the AAB, please visit www.artisanbusinesses.org.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

More Link Love!

Lori Stoia at Homemade Bath Products has featured our Exfoliating Foot Masque Recipe on her blog. She features lots of useful information about (you guessed it) Homemade Bath Products!






Andrea, over at TheNhuch.com said that our post (Deciphering the Differences In Sea Salt) was an "Interesting post! There is so much talk about sea salt.".







Much thanks to both of you for the link love!

Save $$ Making Scrubs at Home - Examiner.com!

Vickey Conover at Examiner.com wrote a fabulous article (and gave us link love!) about making body scrubs at home to save money! In this economy, it seems everyone is feeling it in the wallet so this article is especially relevant to protecting your pocketbook, while still enjoying little luxuries.

Another great point, although not addressed in the article, is that formulating your own product gives you creative control to use the ingredients you want! So by all means, check out Vickey's article and Happy Formulating!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Emulsifying Wax NF (Pastilles)

Emulsifying wax is a cosmetic emulsifying ingredient. The ingredient name is often followed by the initials NF, indicating that it conforms to the specifications of the National Formulary.

Emulsifying wax is created when a wax material such as vegetable wax is treated with a compound such as polysorbate that cause it to make oil and water bind together into a smooth emulsion.

An emulsion is a mixture of two or more immiscible (unblendable) liquids. One liquid (the dispersed phase) is dispersed in the other (the continuous phase). Examples of emulsions include butter and margarine, milk and cream, and vinaigrettes. In butter and margarine, fat surrounds droplets of water (a water-in-oil emulsion). In milk and cream, water surrounds droplets of fat (an oil-in-water emulsion). Emulsification is the process by which emulsions are prepared.

Many cosmetics rely heavily on emulsification to create the products we use on a daily basis such as lotions and creams.

Emulsifying Wax NF is one of the easiest emulsifiers to use and is used by most home crafters of lotions and creams.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Operation Beautiful

I saw the following video for the first time over at Kelly Olexa's blog and was so moved by the positive message it portrays that I had to share it. We often forget that to truly understand another person we might have to walk a mile in their shoes. As women especially (guys too), we have a tendency to discount one another rather than to revel in the fact that each of us is beautiful in our own way. Take a moment to pass this positive message along...you just might make someone's day!

For more information about Operation Beautiful, check out the official website.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com