So I have been spending a lot of time creating new things. My poor sewing machine needs to be looked at, and healed, so in the meantime I have discovered how much I adore making natural and simple beauty products on my own.
It started with a kiss, how did it end up like this:
And this my very depleted stock, about 50 percent of it has been claimed and the above shelf has a basket with approximately 100 lip balms.
It started with a pinterest experiment following a visit to
Lush. My friend Nina, loves them and the fact that they are vegetarian, against animal testing, and make their products with natural ingredients and I think by hand. I like their products and splurged on some honey soap, massage bar, and shower gel. My uncle was with us and was looking at oatmeal moisturizers since he was considering shaving his beard but wanted something for his poor childhood-achne ravaged face.
Lush is all nice and good, but oh so very expensive as well as requiring a drive up to Portland. So, what do you think I did? Jep, I hopped on pinterest, looked around, found a bunch of recipes and did my own thing. I used the recipes as a spring board and then created something unique and very me.
I created a lavender-oatmeal moisturizer. Then I went on to develop honey-vanilla lip balms. Lotion Bars might even have been before that. People kept wanting more and commenting on how much they loved it and would buy it from me. I didn't really take that seriously until I brought a bunch of my stuff to a work training and had people shoving money at me because they said they knew how expensive ingredients could be and wanted to help.
Wow, I realized people would really pay for what I make. The search for containers started. Hours and hours spent on the internet resulted in the perfect (if I do say so myself) containers to make my products shine. Then I had to come up with a fair price taking into account the cost of ingredients as well as time and effort.
I'm still in the beginning phases and am just now starting to actually make some of the money back I've put into it. When I can I will be ordering labels to make them really look professional and also give people a way to find out how to reach me and order things.
After I'd already started selling stuff I decided I was finally going to try out this mock vicks-vapors shower disk recipe I'd found. I'd gotten a shower disk before at Powell's books and liked it, less so the 4.99 price tag attached. The idea is that you place it on the floor of your shower and let it disintegrate, releasing the vapors which will mix with the steam of your shower. The vapors will help with congestions, whether chest from a cough, or sinus, it'll clear that right out! It's also fun to just put into she shower for some fresh and renewing aroma therapy.
My that was a mess! So much wasted time, energy, and ingredients. Well, then again waisted is subjective... After about a week I was successful and found a way! Today I got the fun colored foil wrappers and as luck had it they were the perfect size (I was worried they might be too small). Today I will have one last experiment and see how that goes, otherwise I am happy enough with the way I'm doing them. And those shower disks? Yes, they've flown out the window as fast as I could make them.
All of my products are great gifts, and not even all that girly so they can be used by men without having to sacrifice manliness.
What do they look like you ask? I shall show you:
Lotion Bars which function as lotion and release it little by little into your hands or skin when it begins to melt from your body temperature. It works great as a massage bar like Lush sells, but I have to admit to liking mine much more (and not just because I made it!)
For now it either comes in the shape of a heart or a flower and is about cupcake shaped. Depending on the demand and requests I'm thinking of getting another shape that kind of looks like a lego piece with rounded tops for even better massages.
The scents for now are Lavender, Lemon, and Vanilla. Theoretically the variety of scents could be unlimited, I'm just starting slowly with a base, but I'll gladly make you whatever natural scent you would like with some extra time allowed for getting the essential oils I don't have.
Here's the view of the tin from above:
The Flower Shape
The Heart Shape
Here is my lavender-oatmeal moisturizer that is most commonly used as an overnight cream:
My lip balms here are shown with clear tubes and either yellow lids or clear lids. I am able to tint them different colors, which however will no longer be all organic anymore. The tints only tint the lip balm, but does not rub off. I can also order differently colored tubes and/or lids if a sufficient amount is ordered in advance. For instance my friend Megan is hosting a baby shower for her sister. The baby will be a boy, so we have clear tubes with blue lids and are tinting the lip balm blue as party favors.
Best part for anyone wanting to get a bunch of lip balms? They're actually cheaper than most other lip balms out there, and definitely cheaper than Burt's. I love that my coworkers high school senior son told her they were better than the Burt's Beeswax ones. (They actually have organic beeswax as one part of the base.)
And here is the newest member of the family, the shower disks:
Unwrap them, place anywhere in the shower, wait, inhale, smell, and relax!
This is what they look like unwrapped. They are also about cupcake sized.
I still haven't been able to come up with a good idea to name my product line. So far I'm stuck on "Bella's Caring Products" quite unoriginal, so I welcome other suggestions. I guess I spent all my creative energy on creating the little buggers so none is left for the name. I think that's something I can live with though...
