Bath Bombs

I made two batches of bath bombs today with different formulae. One is scented with Lemon Verbena and the other Blackberry Sage. I've added rice bran oil for emolliency.

I just tested the Blackberry Sage one in a bucket for a foot treatment and it was awesome! Fizzed up for ages and left my feet feeling all soft afterwards. I did the Ped Egg treatment while the skin on my feet was still soft and it worked far better than when I use it on totally dry skin.

I'll hopefully have these ready for Christmas and will be packaging in cellophane so it will look like a half a Christmas pudding!

Now, what to call them....  Any ideas?

Changes to come in 2010

The new year is advancing quickly, and with harvest coming up and Christmas just around the corner, it's time to start reassessing Skinflint products.

From January 2010, I will no longer be making Sugar Scrub. The product is fraught with difficulties with it's low melting point and other issues, so it's time to say good-bye. Mineral Salts will still be available in five fragrances, as will Body Butter, but only in the one fragrance, White Tea & Ginger.

Another product that will be deleted is the Mum2B Butter. This is due to the fact that Skinflint Body Butter has almost as much cocoa butter as well as nourishing Shea Butter and is just as good as the Mum2B Butter. I don't see any point in having two products, when one dual purpose product will do.

But, there's good news as I'll be introducing Body Lotion in a variety of fragrances! All your favourites, including Blackberry Sage, Vanilla Fields and Rose Geranium, plus some new ones which I'll be testing in the next few weeks.

2010 will also be the time to introduce another Home Fragrance option - Soy Wax Melts. These gorgeous little tubs of fragrance are popped into normal oil burners. They melt and release their beautiful fragrances for hours. I have a huge range of fragrances that I'll be testing in the weeks to come.

I'm also hoping to make fizzing bath bombs in a variety of fragrances, so my house should be smelling wonderful over the next few months! There's a special Peppermint Foot Bomb in the planning stages too.

My long awaited Family Shampoo &  Body Wash is still in the experimental stages at the moment due to problems with thinning once the fragrance is added. I've chosen a specific mild fragrance and will have to look at other thickening options in my next few batches.
I will no longer be making Shower Gel or Liquid Castille once this new product is released.

Customers have been asking about small sized tubes and bottles for travel. I don't make these, as I find they are costly and very fiddly. I suggest you purchase the travel pack from Tupperware, or for a cheaper option, Woolies or Priceline. You can then just refill these small bottles as needed. I am happy to provide labels for you, just email or phone and I'll send some.

Check out the newly released Clay products and the specials on the website!!  www.skinflint.com.au

Welcome Eclipse Hair Design

Eclipse Hair Design (formerly Dianne Morris) is a stockist for Skinflint products.
Skinflint is proud to be associated with Sharon and Shay-Lee of Eclipse Hair Design.

I am looking for WA rural retail outlets to become wholesalers for Skinflint. If you're at all interested, please check out my website, try my products and register for a wholesale account. Be sure to read the Wholesale Conditions on this page.

Please contact me if you would like to talk about wholesaling Skinflint products at your place of business.

Breast Cancer Fundraiser

Girls' Day In is a National Breast Cancer Foundation approved fundraiser being held in my home town of Nyabing on October 17th.

There will be stalls and cooking demonstrations, a fashion parade, a Bra Art competition, wine tasting and lots of good fun for the girls.

Skinflint products will be available for sale along with Mary Kay, Tupperware, Intimo Lingerie, Pheonix Cards, Scrappin' Up and Total Learning. There will be cooking demonstrations with the wonder machine, Thermomix and a fashion parade featuring clothes from Salt N Sand Boutique from Lake Grace.

We have sponsorship from Noni B in Albany, Bunnings Albany, Farmers Centre Katanning and our wonderful stall holders will donate items for the raffle.

Elsie McDowell, our Thermomix demonstrator will donate $50 for every machine sold on the day or as a direct result of the day!!

Hope to see lots of my customers there!

Fragrance, Expo & Product Update

Following the results of the Fragrance Poll, I've removed two fragrances from my line - Tropicana and White Magnolia.
I was planning to introduce a Limited Edition fragrance every few months, but have been so busy that I haven't had time to investigate new fragrances, so this idea is on hold for a while yet.

Skinflint was on show at the Jerramungup Small Business Expo on Friday 10th October. This was a great day, showcasing all the little businesses in the region. All being run by very industrious rural women.
Thank you Janine Thornton of the Small Business Centre in Jerramungup for inviting me to take part in this inaugural event.

The Natural Balance Hair Care Range is only available while stocks last as it appears people prefer the Pure Moisture. Since the majority of my customers hair that is treated in some way (permed or coloured), PM Shampoo is the best option. Natural Balance Shampoo & Conditioner is on special until stocks are depleted.

I have also decided that I won't produce the Baby Massage Oil. I recommend that Mums use almond oil which you can buy from the pharmacy or health food shops. You can also use ricebran oil, available from supermarkets. Add a drop of Lavender essential oil and use it in the bath or as a massage for your baby.

All these changes are to make my business more streamlined. I will only produce items that you cannot make yourself without a great deal of equipment and ingredients. Only the most popular products will be produced in order to maximise my time, since I'm still a one (wo)man band!

New Family Shampoo

I'm working on this new product right now. I've made my first test batch to see how I like it and how it holds up as a body wash and shampoo. Steve, my nearest and dearest, tried it as a shampoo last night and said it was fine. I tried it as a body wash and it was fantastic.
The shampoo is scented with a light, floral-fresh fragrance that will hopefully suit everyone in the family.
I've used very mild, vegetable based ingredients in this formulation, making it suitable for children, yet with enough cleansing & conditioning ability for adults.

This is from the supplier's website:
Planta Cleanse is an extremely mild natural-vegetable-source surfactant base.
Being a member of the Polyglucoside family, the ingredients are made from a reaction between Coconut and Palm Oils and Starches and Sugars. Planta Cleanse is derived from natural, renewable raw materials and is biodegradable. Planta Cleanse exhibits excellent foaming and skin compatibility and together with its exceptional mildness. has an improved sensory profile, making it the best choice for Baby Products. In shampoo formulations, Planta Cleanse contributes to hair softness and improves dry combing. Planta Cleanse is recommended for shampoos, shower gels, facial washes and bubble bath formulations, particularly for Baby formulations and Sensitive Skin where extra mildness is required.
Lamesoft® is an ultra mild, water soluble emollient. This 100% plant derived ingredient replenishes the skin’s barrier function and exhibits gentle skin-friendly cleansing properties. Lamesoft® combines two active ingredients: Coco Glucoside from Coconut and the fatty acid Glyceryl Oleate from Sunflower Oil. Lamesoft® has the ability to help the hair retain its natural oils and moisture. The Sunflower derivative, Glyceryl Oleate assists with detangling the hair.

Skinflint Shampoo & Body Wash is packaged in a 250ml bottle with a pump. When I'm happy with the formula, it will be available on the website for sale.

The Skinny on: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

This is the first in a series of posts which are extracts from my 'The Skinny' newsletters over the years:

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, or SLS as it’s commonly known, is a surfactant that began its career as an industrial degreaser. It has powerful wetting and foaming properties and is extremely cheap.

It’s availability and low price made it a popular choice for the personal care industry. It is now found in shampoos, body washes and toothpastes.

Recent research suggested that SLS is not as safe as manufacturers lead consumers to believe. Studies showed that due to its low molecular weight, it could be easily absorbed into the skin. Other studies suggested that it could build up in the heart, liver and brain and cause major problems in these organs. Also of concern was comments that SLS caused improper eye development in young children.

Companies such as Neways and Amway made the most of these claims and introduced products that were SLS free. Statements were made of the  dangers of SLS in our products.

I have yet to be convinced of any of these claims. Many of the studies used massive amounts of concentrated product to try to prove it was irritating and dangerous. Huge amounts of concentrated soap can be irritating and dangerous!

Nevertheless, I choose not to use SLS, or ALS (Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate) or any of their derivatives such as SLeS (Sodium Laureth Sulphate). These are cheap and harsh surfactants that I don’t believe are the best option for use in my products.

I use a variety of very gentle coconut and sugar based surfactants such as Cocobetaine, Polyglucose and Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI).

I also use other products to make the formula even more mild, such as Almond Glycerides and Glucose Cocoate.

Check the labels of even the highest price shampoos and you’ll find SLS is a major ingredient.

Why then is the product so expensive when the main ingredient is one of the cheapest available?

The answer is simple. The major brands have enormous marketing and advertising budgets that need endless funds. These advertising campaigns are simply to try to gain a larger market share. The actual ingredients make up the lowest cost in their production costs.

I keep my prices low because my margins are low.

My ingredients are the major component of my production costs, not packaging or advertising.

Read the label and choose the gentler alternatives.