Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope everyone gets to spend the day with family and friends. May all your lives be filled with joy and love.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I Couldn't Have Said It Better

I am very new to the small business world and the network on Indie Business Women who also produce some amazing products. I have spent a lot of time catching up on regulations, ingredients, and all the information that I need to be successful as a business owner and to produce safe products for my customers. I have followed the blogs of many successful and hard-working women. I have sifted through mounds of information to try and figure out what is true and what has a very one-sided spin on it. In doing so I have found many groups that are using information and research out of context and presenting it to the public in a way that makes the information downright scary. Many small business owners in the cosmetic industry are fighting these scare tactics by trying to present the information in a fair and honest light. I have also made several decisions for my company based on what I have learned and what other business owners have shared. I would like for everyone to read this blog entry that was posted by an indie business owner that is working hard to promote and protect small business.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Never Quit

As a new business owner, I definitely have times when I just want to bury my head and give up. I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and getting nowhere. I have those moments when I think I should just give up because it would so much easier to NOT run a business.

Then, I think about how much I really do enjoy what I do. Its not easy and I have made mistakes (and I can't even imagine how many are to come), but this is my dream. It is what I want to do. I want to run my own business. I want to grow my business, I want to have a store, I want a lot of things for myself and my business.

I have a vision for my business, so that is one step out of the way. Now, what I need to do is sit down and set my goals for the future. I know what I need to do and I know it is going to be very hard work. So, I will not quit, I will move forward. I will let go of the things I cannot control and take control of those that I can. I have the ability to reach my goals and make my business everything I want it to be and that is what I will do as I move forward with my own dream.

If you have your own dreams, chase them and don't give up until you reach them.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Whipped Body Butter

I made a new whipped body butter and it was amazing! I love the whipped texture and it just goes on so smooth. The tapioca starch is important because it helps to prevent the greasy feel you would otherwise get. I know the picture isn't great, but I had to use my camera phone because my other camera died:(

You need (by weight):
1 1/4 oz shea butter
3/4 oz cocoa butter
1/4 oz mango butter
3/4 oz macadamia nut oil
1 tsp tapioca starch

  1. Put all ingredients in a double boiler over low heat to SLOWLY melt ingredients.
  2. Once melted let it heat lightly for about 20 minutes. It is important to let the butters melt slowly and keep heating after they melt. This helps prevent a gritty feel.
  3. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. This may take a while, just be patient. Add any fragrance or essential oils at this point, I left mine unscented because I love the natural fragrance of the butters.
  4. Once a film starts to form on the surface, use a mixer to whip your mixture. I use a low to medium setting. Keep whipping until it looks light and has a whip cream texture.
  5. Once it is light a fluffy, put in a container of your choice. Clean and sterilized baby food jars are wonderful for homemade goodies that you plan to keep or give to a friend for a gift.
You can adjust this depending on the consistency you want. I like it to be a little softer, so I used less cocoa butter (which will make your butter pretty hard) and added extra oil. Play around with recipes until you get what you really like.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Cleanse

It is so important to clean our skin and we should try to do this twice a day. It is especially important to clean your skin after a long day wearing makeup, being exposed to outdoor toxins, and some sweating. A gentle cleanser made for your skin type will go a long way in helping your skin look its best.

For my face I use Honu Naturals Naked Shea Soap, its unscented and superfatted with shea butter. It has a rich soothing later and it is not at all drying to your skin like many commercial cleansers. The rest of my skin gets treated with a variety of my handcrafted soaps.

There are also a variety of soap free cleansers available to purchase, but be sure to read the ingredients list to avoid overly drying chemicals. Soap free cleansers or cream cleansers are great for drier or sensitive skin types. These will give you a deep clean without stripping your skin of valuable moisture. You can also make your own cleanser at home with ingredients from your cupboard. Check out my recipe section or visit www.makeyourowncosmetics.com for some great ideas. The most important thing is to find a cleanser that is right for your skin type and you will enjoy more vibrant skin.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Parabens

The Good:
Parabens are a group of preservatives that are used by the cosmetic industry to protect products against bacterial and fungal activity. Parabens offer companies a low cost way to protect their products for deterioration and protect their customers from nasty growths in the products they buy. Parabens have a long history of safe use and have been proven effective, unlike some "natural preservatives" such as grapefruit seed extract. Parabens are derived from benzoic acid. Benzoic acid is a chemical commonly found in plants. So, to some extent, parabens are “natural”. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has decided in two separate reviews that parabens were safe at up to 25% concentration. Parabens are used in very small concentrations (.01-.3%) causing absolutely no reason for concern for most people. Plus, any product not properly preserved will have a short-shelf life, which means that the consumer may not have the product long before it goes bad. Parabens are among the most effective and cost-effective preservatives available.

The Bad:
A study done in the UK showed that parabens were found in breast cancer tissue, which led many groups to link the use of parabens to the risk of breast cancer. Parabens are metabolized into an estrogen-mimicking compound and estrogen is also linked to the development of breast cancer. There is also a concern that rinse-off products such as shampoos and conditioners that contain parabens pose a threat to the environment because these estrogen-mimicking compounds get into our water and food sources. These compounds are then ingested and can disrupt hormonal acitivity in males and females of all ages.

The Unknown:
The truth is that we really don't know if the information found by the UK study means anything. The study did not show that parabens had a causal effect, plus the parabens were found in very low concentrations. Parabens can also naturally be found in foods we eat, so there was no proof that the parabens found came from cosmetics. It is also necessary to point out that deodorants and antiperspirants do not contain parabens and many groups have decided that these cause breast cancer too. Other studies have shown that the effect of parabens was 10,000-100,000 times weaker than our own estriadiol and this was only seen when very high levels of parabens were used.

My Conclusion:
There is no solid evidence to suggest that parabens are not safe for human use, comsumption, or the environment. I do think its prudent to err on the side of caution. However, if the choice is between endangering comsumers by a known risk of bacteria and fungus that WILL grow in a product that is not properly preserved; or using a preservative that has yet to be proven harmful; I have to say I would prefer the preservative. I will say I chose a different preservative and I pay more for it, but I don't shy away from products with parabens either.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Stratton Elementary Show

Friday December 4th 6-8 pm
Saturday December 5th 9-4pm

2460 Paseo Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Come out and join me for my last show of the holiday season.