Cosmetic Entrepreneurs: The Pros and Cons of From-Scratch Formulations Versus Bulk Bases

Let’s face it. Bulk bases are just plain comfortable. There is no agonizing over your choice of ingredients; little concern about whether the product is adequately preserved; the freedom to buy as much or as little as you wish or can afford, all with a plethora of often testimonial-verified choices from which to select your winning potions. Bulk bases give budding cosmetic entrepreneurs an exciting, yet simultaneously safe and contained experience.

Why then, would anyone who did not have a degree in organic chemistry, or chemical engineering, even bother learning how to make shampoo, for example, from scratch? What could the pluses of that possibly be?

Below I will discuss the main advantages by addressing three of the topmost concerns of any cosmetics entrepreneur: ease, cost and creative control.

Ease

Formulating your own from-scratch products is easier than you realize. While there are relatively few books and resources that share these coveted formulas, a careful search will reveal that they do exist - ranging from US $2050.00 on the high end, to about $20 on the low end for a range of basic formulas. The best value I have found thus far, however, has got to be on the MakingCosmetics.com site where they share 130 formulas for free. These are proven and tested formulas. All you have to do is measure quantities and follow directions. There are no complicated steps nor is any crazy equipment or difficult to source ingredient required. It is easier than baking a cake.

Cost

The cost of making your own formulations is surprisingly low: As little as $100.00 could get you started making several gallons of most products. After you buy your initial ingredients and make your first batch of products, it will become immediately apparent that you can double, triple or even quadruple your previous bulk base profit margin, overnight. You will be able to make the same amount of base for just a fraction of the cost, and by passing that savings on to both your wholesalers and retailers, you may also reach a whole new customer demographic that was previously priced out of your market..

Control

As exciting as perusing a menu of more than one hundred bases may be, there is almost always something that we wish we could change about someone else’s formulation. Whether it is the scent, textural feel, efficacy of the product, or just a preference for the omission or inclusion of certain chemical ingredients – most crafter’s have something they would like to change about someone else’s formula.

When you formulate from scratch, you get the final say of what goes in and what stays out. You have the freedom to add more biologically active ingredients, natural ingredients and or performance enhancing synthetic derivatives. The ball is in your court. When you are done playing, the final product is something creatively and uniquely your own. This is not just satisfying, but is also something that can be sold or marketed for profit.

For help with tweaking formulas, companies are available for consulting by the hour. You can also always contract out mass manufacturing should you be savvy enough to land a huge commercial account, as well as have that same facility perform all the stability testing necessary to ensure the quality and safety of the final product.

Here’s a slide show of how easy it actually is to make lotion.

Maybe now you are ready for the next step in your career in cosmetics.

Arizona Farmers' Market Beauty Finds: Part III

Absolutely Delightful Arizona Raw Honey

Most of the time when we think of beauty finds we tend to think of actual products – like lotions and potions and such. I love a beautifully crafted elixir as much as the next person, but I also want to emphasize that many beauty secrets are held in the cells of simple whole foods – which are abundant at your local Farmers’ Market. This often overlooked storehouse of the best beauty parlor tricks in the business is what has prompted me to share my third beauty find from my neighborhood Farmers’ Market – Organic Raw Arizona Honey.

Honey has many benefits for our health and can be used both internally and externally for healing and for nurturing good health. For the purposes of this blog I will focus on the benefits of raw honey when applied topically, which include:

1. Honey is a humectant, so therefore draws moisture and nutrients from the deeper layers of the skin or dermis to the outermost, visible layers. This is a great aid for aging skin and for those of us residing in harsher climates. Honey thus gives you the most radiantly glowing complexion.

2. Raw honey contains active enzymes that eat away dead skin cells, therefore can give you all the exfoliation benefits of a chemical alpha-hydroxy mask, over relatively short periods of time, without the harmful potential side-effects. This results in a very smooth look and feel to your skin.

3. Honey can also be used as a hair mask (mixed with olive or grapeseed oil, essential oils and or clay) that can be added to your conditioner or used in place of it. (Of course you would need to thoroughly rinse your hair with very warm water afterwards until all stickiness was thoroughly dissolved, and I would only recommend that those with straight or mildly (loosely) curled hair try that trick. If you have very tight curls or dreadlocks this is not the best idea for obvious reasons.

4. If you have an acne problem that is bacterial or fungal in nature, then raw honey is your friend. Regular honey masks can really help to attack the problem at its root and can yield tangible results in just a few short weeks or even days. This is potentially a great alternative to most of the chemical laden acne products that are on the market today, and is worth trying before resorting to the heavy hitters.

5. Honey has a great quantity of nutrients and enzymes that speed the healing of wounds, and assist in preventing scarring and hyperpigmentation. In fact, honey can actually assist in lightening dark spots thus creating a more even or uniform skin tone.

Eleanor Dzuik of Absolutely Delightful has a beautiful, ethically sourced raw honey available at many of the Farmers’ Markets in the Phoenix area, and for your convenience – you can also shop for her varieties of honey as well as honey, propolis or royal jelly based personal care products from her website.

I love mixing her raw honey with clay and essential oils for a daily face cleanser that both cleans, exfoliates and moisturizes without stripping my face of its delicate and protective pH mantle. These are but a few ways in which raw honey can be enjoyed for more than just its sweetness.

Arizona Farmers' Market Beauty Finds: Part II

Holistic Earth Remedies Organic Face Wash with Arizona Honey

Ordinarily I do not advocate washing the face with soap, because it is frequently too drying and disturbs the delicate and protective pH mantle of the skin, with facial skin being especially delicate. I did recently, however, run into a gentle soap-based cleanser with several redeeming qualities - so much so, that I am happy to recommend it. Here are a few things worth noting that make this Organic Face Wash so exceptional:

1. It is organic and truly all natural. It consists of saponified (made into soap) oils of coconut, olive, hemp and jojoba as well as essential oils of rosemary, lavender and tea tree. It is preserved with citric acid and the essential oils in it also lend a preservative effect.
2. In addition to having made the most perfectly balanced aromatherapeutic blend of the aforementioned essential oils, in generous proportions, that is at once invigorating and soothing to the senses, these E.O.'s are fantastic when used either alone or in combination for clearing acne and regenerating both young and experienced skin.
3. You need just the tiniest drop of this face wash to adequately clean your entire face - so the smaller bottle (4 oz) can easily last for months. If you wanted to, you could enjoy the larger 8 oz size as both a body and face wash, especially if you have body acne or just want a spa-level aromatherapy hit as part of your regular shower experience. So given how just a little bit goes a long way, this is one of the most affordable, nice quality organic soap based face washes around.
4. This face wash contains really raw Arizona honey. This is the genius of this product. Honey is highly emollient for the face and helps to draw moisture from the deeper layers of the dermis to the surface of the skin, thus creating a deliciously dewy and radiant complexion. It is also vigorously anti-bacterial, which makes it an excellent cleanser for bacterially-caused skin issues. This addition alone may be what makes this face wash so much gentler than other soap based cleansers - so you get the grime removal without as much stripping of the "good stuff."
5. This company, Holistic Earth Remedies, is a small operation, owned and run by Maggie Zombro who singlehandedly sells at several Farmers' Markets in the Phoenix area during the week. It is such a wonderful feeling to be able to exchange currency with an artisan directly, who is making high quality, handmade, natural beauty products in small batches, with love and attention to detail.

Maggie also has a host of other products which are worth looking at. Thanks Maggie for bringing this originally and exquisitely crafted product to the Arizona market and beyond.

Arizona Farmers' Market Beauty Finds: Part I

Little Mama Products Happy Face Facial Serum

Farmers Markets are such fun places to stock up on not only your kitchen provisions but on artisanal and natural beauty products as well. A recent visit to my local market yielded some vendors with some amazing products – three of which I would love to share here over the coming week. Thankfully all of them also have an online presence so you won’t be out of luck if you are not in the Phoenix, Arizona area to enjoy the markets in which they regularly participate.

The first product on the list is a lovely facial serum from Sue Harris of Little Mama Products. It is all natural and made with no synthetic colors, fragrances or preservatives. The serum goes on the skin like a dry oil which one could wear as a stand alone moisturizer in more humid climates, or for people who hate any feeling of oiliness on their skin. (Dry oils absorb very fast, giving one instant moisturization and glow without the ‘stickiness’ that most lotion-averse people despise.)

This makes Happy Face Facial Serum ideal for wearing under your regular moisturizer or face cream, or for mixing it in with them if you are pressed for time and need to skip a step. I also love it for times when your face needs a quick moisture boost on the go. Just wipe with a wet towel (preferably a warm one so you can simultaneously open your pores) to remove any grime accumulated during the course of your day and then give yourself a quick dab of this serum to freshen your look.

This face magic comes in the teensiest of bottles that is easy to pop in your purse, pocket or backpack and a little bit goes along way. Best of all it can be added to your existing regimen. You don’t have to stop or change anything you are already doing to incorporate it.

Despite boasting an ingredient list of the highest quality, it only costs $15.00 per bottle.

Here is a list and explanation of what goes into making this exquisite ounce of face magic.

Olive Squalane – A fast and deeply penetrating dry oil that moisturizes and provides anti-oxidants

Moringa Oil – Extremely stable (takes a beating before it goes rancid) and is full of antioxidants, vitamins and fatty acids that give you “that glow.”

Virgin Rosehip Seed Oil (Rose Mosqueta) – Pressed from ripe rose hips and a well known and much used ally in the fight against wrinkles and visible skin aging.

Meadowfoam Seed Oil, - Another extremely stable and deeply moisturizing oil that actually lends its stability to all other ingredients with which it is blended. It also helps to create a barrier on the skin which helps to seal in moisture and prevent excessive moisture loss.

Pomegranate Seed Oil – Is chock full of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and phytonutrients. It is incredibly healing and can even be useful for sun and wind burn, as well as revitalizing more experienced skin by smoothing fine lines and wrinkles and restoring tone and radiance to the skin.

Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil - An extremely potent and well known skin oil that is prized for its highly nutritive qualities and ability to regenerate skin cells and heal damaged skin.

Buriti Oil – This glorious orange oil has more beta-carotene than even carrot seed oil and is like liquid gold on the face. It is deliciously moisturizing and anti-aging.

Neroli Essential Oil – Regenerates skin, prevents scar tissue and repairs broken capillaries. Also very relaxing and promotes restful sleep.

Helichrysum Essential Oil – As a serious youthening agent, helichrysum is a profound cell regenerator that heals wounding and firms up the skin.

Tangerine Essential Oil – An uplifting oil that helps to maintain oil and moisture balance in the skin

Vitamin E – A natural preservative that is also very nourishing and healing for the skin.

Thank you Sue for making such a wonderful natural product for our enjoyment and personal beauty regimens.

For Radiantly Clean Skin - Wash With Dirt

Personal benefits to my skin

Recently I stumbled upon what might possibly be the best method with which to cleanse your face. Believe it or not, this 2 minute regimen entails washing your face with dirt! Okay maybe not the kind from your garden, but clay.

Having personally experimented with the clay washing method, I saw immediate improvement in the quality of my skin. With every passing week of sticking with it, I have reaped ever increasing benefits.

My facial skin looks and feels:

• Firmer, smoother, softer, more evenly toned and radiant.
• When I wash my face it feels very clean without being dry.
• I get a surprisingly gentle exfoliation with each wash that doesn’t irritate my skin and rip it open.
• My formerly combination skin has stopped overproducing oil in its T-zone.
• Fading of acne scars, other blemishes and gradual reduction of blackheads – with no new blackheads appearing!
• I can now get away with washing my face once a day or even every other day and still look as fresh as when I had to wash my face twice daily!
• I have never been happier with any other cleanser that I have used for my face!

Proven benefits of clay

The purported benefits of applying clay to the skin include;

• Improving and or curing acne, and preventing future breakouts with continued use.
• Drawing excess oil and impurities from deeper layers of the skin thus deeply cleansing and over time exposing radiant skin.
• Provides the gentlest exfoliation thus constantly getting rid of old, dead skin and revealing the new.
• Reducing the appearance of lines, wrinkles, age spots, acne, scars and other blemishes
• Improving circulation under the skin, thus making nutrients from the bloodstream more readily available to the newer skin cells.

Best of all, it’s dirt cheap!

There are several types of clay and clay based cleansers on the market. Even the most expensive types of clay are only US $17.00 a pound when bought in bulk, and just a few ounces are enough to wash your face for months! I recommend just sticking to straight clay itself for the sake of purity and not introducing unnecessary toxins from preservatives. If you really want to get jazzy with it, add some powdered herbs, seaweed and essential oils to your clay.

Directions For Use

• Mix about a teaspoon of clay with 2-3 tablespoons of liquid. Use water if you like, but your choice of hydrosol, raw honey, cucumber juice or herb tea would be even more stellar. My personal favorite to add is cold aloe juice and raw honey.
• Mix the clay and liquid with your finger or a wooden spoon – creating a paste that is somewhat runny and applies easily to the skin with the fingers. Be sure to avoid using metal containers or spoons - use only glass, ceramic or wood bowls. If you have some leftover after your treatment, just cover it with a lid or saran wrap for later use so it doesn’t dry out.
• Apply the paste to your face, being sure to cover all the areas that you would normally wash with your cleanser. Using circular motions, gently scrub off the clay right away with a wet face towel. For daily use it is important not to allow the mask to dry. Rinse off the excess with tepid water
• Please note: You can also mix the clay with your favorite gentle facial cleanser if you feel you need extra cleansing once a week or so, or daily if you are not quite ready to let go of washing your face with something more sudsy. You will still receive many of the same benefits. Just be sure you are using a gentle cleanser that does not strip the protective pH mantle of your skin, and I will give some examples of such in future blogs.
• You can also use this same clay paste as a body mask after skin brushing.

Tone and moisturize your skin as usual and you are good to go.

An excellent post-cleanse treatment is a hydrosol mist or herb tea followed by a great facial oil (like baobab, Tamanu or melon seed) or a shea butter cream.

My favorite places to buy clay are:

www.mountainroseherbs.com (they sell all varieties)

www.sheaterraorganics.com (they have a beautiful Moroccan mud that you could use the same way, plus lots of other great natural skin care products)

http://www.livingclayco.com (they even have a pre-mixed paste that is great if you do not have time to mix your own paste.

Have fun with this! I would love to hear how this method worked for you.