So Many Thoughts

I know it's no secret, but I've been hesitating with Osmosis. I have not been promoting and expanding like someone who is excited about a business.

Osmosis started purely on faith. I felt God gave me the recipes, the names, the contacts, and the suppliers. He made it so easy for me! It was exciting and it was a gift.

Have you ever received a gift and later decided to hide it away to "keep it safe"?

We have been in the process this summer of moving our boys to separate rooms. All of a sudden we realize how much "stuff" we have. So many things are on boxes on shelves in unused rooms... put there to "keep them safe." For example, I have a Tracy Barbie Doll that I keep in the dress she came in and never played with her hair... all in the name of keeping it safe (I thought she'd sit on the table next to my wedding cake!). My husband has toys in immaculate condition and carefully put away... "to keep them safe".

How can we get joy from not using things and hiding them away in a box? Soon you find whole rooms in your house with all of these things.

We are now at the point where we need to decide what to do with these things. Do we keep the dolls (even though I have only boys)? Do we let the boys play with the classic GI Joe or do we sell it? Or do we stuff as much as we can in the little cupboard under the stairs?

I have been keeping Osmosis safe. I am afraid of sharing it with others because I don't want it to be ruined. I don't want people to tell me it isn't good enough, that I've labeled my ingredients wrong, or that they've broken out in a rash since using it. It's a slippery slope and I'm stuck in a pit just worrying my gift away.

I follow two blogs regarding cosmetics. One is my angel and one is my devil. They both sit on my shoulder and one encourages me and one discourages me.

Now you may ask why I bother to listen to the discourager. The discourager has a great deal of knowledge about the ingredients in cosmetic products and the scientific research determining which we should avoid. She once had her own line of cosmetics/skin care products. But, she also points out all of the failures of the cosmetic companies and unfortunately, I don't feel I can live up to her expectations. She would expect me to stop making Osmosis because I am not able to prove the safety of my product.

The encourager also knows a great deal about ingredients in cosmetic products because she owns a business that supplies ingredients to small soap and cosmetics companies. She reads books about positive business role models and shares what she learns and how she runs her business. She has an open mind about the science that is used to determine what is good for us and what is bad for us. She would expect me to keep trying.

Somewhere between the thoughts arguing in my head is God's voice telling me which way to go. Why is it so hard to hear Him!

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As I waiver back and forth, I have had a couple orders come in from new customers. One requested one of each flavor! Regretfully, I have not been a good customer service rep for myself. I have put off making the Osmosis and have made the customers wait (sorry Paula and Cindy!) I did finally open the lab last night and powered through the order. This time I tried an assembly line approach.

Here you see the oils and waxes waiting to be nuked.

Here you see them after nuking and adding the butters.

After that, I had to take one at a time to finish them off and pour them into the tubes. I'm surprised I had not thought of this before. Maybe that was God's voice helping me out.

After the balms, I took the same approach to the colored glosses. Here are the micas and oxides for Spring and Winter prior to adding them to the gloss.

I also took some time to try a new color. I've tried a coral and rose(?). These colors are mixed to be a little sheerer than the Seasons. Maybe they'll get a name in time for the craft fair in November.

(Did she just say craft fair?) Yes, I'm planning to do the craft fair again this fall. I have made that decision. I'm going to at least give that another chance and see if I have any return customers. So no final decisions yet on the status of Osmosis. I, of course, will keep you posted here if there are any changes. In the meantime, please pray for me to follow God's leading and enjoy your Osmosis!

SOAP!

Over the holiday weekend, I packed up all my supplies and headed to my mom's so we could attempt making soap for the first time!

This is not your ordinary cold-process bar soap... oh, no, I must be different!

We made liquid soap!

We used the Soap Queen's Castille Castor Soap Recipe. And followed her instructions from the e-book offered at Bramble Berry. I also consulted this book which was loaned to me from a friend (who will for sure be getting a sample of the soap!)

Mom took some pics of me in my lye-handling get-up:

The recipe is quite simple, however a lot of time goes into making liquid soap. A lot of time standing in the kitchen. A lot of time stirring, stirring, stirring. A loooonnngg time cooking.

I think we decided we won't do this again until Autumn, when we can let the cool breezes into the house. But, then again, we certainly would make more if we ran out!

So far, we've loved the soap for our hands and mom even washed some dishes with it and they came out squeaky clean. It does behave a little differently than what we've come to call soap these days. It does not get super bubbly and foamy. That's okay, bubbles and foam are not what clean your hands! Bubbles and foam help to dry them out!

I am looking forward to testing this soap over the next weeks! I can seriously foresee offering liquid soap at the craft fair this fall!

What's up?

I know it's been a while since I last posted. I have not been pushing the Osmosis since good ol'fashioned fear started creeping in a few months back. It's time for me to push fear aside and get informed. First step will be contacting the insurance man and seeing what he has to say. I'll let you know how it goes!

In the meantime, I've been playing with more bath and beauty recipes. I am still perfecting a couple different lotion recipes. I have one favorite which is thick and glycerin rich for hands. I'm still dreaming of a perfect light lotion for the rest of me.

Recently, the same lovely person who got me started down the lip balm road lent me her liquid soap making book. She has not attempted it yet, but makes wonderful cold process soap. In addition to this book, I have downloaded an e-book from Bramble Berry on liquid soaps and watched the video on Soap Queen TV. (you can too: here)

I've ordered the supplies and stopped at a local restaurant supply store to find a stainless steel pot. I will just need gloves, safety glasses, and a bigger scale before I can truly get started.

I am looking forward to giving this a try. It's something to keep my mind going in between small Osmosis orders. Yes, I am still taking orders for Osmosis lip balms and glosses. If you're running low, lost your last tube, or think it's time to replace a stinky tube... send me an email or stop by the Artfire shop and I'll make you a fresh order.

I would love to hear what you think about Osmosis! Please leave me some feedback so I know if anything needs to be changed and made better!

What One Can Discover in the Breakroom

I was in the break room this morning waiting for the clock to turn the magic 7:53 so I could swipe in. There was a mark. magalog on the table. For those of you who don't know mark., it is an AVON spin-off geared towards teens and college aged gals.

As I was paging through, I came across this product:

It comes in just 4 colors and I'd like you to look closely at the colors... Don't they look an awful lot like Osmosis Seasons?!

No, I'm not thinking they ripped me off!

What I'm thinking is what a great idea... Go ahead and try it! There is no reason why you can't use your Seasons as blush.

The other product I came across is this:

I've been meaning to try a lip tint and I may check into this one. The thing about a lip tint, is that it stains your skin and does pretty much nothing else. I think this would be great under any flavor of the clear glosses. The color would last a long time and you would still be able to use your favorite Osmosis lip gloss!

If you want to see more of mark. - go to www.meetmark.com

Discouraged

Though still enjoying the prospects of playing with more lotion recipes, I doubt if any will ever be released as an Osmosis product... I have also decided to not add Osmosis sales to anymore local shops...

Over the past couple months, I have been feeling more and more discouraged about the Osmosis business.

I have not had a lot of orders, which is understandable since a lot of people got a fresh tube for Christmas. This stuff is so good, you don't have to re-apply every five minutes - which also means you don't need to buy a new tube every week. I am okay with this and it's why I wanted to create the business, so I could share a great product with you.

My main form of discouragement seems to creep up in the form of worries.

• I will file my first Schedule C with the IRS this year. This gives me heartburn. I know there are lots of resources out there to help with taxes and, really, I should just call and make an appointment. There is a little bit of pride creeping in with the taxes... we've always done them ourselves. It bugs me that I can't figure this out myself. Well, I could figure it out by following the directions... but I won't be certain that I've done it the right way unless I ask for professional help.


• The prospect of adding lotion to my product line has caused me to do some additional reading. There are so many things in lotion making that complicates the whole process. There is a greater risk of liability because of the risk of nasties growing in the lotion. There is huge debates regarding the use of preservatives and the different types of preservatives. The last thing I want is for anyone to get sick from using any of my products.

I do want to clarify why I set out to create this business. I did not go into it thinking, "Oh, won't it be fun to make lip balm all day and sell it online and in local shops?!" I went into it thinking, "I want to make this recipe available to others because I believe in it." It became too expensive for me to just keep handing out lip balm to everyone and I realized that I needed to be compensated for my supplies and my time.

Now, with the discovery of my new favorite lotion recipes, I feel the same as before. I just want others to experience what a good lotion does for dry skin. However, I do hesitate greatly before proceeding to a new product.

At this point, I will continue to take orders for Osmosis Lip Products. I do know there are those of you who really love it! I am so glad that you do!

I will continue to read and do research about the prospects of expanding to lotion, but it will take time. If I do decide to start selling the lotions, I will have that information posted on this blog.

Lotion, oh Lotion

The solid lotion trial is still going, so I do not have any news to report on what people think of it. I do have my own opinion and I'm trying not to skew the results of the trial by sharing my opinion too soon. However, I do want to compare 3 different lotion recipes that I've been playing with this past month.

My first experiment was with the solid lotion (which we're doing the trial on right now). The reason I wanted to play with adding the solid lotion to the product line for Osmosis was because it was a natural evolution. Customers were already using their Osmosis lip balm as a cuticle cream and have joked about putting it all over their skin. Solid lotion is essentially lip balm for the rest of your skin. It is made with oils and waxes, just like lip balm. (Do not use it on your lips, though, because the fragrance is not approved for lips.) The results of the solid lotion trial will determine if it will become a regular product for Osmosis.

My second experiment came from a recipe I found at Soap Queen's blog here. It is a whipped shea butter recipe that looks an awful lot like frosting, yet definetely not for eating! I had the ingredients left over from the holiday rush of lip balm making, so I thought it was worth a shot. This recipe is super easy and you can generally get the ingredients at a natural food store or online. It is entirely made of fats... aka solid oils. By whipping them, you add air and make it easier to apply to your skin. It also keeps you from using more than is necessary.

My third experiment came from Wabi Sabi Baby's blog here. It is a simple 3 ingredient liquid lotion. You will need to find the emulsifying wax online. This recipe is so simple it's insane! No one should ever have to buy the commercially made, petroleum laden lotions ever again. There are lots of variations you can make to this recipe and I have found a concoction that I absolutely love!

What I have learned from these experiments:

• Oil-based lotions are meant to hold moisture in. Just like a waxy lip balm, it keeps the air from pulling moisture from your skin (by osmosis).


• Castor oil (a humectant which I use in my lip balms to help draw moisture to your lips) is too heavy to use on your skin.


• Because the first two lotions listed above are oil-based, it is best to use them after a long soak or shower. The solid lotion would be excellent to use after finishing the dishes!


• Drink your water! Give the lotion something to hold in!


• The second recipe is almost like magic, but I'd have to do another trial to confirm that. I've been using it after shaving and it seems to slow the re-growth. I have also used it on my arms and have seen a positive effect on my keratosis pilaris (aka chicken bumps). (I had read of a person using just extra virgin coconut oil on her keratosis pilaris and seeing it greatly improve... I imagine that ingredient is why this is working.)


• The 1st two oil-based recipes will be oily on your skin until is soaks in. It is best not to sit on the couch right after applying. Putting clothes on will be fine because you can wash your clothes.


• The 1st two recipes will eventually go rancid because they are oil-based. Vitamin E, an antioxidant, will slow that process.


• The 3rd recipe above has water in it. Water is what bacteria and mold need to grow and thrive. Without a preservative, this should be treated like food. Once it is open, it should be checked each time it is used for unwelcome growth.


• The 3rd recipe will need to used up, so make small batches.


• In my concoction for the 3rd, water-based recipe, I added glycerin. Glycerin is a water-friendly humectant. It does the same thing that the castor oil in my lip balm does. It draws moisture to your skin.


• The water based recipe is "oil in water", which means the water hits your skin first and then the oil sits on top to hold it in.


• I have mostly been using experiment #3 on my hands at bedtime. It makes my hands super soft.

I would, personally, like to add the liquid lotion to my line of products, even without a trial. I feel with the glycerin as a humectant, it fits very nicely into my main purpose for creating Osmosis. The only problem with the liquid lotion is the need for preservatives. There is a big movement in the cosmetics industry to keep parabens (a type of preservative) out of products. Apparently, there has been some studies that found parabens in breast cancer tumors. Parabens do have estrogen-like properties. There are other types of preservatives, but none that are natural. I have been trying to educate myself on the use of preservatives. As you can imagine, this is very time-consuming. It will come down to my personal views after educating myself on both sides of the issue. At that point, I will decide if I can offer the liquid lotion to customers.

In the meantime, you can read up on the use of preservatives, too! I've found some insight here and here and here.

I can't wait to hear from my solid lotion trial participants! I hope I'll have some results to share with you all, soon. In the meantime, keep drinking all that water and use your Osmosis lip products.

Osmosis Solid Lotion Trial

I had mentioned that I had been working on perfecting a recipe for a solid lotion. If successful, it may find a home in the product line at Osmosis.

I am ready to start a trial. If you are interested in helping me out by testing the solid lotion, please let me know by sending an e-mail to osmosis4lips@gmail.com

If you choose to participate, I will reply to your e-mail and include a an attachment. I will need you to complete the attached survey and sign the consent form/waiver.

It is important for you to understand that these products are in a trial stage. Although each separate ingredient should not cause a person harm, the combination of ingredients has not been tested by the FDA. By signing the consent/waiver, you remove all liability from Osmosis and its owner for any negative reactions caused directly or indirectly by the trial product.

Once I receive the completed survey and consent/waiver, you will be sent a trial size of the solid lotion recipe of my choice and asked to use it on your hands for 5-7 days while completing an additional survey. During this period you should not use any other lotion on your hands. If you have any adverse reaction to the product, you should discontinue use of the product immediately and report the reaction to Osmosis.

The initial trials by yours truly have not been conclusive so I can't wait to hear your input!

Can't wait to try it!

I was breezing through some of my favorite blogs this morning and came across a recipe I can't wait to try.

I've been toying with lotion recipes. So far I have only attempted solid lotions because it doesn't venture into the great unknown. It's pretty much like lip balm for your skin ;)

But I'm also waiting for an order to arrive with emulsifying wax so I can attempt a liquid lotion (read: water based). AKA: the great unknown.

In the meantime, I plan to try a recipe found at Soap Queen's blog.

This recipe will make the perfect in-between, waterless, fluffy soft lotion. I feel blessed she shared the recipe and it would be stingy of me to not share it with all of you.

If you try it, let me know what you think!

Be Patient!

I am waiting - on this cold, blustery, snowy Winter day - for the UPS man.

I know he's coming because the tracking email told me my package was out for delivery.

Why is it that it is so hard to wait, especially since I know it's on it's way?

If I could tell my dog, she'd be sitting by the door waiting, too.

He's a good UPS man. He ALWAYS remembers to bring her a treat. And believe me, she knows it! She hears him toot the horn as he backs into the driveway and she races me to the door.

The problem with today, is that it's cold, blustery, and snowy. Mix it all together and you get a winter weather advisory at minimum, a blizzard at worst. And I know the roads are bad because I was foolishly driving on them today (I had to head to Staples for more labels!)

In the box on it's way to me will be a variety of packaging for new products. You see, I have it in my head to try my hand at creating a solid lotion for Osmosis. I did experiment with one recipe while my sister was here for Christmas. She took that sample home with her. I'm not sold on that recipe and will be working to perfect a recipe that will keep my hands from drying out during the cold months here in Minnesota.

In the meantime, I sit and wait... wondering if my box will even make it to me today.

Scoping out the Competition

Ran over to About Face for their Pink Monday sale today (15% off everything in the store... and I just ran out of Mineral Veil - what luck!) While I was over there, I stopped in a gift shop nearby.

Now this is an almost famous gift shop downtown. People love to to get things there for those who have it all. Fun, bright assortments of everything you didn't know you needed! A co-worker had told me that the store sold locally made lip balm. She thought maybe I could get my Osmosis in there, too. I had an idea of whose lip balm this would be, but I thought I'd check it out for myself. It is such a fun store... with little pictures of kids with food all over their faces and the words "Smile, your on camera" placed strategically all over the store. I found some bath products (made locally by the person I had imagined would sell lip balm there), but no lip balm.

I thought I'd make it out without buying something, but a little something caught my eye and will be sent to my mom for Christmas.

As I was checking out, low and behold... lip balm... locally made... (by that same person mentioned earlier)... $5.95 (per tube).

To buy it and try it is the question... but to spend that much when I love Osmosis so... Dilemma.

Autumn is Slow in Coming

Much like our extended Indian Summer... My color for Autumn/Fall is delayed. I worked on the second try for color last night. I haven't decided my feelings on it yet. Part of the problem is that being a "Winter" myself, the color does not complement my skin tone. I think I may need to ask some friends for their opinions on this one. I may try whipping up Autumn version 3 first though. My goal is to have this color done by next week when I can unveil it for my friends at Homecoming!

Fall is around the Corner

As you know, I'm planning to add an Autumn (or Fall, as I find myself calling it) color to the line of colored glosses. I received a package from one of my suppliers yesterday and despite being super busy, I set off to try Fall #1. The first batch came out a little browner than I thought it would. It is more of a rusty, brick red. I'm going to play with the recipe and see what other colors I can create. The best color will win the honor of being called Fall (just because I can't seem to call it Autumn). Hopefully, I'll have Fall in time for Fall!
Ok, maybe it will be Autumn in time for Fall?
Name and color to be determined.... soon!

Test Listing

I posted a test listing at my Artfire Studio today. Facebook Fans of Osmosis were encouraged to hop on over to the studio to pick up my test listing. The first fan to get there got free shipping! Congrats to Kelle for being a quick clicker!

The purpose of the test listing was to discover any glitches in the orders process. Kelle was very helpful and forwarded me an error message she got from PayPal. I think I may have that fixed, so keep your eyes peeled for more test listings! Facebook fans will get notification once the listing is up - so if you haven't fanned Osmosis yet, what are you waiting for?!

To get to the Artfire Studio, click on the Artfire link on this page. Or go to:http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=38900

Cocoa

I had run across a recipe for lip balm using cocoa powder to give it a chocolate flavor. I, of course, thought it best to come up with my own version. It was just a trial run to see what would happen. I ended up with what looks like a tube full of fudge. It really doesn't smell like chocolate, so right there it loses some of it's appeal. It does color the lips brown in a transparent sort of way. It's still glossy and does it's job... I just don't think it has great appeal to the masses. I may try again another day.

Math

I'm doing some computing today. I got a small electronic scale from my father-in-law so I could figure out my cost per tube of lip balm/gloss. Very interesting! I think I'll have my husband double check my numbers... but it's looking good. The best news for my customers is that I will be able to keep my pricing the way it is and include the tax! 1 for $2.75 and 2 for $5.00 (subject to change).

Getting Closer

I'm getting closer to getting this business up and running. I got my certificate of assumed name from the secretary of state this week. Since then, I've applied for my tax I.D. number (which is done online and quite fast). I dropped off my certificate of assumed name at a local paper so they could run it in the legal section. In about two weeks, it'll be official.

Behind the scenes, I'm getting ready to open my Artfire Studio. I've drafted my studio page and added my logo :) I'm doing some research on envelopes and mailing cost. I'm going to do my best to keep the shipping as low as I can... especially for such a small, inexpensive product.

I also continue to research about FDA regulations and taxes. Those are the scariest things about this whole lip balm business. There is so much to read and learn about. I hope I won't make too many mistakes, but I anticipate there will be some made.

Logo

I've been playing with MS Paint today to see if I'm creative enough to make my own logo. What do you think?

Assumed Name

I just put it in the mailbox. I will soon know if I can run my lip balm business under the assumed name of Osmosis.

A preliminary check shows no other businesses in MN with the name Osmosis... so chances are great that I'll be able to use it.

I just need to be patient now and wait for word from the Secretary of State. Then I have to run the info in the legal section of the newspaper for 2 consecutive issues.

After that, I can apply for my tax ID and then I should be able to accept your orders!
Thank you for being so patient while I work through all these legalities :)

Who Knew?

Doing a little research on FDA guidelines. I'm afraid that Osmosis falls under the category of drug instead of cosmetic, even if i don't tout the SPF in Summer.

Man, this is much more complicated than I ever imagined.

People like my lip balm. They want to have it. I don't want to pay for it all.

I think the problem is that I want to do it right. I bet all those sellers on Etsy and Artfire have never even thought about FDA labeling rules and regulations.

To sell or not to sell, that is the question.

Facebook Fan Page

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000080706423#/pages/Osmosis/94552619723

Now you can show off your love for Osmosis by joining the Fan Page on Facebook!

You can have the latest news from Osmosis in your newsfeed on your FB page. You'll be the first to know when the store is up and running :)

You can also leave comments about the product on the Osmosis Page.