Trying Something New

For my birthday in September, my dad made me a wooden soap mold and my husband bought me some lye (sodium hydroxide).  I had put out a request because I had been dreaming of trying my hand at cold-process soap making.  In making lip balm, you often find recipes for other bath and body products because the ingredients work for all sorts of fun things.  I had some supplies left over from last fall's mad rush of Osmosis orders and decided making soap would be a good way to use them up.

I've made liquid soap in the past and could have done that again, but I still have a little bit of soap paste left in the fridge, so I thought I'd give bar soap a try.  Knowing a smidge about the oils I had to use, I decided to add a 25% base of coconut oil.  The rest of the recipe was made up of shea butter, jojoba oil, and cocoa butter.  I ran it through the lye calculator and ta dah, I had my recipe.  I decided not to use colorant or do anything fancy since I'd never tried this before.  After watching videos on lye safety, I gave it a whirl... using my handy dandy stick blender (a bday gift from Mom a few years back).  I poured it in the mold and wrapped it up in a towel and left my house for the weekend.

Now I have to say it's a good thing I left my house for a few days because my minimal patience would not keep me from peeking at my soap every couple hours.  As it was, it was the first thing I did when I came home!  I promptly unmolded it and sliced it up.  And yet, I had to be patient once more.  Unlike my liquid soap which is ready to use as soon as you are done making it, bar soaps need curing time... 4-6 weeks of curing time.  So. Hard. To. Wait.

Here we are 5 weeks later and I am so happy to say that I've given one of the bars a home in my shower.  There was a little learning curve with using the bar soap... It's been soooo long since I've used a bar of soap in the shower that I about forgot how to do it.  I just stood there holding the wonderful thing in my hand for a while.  Happy to report that I figured it out and the soap did its job and cleaned my skin without leaving it feeling all stretched and dry.  My definition of successful soap!





I have a plan for most of that batch of soap and it's going to be shipped off somewhere special soon.  Since I won't be keeping it all and it takes soooooo long before I can use it, I thought I'd better get started on a new batch.  This time I thought I'd get creative.  I used 50% olive oil as the base and added some coconut oil and cocoa butter (the last of last year's supply).  I decided to split the batch and do a layer of color.  I used a bit of iron oxide from my lip balm supplies (the base color for Winter).  This batch went to trace much faster than I expected and became thick too quick!  I managed to get it into the mold and then promptly left my house for two days.  Good planning on my part!

Away from my soap, I visited Dad and convinced him to throw together a soap cutter for me... since my first attempt at slicing soap wasn't so straight.  My Dad rocks at throwing together stuff made from wood.  He had me set up in no time and my new cutter was the first thing I unpacked when I got home.  I quickly unwrapped the soap and pulled it out of the mold.  (Hubby helped the cause by photo documenting my big reveal.)








The results are okay.  There are definitely signs that it was too thick when I poured the colored part into the mold.  I had also sprinkled some jojoba beads on top of the soap thinking they would be pretty sprinkles, but alas, they seemed to have melted.  I also see that I have a smidge of soda ash on the outer edges... oh well.  Next time I'll try mixing at a cooler temp and see if that goes better for me.  It smells yummy though... cherry blossom.... one of my few favorite florals.  This soap is for me.   It'll be a loooonnnnngggg time before I can try it though.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Other than the links listed above from Bramble Berry and Soap Queen TV, I have also been reading about soap making in these books:

All three are available at the library!

Why Osmosis?

I love my Osmosis lip balm!  I should... it's the recipe I made just for me.

There were very few lip balms and glosses that I could use which didn't leave my lips feeling drier than when I put it on.  Is it a conspiracy from big business to keep you coming back for more and more and more???  Some people think so.  I can't say it worked on me though.  It just kept me looking for the perfect lip balm.  I had so many almost full tubes of balms that didn't work, that I was able to decorate my Osmosis Christmas tree with tissue wrapped tubes.  From trying so many different kinds, I figured out on my own that those with petroleum ingredients were the ones that bothered me the most.  I gave up Chapstick a looooong time ago.  Recently, Karley at Chic & Green did one of her famous What's in it Wednesday posts on Cherry Chapstick.  Go check it out!  You'll be surprised at what you learn.

A note on how long my Osmosis lasts me:  I have a tube of Honey Butter Balm that I use in my bathroom at bedtime and in the morning... basically just after I brush my teeth.  I just got to the bottom of my tube and I've been using it since the beginning of last summer.  In addition to that tube in the bathroom, I have a tube in my desk drawer at work and a tube in the car in the winter... I've never used up these tubes.  I throw away the one in the car as soon as it's warmed up too much outside to leave it in there any longer.  I also have a tube in my purse which is mostly used for kid emergencies.  Aside from religiously using lip balm morning and night, I really don't put much on my lips the rest of the day.  This hasn't always been the case... Osmosis is just that good... for me.

SLS-Free Adventure

About two months ago I was running low on my favorite Herbal Essences so I put it on my grocery list.  Low and behold, my trusty mega super mart did not have that particular flavor anymore!  So I decided to wait and see if I could find it at another mega super boutique.  No such luck.  Good thing I wasn't totally out yet :)

It didn't take too long before I needed to take a serious browse down the haircare aisle.

Don't you dislike being in the haircare aisle?  So may products to choose from and not a clue where to start.  Not to mention the fact that there are always people in that aisle.  There are people who know what they want and they really want you to get out of their way.  There are also people, like me that day, who clog up the whole aisle with there grocery cart while they read the back of every bottle of shampoo.

So there I was, reading labels, trying to remember what I've read on the internet about chemicals in cosmetics.  I knew I wanted to avoid sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).... not just because it gets picked on by everyone.  Over a lifetime of shopping for shampoo a person starts to realize what really works and what doesn't.  I prefer to wash my hair every other day.  Not every shampoo out there works for that.  I narrowed it down to shampoos that use ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) verses SLS.  The ones with SLS I would need to use everyday because my hair would be oily on the second day.  The ones with ALS at least got me through the second day with minimal greasies.  So there I was in the haircare aisle looking at the back of all of the shampoo bottles for ALS.

Now over the past couple years I've been reading quite a bit about chemicals in cosmetics.  In the course of this research I learned that in Europe they don't even allow SLS/ALS in their products.  There are reports that these harsh surfactants contribute to the formation of cancer cells.  There are other reports that refute this.  I don't know which is true and I'm not letting that contribute to my decisions.  What I do know is that SLS/ALS are very strong surfactants.  They are very, very good at their job.  Unfortunately for our skin and hair, they can do too good of a job and strip your body's natural oils and wash them down the drain along with the dirt and grimies.  (find more info about sulfates here)

My first experience with dropping the sulfates was when I switched to my homemade liquid soap.  I noticed that this past winter, when my hands and skin would normally be crying from the dryness, my skin was holding up quite well.  They dried out the most when I was at work... using the bubbly, sulfate-filled soaps.  I have also been using the homemade liquid soap on my face and body with the same results.  After using, I don't feel like I have to run to the bottle of lotion before my face cracks!

So, back to the haircare aisle... While reading the bottles, I found a line called Organix that said it was sulfate free.  The thought occurred to me that maybe this is the way I should go since the switching my soap was going so well.  The shampoo was a bit more expensive than what I would normally pay for shampoo, but I thought it was still worth the try.  I chose the Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo because I have straight-ish hair and it's best to just go with what you have. (I thought it smelled good, too.)  


The first thing I noticed... and I think everyone notices... is that there just aren't that many bubbles (this is true of my liquid soap, too).  I figured this would be the case since the sulfates really make things bubbly.  I took the amount I would usually take to do my whole head and it just did the front part of my scalp.  I had to squirt some more to get the back of my head down to my ends.  Without all the bubbles, it's harder to tell if you gotten all the hair.  I have noticed that since that first time I don't need two squirts of shampoo to accomplish the job... I wonder if it just had a lot of junk to clean off my head!  I used my usual conditioner.  Note: The smell of this shampoo does not linger in my hair.  


After drying, the first thing I noticed was how soft and fluffy my hair was.  It was not super straight like I thought it would be given the name of the shampoo.  This disappointed me a bit.  I also noticed fly away hairs.  You know the ones that give the halo effect?  This annoyed me a bit.  I squirted some hairspray on to smoosh them down and went on with my day.


A wonderful change since using the sulfate free shampoo has been that my hair doesn't get oily fast.  I could go three days between washing if I wanted to!


With the flyaways still annoying me, I ventured to try another product by Organix to try to smooth them out.  The Rejuvenating Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shine Spray sadly did not do the trick.  I found it drying and strong smelling.  I think it could double as perfume.  That's a little bit of money I won't get back.


Despite the flyaways I have kept using the shampoo.  Since switching, I have noticed less hairs going down the drain and/or into the trash and/or all over the bathroom floor.  (LOVE this!)  I have also noticed the halo flyaways are getting longer too... as is the rest of my hair.  I wish I had thought to measure it before I switched shampoos so I could give you some numbers.  My hair grows quite slowly, so this is a super bonus!


So I now have these thoughts about the fly away hairs.... I believe that all of those hairs were damaged and broken from using the harsh sulfate shampoo.  The same shampoo that has dimethicone in it to smooth all of the hairs giving me a sleek, shiny hair-do.  All this time I thought my hair was healthy and I see now that it is damaged.  I am hoping that by sticking with the sulfate free shampoos that my damaged hair will soon be replaced by the new healthy hairs growing.  In the meantime, I'll be trying different things until I get those hairs to lay down.


Just last week, when I was back in the haircare aisle... I found another line of sulfate free shampoos called RenPure Organics.  Attached to the bottle was a rebate card refunding the full purchase price.  Naturally, I couldn't resist and decided to give it a try... it was only going to cost me a stamp, anyway.  I picked up i love my hair / Body & Shine Shampoo - I thought maybe this would be better at taming the flyaways.  I have used this three times.  I love the smell.  The scent stays with my hair, unlike the other one.  It seems to bubble a little more.  Sadly, the flyaways are still there... yet still getting longer... eventually, they'll just lay down.


Note:  I did not get these products to review them, nor am I being compensated by anyone to write my opinion.

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!

*** ***


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!

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.

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.

Success at the Fairs

Last Friday, the 13th, I spent the day getting ready for my first craft fair. I had my table set up in time for dinner. I don't remember what I ate for dinner though... I was in a fog that day.... too many butterflies!

Thank the Lord that my sister, Holly, came to help keep an eye on my kids and, more importantly, an eye on me. She came up with the idea to use bed sheets for table covers. (She watches a lot of Create T.V.) She's generally more artistic than me too, so it was nice that she was there to approve my set up (and fix my Christmas tree). Thanks, Holly!

Saturday morning I was off to the civic center at 7:10am with my product and way too much change. The morning started off pretty slow and I did feel a little discouraged now and then. Eventually, the traffic picked up, yet the customers were not walking around with many bags. I hate to blame it on the economy because everything gets blamed on that...

My husband, mother-in-law, and sister came to relieve me with food and a much needed potty break. My mother-in-law, Joyce, is an excellent sales rep for Osmosis. She loves to chat with people and my table was always busiest when she was there. Thanks, Joyce!

All in all, it was a good day. I got my name out there and I've already had a few orders come in from those who bought that day or friends of people who bought that day. Hopefully, Osmosis will continue to grow from word of mouth. I did sell 50 tubes and 2 Season Packs that day.

I also had a winner for the drawing for the Osmosis bag and a Season Pack. Joan Bauer was so excited to win and she was an actual customer, too. Her daughter, Pat, picked up the prize for her yesterday. I hope you enjoy it, Joan!

As tired as I was at the end of Saturday, I knew I needed to prepare for my Sunday expo in Pine Island. (Not to mention getting ready to teach Sunday School in the morning.) My sister and I wound down by watching "The Proposal" and then I was off to bed.

Sunday's expo was much smaller and only a half day. It wasn't advertised extensively and it was the first time they had done it. It was a bargain for the table and I couldn't really pass it up. I had plenty of product to sell, too. I did manage to sell 10 tubes and 2 Season Packs at that expo. Plus, other "expo people" know who I am now and I get invitations to other expos. I have not decided if I want to continue with the expos yet. I'm ready for a little break from that.

Now, remember that I made over 250 tubes of Osmosis for these fairs! Don't worry about those! I had some orders waiting for me to fill after the fairs (one for 20 tubes, thanks Deanna!) Some people out there will be getting some pretty sweet stocking stuffers and Secret Santa gifts. I'll be sending out some surprise treats to some friends of Libbie's, too. Thanks, Libbie!

Let me know if you need anything for Christmas! I can always make more, but I have plenty in stock, too.

Thank you to every fan for spreading the word about Osmosis - God bless you all!

Free Stuff!

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a bargain hunter. Boy did I get a great offer in the mail today. After submitting my business name to the State, I have been getting - well - junk mail. It hasn't been too overwhelming and today it paid off. I got a mailing from Vistaprint.com which is a printing company. They had a bunch of free trial products listed in the mailing. Intrigued, I went to the website to see what the catch was. There was a little bit of pushing for their products, but in the end I really did get free samples. Not just junkie, random samples, but pens, key chains, business cards, magnets, labels, and brochures with MY LOGO on them! I am so excited! I can't wait to get them in the mail... after all, if you know I'm a bargain hunter, you also know how much I love paper/stationary products. Another bonus to all of this is that I will have business cards to hand out at my craft fair and expo next month :) Can't wait!

Osmosis is in the Bag

This is my first draft of the bag I will be offering along with 3 tubes of Osmosis at the Mayo Craft Fair on November 14th. It will be a drawing... hopefully "drawing" people to my table to check out what Osmosis is all about.

I had some trouble with the transfer paper for the logo. Hopefully that will be fixed when I buy new transfer paper. I already have all the fabric cut for the give-away bag. I just need to apply the transfer and then I can start sewing.

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

Craft Fair

Tomorrow I register for my first craft fair. The fair isn't until November, so I have lots of time to perfect my lip balm making. It is $35 per table. I'm hoping to get at least one person to share the table with me. I've already asked a couple people and they're thinking about it. Seems like I could never fill a table with my lip balm, plus I don't know what kind of profits I'll make after the cost of the table. Most importantly, though, it would be nice to have someone to talk to during the down times.

Today was the 2nd issue of my legal notice for my certificate of assumed name. I should be getting the go ahead (and a nice bill) sometime soon.

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.

Hot Pocket Test

Took my Florida balm with me to a cookout this evening and carried it in my front pocket. I don't normally carry lip balm in my pocket, but I know a lot of people who do. I thought I should check out how well it withstands the heat. I am proud to proclaim that it withstood the hot pocket test! There was no separating or leaking and it was a good warm day outside, high humidity and all. It probably handled the heat better than I did!

I'm not sure if the glosses will do as well in the heat. I'll have to try that test later.

Note: It is not recommended to leave Osmosis lip balms and glosses in hot locations (think: car-in-summer) for long periods of time. If the consistency changes or the scent changes, please discontinue use and order a new one.

Waiting...

Trying to wait for my shipment of ingredients. Really wish I could be making lip balm today.