What's New Fall 2012?

There are a few changes I've made this year to what I'm offering at the craft fairs.  Here's the run down:

• The ingredients list has been revised to comply with INCI 2nd edition guidelines.  This mostly impacts the name used for Vitamin E (tocopheryl acetate) and the names used for colorants.
• I've created a new vegan formula and have changed Relief to this formula and also added Lavenilla.  Both of these use essential oils.  You'll know they're different by their green caps.
• Spring has been changed by using a different colorant.  It is now a almost nude, sheer pink with no sparkle.
• Summer has been removed from the line temporarily to be redesigned.
• Shimmer has been added to the line.  Shimmer just adds sparkle, but no color.  It works great over other colors of any lip product you use.  For this reason, it is unscented.
• Pink Poppy has been replaced by Cupcake.  Cupcake is sheerer and more pink than coral, but has lots of sparkle.  It has a frosting flavor.
• Stellar Bronze has been added to the line.  It is a sheer chocolate brown with lots of sparkle.  It has a hazelnut latte flavor.
• Sweetener (stevia) has been removed from all of the colored glosses.
• The new limited edition flavor this year is:  Pina Colada!!

If you've recently bought Osmosis lip balms or glosses and have questions, please feel free to send me an e-mail at osmosis4lips@gmail.com

Update & Thank You

I know, I know, it's been a while since I've posted on the goings on here at Osmosis.

When I last posted, I was wavering on where I wanted Osmosis to go.

I had a lot of fear and anxiety.

I had made a commitment to do the winter craft shows.  I wanted to see if anyone came back for more.

My table at the Redeemer Holiday Bazaar November 13, 2010

I had 2 craft fairs in November.  The first was the Mayo Clinic Craft Fair on November 6, 2010.  This was my second year selling at this fair.  You can see how last year went here.  I had a prime spot for my table...  one table away from the entrance.  I had people coming and going.  I'm sure this affected my sales and feel blessed by my location.  I sold a whole lot more than last year!  Last year I sold about 50 tubes and this year I sold 113!  I had at least 5 people come specifically looking for me... I felt so honored!  It was a great day.

The second craft fair was a Holiday Bazaar held at Redeemer Lutheran Church.  I like to have a small show after the Mayo Craft Fair because I anticipate having plenty left over and hope that I can sell my stock at the second show.  What I didn't anticipate was actually running out of certain flavors at the first fair!  I needed to RE-stock the Honey Butter, Florida, Cookie Dough, Agave Sugar, and Winter.  I sold about 50 tubes at the Holiday Bazaar in addition to taking a few orders.  Again, there were return customers!

For the holidays, I again offered the limited time fragrances of Fall Spice and Cherry Soda.  Cherry Soda did very well, but Fall Spice didn't.  I may not bring Fall Spice back again next year.

I introduced a few new items at this year's shows.  There is a new flavor called Relief.  Relief is the only lip balm I make with essential oils.  Relief has rosemary essential oil along with a cherry flavor.  It reminds me of Carmex.  Rosemary essential oil has a medicinal scent to it which reminds some of Vick's Vapor Rub.  You can read more about Rosemary essential oil here.

Pink Poppy and Barely Blush Colored Glosses

Barely Blush and Pink Poppy were two new colored glosses I introduced.  These colors are more sheer than the original "Seasons" colored glosses.  Barely Blush is just that... barely a blush of glossy color.  It is flavored with vanilla.  Pink Poppy is sheer coral gloss inspired by my dear friend Josie Blaine.  It is flavored with cherry.  Barely Blush was a hit at the shows!

Glosses have clear domed caps.

Also new this year was my labels.  I decided to drop the No.1 and No.2 I had used previously to distinguish the balms from the glosses.  I now have my Osmosis logo on each tube.  I have transitioned to full size labels on the balm which have room to include the required FDA warning on them.  I plan to transition to full size clear labels on the colored glosses by next year's craft fairs.

Again, I am committing myself to participate in winter craft shows.  I got discouraged last year when I did not have customers seeking me during the course of the year.  I now know that some people just hadn't run out yet!  I also understand that it is much easier to pick up some Blistex while in the check out at Walmart.  My prayer is that I will continue to have return customers.  Of course, anyone can order, any time of year, through my Artfire shop using PayPal.  And don't forget that Osmosis is a great gift for your friends, family, teachers, etc.

I would like to thank everyone who has supported me in this small business endeavor.  I am so thankful for a husband and sons who support me by corralling themselves downstairs when I'm in the "lab" and for running for all of the things I ran out of, or forgot, when I was at the fairs.  I want to thank my mother-in-law, Joyce, and my sister, Holly, for helping me at the Mayo craft fair (for the much needed potty breaks and supplying me with food).  I want to thank my friends for stopping by my table to cheer me on.  I want to thank the customers that have returned because they love Osmosis.  You are the reason this small business still exists.

Did You Get Osmosis for Christmas?

Lip balm is a favorite stocking stuffer for Santa. Everyone needs it and it fits so nicely in the stockings.
I happen to know that Santa picked up some Osmosis from me just for this purpose and I'm wondering if anyone who found it in their stockings (or wrapped as a gift) have wandered here to my blog to find out more about Osmosis.

If you are here for the first time... Welcome!
I started to keep this blog back in May. It's a fun way for me to document the happenings of my little business. If you go back to those first posts from May, you find some background info on how I got started making lip balm and why I call my brand Osmosis.

What I love best about Osmosis is that it doesn't just sit on my lips and keep the dry air away like many commercial brands. Because Castor oil is the main ingredient, moisture is actually being drawn to my lips when I wear Osmosis. You see Castor oil is a humectant. A humectant is a substance that draws moisture from the air to it and holds it there.

Here is a list of my favorite ingredients and why I use them:

• Castor Oil : a humectant made from the oil of the Castor bean
• Jojoba Oil: a liquid wax from the jojoba seed, absorbed easily by the skin (pronounce ho-HO-ba)
• Cocoa Butter: a stable fat from the cacao bean (the same bean we get chocolate from)
• Shea Butter: an emollient oil from the Shea tree nut
• Honey: thought to be a humectant and used medicinally throughout the ages
• Vitamin E: an anti-oxidant that helps to extend the life of the product by keeping the oils and fats from oxidizing (going rancid)

Osmosis is free of preservatives and petroleum-based ingredients. I cannot call them vegan because the honey and beeswax are technically from an animal. I cannot tell you the percentage of the product that is organic, however some of my suppliers do send organic ingredients.

A note on shelf-life:

Osmosis is made in small batches by hand. I do not "stock" my lip balms because I want them to be made with the freshest ingredients. All of my balms and glosses are dated on the bottom of the tube. The date on the bottom of the tube refers to the date on which it was made.

The shelf-life of your Osmosis will depend on how it is used and stored. To extend the life of the product, store it in a cool, dark location. Some users have told me they even keep it in the fridge (especially the clear glosses).

If the consistency or smell of the product changes, please discard and purchase a new one. The main problem will be with the oils going rancid. Bacteria is not likely to grow because they need water to grow and Osmosis does not contain water. Despite the lack of water, it is not recommended that you share your Osmosis to avoid the spread of germs.

I have some tubes of Osmosis that are still good after a year, and others that changed after a few months. Play it safe and replace as soon as the consistency and smell changes.

I truly hope you enjoy using Osmosis. I'm open to all of your comments. Please leave them in the comments space on the side bar to the left.

If you are a fan of Osmosis, I encourage you to join the Osmosis fan community on Facebook. (Occasionally, I offer specials through the fan page.) There is a place to leave a review and give Osmosis a rating on the fan page. Just click on the tab called "Reviews".

To order more, you can send me an email or head to my Artfire studio by clicking on the link at the side bar.

Thanks for visiting and check back again to see what's happening at Osmosis!

A Tisket, A Tasket, a Green & Balm-Filled Basket!

I have been working hard to prepare for my first Craft Show. I have made more than 250 tubes of Osmosis to bring with me on Saturday, November 14 to the Mayo Civic Center. It's the Mayo Clinic Employee Craft Fair. It's free to the public and there are tons and tons of handmade items to buy!

I will have all 5 of my basic flavors available in both balms and glosses. I will have all four of the Seasons colored glosses. Plus, I will have two special flavors just for the season: Fall Spice and Cherry Soda.

Fall Spice, smells like, well, spices found in traditionally fall things like pies, mmm

Cherry Soda, smells like Big Red pop, mmmm

These two flavors will be available as balms at the craft fair, but you can order them as a gloss if you wish. They will be around until Christmas. Don't miss your chance to get them!

Oh, and here is a sneak peek into my lab-or-a-tory ;)

I just have some displays to work on for my table and I've got to get sewing on the Osmosis bag for the drawing... I'll be sure to post pictures of my table and how I'll have it set up!

Autumn Color at it's Peak!

Much like the season has been this year in MN, the color took a while to get here. I've been really appreciating the bright colored leaves this year because it's been so rainy and dreary. How blessed are we that God is such an artist!

Here is the long awaited launch of Autumn! Sorry it took so long. A few friends got a sneak peak at homecoming a few weeks ago. I'm happy to say they are pleased with the color. It is a brown-red color that reminds me of a dewy oak leaf in the fall. I hope you like it!

Send me an email if you want to place an order or visit the Artfire studio.

Who doesn't love Winter?

It is official, and as much as I dislike typing the words: Winter Is Here!

Of course I wouldn't be this excited if it was the Winter weather I was talking about... but I love the Winter color added to the Osmosis line of colored glosses.

I've heard people describe it as a wine or plum color. It reminds me of a lipstick I used to wear a long, long time ago called Raspberry Ice. It is much darker than Spring and Summer.

I hope you like it, too! Let me know what you think.

Spring Has Sprung!

It is official, Spring is here and here to stay! Spring is the second in my line of colored glosses. For those who have had their colors analyzed, you know the difference between Spring and Summer. Summer is in the "warm" family along with Fall. Spring is in the "cool" family along with Winter.





Summer is a warm shimmery color. It really works well with tan skin. I have heard it described as a coral beige. It is a light, young color. Summer's scent is a fruity, flowery scent - a top note of rose.











Spring is a cool, sheer pink. It has a blue undertone to it which gives it it's coolness. It is a fresh, light color. It almost matches my hydrangea exactly! Spring's scent is also a fruity, flowery scent, but a sweeter scent.


I am currently working on adding an Autumn and Winter to the collection. Once I get those perfected, I will let you know!

Summer with SPF

Say hello to Summer!

This girly lip gloss has a little bit of shimmer and color.

The biggest deal with this one is the sun protection factor. The active ingredient is Titanium Dioxide. At approximately 10%, this lip gloss has an SPF of between 8 and 11.

Titanium Dioxide is a mineral used as a sunblock because it refracts light and absorbs UV rays. It is a very common sunblock, even gentle enough to use in children's sunblocks - check some of your sunblock labels!

Because Titanium Dioxide is a white opaque mineral, I've added some mica for color and shimmer.

Sorry to the guys, I don't have a lip balm with SPF for you yet!

New Flavor!

I was excited to try this new flavor. It is inspired by Cathy at work. When Cathy peels into an orange, she brings the peel to her nose and inhales deeply. She says the smell wakes her up!

When I made the lip balm and gloss today, I asked my husband and 1st born what they thought it smelled like (without telling them what it is supposed to smell like).

My husband said it smelled like South Dakota...?

My son said it smelled like lemons. When I asked him if it was closer to an orange scent, he agreed and said it smelled like citrus.

So, I've decided to name the scent "Florida." If you think it smells like something else, please comment below! I can't wait to hear what you think!

Fresh Batch

This is Agave Sugar Lip Gloss. 1st Batch, we'll see if it's as big of a hit as the Agave Sugar Lip Balm!

Gotta wait until a new shipment of lip balm supplies comes before making any more...

2nd Label Attempt

Here is the result of my second attempt at labels. The "O" in osmosis was cut off of about half of them. I think I can fix that though. I'll keep trying...

BTW... this one is for my dear friend, Pam!

First Attempt at Labels

This was my first attempt at labels. I've got to perfect them still so they will print better. Working on it....

No.1 = balm

No.2 = gloss

Please feel free to leave comments below.

First Flavors

Currently there are four flavors available:

Honey Butter (natural), Agave Sugar, Cookie Dough, & Macaroon