# Lotion sniffers



## soapmaker (Oct 20, 2019)

How do all you lotion makers let people know what it smells like at craft sales? I make 12 different scents and I usually open 1 or 2 bottles for testers. The rest I can let them smell a matching soap. The reason I can't do this this time is because I am taking it to a place that charges for a display and a percentage of sales but I won't be there. Neither will my soap, just lotion. My recipe fills 18 bottles exactly so I can't spare any to put in a smaller bottle and I hate to sacrifice 12 bottles! So what I'm thinking is to put the FO or EO on a cotton ball and enclose it in (something?) and label it. What are your thoughts?


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## cmzaha (Oct 20, 2019)

When selling you simply have to sacrifice products for samples or cut down on your fragrances. Make a larger batch of lotion or if you are purchasing a base you end up having to foot the bill for an extra bottle of base. This is all part of selling, sorry. I have pump bottles for all lotions for samples. Fragrances will not necessarily match your lotions and can even differ batch to batch if you have a new bottle of fragrance. I spritz each pump with alcohol after dispensing a small amount each time I take them out for display. Customers can become irritated if the fragrance they smelled differs from what they purchase even if they do not come back to complain. The operative word here is, "come back." My opinion is if you want your products to present you as a professional then present them and your samples as a professional. Have you ever been to a cosmetics counter where the samples are  displayed on a cotton ball? It simply costs money to sell and market. This is just my opinion, I am sure some will disagree.


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## soapmaker (Oct 20, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> When selling you simply have to sacrifice products for samples or cut down on your fragrances. Make a larger batch of lotion or if you are purchasing a base you end up having to foot the bill for an extra bottle of base. This is all part of selling, sorry. I have pump bottles for all lotions for samples. Fragrances will not necessarily match your lotions and can even differ batch to batch if you have a new bottle of fragrance. I spritz each pump with alcohol after dispensing a small amount each time I take them out for display. Customers can become irritated if the fragrance they smelled differs from what they purchase even if they do not come back to complain. The operative word here is, "come back." My opinion is if you want your products to present you as a professional then present them and your samples as a professional. Have you ever been to a cosmetics counter where the samples are  displayed on a cotton ball? It simply costs money to sell and market. This is just my opinion, I am sure some will disagree.



Glad for any input cmzaha! No I didn't want the cotton ball to be visible, perhaps in a small empty squeeze bottle or something "sniffable." My objection of 12 bottles of testers is that they will not get used in the time period the lotions will be on display and I almost never sell anywhere else but the house. This is a one time thing. So what am I going to do with all that leftover lotion? If it was an ongoing thing then I'd definitely do it that way.


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## shunt2011 (Oct 20, 2019)

When I sell lotion I pit a small amount in a small cosmetic pot with a spatula.  Doesn’t take up a lot of space but can be smelled and tried.


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## Dahila (Oct 20, 2019)

I keep my sampling in small a half of oz jars, they are closed,  I open then so people can sample on their skin,  If they do not have reaction in like 5 minutes they are fine and they also can decide on scent.  I actually tend to keep scent everyone likes it, and I do not often change the scent


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## cmzaha (Oct 20, 2019)

You can also get some very small bottles with little squeeze tops. Other than that I would recommend using perfume strips that will hold the fragrance. As for using jars, you will not be there to monitor if anyone sticks fingers in the jars and contaminates the lotion. I do not put lotion in jars but that is my choice.


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## cerelife (Oct 21, 2019)

Like @cmzaha said, I would get small bottles similar to these and fill them first. Your other 18 bottles will have slightly less, but it shouldn't make much of an impact on the amount. Particularly if you don't fill the small tester bottle all the way - just enough to last for this show/display.
https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/15-ml-natural-ldpe-boston-round-15-415.aspx
And here are the tops:
https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/15-415-white-smooth-flip-top-cap.aspx
I agree that you really need to offer a tester of the lotions themselves - not only to be fair to customers, but also to yourself. I've found that many FOs really bloom in product. There are quite a few that I haven't been crazy about OOB  but smell amazing in my products.


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## cmzaha (Oct 21, 2019)

Even if you only sell at your house you need testers so why would you not want to use actual bottles of the lotions you sell. As I noted scents can vary from batch to batch and soaps absolutely do not match lotions. Cutting corners does not work. May I ask why you simply do not make a larger batch of lotion allowing for samples? It really is not hard to size a batch larger.

Also, I have to ask, is 18 bottles of lotion enough to make money after paying fees, supplies, packaging, cost of production, and transportation, including gas to and from the event? I know it would not pay me to only take 18 bottles of lotion to market, especially knowing I would not sell out. Lotions are not huge sellers here.


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## dixiedragon (Oct 21, 2019)

People want to see how lotion smells on their skin as well, just like perfume. I use small containers from Dollar Tree:
https://www.dollartree.com/sure-fresh-mini-storage-containers-with-lids-10ct-packs/206990

I squirt a tiny bit of lotion into each one, then people use a Popsicle stick to scoop out a bit to test. People are used to having to buy lotions without trying them, so getting to try it, feel it and smell it before hand is kind of a novelty and fun.


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## soapmaker (Oct 21, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> Even if you only sell at your house you need testers so why would you not want to use actual bottles of the lotions you sell.



I do use the actual lotion bottles as testers at my house for the feel and smell of two lotions. Customers have always been satisfied with smelling the soap for the rest. They are return customers.



cmzaha said:


> May I ask why you simply do not make a larger batch of lotion allowing for samples? It really is not hard to size a batch larger.



Yes if I was doing this regularly I would do that. This opportunity hit me suddenly and it may be only one time so I am not prepared very well.



cmzaha said:


> Also, I have to ask, is 18 bottles of lotion enough to make money after paying fees, supplies, packaging, cost of production, and transportation, including gas to and from the event? I know it would not pay me to only take 18 bottles of lotion to market, especially knowing I would not sell out. Lotions are not huge sellers here.



No 18 bottles would not be enough. That is my batch size. I could make more than one batch of each kind. But remember I have 12 kinds. That's 18 x 12.  I have to say lotion is a huge seller for me.



cerelife said:


> Like @cmzaha said, I would get small bottles similar to these and fill them first. Your other 18 bottles will have slightly less, but it shouldn't make much of an impact on the amount. Particularly if you don't fill the small tester bottle all the way - just enough to last for this show/display.
> https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/15-ml-natural-ldpe-boston-round-15-415.aspx
> And here are the tops:
> https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/15-415-white-smooth-flip-top-cap.aspx
> I agree that you really need to offer a tester of the lotions themselves - not only to be fair to customers, but also to yourself. I've found that many FOs really bloom in product. There are quite a few that I haven't been crazy about OOB  but smell amazing in my products.



How few people could even get a smear from a bottle that holds 1 Tablespoon?


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## Dahila (Oct 21, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> You can also get some very small bottles with little squeeze tops. Other than that I would recommend using perfume strips that will hold the fragrance. As for using jars, you will not be there to monitor if anyone sticks fingers in the jars and contaminates the lotion. I do not put lotion in jars but that is my choice.


I am there, no one opens jars without me  It is not that busy on my market ,


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## cmzaha (Oct 21, 2019)

Still scratching my head it is so simple to up a batch even by a few ounces to make samples. But too each their own. I do not find 12 fragrances much at all. Especially when making different lotions.


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## soapmaker (Oct 21, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> Still scratching my head it is so simple to up a batch even by a few ounces to make samples. But too each their own. I do not find 12 fragrances much at all. Especially when making different lotions.


The lotion is already made and in bottles! I have to deliver Friday! Last minute trauma!


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## soapmaker (Oct 22, 2019)

Thanks everyone for joining the discussion!


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## Zany_in_CO (Oct 27, 2019)

@soapmaker  Dying to know what you decided and how well you did?


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## soapmaker (Oct 28, 2019)

Zany_in_CO said:


> @soapmaker  Dying to know what you decided and how well you did?


I got sick and didn't do it at all!


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## Zany_in_CO (Oct 28, 2019)

soapmaker said:


> I got sick and didn't do it at all!


 Oh my. So sorry to hear that, @soapmaker. There is something going around. Again. I was down for the count a week ago. Take 'er easy and get better quickly.


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## soapmaker (Oct 29, 2019)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Oh my. So sorry to hear that, @soapmaker. There is something going around. Again. I was down for the count a week ago. Take 'er easy and get better quickly.


Thanks dear heart!


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## MGM (Oct 29, 2019)

soapmaker said:


> I got sick and didn't do it at all!


oh no!! I was going to chime in and say that given the last-minuteness of it, I liked your original idea of a squeeze bottle with a cotton ball just to sniff. I thought that was very ingenious for a work-around. Sorry ot hear that you weren't even able to do it!!
(ps what part of ON are you in...not that I'll avoid you becuase you're sick, but maybe I'll come to a show!)


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## soapmaker (Oct 29, 2019)

MGM said:


> oh no!! I was going to chime in and say that given the last-minuteness of it, I liked your original idea of a squeeze bottle with a cotton ball just to sniff. I thought that was very ingenious for a work-around. Sorry ot hear that you weren't even able to do it!!
> (ps what part of ON are you in...not that I'll avoid you becuase you're sick, but maybe I'll come to a show!)


Close to Niagara Falls. Almost never do a show but sell from the house.


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## MGM (Oct 29, 2019)

soapmaker said:


> Close to Niagara Falls. Almost never do a show but sell from the house.


Nice! We're in Guelph and consider trips to Niagara Falls very exotic!!!


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## dixiedragon (Oct 29, 2019)

I had an idea - you could fragrance some wax - paraffin, soy, whatever, and pour that into a tiny jar, like a small lip balm jar. People can open and smell it, it's not messy.


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## soapmaker (Oct 29, 2019)

dixiedragon said:


> I had an idea - you could fragrance some wax - paraffin, soy, whatever, and pour that into a tiny jar, like a small lip balm jar. People can open and smell it, it's not messy.


Sounds reasonable to me. It would have to be hard enough that people didn't mistake it for the lotion!


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## dixiedragon (Oct 29, 2019)

soapmaker said:


> Sounds reasonable to me. It would have to be hard enough that people didn't mistake it for the lotion!


If you're in a very warm climate, you may want to use a hard wax, maybe de-scented beeswax.


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