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Thanks for the link LSG, I think the 1st thing I need to do is familiarise myself with the different types of preservatives available and weigh up the pros and cons, that way I'll be able to decide if there are any that I'm comfortable with using. Another thing has occurred to me though. What...

Thanks, just out of interest though LSG, why do you not use it in lip balms as well, my balms have similar ingredients to the butters so I'm thinking if I use them in butters it should apply to balms too, no? Is it just because of it being used on the lips or is there another reason?

I'm thinking of selling body butters and lip balms, alongside my soaps and bath products. I came to the decision to make these as opposed to lotions and stuff because I had read that they don't need preservatives etc and that appeals to me because my USP is hopefully going to be 'all natural...

I am no expert by any means but my partner recently used a shaving soap which was heavily fragranced with patchouli, he hated it and despite being a patchouli fan myself, I too wasn't keen (I got a lungful everytime I gave him a kiss). I think the reason at least as far as we are concerned is...

I consider them to be natural.

Yes if you plan to sell soap, UK law says you must have trade approved scales, so you may as well get them from the off set tbh. They are pretty pricey, the cheapest I could find were £150ish but if you've got the money, theres little point getting a cheap one for the time being when you'll just...

Thanks busybee, that was my understanding and as a customer looking for natural ingredients myself (I have sensitive skin issues) I assume that EOs will be listed (I have problems with some of them too) but I generally assume the word 'Parfum' to suggest that a synthetic fragrance has been used...

Thanks everyone, I suppose at the end of the day it doesn't really matter as either they will love my products also or they won't ;) MaryJean - i did not know that. I thought only fragrance oils had to be listed as parfum and that EO had to be named in full (latin name). I'm not selling yet, so...

Thanks, I probably just need a sturdier blender, mine is a very cheap one. Guess I'll just have to stick with melting the butters till I can afford to upgrade.

I tried this method a few weeks ago but my shea butter was so solid it felt like if I was to continue I'd damage the blender. I use a stick blender, do you think thats the problem, what kind of blender do you use?

It looks very similar to a recipe that I've just done, same oil and butters, just slight difference in numbers. Obviously its still curing but it looks like a good bar so far, so I'm sure yours will too :)

Thanks lsg, I'll give that a go :) Anyone know what I can use for natural colourants in bath melts / bombs. I tried using powdered paprika in some bath bombs but wasn't too impressed with the results, so just wondering if there is something better I could use. I intend to use petals, so that...

How does the vanilla extract effect the shelf life of your soaps. I found this http://www.vanillamart.co.uk/alcohol-free-halal-madagascan-vanilla-extract/ is this similar to what you used? It says its glycerin based, so I was just concerned that it might lead to rancid soap. I'd love to make...

I'll have to do some research on the polysorbate and ewax because I'm not familiar with those. I'm also thinking (after reading the link you posted relle) that a bath melt - bath bomb hybrid might be better suited to my tastes, the fizzing bath melt. Going to give it a go anyway and see what I...

This is not meant to be critical of jo malone products, I am just trying to understand the products better. On a few occasions whilst telling people about the products that I am making, which are using natural ingredients specifically essential oils and herbs, I have had the response 'oh like jo...

Admittedly I have never actually bought a bath melt in my life, so I'm effectively trying to make a product I know nothing about, but I had a go at making some last week and I am somewhat unimpressed. I followed a recipe which said 2 parts butter to 1 part oil. I think it was probably too much...

maybe you could lay some grease proof paper under the soaps

I'm a newbie so haven't really done any colourants yet except for with the cocoa, which you can kind of see in my avatar. I was trying to do swirls but it thickened too quickly (due to cornstarch) anyway I was very pleased with the colour, a nice dark brown. I have some paprika infusing at the...

I just put 2tsps in about half jam jar of OO, I wasn't very exact I'm afraid.

Maybe she does use different moulds to yours. I have only made 3 batches so far but I'm pretty sure none of them have gelled or even partially gelled, they are even coloured and creamy looking. I didn't put them in the fridge or freezer, just poured and left uncovered on the worktop with no...