A few weeks ago, I was experimenting with a simple recipe to make a wax for bow strings (meaning the kind of bow you hunt with). I ended up with a spur-of-the-moment recipe of 3 parts beeswax, 2 parts cocoa butter, and 1 part sweet almond oil. I made a little experimental batch and poured four small patties of the stuff about the size of a peppermint patty, if you're familiar with that candy.
This balm would be fine for waxing bowstrings if the bow owner likes a firm wax that is a bit softer than beeswax. In playing around with the cooled patty, I realized it was also kinda nice on the hands, even though all that beeswax and cocoa butter doesn't melt easily at body temperature. You really can't "slather it on" like a lotion or salve with a softer consistency, and it's not really soft enough to be applied to tender lips. Once it's on the hands, however, this balm is nicely dry and waxy feeling -- not goopy or greasy -- and it sticks really well to the skin for some time after application.
My day job is working with leather and light manufacturing. My hands are in water and solvents frequently, so I often get really bad hangnails and in winter the skin on the tips of my fingers sometimes crack. This balm feels like it might help with that problem, but I haven't used the stuff long enough for me to see a lot of benefit.
Which brings me to the next part of the story in which this odd little experiment took on an unintended life of its own....
My twentysomething stepson asked me for a patty to give to a friend who has ugly-looking dermatitis on his hands. The skin of this guy's hands is always so irritated and dry that it will crack and bleed if he just flattens his hands out. He normally sleeps with his hands slathered with petroleum jelly. The friend told Dear Stepson that the balm I made is the only product he's found that lets him sleep through the night without waking up from the itching and pain.
But that's not all....
This guy let some bartender friends try out the balm ... and they loved it too, according to DS. I did a little reading about "bartender rot" -- the dermatitis and infection that is triggered by working with citrus, having wet hands, and frequently getting small nicks and cuts. Bartenders apparently want a product that sticks to the skin, is food safe, has little or no odor or taste, and doesn't make the hands overly slick so the bartender can grip knives and wet barware securely.
So, um, I'm really rather bemused and amused to find that this guy and his friends are clamoring for me to make more of this stuff. I don't sell, but it seems as if people are eager to buy. I told DS to pass on the information that I am looking for guinea pigs who will give me feedback on recipes, not money.
Has anyone else ventured into making products for bartenders and folks like that? If you do, what general types of products seem to be popular with this kind of clientele in your area? Are your observations similar to mind about the kind of products they need? If not, what are the differences? I'm very curious to know more about this niche area of B&B products.
This balm would be fine for waxing bowstrings if the bow owner likes a firm wax that is a bit softer than beeswax. In playing around with the cooled patty, I realized it was also kinda nice on the hands, even though all that beeswax and cocoa butter doesn't melt easily at body temperature. You really can't "slather it on" like a lotion or salve with a softer consistency, and it's not really soft enough to be applied to tender lips. Once it's on the hands, however, this balm is nicely dry and waxy feeling -- not goopy or greasy -- and it sticks really well to the skin for some time after application.
My day job is working with leather and light manufacturing. My hands are in water and solvents frequently, so I often get really bad hangnails and in winter the skin on the tips of my fingers sometimes crack. This balm feels like it might help with that problem, but I haven't used the stuff long enough for me to see a lot of benefit.
Which brings me to the next part of the story in which this odd little experiment took on an unintended life of its own....
My twentysomething stepson asked me for a patty to give to a friend who has ugly-looking dermatitis on his hands. The skin of this guy's hands is always so irritated and dry that it will crack and bleed if he just flattens his hands out. He normally sleeps with his hands slathered with petroleum jelly. The friend told Dear Stepson that the balm I made is the only product he's found that lets him sleep through the night without waking up from the itching and pain.
But that's not all....
This guy let some bartender friends try out the balm ... and they loved it too, according to DS. I did a little reading about "bartender rot" -- the dermatitis and infection that is triggered by working with citrus, having wet hands, and frequently getting small nicks and cuts. Bartenders apparently want a product that sticks to the skin, is food safe, has little or no odor or taste, and doesn't make the hands overly slick so the bartender can grip knives and wet barware securely.
So, um, I'm really rather bemused and amused to find that this guy and his friends are clamoring for me to make more of this stuff. I don't sell, but it seems as if people are eager to buy. I told DS to pass on the information that I am looking for guinea pigs who will give me feedback on recipes, not money.
Has anyone else ventured into making products for bartenders and folks like that? If you do, what general types of products seem to be popular with this kind of clientele in your area? Are your observations similar to mind about the kind of products they need? If not, what are the differences? I'm very curious to know more about this niche area of B&B products.
