Making scrubs at craft fairs?

[CraftyRedhead]

I sell both soap and sugar scrubs at local craft fairs, but my scrubs never sell. Soap does, but the scrubs just sit there.
It's funny, my Etsy page sells scrubs non-stop, but hardly sells any soap at all?
So I'm thinking of master-batching both my regular and whipped scrubs (in separate bowls of course) and bringing maybe a dozen scent options with me. I'd be making them to order, but doing it that way would make them nearly impossible to label. I guess I can label them with the ingredients, but title the top as "custom scrub" or something.
Have you ever done this? Or seen it done?
I'm hesitant because there will be no electricity or running water available at this venue..

I'd love any thoughts!

 

[snappyllama]

I think you'd be fine to label it with "fragrance" in your ingredients list. If that's the only thing you're customizing...

Do you think you can manage the time it will take to mix in? How about dealing the dirty bowls and implements plus measuring/weighing? If so, keeping folks around a little longer is normally good for business. The busier a stall is; the busier it stays.

Disclaimer: I don't sell, but I buy from craft fairs very often. My mom had a successful craft company when I was a kid so I spent a lot of time helping her at them.

 

[CraftyRedhead]

I'm thinking I can weigh the scrub into size jar they choose, then add fragrance (I won't add color there, since I can't blend it well) and mix it with disposable spoons or popsicle sticks. I'm trying to not dirty any extra utensils or bowls, so I'm trying to keep it in the jar.
I did a test run where I put in half the amount of scrub, added fragrance and mixed, then added unscented scrub on top. After about 15 minutes if I scraped off the top of the scrub it seemed to pick up the scent. So I'm thinking that *shouldn't* be a problem. Hopefully.

 

[shunt2011]

I personally wouldn't do it due to time constraints. My booth is way too busy at how's to mix custom. Also, not mixing your fragrance into the whole mixture in the jar could lead to too high of a concentration in part of your scrub and affect consistency in the product. Also the amounts of EO/FO usage may vary from one to another.

I only make 4 of each fragrance that I carry and if it sells out so be it. I make small batches and don't have a lot of left overs from one show to another. I sell a lot of scrubs though so it may not be a huge issue for you.

You could certainly try it to see how it works.

 

[cmzaha]

I also would not have time to do that and would be afraid the fo was not dispersed well enough into the scrub. I find if I have several jars of my scrubs they sell, if I am down to just a couple they will not sell. Also know your market, I have some markets where I can sell a lot of scrubs and some that they do not sell at all. Maybe the customers in your market are not the scrub age.

anyone ever notice how often I edit...I push post and think of something else

 

[TBandCW]

If we all had a crystal ball to know what sells, what doesn't sell and why!

If you want to try selling your scrubs that way, give it a go! What do you have to lose? Make sure you mix in those fo's well though. And you have to let us know how it goes!

 

[RoseG]

I think it's a fabulous idea. To make sure the FO is mixed in thoroughly, I'd combine it with a little Polysorbate 20 (just to add a little more volume to the mix) + have diluted FD&C colors available (it would be the customer's choice to use them). The color would be a good indication of thorough mixing. There were times when I've been bombarded with customers ... so I would think if you were to try this, you would definitely need a helper!

 

[penelopejane]

I don't sell but as a customer I wouldn't buy something someone had whipped up at a craft stall. Sorry, but I'd be looking for a higher degree of hygiene than that for something I put on my skin let alone my face. But that's just me.

I would try a tester and would be more likely to buy if there were a few jars (don't know why but I would) and a few options.

 

[cmzaha]

I was just going to add what Penelopejane said. Everything get incredibly dirty at outdoor shows. Everytime you open up the bowl or bucket of scrub you take a chance of dirt getting into it. I would never buy product that was mixed and put into a jar at a booth, but people will. I double wrap all my jars for such reason so I can take off one layer if we have a windy dusty day.

 

[Susie]

Yeah, ew on the mixed at the table scrubs. I want everything I buy packaged and sealed before they get to a craft show. I won't even try the "trial" lotions and such. It is the nurse in me that knows all the yuckies that can grow in stuff.

 

[Dahila]

I think better idea is to have a sampling and access to wash station. When people scrub their hands and see that skin is smooth and moisturized, they will buy, My sell very slow too, I do preserve my sugar scrubs and they must be done in clean environment. I would not even try seeing someone making cosmetic in outdoor market.

 

[CraftyRedhead]

Thanks for the input everyone!!

I decided not to, but I wouldn't let the customers touch the master batch, and would of course keep it away from the customers.
I'm thinking of how there are people making kettle corn, or large bbqs and people making brisket sandwiches nearby, so this isn't a crazy dusty unsanitary location. My original thought was like a snow cone stand, only with scrubs. Instead of a huge vat of ice to add flavor to, it would be scrub with fragrance.
I still have details to work out if I decide to try it someday, but for now it's on a backburner.
Maybe someday..

 

[shunt2011]

You also have to remember those things are subjected to heat. Outdoor shows have lots of dust. I can see the coating on my jar tops. I clean them several times during a show with alcohol. I can't imagine mixing a scrub up during a show. You can't control the cleanliness.

 

[cmzaha]

I keep my lotion samples in pump bottles and pumps are spritzed several times during the market with alcohol. I do try...I always have a big bottle of alcohol with me. There used to be a person in my former market that sold whipped mango butters. They were in open plastic shoe boxes, and she would get a jar from a bag blow off any dust the apparently saw in the jar then filled it from the container of which ever butter they wanted... YUCK... I just do not understand people buying such