scared newbie !!

[Bunnie]

HI...im bunnie and this is my first post on your great forum !! im also a newbie in the bath & body field. i have a few bath and body products that i sell in my shoppe and at shows....but mainly i create windowsill gardens and seed mixes !! so please, be patient with me as this is alll so new to me )= i want to learn everything i can....but im feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and intimidated !! sigh. i have yet to make (with out a base) a product that needs a preservative. BUT i want to know for sure and i want to learn about what is necessary for the making of products that DO require such. i want to keep it as natural as i can (dont we all....heee). i wanted to make bubble bath....BUT i think i will have to wait on that one (maybe forever !!!) im too intimidated and if im going to do it, i want it right and i want it GREAT !! (= so...my next creation, im hoping, is an herbal body SCRUB. i have been reading some .... i stopped when i got too stressed ...... about using natural 'preservatives' in oil based products that CAN have water introduced into it.....that being a scrub. so may i please ask before i try to read on and start crying .... CAN i add ROE (heee....just learned that one recently)....NO wait....that is for when it is OILS ... sigh. ok....GSE ?!? will THAT work in my hopefully soon to be scrub ?? and should i add the good vit e to it while i am at it ?? it is after all an OIL product, right? so that will help keep it fresh longer? and the GSE will keep away the critters ? am i on the right track ?? please.....any words of advice are sooo welcome. this is sooo important to me and im so glad to have been told about this GREAT site !! i managed to ask the wrong thing on 'another' forum and i got called everything but a purple chicken and all but stoned !!! )= so....please, i dont want to step on any toes by asking for any kind of secret, and i am not a troll....and i dont want the easy way out to make a quick buck ..... on the Bible....this is my LIFE and i love it so......i just really need some kind advice and some gentle direction as i have not a CLUE where to start my learning !! thanks to all the great peeps here that have posted so many great answers....and i have only been reading for about 2 hours !! great links to articles about preservatives.....i feel better ..... thousands of times better....than i did before i found you !! THANKS !!

oh...one more TINY thing (right !!) IF you are still with me ?!? thanks for THAT too (= i am a bit worried about this one (as the recipes you find dont usually mention shelf life OR any kind or preservative or antioxidant, etc.....) i made lovely lavender bath salts, should i add some vit e to it to help extend its shelf life/freshness ? (is it crucial that it be T-50 vit e....or will any do, yet this one is the BEST ??) if water wont be getting into it, it should be fine, right ? that is what i have read in the past and again tonight.

so....vit e to my oils & butters AND/OR ROE? .... both being ONLY for oil/butter products, right ? can i use one OR the other most times ? NOW im confused again !!! the GSE is to keep bacteria away in products WITH water / exposed to water !? BUT do i ALSO need a 'real' preservative in them ? esp the ones made with water ? like OPTRIPHEN...which i read is a preservative that is not a paraben & does not = formaldehyde ? that is a good thing, right ??? i am sooo sorry..this post has taken on a LIFE of its OWN !! sigh.....OH, so what about my linen lavender water....that IS water (duh). do i need to add something to IT ? sigh. i will stop now....im so sorry for the rambling....im thinking out loud while im stressing while im typing while im thinking you will NOT love me if i dont stop OR if i ask the wrong thing.....HAAA.....now THAT is muti tasking at its best sweet peeps !!! a blond hyper-sensitive, chatty insomniac.....LUCKY LUCKY you ......HEY, where did everyone go ?? *CHIRP CHIRP*

thank you for taking time out of your night to have read this....IF you managed to make it to the end.....extra thanks. need a drink now ? happens !! if not now.....soon if you dont tell me to get
O U T .... i may drive you to the bottle yet !! im so very sorry i went on and on ... i hope to see someone come to my rescue...IF you are not laughing at me too hard !! (=

back to my reading !!! THUMP THUMP.....

 

[digit]

Hi Bunnie and . There are no stupid questions.......except the ones not asked. I do not sell products yet, but there are many here who do and have done so successfully for years. There are a lot of wonderful folks on this board with exceptional talents and experience, willing to help.

First, slow down and take 10 deep breaths. Baby steps. Focus on which product you want to work with and perfect, then move on to the next one. I think B&B is pyramidal learning.

For me, I read til my eyeballs almost fell out. It was immensely helpful as I found answers to questions that I did not even know I had. I also ran into a lot of conflicting information. To that, I always try to verify info via 2 or more separate reliable sources. To complicate matters, sometimes what works for one, may not work for another. Trial & error, experimentation and testing your product will yield invaluable info.

Preservatives can be a hot topic. They serve a different function than antioxidants. By "natural" do you mean without parabens? There are some out there and I know some members here use them. First, you have to consider the FDA regs when thinking of selling a product, which I believe you have already done.

A good place to start is to learn about the oils/butters and their properties. What do they impart to the finished product that is desirable? What fits your budget?

What needs or should have a preservative? I prefer to always use one as I do not know how the product will be handled by the consumer and it could just get plain ugly. What types are available and most suitable for your formulation? Preservatives themselves have expiration dates which the vendor should supply.

What sterilization technique will you use for your containers and equipment?

Keep copious notes on everything you do. It will make your life much simpler when trying to recreate a product when you find "the" one.

I do know the salts need to dry before packaging. Learned that the hard way. What is in your linen spray? I do not make them, so I don't know a whole lot about them. Remember, nothing replaces sterile practices when making and packaging products.

Digit

 

[digit]

Wow.................I just popped over to your blog! Beautiful!!!!! I'll have to visit later and spend more time.

Digit

 

[dagmar88]

Hi Bunnie,
Welcome to the forum! Okay, maybe next time post 1 question at a time? And please, use CAPS only when it should be.
Where this forum has great feedback; the other forum you spoke of has a wealth of existing information in the archives. I try to get the best out of both For lots of inspiring B&B products, look on etsy.
Let's see
-When I just started out doing all the research I needed to start selling B&B products, I was very overwelmed to. Try to write everything down in an orderly way- with microsoft word or on paper.
Cathegorize all the info& stuff you find and make, from your recipes to your own labels.
This will take you several months at least. :wink: Make sure you know everything about the product you want to sell before you're selling it. Do realise you'll need insurance before you sell your B&B products, otherwise you could get in trouble.
-You want to make bubble bath, scrub and room spray? Anything that includes water, or can come in contact with water (like a damp bathroom) needs a good preservative; to protect your goodies from bacteria, mold etc.
As far as I know, there's nothing natural that can do that over a longer time.
Just search on the forum to fiend a preservative that suits you're needs.
-Vit E you can add to... a lot. It is not a preservative, but it protects your products from air (to some height) as it is an anti oxydizing agent.

Good luck with finding your way on the forum and B&B world

Dagmar

 

[dagmar88]

sorry digit, it took me a looong time to post (smoking a cigarette with the hubby in between and eating his famous chicken soup )
Good advise!
Dagmar

 

[Lindy]

Hello Bunnie & Welcome......

I`m sure over time all will be answered and discovered.....everyone here are some of the most generous and helpful people I`ve ever met. They`ll be there for you on your journey.....

Cheers
Lindy

 

[Bunnie]

thank you so much for the welcome. i do look forward to reading and reading some more. what a great place to learn and mingle.....sorry for the huge post !! i get a big goofy when i need sleep ..... goofier than usual that is !!!

HUGS ....

 

[MikeInPdx]

thank you so much for the welcome. i do look forward to reading and reading some more. what a great place to learn and mingle.....sorry for the huge post !! i get a big goofy when i need sleep ..... goofier than usual that is !!!

HUGS ....

No worries....I do the same thing.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Jody]

Welcome to the forum Bunnie. It's a great place to be. Lots of help and very friendly people.