Soap Advisor

Re-inventing Hair Pomade

Well, I am putting the ‘natural Vaseline’ idea on hold.  I think I need to play around with something else first.  Pomade.  At least that’s what we used to call it, back in the 60s.  And only people of color and the white guys we called ‘greasers’ used it.  It is now a new millennium and we all use it.  But we now call it ’sculpting cream’ or lotion or whatever.  At any rate, they have so much garbage in it these days, I thought it was time to take it back, way back, to pre-1970.

My first goal is to just get an idea of how much wax to put in it.  So I’m only using almond oil and beeswax.  I heated it to melt the beeswax. It sure cools down fast.  I was surprised.  But then, so does lip balm and this is really just a big ol’ lip balm for the head, huh?

I really need to get a good prototype done today.  I’m out of hair goo.  I put a little orange liquid colorant in it to gussy it up.  It is a very pretty peach color.  Why the liquid colorant mixed right in with wax+oils, I have no idea.  It shouldn’t have.  But it did.  I’m a happy mixer.

Stay tuned.

Once I get this right, I think I can move on to the natural Vaseline idea.  That is a similar product, just not as stiff and sticky.

UPDATE: not enough wax in the formula.  I put a couple drops to the side, let them get cold.  Then tried to spike my hair.  It didn’t spike, just sort of made it oily.  I may have fixed the fake Vaseline….. LOL

UPDATE:  I think I am really close. :D  I put some on and when I went outside and saw myself in the rear view mirror, it was WOW.  My hair was so incredibly shiny where I put this stuff.  Cool.

You know when you make a sauce and you taste it and it is just ever so slightly wrong?  Like it would be so much better if you added that one thing.  What’s the thing, you ask, what does it need?  In this case, I’m thinking candelilla wax.  I’ll swap out some of the beeswax with candelilla wax and then I think its going to be perfect.

UPDATE:  Bingo! I do believe I’ve got it.  :D  I will use it this weekend and see if I find any problems, but so far, it is  pretty cool!  And I like how if you put scent in it, you’re like a little puff of perfume where ever you go.

Creating a new version of Nature's Jelly

We do currently sell this product as “Nature’s Jelly” on SoapCrafters.com.  However, we do not make it ourselves.  We have been purchasing it from a manufacturer who is pretty far away.  It never occurred to me to make it ourselves until the other day.

Today I’m playing around with a recipe to see if I can improve upon it.  Not that the product needs improving, but I just can’t help myself.  I must tinker!

I’m using only bee’s wax, soy oil, and palm oil.  I have it all melted and blended and I’m emulsifying it now and then as it cools.  It is still too warm to have anything interesting to report.

My hope is that it will be just like Vaseline Petroleum Jelly when I’m done, but made only with oils and bee’s wax, instead of whatever the heck is in petroleum jelly.  The name alone suggests some byproduct of fuel, haha.

I shall report back.

UPDATE:  It is a few hours into the cooling and I’m not so sure this is going to work with the recipe I came up with.  Seems to runny to me.  I might have to use a tougher wax to get the job done.  I dunno…  still waiting until its cold.

UPDATE:  Well, eh hem.  If you use palm oil to make this stuff it will be solid white.  Really, it should be translucent, you know?  It was almost thick enough after sitting for the weekend, but I scrapped it.  I need to use a liquid oil that is see through.

Anyone can win $99 in soap making supplies

Contest! Juicy Prize!
Win $99 in Soap Crafters products!
No purchase necessary to enter!

For the month of May we will be having an Essay Contest!
Please submit a story touching on the following subjects:
1. What types of homemade skin care products you make
2. How has this hobby/business changed your life
3. Include a photo of your products and/or yourself.
4. Why did you start making homemade skin-care products?

Your story submission has to be entered by May 31, 2010.
Winner will be selected by June 7th, if not before.
The winner will win a gift certificate of $99 in
Fabulous SoapCrafters.com products and their story and photos
will be posted on the website.

How to Submit your story: Please email your story with photos to: pamelalove@soapcrafters.com
Feel free to forward this link to your soaper friends, because this contest is open to all people. You do not have to be a customer of SoapCrafters.com to enter.