Because I now have 4 new scents of bath bombs drying in my work cabinet. Green Apple, Dream, Raindrops and Coconut Cream! When I say it smells good, well that is an understatement. The smell is utterly delectable. I know you’re going to adore them.

I should begin listing these in the next week. My problem is, always, photography. I make great products, but my photography skills…well while I will admit that my photography skills have drastically improved in the last year or so, I’m still FAR from pro. I guess that that does make sense. I have spent the vast majority of my time perfecting my recipes, rather than my ability to see through a camera lens.

But soon, I’ll show them off to you. I have, at this moment, the following scents (in addition to those listed). Lavender, Cherry, Plumeria, Fresh, Lemon Sugar, Lemongrass and Pomegranate. Still to be made (but in the plans) are Frostbite, Milk & Honey, and Rose. Each of my products is wrapped in a bright foil before being bagged and labeled. I went with the bags due to my desire to limit landfill waste. I hope you don’t mind. Boxes ARE cute, but they also add to the expense, as well as the landfill. I like to be conscious of my footprint as well as your wallet.

These are all coming soon. But now I have to figure out what scents fit with chartreuse, orange, black and burgundy. Cause I have those foil colors, too!

The past week has been a very busy one around here.

First, on top of the normal workweek, I have been making a lot of calls and visits, trying to find a new vehicle. I have 2 kids who rather need access to a car. But it appears that everyone in this area is also looking for the same type of car that I am! But I’m not giving up. I’ll find one…just have to be patient (not my strong suit…)

On top of that, the weather has been perfect for making bath bombs. So I have. Eight fragrances are awaiting their final boxing, but the laser printer just decided to send up a red signal. Now, I have to figure out what ‘corona wires’ are and how to clean them. Can’t find my printer manual, but Brother puts it online (which is a very good thing).

So here 8 fragrances in bath bombs are sitting lonely: Plumeria, Lavender, Coconut Cream, Dream, Fresh, Lemon Sugar, Yuzu (the most amazing scent EVER if you love citrus), and Pomegranate. I’m playing with a few others, particularly some blends…like Ginger Honey.

I’ll let you know how that turns out…

THEN, the new Sugar Cube Scrubs are also ready. I wish I had a photo of them to post here today. As I have 8 towers of packaged scrubs on my desk right beside me. They, too, are waiting for me to figure out how to fix the laser printer so that I can print off their labels.

Sigh.

But these are ALL coming soon. Just might not be as soon as I’d like. Then again, you already know I’m not the most patient person around. Can’t wait to show them to you. You are going to love them.

4 Lavender Bath Bombs

Okay, I did figure out how to put in a photo (that has been a serious learning curve for me). Here’s a few of the lavender ones, unwrapped. Doncha love them? Believe me, I wish you had scratch N sniff internet. The smell is amazing. Herbal and luscious. And wow! They fizz madly in your tub. Each one weighs about 3.5oz. And just one will make your skin happy with the moisturizing oils within.

These will ALL be packaged individually, so that you can try as many different scents that you’ll like, as well as in gift sets. Coming soon, as I said.

As soon as I get the printer fixed/replaced.

Ok, gratituous plug…I make great lotion. I do. Really.

But a few years ago, looking at the vast array of items, and the limited amount of storage space, I reluctantly decided to discontinue it. Over the months, I’ve gotten a few inquiries, but managed to resist the urge to make lotion.

Until this week, that is.

You see, a month or so ago, I brought a bunch of lotion to work and gave it away. It was older bottles (still perfectly good, just using my old business name and well….) and I didn’t want to sell it. After a few days, I found a few more bottles. And mailed them off to friends far away.

Then the requests started coming in. So, after about 9 emails pleading with me, and a few very determined neighbors and coworkers, I finally threw up my hands and decided that, even though I still don’ t know–exactly–where I’ll put the finished products, I was going to make some lotion.

I did it the first time the other night. I forgot an ingredient, though, and added it ‘late’. Wouldn’t you know it, that the lotion separated? UGH! I’ve done that before. I do know better. But I was rushing and one thing I’ve learned over the years is that you just can’t rush when making products. I’ve made an entire batch of soap and suddenly remembered that I’d forgotten the fragrance, for example.

So I know not to rush. But somehow, I did. I threw that batch away. And tonight, I sanitized my work space, and my utensils and bowls and proceeded to knock out some very lovely lotion (if I do say so myself). Smooth and creamy for sure.

I don’t like to knock other products on the market. But I do have a few pet peeves. And you can find a lot of them wrapped up in the basic theme of lotion. Firstly, if you have a bottle of commercial lotion handy, look at the label (don’t worry, I’ll give you a few minutes to go and get it…)

Ready? Did you notice the list of ingredients? Of course, water is the first one listed. Ingredients in bath products, like all products, have to be listed in descending order by amount. So, it makes sense that liquid water would be first, right? I agree. Perfectly sensible. But how about that second ingredient? I’d lay a bet that it is probably glycerin. Maybe #3 is mineral oil or a derivative. And now, I’m feeling the blood pressure rise.

Why? Well, glycerin is a water soluble product. It’s a humectant and in soap (because glycerin is a natural byproduct of soap production and is in all bars of REAL soap). Why are you using lotion? To help your skin stay soft and supple, right? Does it make sense to put an ingredient on your skin that will wash off the moment your hands hit water? Not to me, it doesn’t.

What about that mineral oil? Well, I’ve heard various stories on this, but after lots of trial and error, I think I have an answer that makes sense. Mineral is a petroleum derivative. It’s cheap. Ever rub petroleum jelly on your body? Doesn’t sink in, does it? That makes this perfect for barrier medicines and treatments, like diaper rash ointment, because in that situation, we want to create a barrier between the skin and moisture.

But how about when you actually want the lotion to absorb into your skin? Mineral oil, as a primary ingredient in a lotion, is not a help. Your hands stay greasy and personally, I hate the slimy feel.

So you ask (cause you know there is a point, don’t you?) what do I use? Excellent question. Gold star. I use vegetable oils. Shea oil (a derivative of shea butter), apricot kernel oil and coconut oils. I have made what I call ‘EXTREME’ lotion and add some avocado to that basic blend.

I’m very proud of my lotion. It’s soothing and creamy. Lovely and moisturizing. It will probably eventually be available in 8-10 scents, but for today, I’m staring at neatly packaged bottles of Lavender, Plumeria, Lemon Sugar, Lemongrass, Raindrops and Basil Sage Mint lotion.

They look lovely. Look for them on my site, soon.

I just have to take pictures. And that’s a whole ‘nother story.