# Lotions



## Ravens Haven (Oct 26, 2007)

Hi all,

I have yet to get the hang of making my own lotion. I have been using a lotion base. I would like the experts to look at the ingredients list and let me know what they think.

Thanks
Autumn

INCI Ingredients: Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylic/Capric Glyceride, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth 20, Soybean Oil, Shea Butter, Dimethicone, Sunflower Oil, Aloe Barbadensis, Goat Milk Extract, Hydroxypropyl Trimonium Honey, Benzophenone, Methylparaben, Propylparabaen, DMDM Hydantoin, Triethanolamine Disodium EDTA.


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

Honestly? You don't want to know my opinion on the ingredient list. Why would you want to market and sell a product that contains so much alcohol? Bases are so misleading and I personally wouldn't want my name on a product like that or any base for that matter.

I am a huge fan of hand crafted lotions. I love my lotion and I love making it. Have you tried making lotion yet? Try it, come up with a formula that you like and you will be proud and confident to offer it to your customers.

See, I told you you wouldn't want my opinion. 

Sara


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## tioga13 (Apr 4, 2008)

Have you looked at this? http://www.essentialwholesale.com/product_p/081.htm
I have sold gallons of it since last fall (in 4 oz bottles, of course). Everyone loves it.
I slightly warm about 4-5 cups at a time and mix in a tablespoon or so of a top selling fo to scent it. (I think that the fragrance is a big reason why everyone loves it so much!) It takes very little time to scent and package, and I can sell it at a very profitable markup. I buy 5 gallon buckets and repackage it with our own labels. (I don't tell anyone I made it, but I don't tell them I didn't either!) Works for me~ 
It is a very nice, natural, and effective body _and _ facial creme.

The ingredients are 82% organic. Goat milk is the 2nd ingredient, after aloe.
(I believe the company also has a goat milk lotion base.)

_Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Lactose (Goat Milk), Cocos nucifera (Organic Coconut) Oil, Emulsifying Wax NF, Palm Stearic Acid, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Vitis vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Persea americana (Avocado) Oil, Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum (Polysaccharide Gum), Salix ***** (Organic Black Willowbark) Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C Ester), Mannan, Azadirachta indica (Neem) Oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Oleoresin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid_

I had a lot of requests for gm lotion, but didn't want to spend money on the ingredients (I buy enough making for making soap and body/massage oils as it is), and I was concerned about the waste and loss with the likelihood of failed batches. 
I don't want to give away all my trade secrets :rofl but if you want to pm me with any more questions, feel free!


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

The above post is exactly why I am against using a base.

I would never want to mislead my customers who have come to expect quality products AND products that are handcrafted - not bases. I did not create my business to make a quick profit. I am proud that I make everything in my line - no bases here... EVER!

I did very little experimenting only a little tweaking here and there when I first started. The vast majority of my lotion oils are also in the soap and scrubs that I make. Lotion is so easy and fun, in fact I have NEVER had a failed batch!

Try making lotion Autumn. It's so much fun and you will have a superior product in the end. 

Sara


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## Ravens Haven (Oct 26, 2007)

Yes, I want your opinion that is why I asked and thank you for voicing it. This is a new base I was looking at using not the one I use at the moment sorry for the misunderstanding and I am not good at interupting all those INCI names but I did find my answers after I asked my question. I have the stuff to make lotion, I guess I am afraid they won't like it as well. I have several recipes thanks to the wonderful ladies on this forum and I guess I need to get off my rump and do something.

Thanks for all the info and thanks Annette for the hints...

Autumn


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## tioga13 (Apr 4, 2008)

Just to clarify any misunderstanding...I do not try to pass off the cream I sell as being handcrafted, and I have been completely honest in the few instances where I was questioned about it (and no one seemed to mind, really). 
After researching I felt more comfortable with trying something already made, and it works well for me and for my customers. I didn't create my business to turn a quick profit either, as making gm soap has always been a dream of mine, but I am busy and it helps to feed our 11 children and 20-some goats. Adding additional products handmade or otherwise has helped with that. (We sell our home-baked goods and relishes/jellies, home-grown produce, home-made crafts, hand-poured soy candles, and hand-made gm soaps and bath oils at a local farm market. I mix the oils myself. Only the cream is from a pre-made base, and it seemed worthwhile b/c of so many requests.)


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## [email protected] (Oct 26, 2007)

Cut your lotion recipe way down, and make just a cup or two cups to try out. I have liked all my lotions. (Except the beasswax, aloe and raw goat milk one that's everywhere on the internet. That's stuck in my freezer and I'm not sure what to do with it.) 

If you can whip cream and make a puddin' then you can make lotion. If you make a lotion yourself to sell to the public, then you will have to do product testing. I'm not there myself yet, so I just make small batches up for me. 

Also do a search on this forum, and read past posts to get an idea of do's and don'ts.


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

Autumn, I agree with Sara, there is way too much alcohol in that base.
Annette, I find it hard to believe that the ingredient label for that lotion is accurate with goat milk as the second quantitative ingredient. It would take a lot of a powerful preservative to stabilize that much milk. I know you didn't write the label that way, they did.

My two worst pet peeves are, people that pass off a lotion base as handmade (not you Annette I'm speaking generally) and false labeling to gain customer appeal. It takes away from the people that go through the process of creating an authentic product.

Christy


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## tioga13 (Apr 4, 2008)

cmharris6002 said:


> My two worst pet peeves are, people that pass off a lotion base as handmade (not you Annette I'm speaking generally) and false labeling to gain customer appeal. It takes away from the people that go through the process of creating an authentic product.
> 
> Christy


You know, I think I understand what you're saying here....
Before I started making soap, I bought from different people (online) and tried out a variety of gm soaps.
I think all but one source that stated they were "made from scratch" were obviously made from a melt and pour base. (which I despise) The one girl even said she specially makes it once you order the scent you want and ships it the next morning! How telling is that?
The quality was terrible, compared to hand-crafted cured soap.

Maybe I should have tried out some others' home-made lotions to get a better idea of what IS superior. I have been nervous after reading about having to refrigerate it and not knowing much about using preservatives, etc., and afraid of having something watery or unsaleable. I don't like selling products if they aren't top quality. I decided to try what I am selling now since it was more of a "sure" thing. (I've had my share of discouragement over seperated batches of soap, which equal lost $ or having to sell rebatches, which I also despise. I just wasn't up for having the same experience in getting a lotion formula down to a science.)

If anyone wants to share a nice easy recipe, feel free....


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## kidsngarden (Oct 28, 2007)

If you make your lotion properly you do not need to refridgerate it. I highly recommend barb's lotion in the recipe section. I sell a version of that recipe.
Here's a lotion tutorial I did that uses a very basic recipe you can mess around with a bit. I don't make and sell that particular recipe, but it is nice. if you want to add GM do so at no more than 10% of the total weight. Sub it for part of the water.
http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69925
The tutorial also has a listing of places to get your lotion tested.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Well to Autumn and Annette If I can make homemade lotion from scratch using Barbs recipe , and it not get fuzzies in it after 1 yr then ANYBODY can. Key is sterilize everything /counters /bowls etc.


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