06.21.10

Summer Fun…Summer Blues

Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 12:33 pm by admin

Today’s new batch of stretch mark oil for my fruitful friends, along with the small-sized travel bottles I painstakingly filled last week.

Yay! I love summer. Being a warm-weather, open-window aficianado, I love living where I don’t have to hide in air conditioning all summer. Of course, everybody around me does, but I think it’s overkill. Welcome, summer 2010.

Well, we’re into the market season for sure now, and crowds are returning bit by bit as green, leafy produce, yellow summer squash and red tomatoes come on. It’s always good to see friends from last year. I now have customers who plan their fall purchases to cover all of winter, and several of them report in on whether they had soap to last until now. I wonder if they realize that for me this goes beyond a commercial venture, and their kindness is remarkable and appreciated…a very personal compliment.

Market Blues
In spite of the good news, however, I thought I’d take a minute to complain. Have other soapmakers ever had experiences like this? It happens to me very occasionally, but when it does, it strikes me as odd enough to notice. For example, last Saturday I felt like a pariah in my favorite market. At the Frankfort market, I have many friends and regular customers. But for some reason, on this particular Saturday, the crowds just walked past my booth like they didn’t know me or care to. For the entire day, sales were just pitiful. I walked to the front of my table to check and see if it just didn’t look good or something. Actually, I thought it looked better than normal. But I rearranged a few things anyway, moved some signs and made sure soap displays were standing straight and proud.

I could have stood out front and tried to engage people and encourage sales, but that’s not my style. I do not like to force sales. I know that’s not good salesmanship, but it’s the only way I can work it.

All I can think of is that it rained hard that morning until about 9:30 or so, and selling soap in the rain isn’t easy, even if you are under a pavilion which we are (thank you SO much, market planners). Really good soap attracts moisture, which is OK in the shower but not at point of purchase. The rain could have cut our crowds too. Not a good answer, but that’s all I have. Sometimes it just happens, and you have to write that week off and plan for next week to be better, which, usually, it is.

And Another New Product
I don’t know why but it seems to me I’ve been especially busy whipping up body care products this spring. I have a couple friends who are expecting babies this year, and so I did a batch of stretch mark oils for them. In doing so, I went to a favorite vendor’s Web site for supplies, and discovered they have a sale on Tamanu Oil. This is a Polynesian nut oil that is remarkable in its antibiotic and cell-regeneration properties. It’s excellent for repair of skin problems such as acne, sun damage, aging and stretch marks. It’s a little pricey, but I’m going to give it a try.

Actually, I have been thinking about which body products are most valued by my customers as I decide where to put my efforts. Stretch mark oil isn’t something I often get a call for but it does seem to me it’s something I can offer which is uniquely good, given my access to exotic or high-quality ingredients. At least, I’ll give it a try.

Happy summer, everybody.
Sharon

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06.09.10

Melting Pot Magic

Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 1:59 pm by admin

A new batch of Anna’s All-Natural Deodorant just in time for spring and summer

This week I switched from the soap pot to the melting pot. Soapmakers need to multi-task too, and at Anna’s EsSCENTials I’ve tried to hone in on products that are compatible with the good soaps that go through our doors. I’ve done excellent creams, lotions and other goodies. But this week I did a spring-time batch of Anna’s All-Natural Deodorant.

I’d researched this product for a while before coming up with a recipe that looked good to me. I looked for something that was both effective and safe, and tried a couple options before settling on this recipe. Some of my faithful soap customers agreed to give it a try, and I held my breath. People often have strong feelings about their deodorant. When reports came back unanimously positive, I figured I had something worth taking to market.

The problem was with packaging, however. The product was well-received, but the little pots I used weren’t. People wanted a container that would twist up as the deodorant was used and didn’t involve fingers in a container. This year, I found some nice, transluscent containers with twisters on the bottom. I think that should solve the problem.

So what’s in it?
The final recipe contains a number of essential oils that soothe, fight bacteria, and reduce odors. They include white thyme, tea tree, lavender, rosemary and others. I also included baking soda in a base of shea butter, sweet almond and other nice oils.

Other melting pot goodies

And other melting pot goodies
Also this week I did a new batch of the muscle & joint massage cream that my customers like so much. I’ve really had rave reviews for this one from people with knee and hand problems, among others. This special cream is designed with essential oils that reduce swelling and a special ingredient from Thailand, plai oil. So with that and the whipped shea butter cream I finished a couple weeks ago, I guess I’m as ready for spring markets as I’ll ever be.
Sharon

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