Handmade Toiletries Weekly Newsletter
July 9, 2000
A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630
July 9, 2000
Issue 25
---->THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR: "Making Aromatherapy Creams & Lotions"<----
Kiwi Orange Blossom Puree ... Lip Tango In Paradise ... African Body Tapestry ... Face Grace ... Strawberry Morning Face Frappe ... Nitty Gritty Grains ... Dry Skin Sundae
Make these treats and many more with "Making Aromatherapy Creams & Lotions." Get your autographed copy today at www.donnamaria.com.
1. HBN UPDATE ~ WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!
2. HANDMADE BEAUTY TRIVIA QUESTION ~ win a $10 gift certificate to shop at the HBN member handmade beauty business of your choice!
3. HANDMADE BEAUTY PRODUCT REVIEW by Paige
4. FRESH FARE FOR YOUR FACE ~ 310, LLC
5. THE HANDMADE BEAUTY BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT FOR JULY!!
6. AROMATIC BEAUTY FOOD RECIPE ~ Oats & Aloe Exfoliant
1. HBN UPDATE ~ WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!
~ Celestial Nymph Products ~
Joy Ross
Stockton, California, www.celestialnymph.com
~ From Nature With Love ~
Kibby Mitra
Bronx, New York, www.fromnaturewithlove.com
~ Soaps n' Such ~
Tracy Mejias
Allentown, Pennsylvania, www.soapsnsuch.com
~ Melissa Halstead - Affiliate Hobbyist Member
Mt. Lookout, West Virginia
2. HANDMADE BEAUTY TRIVIA QUESTION ~ The winner from July 1 was Ilene Smith of Dafter, Michigan. Ilene won a trio of soaps handmade from scratch by HBN members!!
LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: I cannot be seen with the naked eye. I am always alone because I do not have a partner. As a result, I am very unstable. I roam my environment looking for a partner, and if I can steal one from someone else, I can wreck havoc on your skin. Me and others like me attack healthy skin cells, destroying anything good in your skin as fast as we can. I love the sun ~ I thrive in it and it creates the perfect environment for me to destroy your skin's natural elastin and collagen, making you look as old as possible as soon as possible. What am I?
LAST WEEK'S ANSWER: A free radical.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: In 1877, a St. Louis woman was admitted to the hospital, her arms paralyzed from the elbows down. It was later determined that she had been regularly painting her skin with lead contained in a whitening cream manufactured by George W. Laird Co. The Laird company advertised that the product made men exclaim, "why dearest, your shoulders have quite recovered their milky whiteness -- thanks to Laird's ___________." Another Laird promotional brochure claimed, "with this essential, a lady appears handsome, even if her features are not perfect."
Be the first to name the product and win a $10 gift certificate (good for 7 days after receipt of prize notification) to shop at the HBN member handmade beauty business of your choice! Read contest rules at www.handmadebeauty.com/htns_Newsletter.htm
3. HANDMADE BEAUTY PRODUCT REVIEW by Paige
Paige's philosophy about beauty products is "anything that takes more than 10 minutes twice a day is excessive." Learn more about Paige at www.handmadebeauty.com/product_review_panelists.htm. We're listening, Paige!!
~Lavender Oatmeal Handmade Soap by Creekside Soaps. @3.5 oz. ~ $3.50
Since I'm growing lavender in my backyard this year for the first time ever, I was delighted to review a lovely bar of Lavender Oatmeal soap from Creekside Soaps. The presentation is very nice and would lend itself to gift giving, an important consideration for me because I am always trying to identify new gift sources for birthdays and holidays. The logo and wrap have an old-fashioned look and feel to them and the bar itself was an elegant green with plenty of oatmeal flakes throughout. I was surprised that I couldn't detect a lavender scent while the bar was dry, but then surprised again as rubbing the bar over my skin released the scent, like rubbing my fingers over lavender leaves. The soap is delightful: it lathers beautifully and the oatmeal flakes provide just enough stimulation over wet skin to add to the "really clean" sensation. After the shower, my skins feels soft and nurtured. One note: while I loved the quantity of oatmeal flakes and their feel as I rubbed the bar directly on my body, the flakes were too rough to rub the bar between my hands repeatedly. It's a minor point, however, and one that is completely lost when I step into the shower and release the lavender scent that I love.
4. FRESH FARE FOR YOUR FACE ~ 310, LLC
From 1993 to 1996, I made aromatic masks, scrubs and creams at my shop in Maryland using fruits, grains, essential oils and other "freshies." Not surprisingly, they sold like hotcakes!! So I was really excited a few months ago to stumble across 310's line of "Fresh Fare" skin and body care products. Once I tried them, I was hooked, so I set out to find out more about this exciting entry into the beauty business.
I am pleased to introduce to you Kim Leone, the 26-year-old, native California powerhouse behind 310, LLC!!!
HBC ~ Hi, Kim. Thanks for joining me today. I have to first ask you the question that's probably foremost in the minds of HBC readers ... what is our professional background and how did you transition to creating handmade beauty products?
Kim ~ I'm an attorney by trade, but I only practiced law for 6 months after law school. I attended law school so I would have a trade, something I could always fall back on. But after practicing for 6 months, I knew it wasn't for me. One day about 3 years ago, I was in a beauty shop looking for a facial mask. I tried to read the ingredients on the labels of some of the products but I couldn't pronounce most of them. I began to feel tired of putting things on my skin that contained so many ingredients I knew nothing about. So, I decided to make my own products and my friends and family members loved them. "Fresh Spa To Go" was born shortly thereafter. We eventually changed the name to "310," a well-known area code in Los Angeles. We began selling our products to Fred Siegel, a trendy boutique in Santa Monica where lots of beauty brands get their start. Our products did quite well and it just grew from there.
HBC ~ How many people work with you at 310?
Kim ~ Randall, my fiancé (also an attorney) handles all of the business and financial issues while Jeremy makes our products. Marilyn is our public relations department and my mom helps out when it gets really busy. We use truly fresh ingredients ~ bananas, papayas, lemons, eggs, etc. ~ to make our Fresh Fare products which must be refrigerated and have "use by" dates. Our Shelf Fare, consisting of products that do not need to be refrigerated, contain other natural ingredients such as jojoba oil, coconut oil and pure essential oils.
HBC ~ Yum!! I know from experience how delish some of your products are. Tell me, what are your best sellers?
Kim ~ Banana Mint Face Mask sells well during the summer since it's so cooling to the skin. Lavender Heavy Cream is an excellent dry skin cream, but our JoJoCoCo is running a very close second these days.
HBC ~ Do you have a personal favorite product?
Kim ~ I'd have to say its our Dandruff Balm. When I was in high school, I was on the swim team. I washed my hair frequently because of the chlorine and my scalp was terribly dry. My dandruff shampoo helped my dry scalp but it ravaged my hair. So when I started 310, Dandruff Balm was one of the first products I made. It keeps my scalp moisturized without drying out my hair. I rub it in at night and wash my hair in the morning.
HBC ~ What is the number one concern of 310 customers about using freshly made beauty products?
Kim ~ Some people think it's weird. Others don't really want to be bothered with refrigerating their beauty products and worrying about spoilage. But most people agree with me that it makes perfect sense. After all, if they are eating better and more healthfully, why not use more healthful products on the outside of the body as well? Some of the ingredients we use to extend the shelf life of our products include grapefruit seed extract, vitamin e and honey. These also have a beneficial effect on the skin.
HBC ~ What's the smartest thing you've ever done to grow your business?
Kim ~ Hire a professional public relations (PR) specialist. We used to contract that work out, but today, we do it in-house and it saves us a lot of money.
HBC ~ I guess you can have the best products in the world, but if no one hears about them, you won't be in business long, huh?
Kim ~ That's right, and we've found that the publicity we've received has been well worth the investment.
HBC ~ What can we expect to see from 310 over the next 5 years?
Kim ~ We plan to launch our line nationwide. I like the idea of being in smaller boutiques where both the products and the customers receive special attention. But the benefits of being nationwide are appealing as well. We are planning to introduce several new products, including a natural deodorant, color cosmetics and a line of products that can be customized for specific skin types. We are also working locally to create a line inspired by Native Americans.
HBC ~ Wow!! Those are pretty big plans. How do you find the time to do it all?
310 ~ I just love what I do! I like to read and analyze things so coming up with recipes is not a big problem for me. When I first started, I received a lot of inspiration from "Natural Beauty" by Aldo Falcetti. I inherited a love for cooking from my Italian father. I live an active lifestyle and love to ski, hike and swim so I have a lot of energy.
HBC ~ Well, Kim, we're looking for lots of exciting things from 310 so please keep us posted on your new product lines.
310 ~ We will, and we're really glad to be a part of The Handmade Beauty Network which offers so many great services to members of our growing industry.
Editor's Note ~ 310 products are available at www.310online.com. Starting today, 310 is offering free next day shipping in the US on any order of $75 or more, and free regular shipping anywhere in the world for orders of $75 or more. Check out HBC's reviews of 310's Banana Mint Face Mask and Honey Lemon Hair Mask at www.handmadebeauty.com/handmade_beauty_product_reviews.htm.
5. THE HANDMADE BEAUTY BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT!!
HBN member Anastasia Crabtree of Moon & Stars Enchanted Soap is in this month's Handmade Beauty Business Spotlight!! Anna makes a delish assortment of soaps and body care treats using some of the world's rarest and most precious aromatic oils inlcuding pure rose essential oil! Anna works from her home in Bristow, Kentucky, where she, her husband and 7 (yes, s-e-v-e-n) children live in an oasis of lovely scents and beautifully designed wrappings. You can visit Anna's site by clicking from HBN's home page at www.handmadebeauty.com.
Cast your vote for the Handmade Beauty Business Spotlight for August by July 26th at www.handmadebeauty.com/vote.htm.
6. AROMATIC BEAUTY FOOD RECIPE ~ Oats & Aloe Exfoliant
During the summer, it is especially nice to exfoliate the skin regularly, particularly since increased exposure to atmospheric impurities and humidity tends to accelerate build-up of impurities on the skin's surface. Oats & Aloe Exfoliant is not only a breeze to make, but is also cooling (from aloe) and soothing (from honey and cream). The oats and almonds provide gentle but thorough exfoliation.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon finely ground oats
1 tablespoon finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon liquid honey (you may need to microwave for a few seconds to further liquefy the honey)
1 teaspoon fresh whipping cream
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
green tea (if needed)
Blending Procedure
Measure oats and almonds into a bowl and set aside. Combine whipping cream, aloe and honey in another small
bowl and stir well to dissolve the honey. Add the liquid ingredients to the oats and almonds, stirring well to ensure
the mix. If the mixture is too thick to easily spread across the skin, add some green tea a bit at a time until a
comfortably smooth texture is obtained.
To Use Apply very gently to face and neck skin after cleansing and before toner is applied, using light, circular motions. Rinse well with warm water and gently pat excess moisture from face. Follow with toner and moisturizer.
*Submit your recipe today to donnamaria@handmadebeauty.com! We might use it in an upcoming issue, with a credit to you of course!!
Thank you for reading HBN's Newsletter.
Have A Great Week!!
Donna Maria
Founder & President, The Handmade Beauty Network
"Securing The Future Of The Handmade Toiletries Industry"
http://www.handmadebeauty.com
Handmade Toiletries Weekly Newsletter US Library of Congress ISSN # 1528-8021. Copyright (c) 2000 by The Handmade Beauty Network and Donna Maria. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction is prohibited. HBN does not necessarily endorse any product, event or ideology featured on the Newsletter or on HBN's Web site. All information is provided on an "as is" basis and no express or implied warranties are given. Any use of the information contained in HBN's Newsletter or on its Web site, including Recipes, is solely at your own risk. HBN and Donna Maria disclaim any liability in connection with the use of all recipes, products reviewed and other information. This Newsletter does not accept compensation from companies to feature or mention their products. Opinions expressed in any Product Review are personally those of the reviewer and do not represent the views of any other person or company.
