Skinflint's Blog

Menthol Rub

2011-07-25T13:26:00.001+08:00

I've had quite a few requests for Menthol Rub over the past few months, so have decided to re-introduce this for a limited period of time.

The rub is made from pure plant oils - olive, jojoba, apricot kernel and neem and has added beeswax and mango butter, all fantastic for your skin. The best part of the Menthol Rub experience is it's essential oil blend - Wintergreen, Bosisto's Eucalyptus, Peppermint & Black Pepper.

This product can be added to a steam bath for inhalation or massaged into sore muscles, congested chests and sore, blocked noses. It's a great replacement for Vick's Vapour Rub which is a petroleum based product, and for Dencorub, which uses only Wintergreen oil, no other beneficial essential oils.

100g PET Jar $17.50

July Special - Face Lotions

2011-07-13T13:23:00.004+08:00

On special this month are both Clarifying and Enriching Face Lotions. Both products are packaged in 125ml tubes and are great value for money as they last ages.

Clarifying Face Lotion incorporates a break-through ingredient that can reduce oiliness by up to 46%!
Sebum Reg is an amazing product from the U.S. which is a botanical polyphenol-rich complex from argania spinosa kernel extract, serenoa serrulata fruit extract and sesamum indicum (sesame) seed extract. High content of lignans & phytosterols control sebum production.
For those with oily skin which may be prone to break-outs and blocked pores.

Enriching Face Lotion contains precious oils of jojoba, almond, macadamia and red raspberry which help plump the skin with moisture. Red Raspberry oil is reputed to act as a broad-spectrum UV-A and UV-B shield with a SPF of around 28.
Hylauronic Acid is included to help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage.
Lightly scented with a blend of essential oils, including Rose Maroc.

Normally $30.00, now on special for $24.00.
Only available at this price for the month of July.

Australia Post Hinders Online Businesses

2011-07-13T12:56:00.001+08:00

As the title suggests, I believe that Australia Post is undermining Australian businesses that rely on online sales.

The cost of posting a parcel within Australia has risen 4 times in only 24 months. Each time it's a 10% increase.
The price of sending a small package, up to 250g, now costs $5.00. Most packages I send come in at the 500g to 1kg range, which is now going to cost over $13.00 to send to the Eastern States and over $9.00 within WA.

I recently received a package from the US, some gorgeous push pins that I bought on Etsy. The cost of postage was $2.59 US, amounting to much the same in Aussie dollars. If I were to post the same package back to the US, it would cost me $7.70!!

If I were to buy my book club books from Dymocks Online, an Australian bookseller, it would cost around $40 for postage, if not more. If I buy the same books from the Book Depository in the UK, the postage is FREE.

Australia Post claims rising fuel costs, rising power costs and higher wages as their reasoning behind the increases. All businesses are coping with these rising costs, however, as a monopoly, Australia Post have more power than most to raise their costs without concern for lost business.

So, after just working out a flat rate for postage that wouldn't cost me too much to subsidise, I'm now going to have to increase the cost of postage once more. Postage will now cost $8.50, an increase of $1.00. I'm not happy about it, but hope that my customers understand why I must increase the cost, which is still heavily subsidised. I don't charge for the packaging, which is an added cost that I am prepared to wear.

Skinflint products still represent great value and with a flat rate of postage, it's a good idea to order a bit more than you need or to add a couple of other products to try.

June Special

2011-06-17T21:00:00.000+08:00

ENRICHING TONER & SPRITZER

I forgot to post this to the blog at the beginning of the month!

Toners and Spritzers are on special this month. $2.00 of both Clarifying and Enriching Toners and $3.50 off Clarifying and Enriching Spritzers.

Skinflint Toners are made from the steam distillation of essential oils. The liquid left are the oils are removed is called hydrosol. This liquid contains many of the components of the essential oil from which it was created.

Clarifying Toner & Spritzer is made from Tea Tree and Lavender Hydrosol and also contains Witchhazel extract, an astringent and strong anti-oxidant, making it an excellent anti acne treatment. Tea Tree is also anti-bacterial while Lavender is soothing.

Enriching Toner & Spritzer is made from Rose and Neroli Hydrosols, both very fragrant and soothing. Calendula extact is adding for it's wonderful healing and hydrating properties.

Toners are an excellent way to add extra nutrients to your skin. These nutrients are water soluble and need a water base to assist with the penetration into the outer layers of the skin.

They also make excellent after shave treatments for guys. No alcohol means no stinging or irritation.

Lip Balm Flavours

2011-05-31T14:09:00.002+08:00

I've just had an interesting experience with lip balms that were due to be labelled. I had two baskets with two different flavours in them and I was unable to distinguish between the two flavours!
One was Vanilla Bean, the other Buttercreme. So, since I've run out of Vanilla Bean labels, I've made the decision to delete this flavour and introduce a new one.
If you're a Vanilla Bean fan, simply choose Buttercreme instead.

I'm testing out some Chocolate flavours to find the perfect Chocolate Kiss taste (edible fragrance really, it doesn't have a taste). Is Chocolate a flavour that you're interested in choosing? If not, what else would you like to see?

The choices are limited to flavours I can obtain:

Banana
Spearmint
Choc Orange Truffle
Coconut
Apple
Peach Nectar
Raspberry Coulis

List your preference in the comments area below.

Trial Packs

2011-05-11T14:14:00.000+08:00

Skinflint has just added Trial Packs to the Face Care Range on the website.

These packs are an excellent way to experience part of the face care range without parting with too much money. They also make great travel packs

Each pack contains a 60ml Cleanser, 50ml Toner and 60ml Face Lotion. These are approximately half the size of the regular items in the range.

Available in Clarifying for oily and acne prone skin and Enriching for normal to dry and mature skin, they're only $25 each and would also make a lovely gift for someone who needs a little pampering.

Baby Oil

2011-05-07T12:58:00.001+08:00

This product is now available on the Skinflint website. It's a lovely blend of both light and rich oils and is enriched with vitamin E.
Very lightly scented with chamomile, sweet orange and lavender, it's perfect as a relaxing massage oil for your baby. It can also be used to soothe any dry areas and to keep baby's skin protected.

For a limited time, Skinflint Baby Oil is available in an elegant aluminium pump bottle. These can be kept and refilled as needed.

If you have a friend whose having a baby, a Skinflint Baby Gift Pack makes a perfect gift. Simply choose the products you'd like and put the words, "Gift Basket" in the message section on checkout, or email me with your requirements.

Buy Skinflint Baby Oil here.

Cleansing your face

2011-04-11T12:48:00.000+08:00

After many years of trying an enormous variety of both expensive and inexpensive cleansers on the market, I was unable to find one that didn't leave me with tight, dry feeling skin.
In the end, I stopped using cleanser and simply washed my face with a washcloth. This isn't ideal if you wear make up, as I do. It doesn't remove make up residue particularly well and can lead to clogged pores and blackheads.

Our facial skin is far more sensitive than the skin on the rest of our body. It's thinner, less likely to be exposed to the extremes of weather and much more delicate.

The myth that a cleanser must bubble up in order to clean the skin has been perpetuated by the cosmetic giants such as L'Oreal and Clinique. I remember using Clinique's Cleansing Bar many years ago and finding my skin drying out so much it was peeling. I've recently checked out the ingredients and found it's simply a detergent bar, sometimes called a syndet (synthetic detergent) in the industry. It's made from harsh surfactants that have been pressed together and extruded to create a hard bar. The only redeeming feature of these syndet bars is that they aren't as alkaline as soap and are more in line with the slightly acidic pH of our skin.

When I developed Skinflint Enriching Cleanser, I did a lot of research on skin and skin care. It was this research that led me to believe that no detergent or soap is good for the skin on the face.

Skinflint Enriching Cleanser is designed to emulsify any oils and dirt on the face and wash it away without the use of soap or detergent. An emulsified system is far gentler and more efficient than a detergent or soap based system.
Skinflint Clarifying Cleanser contains a small amount of the natural saponin, Yucca Extract. This is a totally natural surfactant that adds just a little extra cleansing to the product which is designed for people with oily and acne prone skin.

When you dry your skin after cleansing, it should still feel soft and smooth. There should be no feeling of tightness or dryness - if there is, your cleanser is too harsh for your skin type.

Some people are able to use soap and water on their face. Good on them, that's fantastic, they've got really tough skin. Me, I'm sticking to my wash off creamy cleanser, Skinflint Enriching Cleanser, knowing that I'm not drying my skin and making it more liable to wrinkle.

Check out the ingredients in your cleanser - does it have Coco Betaine, Sodium Lauryl/Lauroyl/Laureth Sulphate, Lauryl Glucoside or anything similar to these chemical names? If so, it's detergent based.

Glass Reed Diffuser Bottles

2011-04-04T14:05:00.000+08:00

I've finally been able to locate some really lovely glass reed diffuser bottles!

These are so cute. They hold about 100ml of Reed Diffuser Oil and come with a stopper, lid and bamboo topper. Perfect for small shelves, window ledges etc.

At only $5.00 each, they make a great addition to the Home Fragrance Range. You can purchase one bottle, a set of reeds and your choice of reed diffuser oil refill for only $20.00.

These make a great gift. If they're popular, I'll start filling them with the fragrant oils and sell them as a set with the reeds, rather than sell them empty.

Solar Oil

2011-03-24T18:46:00.001+08:00

I'm constantly amazed by the marketing ploys of cosmetic companies.

Did you know that when companies use people to test a moisturiser, the results are judged against those using no moisturiser? So, if you see there's an 85% improvement in the softness of the skin.....well....duh!

But, on to other things. Cosmetic companies get away with charging a fortune for really simple products with very simple ingredients. Take Solar Oil, for example (I just had my nails done at the wonderful Le Sheek Nails in Katanning). It is made up of four ingredients, almond oil, rice bran oil, jojoba oil and vitamin E. The company that makes it charges $23 for a 15ml bottle. That is outrageous!

The bottle, label and ingredients would only cost around $3.50, if that! The larger the company, the cheaper the ingredients, labels and containers, so the actual product would most likely be worth much less than this. What you are paying for is the marketing - slick advertising in glossy magazines. It makes my blood boil.

This is the sort of rip off marketing that led me to making my own products. I don't particular want to make and sell my own brand of Solar Oil, but I'm certainly going to make it for myself. If you have acrylics and need some oil, add a comment and I'll make you some too, for the small price of $5.50.

Wagin Woolorama

2011-03-09T20:59:00.002+08:00

Skinflint products will be on show at the Wagin Woolorama this year.

The stall will be manned by my daughter, Jess, and I and is located in the Markets area. Look for our gazebo on the left as you enter the markets.

Try out the gorgeous handmade soaps and test the Skin Care, Baby Care and Body Care products. Spend $50.00 and receive a FREE showbag with a great range of sample products.

Make sure you stop by for a chat!

Mineral Make Up

2011-02-09T03:24:00.000+08:00

Skinflint will no longer supply this product online. There is a small amount of stock left so please contact me if you wish to purchase and I'll either supply or direct you to a supplier.

My supplier has changed the colours for this product and I'm not happy with them, so prefer not to stock it rather than supply a product that I'm not confident is suitable for most skins.

I've been using the Beauty from Nature brand of Mineral Make Up and am very happy with this one. I buy it online from Jennifer's Touch of Style . The price is the most reasonable that I have found anywhere.

Enriching Face Polish

2011-02-08T12:57:00.000+08:00

Enriching Face Polish is one of the most popular face care products in the Skinflint Range. It contains powdered bamboo, a natural and gentle exfoliant that leaves your skin feeling smooth and refreshed.
Scented with a blend of pure essential oils including rose geranium, and enriched with nettle and olive leaf extracts, Enriching Face Polish excellent for mature, dry and sensitive skins.

It's packaged in a large 175ml tube which can be somewhat awkward when travelling. So now you're able to purchase a Travel Sized Tube of 50ml for only $7 extra when you purchase a regular sized tube.

Enriching Face Polish is now back in stock.

Super Anti Aging Serum

2011-01-31T11:44:00.000+08:00

As always, I love to research skin care ingredients. I've been studying anti aging ingredients recently and have come across the use of Vitamin C as an incredibly effective anti oxidant which can also assist in the repair of sun damaged skin.
Vitamin C, in particular, Ascorbyl Palmitate is a stable, absorbable version of Vitamin C used in facial rejuvenation treatments. It is a powerful anti oxidant that can

Increase collagen production
Promote healing
Reduce fine lines and wrinkles
Minimize the appearance of scars

Because Ascorbyl Palmitate is fat soluble, it penetrates the skin very rapidly and reacts with the cellular biology to prevent cellular aging. It is anti inflammatory and has been shown to decrease the effects of sunburn when applied topically.

All this exciting information has led me to reformulate Skinflint Rosehip Recovery Serum to include a high % of Vitamin C in the form of Ascorbyl Palmitate.
This ingredient comes from the US and is very expensive, so unfortunately the price of this serum will rise a little.

Skinflint Rosehip Recovery Serum with ACE is still the most inexpensive anti aging product you'll find on the market today.
Rosehip and Red Raspberry oils both assist with the effectiveness of Vitamin E in the serum. Added Vitamin A increases the amount of anti-oxidants so making this product a super anti aging oil.

Available in a very attractive container with a pump dispenser, Rosehip Recovery Serum retails for $35.

Empty Shelves!

2011-01-28T22:25:00.009+08:00

Wow! The last two months have been crazy in Skinflint Land. Sales have sky-rocketed, meaning many of the most popular lines are either out of stock or only available in limited quantities.

I'm working hard to bring my stocks back up again, especially soaps. I will soon be able to make double the quantity of soap due to a new mould arriving soon. Each batch will be around 5 1/2 kilos, yielding 40 soaps at a time.

Right now, I'm out of the following products:

100ml Replenish - now in stock!
100ml and 250ml Hand & Body Cream - in stock!
Body Butter - now in stock! - fragrance different (my mistake, so $1.00 off)
Enriching Cleanser 130ml - now in stock!
Enriching Face Polish - now in stock!
Clarifying Cleanser 130ml - now in stock!
Gardener's Balm - now in stock!
Eye Make Up Remover - now in stock!
Rose Geranium Sugar Scrub
Peppermint Sugar Scrub
250ml & 500ml Pure Moisture Conditioner
Baby Bath 250ml- now in stock!
Baby Balm - now in stock!
Blackberry Sage Soap (1st Mar)
Lemongrass & Tea Tree Soap (6th Mar)
Limited Edition Soap ( 28th Mar)
Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Soap - low stocks, nearly sold out
Peppermint Choc Truffle - now in stock!

As products become available, I'll adjust this list. Apologies to my customers for delays in order fulfillment.

I will be looking at something new and exciting towards the end of the year which will mean greater quantities of products available at all times. Keep checking my blog for updates!

Welcome to Skinflint's newest wholesaler, Bremer Bay Community Resource Centre. Welcome also to Vicki Zaharis of Sydney and good luck with your new Home Salon.

Skinflint in Bremer Bay

2011-01-14T14:26:00.000+08:00

Skinflint products will now be available at the Bremer Bay Community Resource Centre in Mary St.

See, smell and try these products for yourself by popping along to the CRC on Tuesday. There will be a Skinflint stall from 11am to 2.30pm. This coincides with the School Holiday Kids Programme that the centre will be running, so you can take your children along to have some fun while you check out all the great Skinflint products.

Peppermint Choc Truffle

2011-01-09T11:41:00.000+08:00

A new batch of this gorgeous smelling soap is curing in the workshop. The smell is delicious, always making me want to go and make a peppermint choc chip ice cream. Maybe I will today!

This soap is excellent for ridding the body of any unwanted odour and is a favourite of people who work with animals such as pigs and sheep. It's very refreshing and leaves a delightful fragrance in the bathroom.

Formulated with coconut, palm kernel, olive and castor seed oils as well as a titch of beeswax for extra hardness, this soap is a mild one but with lots of creamy lather. Pure peppermint essential oil and cocoa are used to scent the soap, so there's nothing artificial in it at all.

At only $4.50 a bar, Skinflint soap is really affordable hand made soap.

Essential Soaps

2010-12-27T20:23:00.000+08:00

Skinflint has introduced a new range of soaps to the product range.
These soaps are made in Perth exclusively for Skinflint and are formulated with plant oils, botanicals and pure essential oils. They are triple milled to remove all water which makes them much harder and longer lasting than most soaps.

Available in five wonderful fragrances:
Coconut & Grapefruit - luscious citrus and tropical coconut
Exfoliating White Clay - kaolin with oatmeal loofah and a hint of citrus oil
Lavender - pure lavender essential oil with crushed lavender flowers
Rose Geranium - pure rose geranium essential oil with rose buds
Spice - a wonderful blend of spicy essential oils, making it an excellent soap for the men in your life

Large 200g soaps for $5.50

New Product!

2010-12-19T17:09:00.000+08:00

Sugar Scrub is back in the Skinflint product line up!

It has been re-formulated and has brand new packaging. These fabulous PET kilner jars have a clip top and the scrubs come with a little wooden scoop.
Two fragrances are available - Peppermint (pictured) and Rose Geranium.

Peppermint Sugar Scrub is fantastic for Foot Spas when used in conjunction with Mineral Salts as a soak and finished off with either Gardener's Balm or Body Butter for soft smooth feet that will look good in those summer sandals.

Rose Geranium is excellent for Hand Spas and all over body use in the shower.

Both contain pure essential oils and are formulated with rice bran and castor seed oils.

Only $15.00 for 225g of Sugar Scrub. A little goes a long way!

Price Rise in 2011

2010-12-19T17:03:00.000+08:00

Although prices will rise slightly next year, Skinflint products will still be great value for money.

The rise is due to the cost of a new and more natural preservative that will be used in Skinflint products from now on. This preservative is three times the cost of the one presently being used and twice as much is needed in the formulation, so the cost of preserving Skinflint products has increased six-fold.

Plantaserve P is a unique paraben-free and formaldehyde-free liquid blend preservative featuring phenoxyethanol as a primary active ingredient in an emollient base.

The change will occur gradually as new batches of each product are required. Body Butter and Clarifying Face Lotion now contain this new preservative, but the price for both these products will remain the same until January 2011.

Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Soap

2010-12-11T18:43:00.000+08:00

This is simply a gorgeous soap. It's formulated with coconut, palm kernel, olive and castor seed oils and has shea butter making it a really gentle soap for all the family.
OMH Soap contains buttermilk powder, honey powder and ground oats for a gentle exfoliating feel. It's lather is creamy and the scent absolutely divine. I've been smelling my hands all day after making this!

It's definitely a customer favourite as I've made five batches in the last three months and have sold out completely.

Travel Sizes Available with Purchase

2010-12-07T21:15:00.000+08:00

If you purchase any of the main products from the Enriching or Clarifying Skin Care Ranges, you can now receive a travel sized version of each product for a few extra dollars.

Cleansers, Toners and Face Lotions all have a travel sized product available. These are all under the 100ml airline policy requirement so can be taken on board a plane when travelling overseas or interstate.

Cleansers and Toners are only $5.00 extra, while Face Lotion is $10 extra when purchase alongside the full sized product.

New Reed Diffuser Fragrances

2010-11-30T15:13:00.001+08:00

Two new fragrances are now available in the Reed Diffuser Oils - Matcha Tea and Tropicana.

Matcha Tea is a type of green tea and has all the delightful fragrance of this, but is rounded out with citrus notes of bergamot, lemon and grapefruit. It's very fresh and suited to any area of the home.

Tropicana is a delicious blend of tropical fruits - papaya and pineapple and has a finish of amber to tone down the fruitiness. A great one for younger people, well suited to bedroom areas.

Reed Diffuser Oils are now coloured so they look really pretty in clear glass bottles. My daughter Jess has been scouring second hand shops for interesting glass bottles and jars. She found a wonderful jar with a silver lid with holes in it - perfect!

Reeds don't need to be turned. I've just learned this fact which has opened up new possibilities for decorating the reeds. For decorative ideas, you can add wooden or crystal beads to the ends of the reeds. look out for beads with larger holes and glue them on if the holes are a little too large.

Invasion of the Soap

2010-10-27T12:40:00.000+08:00

It's taking over my workshop! I have been making loads of soap lately as it's so popular and I'm beginning to run out of room to store it for curing.
I've had to do a much needed clear out of the Skinflint workshop shelves and have set up the curing racks there. The showroom smells divine with three different soaps curing plus the soy melts and the display soaps.

It was great to see some regular Skinflint customers and meet new customers at the Katanning Show on the weekend. I would love to hear from those who are new to Skinflint products. Any comments and feedback are welcome. Please email me with your comments or queries.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2010-10-20T12:52:00.001+08:00

Yes, I'm a busy little bee at the moment, making supplies for upcoming shows. Lip Balms yesterday and Gardener's Balm today. I can't do much more today as I have a Council Meeting this afternoon.

Gardener's Balm is a unique product that I created to help people who have trouble with really dry, cracked skin on their hands. Of course, it's not just for gardener's, it's excellent for farmers.
Gardener's Balm contains urea, a skin softener, plus allantoin which is known for it's healing properties. Olive Leaf Extract contains flavonoids which stimulate connective tissue and promote regular growth and balance in the skin. Olive and jojoba oils along with pure organic cocoa butter provide emolliency and softening to the skin.

I have a fabulous testimony from a customer who came to me last year at the Newdegate Field Days and showed me her cracked, bleeding hands. She helps her husband run a cattle farm and was despairing at what to do as working in the yards had become difficult with very sore hands. She went away with a tub of Gardener's Balm and two weeks later rang me to exclaim how thrilled she was that her hands were healing! I knew that the balm would help soften the skin in order to allow healing to take place, but had no idea that it would happen so quickly or so dramatically!

What wonderful news. She came to me in Newdegate again this year to show how good her hands were as she's been using Gardener's Balm religiously since then.

NEW PHOTOS
If you check out my website, you'll notice some lovely new photos. Kellie Guest (nee Dolan, from Nyabing) has been photographing all my products to ensure consistency throughout the website. Up until now, I've been taking them and they're a mish mash of different lighting, backgrounds and effects!

Such a horrible day weather wise today. Hot wind making everything even more dry than it is and now a movement ban so we can't shift any sheep to water. It's been a shocker of a season for grain farmers here and everyone will have to tighten their belt next year. It's good to know that I can provide good quality skin care products at reasonable prices so my local and other farming customers will still be able to afford Skinflint