"Design It Yourself" Skincare

The Infamous "Secret Squirrel" Project

2009-11-24T10:17:00.008-05:00

secret (sē'krĭt) n. - Something kept hidden from others or known only to oneself or to a few.
squirrel (skwûr'əl) v. - To store up (tangible items or intangible ideas), usually well beyond one's needs. Hoard, stockpile, treasure.
secret squirrel (sē'krĭt - skwûr'əl) adj. - 1. Something top-secret; 2. A nickname for intelligence officers and their activities; or 3. A cartoon squirrel spy satirizing James Bond.

What the heck is a "Secret Squirrel" anyway? In my family, a "secret squirrel" anything is something deemed super-secret or top-secret. Therefore, a "Secret Squirrel Project" is a project that is top-secret.

If you follow us on Twitter and our Facebook Fan Page, you may be wondering about our "Secret Squirrel Project"...

Our Secret Squirrel Project has been a nearly year-long search for a new warehouse to house BathBodySupply.com! Since January of 2009 we have been viewing properties, looking at retail locations and warehouses and researching locations until we located a building which suits our immediate needs with the ability to expand as necessary.

We have had several locations fall through over the last few months for various reasons, so we made a collective decision to wait until we were nearly ready to move in to announce the news. We still have a building re-inspection and an occupancy inspection to complete over the next couple of weeks before we can set a move in date, but we are tentatively planning to move between the Christmas and New Years holidays.
The new facility will not be open to the public due to sanitation requirements and zoning which prohibits retail shopping. However, local customers will be able to place orders online and schedule a pick up from our new facility to save on shipping costs.

We will be updating you as each of the next few phases are completed. We thank each and every one of our loyal customers who have helped to make this expansion possible. We look forward to continuing to serve you in 2010!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

On Sale! Natural Lip Balm Base

2009-11-23T09:06:00.002-05:00

Our Natural Lip Balm Base offers exceptional protection for lips. Containing castor bean oil, hemp oil, olive oil, shea butter and meadowfoam seed oil, this base is ideal for chapped winter lips. With added vitamin E, it is very stable to oxidation. The hemp oil contains additional vitamins, minerals and Omega 3 & 6.

For every 16oz container, you can expect a yield of 64 - 1/4oz pots. This base is not acceptable for Lip STICK type containers.

Before you Start

You will need a double boiler, thermometer, ladle, rubber spatula for stirring, glass or plastic pitcher, lip balm pots or jars:

Place Lip Balm Base into double boiler and set your burner to medium.
Items will melt in less than 1 hour, if you have a thermometer, check temperature, it should be around 65-70c / 140-160f.
Use Micas or Pigments for these oil based products. Add your colors and mix thoroughly. Pour a small amount in a clear container and wait for it to set for 20-30 minutes. You will notice the colors tend to lighten as the product goes opaque.
Only add Flavor Fragrance Oils deemed suitable for Lip Products. Strength will vary on the type of scent.
Pour into your choice of containers.

Tip

If product is poured too hot, you will notice when cooling a well or dip in the center of the product.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Video Tutorial: Whipped Shea Butter

2009-11-19T12:52:00.003-05:00

This video shows how to make Whipped Shea Butter from just 2 ingredients!

You will need:
Shea Butter
Shea Olein

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Tei Fu Essential Oil Blend

2009-11-18T11:51:00.002-05:00

Tei Fu Essential Oil Blend is derived from an ancient Chinese formula used to soothe aching muscles and stiff joints. Applied to the temples and back of the neck, it often relieves headaches. However, the oil must not be near the eyes or they may be irritated by the strong fragrance. The scent of this essential oil blend has been described as a "Be My Valentine" candy heart!

For congestion or just to enjoy aroma in the air, place a few drops of the oil in a small pan with water. The hotter the water, the more these oils evaporate into the air, acting as a disinfectant, deodorizer, and mood enhancer.This blend is safe for diffuser use as well. This is a pure, concentrated essential oil blend, if using for massage then it needs to be diluted in your favorite carrier oil or massage oil.

Tei Fu Blend contains camphor, peppermint, wintergreen with some sweetening floral oils and absolutes as minor components.

Camphor Oil is an effective stimulant. It stimulates circulation, metabolism, digestion, secretions and excretion, thereby helping problems and ailments associated with improper circulation, obstructed secretions etc. Camphor can be toxic if ingested and should be used topically in small amounts. Camphor Oil is an excellent disinfectant, insecticide and germicide. The strong penetrating aroma of Camphor Oil is a powerful decongestant. It immediately opens up congestions of bronchi, larynx, pharynx, nasal tracts and lungs. It is therefore used in many decongestant balms and cold rubs.

Peppermint contains menthol, which helps in clearing the respiratory tract. It is an effective expectorant and therefore provides instantaneous, though temporary, relief in numerous respiratory problems including nasal congestion, sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, cold and cough. As a result, it is used in numerous cold rubs. When these cold rubs are rubbed on the chest, they assist in clearing nasal and respiratory congestion. Peppermint oil can be used externally to provide relief from pain. It is believed that the presence of calcium antagonism in peppermint oil aids in removing pain. It is cooling in nature and therefore helps reduce fever.

Wintergreen Oil increases circulation of blood and brings warmth to the application site. The relaxing and stimulating effect of this oil fights spasm in the respiratory, muscular, nervous systems and gives relief from congestion in chest, breathing troubles, asthma, spasmodic coughs, muscular cramps and nervous disorders.

This blend is excellent in massage oils and lotions or use it as is in a diffuser or humidifier.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Holiday Hours & Lead Times

2009-11-17T12:04:00.000-05:00

We are getting positive feedback that shows and holiday venues have picked up considerably which means the number of orders entering production has increased dramatically. Order processing times have increased to 3-4 days. Please plan accordingly.

Orders containing Custom Scented/Colored items will not ship same day, regardless of delivery method chosen. Please add 3-4 business days processing time to UPS time in transit to estimate delivery of your order.

As a reminder, there is limited UPS service the week of Thanksgiving. BathBodySupply.com warehouse and offices are closed on 11/26 & 11/27.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Back It Up (Or Lose It)!

2009-11-16T20:51:00.002-05:00

I'm not referring to some obscure dance or operating heavy machinery, I'm talking about your data! One of our company PC's has been exhibiting the warning signs of failure for about a month.

To be fair, it's a dinosaur of a PC and had already been slated for replacement. When the first warnings appeared, I made a mental note to speed up the replacement process and then I manually updated all of the backup systems we have in place (especially on this particular computer).

What's that, you say? You never back up your systems? You don't store external copies of your data on an external hard drive, online or on flash sticks? Let me explain what would happen if our system did not have a backup in place:

Our PC's run corporate accounting software. Without a backup, we would lose all accounting information for this year. It's November. That's a lot of data to have to re-calculate.
Our PC's house stock images and advertising materials. Without a backup, all of this expensive material would be rendered useless.
Our PC's store batch data for all of the products we make, product formulas, supplier information and other sensitive information. Without a backup, things would quickly get cranky and confusing around here.
Our PC's run Outlook for email. Without a backup, all of that data disappears in the blink of an eye.

Backing up your data (all files, folders, programs), means you'll need to save your data to a disk, CD or location other than your computers hard drive. For example, you can save your data to:

1) Zip disk - You'll need a zip drive.
2) CD or DVD - You'll need a CD or DVD burner.
3) External hard drive - These are less expensive now than they used to be. Compact flash drives are now available that can hold a few backups with room to spare. We use a Seagate external hard drive.
4) Secure, Web-based file storage service - These are online services where you can save your data. The benefit here is that your data is stored in a physically remote place so floods and fire or other catastrophes in your office area won't affect them. Carbonite is a web-based system recommended by another business owner.

Most importantly, you will need to change your habits and make backing up a common occurrence. Some companies back up data once a week (usually Friday). We back up our most sensitive data like Quickbooks daily and boy are we glad we do! While backing up does not ensure you will never lose data, it stacks the odds in your favor that more of the data will be recoverable.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Limited Edition Body Scrub Poll

2009-11-12T15:08:00.001-05:00

Each quarter, we are now introducing two (2) Limited Edition Body Scrubs to be available seasonally.

The Limited Edition Body Scrubs for Q4 of 2009 are:

Pumpkin Sugar Scrub

Frank & Myrrh Sugar Scrub

These two Limited Edition Scrubs will be laid to rest in early January. In December, we will introduce the two NEW Limited Edition Scrubs for Q1 of 2010.

We need your help! Which scrub fragrances from the poll listed in the right hand column embody January-March? Stand and Be Counted by selecting your choices from the poll!

You can view our stock Body Scrub Bases here! (Limited Edition Scrubs are offered in addition to stock bases for a 3 month period of time before they are replaced.)

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Last Day To Win Is 11/30/09!

2009-11-11T14:59:00.000-05:00

We want your feedback! Did you know you can review the products you purchase from us at the bottom of any product pages of our website? Your comments help other shoppers make informed decisions regarding the purchases they make!

Plus, from now until the end of the year, we will choose one comment per month to be featured on our blog and to receive a $20.00 gift certificate good towards goodies at BathBodySupply.com!

You may only review products you have purchased in the past and you must be logged into your account online to be eligible! Wednesday is the final day to submit your feedback for the month of September and Thursday we will choose the winner! You can submit feedback on as many products as you wish as long as you follow the pre-stated requirements! More entries under your account means more chances to win!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Save 10% on 16 oz Massage Oil Bases

2009-11-10T15:19:00.000-05:00

It's a great time to try out (or stock up on) our Massage Oil Bases!

Massage is the practice of soft tissue manipulation. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading," or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle". An older etymology may even have been the Hebrew me-sakj "to anoint with oil". Massage oil is used as an aid in this treatment to provide "slip" in the manipulation of the skin.

All of our massage oil bases will accept fragrance or essential oils; including the very popular CERMT Aromatherapy Blend highlighted yesterday. The natural color of these bases ranges from Amber to Yellow.

For a Limited Time, you can save 10% on all 16 oz Massage Oil Bases!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

CERMT Aromatherapy Blend

2009-11-09T19:37:00.002-05:00

CERtified Massage Therapists and Aromatherapists used this blend on the rescue workers during the 9/11 crisis in New York City. CERtified Massage Therapist Essential Oil Blend contains oils including Wild Crafted Lavender, Organic Rosemary, Organic Eucalyptus, Organic Fir, Organic Naiouli, Organic Tea Tree and Peppermint Super. Originally developed to go into massage oil, this blend is safe for diffuser use as well. This is a pure, concentrated essential oil blend, if using for massage then it needs to be diluted in your favorite carrier oil or massage oil.

Lavender essential oil is probably the most well-known and most-used essential oil. It promotes burn and wound-healing, is safe to apply 100 percent neat to the skin, and is also good for bruises and scrapes. Lavender essential oil has a characteristic fragrance. Lavender also has a profound affect on the mental and emotional affect, with low doses acting as a sedative and high doses as a stimulant.
Rosemary essential oil is a warming, stimulating oil, with the characteristic fragrance of the rosemary herb. Its stimulant properties include its affect on the nervous system and brain. It is also sometimes used for treating headaches (with other oils like lavender and peppermint). Another common use for rosemary essential oil is for alleviating muscular aches and pains or rheumatic pains, for which it is classed as possessing analgesic properties. It is also sometimes used in skin-care, and especially in shampoos. However, high percentages can be irritating in some people.
Eucalyptus essential oil is well-know for its use (in steam inhalations) as an expectorant, for colds, coughs, flu, etc. Of all the different varieties of eucalyptus, the radiata is considered by most aromatherapists to be the best choice for most therapeutic uses, as it is milder than most of the others, yet just as effective. Eucalyptus oil is also cooling, stimulating, anti-infectious, astringent and anti-inflammatory.
Fir Needle essential oil is mainly known by aromatherapists for its excellent expectorant properties, making it ideal for use in steam inhalations for head and lung infections. Its other properties include as an analgesic for the relief of muscular pain and rheumatic and arthritic pain. Fir essential oil also is reputed to help alleviate anxiety and stress.
Niaouli essential oil is one of the oils from the family that tea tree belongs to. It is higher in cineole than tea tree, and lower in terpinen-4-ol, so its properties could almost be described as being intermediate between tea tree and eucalyptus. This oil is strongly antiseptic and also has expectorant properties, so is often used in steam inhalations for respiratory tract infections. It is also recommended for use in cleaning wounds and burns, as it also has analgesic and antirheumatic properties, it is sometimes used in the relief of joint pain and muscle aches and pains.
Tea Tree essential oil is so well-known that most people have some familiarity with its properties, including its very strong antiseptic and antimicrobial action. It is often the oil of first choice for use against any form of bacterial, fungal, or viral infection, including flu, colds, skin infections and head lice. It also has immunostimulant properties, in that it stimulates the body's immune system into action. Tea tree essential oil is also often used for its strong antiseptic properties for cleansing wounds of all types, including insect bites, stings, and also burns.
Peppermint essential oil is one of the most stimulating of all the oils. Its unique fragrance is unmistakable and uplifting. It is also a very cooling oil, great to apply a drop or two neat on the forehead for a tension headache, but be very careful to keep it well away from the eyes and other mucous membrane areas, as it stings these areas severely. Alongside its cooling effect, it also has vascoconstrictive properties, ie. it constrincts the blood vessels, which also is associated with it being a tonic for the lymphatic system.

This blend is excellent in massage oils and lotions or use it as is in a diffuser or humidifier.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

We're in Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine (Nov 2009)

2009-11-06T10:27:00.003-05:00

Our Old Fashioned Root Beer Body Scrub is on page 49 of this months Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine!

Check us out in the column titled "Get Your Fix" - Safe Indulgences for Pregnant Women

The Root Beer Scrub shown is available at our sister site: www.SmellNoEvil.net

Allison B. Kontur
Smell No Evil, Ltd.

Video Tutorial: Simple Pumpkin Sugar Scrub

2009-11-06T01:21:00.002-05:00

This video shows how to make a Pumpkin Sugar Scrub from just 4 ingredients!

Not feeling crafty? We carry pre-formulated Body Scrub bases ready for you to scent or we can Custom Scent our pre-made base for you from over 100 stock fragrance choices!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Life Support System: Letting Your Soul Catch Up

2009-11-04T09:47:00.001-05:00

When you own your own business, it isn't uncommon to burn the candle at both ends. It's important to find balance between your work life and your personal life and although these are often one and the same, sometimes you just need to take a break.

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is reading and I am a big fan of Steve Goodier's Life Support System. Click the link below for some very wise words from Steve about balance:

Life Support System: Letting Your Soul Catch Up

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

New! Natural Kraft Gable Box

2009-11-03T17:03:00.000-05:00

Handy Gable Boxes are great for gift sets or as an alternative to a bag for lighter, take away items. Natural Kraft boxes offer a versatile look that can be personalized any number of ways (labels, stamping or other decorative accents).

Made in the USA of 100% recycled kraft paper, you can feel good about buying local and protecting the environment!

Box dimensions measure: 8 x 4.875 x 5.25"

Looks great paired with our Natural Crinkled Paper Filler!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

October Product Feedback Winner!

2009-11-02T15:43:00.001-05:00

Kim from Milford, PA

Product: BTDS10 - Botanical Dead Sea Salts - CUSTOM - (10 lbs)

Feedback: "I have ordered the fine grain botanical dead sea salts and they have been selling very well and i just love it for myself, it is soothing and detoxifying."

Kim, you have won yourself a $20.00 gift certificate good towards goodies at BathBodySupply.com! Check your email for your coupon code!

We appreciate your feedback! For more information on how to enter, visit our blog post here! Remember, we will be choosing one comment per month through the end of 2009. You can re-qualify each month by giving more feedback on products you have purchased! The more feedback you give, the more times you are entered to win!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Video Tutorial: Making Clear Linen Sprays

2009-10-30T18:27:00.000-04:00

This video shows how trial and error helped us solve a readers problem manufacturing clear linen spray products. Whether you prefer a clear product or not, we've vlogged about 6 separate formulas for making your own linen sprays from scratch!

Not feeling crafty? We carry pre-formulated Linen Spray bases ready for you to scent or we can Custom Scent our pre-made base for you from over 100 stock fragrance choices!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Manufacturing Non-Beverage Alcohol Products - Where Do I Start?

2009-10-29T11:29:00.009-04:00

Feeling undeterred by the taxes, fees and regulatory documentation required for your company to be compliant in manufacturing/shipping non-beverage alcohol products discussed here and here?

You will need to acquaint yourself with the regulatory agencies involved:

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB.gov): http://www.ttb.gov/ssd/faqs.shtml#no

Information for Specially Denatured Spirits Applicants (Application): http://www.ttb.gov/tax_audit/p51503.pdf

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF.gov): http://www.atf.gov/alcohol/alfd.htm

US Food & Drug Administration (FDA.gov): http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/DOCKETS/02n0278/02n-0278-c000024-vol3.pdf

US Dept. of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA): http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat

US Dept. of Transportation: http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/

International Air Transport Association: http://www.iata.org/training/regulation-compliance/

Ohio State Liquor License Agency: http://www.com.ohio.gov/liqr/docs/liqr_ResourceDirectory.pdf (You will need to check with your own state liquor license agency to be sure you are within local compliance requirements)

US Postal Service (USPS.com): http://www.usps.com/aviationsecurity/

United Parcel Service (UPS.com): Hazmat Service Definition

Federal Express (FedEx.com): Hazmat Service Definition

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Shipping Hazardous Materials - What's the Law?

2009-10-28T11:04:00.001-04:00

If you missed our discussion regarding the regulation of alcohol in cosmetics, see our post here to get up to speed.

Once you have procured an ATF license to ship products containing alcohol and paid the required fees, you still need to be aware of the requirements for shipping dangerous goods. Two organizations govern shipping of dangerous goods like alcohol.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has created rules for shipping dangerous goods by ground transport. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has rules for shipping dangerous goods by air. The IATA rules are much more stringent than the DOT ground shipping rules.

Specially Denatured Alcohol (often called Perfumers Alcohol) is defined as a dangerous good because of its flammability. Bulk shipments of SDA alcohols or products containing SDA alcohols must conform to the shipping rules. These rules include selection of the proper container, proper labeling of the container and any packaging, and the preparation of appropriate shipping documents. Additionally, training is required for all shippers to ensure compliance with these requirements.

For the producers of consumer products, exemptions from these rules do exist. DOT allows an exemption from the labeling and documentation requirements for consumer commodities. IATA, however, DOES NOT allow an exemption. Consumer commodities are defined as products which are packaged and designed for direct use by consumers, like a bottle of perfume or linen spray.

Both DOT and IATA rules provide limits on the size and construction of the inner containers as well as the amount of product per package. Air Parcel, Express and Priority Mail are air shipments. United States Postal Service (USPS) forbids shipment of alcohol via these services. Parcel Post may be used, but there are limits on the percentage of alcohol that may be shipped using this method. Refer to www.usps.com for more details. Additionally, your outer boxes must be labeled "ORM-D" and "inner packings comply with prescribed requirements".

UPS ground service is the simplest option for the shipment of consumer commodities. Even they have some restrictions, though.

1) UPS will not accept consumer commodities at UPS Stores or drop-off locations
2) you must have a UPS account and pick-up service
3) UPS will also accept consumer commodities for air shipments if you label and document the shipments correctly. Expensive third party software is required for documentation of all UPS air shipments plus a $35 fee applies to EACH shipment.

UPS ground shipments have several requirements.

1) All packages must weigh less than 20 pounds if packed in EC32 boxes (the most common type of single wall box)
2) a label bearing the notation "ORM-D" and the statement "inner packings comply with prescribed requirements" must be affixed to the outside of the box
3) the inner packages must be tightly sealed and properly cushioned to prevent breakage and spillage. All lids must be sealed to prevent opening during transit. Tape or tamper-evident seals are required. Secondary containment, such as over-bagging, is also desirable.
4.) Glass, metal or plastic containers may be used. Glass containers may hold no more than 500 mL. Metal or plastic containers may hold up to one liter.

While these are ground restrictions, air shipments may require smaller containers and/or additional documentation to be within compliance.

As you can see, there is a great deal of paperwork and expense involved in shipment and resale of hazardous materials. While SD Alcohol has its place in cosmetic formulating, it is important to educate yourself on the safety and regulation of any and all products that you manufacture and/or ship so that you are aware of the requirements. Feigning ignorance or hoping to skirt around the issue do both your business and your clients a huge disservice. Remember, no attorney or court will accept the excuse that, "such and such company is doing it, so we did it too". Save yourself unnecessary hassle and expense by educating yourself about compliance, you'll be glad you did!

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Beverage Alcohol & Cosmetics - What's the Law?

2009-10-27T17:06:00.000-04:00

We get a lot of questions from those making perfumes, linen sprays or other cosmetics using drinking (beverage) alcohol like Vodka. The law regarding beverage alcohol in cosmetics and toiletries is finite. You may NOT legally sell skincare products manufactured with beverage alcohol.

The Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms rules concerning the use of alcohol in cosmetics are straightforward and fairly easy to understand.

The first ATF rule is that beverage alcohol MAY NOT BE USED in cosmetics. Technically, the ATF considers you to be selling beverage alcohol without a license, proper reporting and payment of taxes.

The FDA also has specific rules about the use of alcohol. The FDA rule is straightforward: Bitrex must be added to prevent ingestion and accidental poisoning with no exceptions.

Specially denatured alcohol (SDA) must be used but only in certain approved formulas. Some denatured alcohol formulas contain toxic compounds that are not suitable for skin contact. These forbidden formulas include the paint and lacquer thinners available from the hardware store. Formulas that are legal for use in cosmetics may be directly distributed only to permitted users.

Many of the legal formulas contain compounds such as phthalates and coumarins. Some formulas use essential oils as denaturants, but this can restrict your fragrance choices as these products will smell like whichever essential oil was used as a denaturant. SDA 40 B is one of the more popular choices because it is denatured with other alcohols and Bitrex.

Once you have chosen the SDA alcohol you need for your project, you must legally obtain it in order to use it in your formulation. Sellers of SDA alcohol must possess an ATF permit to sell such material and may only sell SDA alcohol to a permitted user. A permitted user is someone or an organization that registers with ATF and pays the $250 annual tax. (NOTE: Only users and sellers of SDA alcohol are required to pay the $250 per year tax.)

Obtaining a permit from ATF simply allows you to obtain SD alcohol. It does not allow you to sell products made from it. ATF must approve your formula before you can begin selling. You must submit your formula and possibly samples to the ATF national laboratory for examination where an ATF agent will approve or reject your formula. Once your formula is approved, it may be sold without restriction to unlicensed individuals who may use it as they desire, but no one may attempt to convert it to beverage alcohol.

Tomorrow we will discuss shipping restrictions for products containing alcohol.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Nylon Mesh Bath Puffs - Update

2009-10-26T16:28:00.004-04:00

We have been notified by the producer of our Nylon Mesh Bath Puffs that they will no longer manufacture the small 30 gram size and will no longer offer any color other than white in the large 50 gram size.

We have limited quantities available of colored bath puffs online. By the end of the day, we will have an exact count of the remaining inventory.

If you are looking for an inexpensive accessory to add to gift bags/baskets for the upcoming holidays, now is a great time to stock up on these puffs. Both the 30 gram and 50 gram sizes are compact and tightly constructed. The mesh used in the construction of these items is a dense, tightly woven material (not the loosely woven construction commonly seen in discount stores, etc.).

We will continue to stock the White 50 gram Nylon Mesh Bath Puffs. Unless we are successful locating another supplier of high-quality, affordable, colored puffs we will no longer be able to stock the colored versions.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

The Importance of Communication

2009-10-21T18:30:00.003-04:00

Our website was down for nearly 6 hours on Tuesday. We received no advance warning and there was very little communication from our web host during the outage. As you can imagine, we were a bit flummoxed trying to determine the cause and navigate the consequent lack of communication.

This morning we received the following email from the COO of Volusion, our webhost:

As you likely noticed, we experienced a critical hardware failure yesterday that resulted in your storefront not functioning properly. We take full responsibility for this incident; our mission is to help you succeed online, and yesterday we didn't live up to that promise. We apologize for the issues this caused you and your customers.

In addition to the technical issues, we also did not communicate with you throughout the incident as we should have. In our efforts to get your store back up and running, we neglected to keep you informed.

While I cannot promise that problems will never arise, I can promise that we are committed to mitigating future issues in a way that minimizes the impact on your business. I've attached a technical explanation of what occurred yesterday to the bottom of this message.

Sincerely,

Clay Olivier
Chief Operating Officer
Volusion

Technical Root Cause Analysis

Early yesterday, one of our blade server chassis lost connectivity to our Storage Area Network. This resulted in many of our customers experiencing downtime or errors on their storefronts.

Upon identification of the issue, we immediately brought HP on-site. After extensive troubleshooting, HP engineers diagnosed the issue as a failed mid-plane within the chassis. The engineers replaced the mid-plane, and all connections were restored.

This is the second HP mid-plane that has failed in the past 30 days. While the chances of two failures of a similar nature are very remote, HP was able to confirm this to be the case. Based on the serial numbers of the two failed components, we have reason to believe that both came from a bad batch. We are researching this further with the help of HP's labs, as well as performing a full audit on all of our HP equipment

We recognize the impact that yesterday's outage may have had on your business. We are working diligently with HP to prevent a recurrence of this issue in the future.

While this update provides much more insight into the problem that severed our connection with our online customers, I can't help but feel that a little transparency from the beginning would have saved a lot of anger. Not to mention the subsequent finger-pointing that occurred on Twitter as those who were affected desperately tried to get immediate answers using the only medium readily available to them (A very public medium).

What's your company policy? Do you believe in being transparent up front or do you prefer to fly by the seat of your pants and follow up with damage control later?

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Video Tutorial: Scented Straw Brooms/Wreaths - P2

2009-10-20T19:43:00.001-04:00

This video (Part 2 of 2) shows how easy it is to scent and/or refresh home decor items using Manufacturers Grade Fragrance Oil.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Website Issues

2009-10-20T16:23:00.006-04:00

*UPDATE: As of 6:00PM EST, the site appears to be up and functioning as per normal. If you encounter any difficulties, please contact us!

Since approximately noon eastern time today, our website, Live Chat and email have been unavailable. Our ecommerce software is hosted through Volusion, and while we have rarely ever had down time since we started using Volusion service, today has been an exception.

Email was restored at approximately 3:00PM EST, but we still do not have Live Chat capabilities and when trying to access our site, you will likely receive a "Page Not Found" or "Server Timed Out" error. We have been assured by Volusion that most other stores have been restored and that the remaining "few" (ours is apparently one of the "few") will be restored shortly.

We apologize for any inconvenience this causes as you are trying to place your order or find product information. We are accepting orders by phone: 330-467-1637, fax: 330-467-2166 or via email: admin [at] bathbodysupply [dot] com until this issue is resolved.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Video Tutorial: Scented Straw Brooms/Wreaths - P1

2009-10-19T13:24:00.002-04:00

This video (Part 1 of 2) shows how easy it is to scent and/or refresh home decor items using Manufacturers Grade Fragrance Oil.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Balms, Ointments, Creams & Salves - What's in a name?

2009-10-15T13:10:00.009-04:00

In a recent interview, I was asked how to avoid getting stuck in a rut as a business owner. Part of my reply was that you should challenge yourself every day by learning something new.

Today, I am researching the difference between a Balm, an Ointment, a Cream and a Salve. All of these products appear to contain moisturizing ingredients, but their technical uses are very, very different.

A Balm (also called liniment) is traditionally a medicated topical preparation to be applied to the skin. The viscosity (thickness) of a balm is somewhere between that of a lotion and a cream or ointment. However, unlike a lotion, a balm requires friction and must be rubbed or massaged into the skin for proper application. Most balms or liniments are sold to relieve pain and stiffness such as sore muscles or arthritis and are typically formulated with fast-evaporating solvents such as alcohol or counterirritants such as menthol or capsaicin. (This definition excludes Lip Balm which will be discussed in another post).

An Ointment is a semisolid product generally consisting of 80% Oils and 20% Water to provide a barrier on the skin which prevents moisture-loss. An ointment may or may not be medicated. They are used as emollients or for the application of active ingredients (such as herbal infusions, tinctures or medications) to the skin for protective or therapeutic purposes. Ointments allow slower delivery of active ingredients as the lower percentage of water content prevents excessive evaporation.

A Cream is a semi-solid emulsion of oil and water in approximately equal proportions which penetrates the outer layer of skin. Creams are generally applied with ones fingers or palms. Creams are easy to apply but may be inappropriate for application to regions of hairy skin such as the scalp, while a lotion is less viscous and may be readily applied to these areas. Creams create a barrier on the skin, help skin retain moisture and help to soften and smooth skin.

A Salve is an ointment, cream or balm with soothing, healing or calming effects. Generally, salves are used as an adhesive substance for application to wounds or sores.

So, while all for of these products create varying levels of a barrier on the skin, the purpose of the barrier is not necessarily the same. It is important to note that Balms, Ointments and Salves may all be associated with the delivery of medications or other drugs. If you are using active ingredients that fall into this category, your product may be regulated by the FDA as a Drug rather than a Cosmetic. This can create an issue if you are making claims about a product that you have not proven through proper testing and certification. The simple act of naming your product can create an issue if the end user will "imply" a specific use for the product (even if that implication is made in name only). Keep this in mind when naming your products and remember, if you can't PROVE it, you can't CLAIM it.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com