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July 2011
We hope you're keeping snug and warm and that the cold winter chills and sniffles haven't gotten hold of you! But just in case we've got an all-natural Chest Rub Balm (Vicks vapor rub equivalent) recipe to help keep them at bay. Also a delicious Chocolate Lip Balm recipe for when you have to brave the outside world and can't take your hot cocoa with you!
But first here's how to work out how to make your favourite products in your own home for a fraction of the price!
Interpreting ingredients' listings
It's fun to look at the back of a label and see what the product is made of and see if we can replicate it.
Let's look at Burt's Bees Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Acai Berry.
The ingredients list is:
sunflower oil
coconut oil
beeswax
aroma
castor oil
lanolin
acai oil
licorice extract
rosemary leaf extract
vitamin E
soybean oil
canola oil
limonene
linalool
Ingredients are always listed in volume order, with the highest first. So we know that sunflower oil has the highest volume and linalool the lowest.
When making a balm, 85% of the ingredients are oils and 15% beeswax.
So let's make 100g which won't test our maths skills as 1% will equal 1g.
Step 1: Go down the list and find beeswax. We know this will be 15% or 15g.
Step 2: Now go down to Vit E. This is usually used at 1%, therefore 1g.
Everything below Vit E is equal to or less than 1% (1g), so we'll make them 0.5% (0.5g) each, total 2g for those four ingredients.
Step 3: We have the six ingredients from aroma to extracts. Extracts are used at anything between 1% and 5%. Let's make them 5g each. I don't know what is meant by 'aroma'. It's too high up the list to be an essential oil and it would have been listed as such if it were. So I'll add it to castor oil and make castor 10g. So these all add up to 30g, making our total now 48g.
Step 4: We have sunflower and coconut oils left and 52g to play with. Let's make sunflower 30g and coconut oil 22g.
NB: The extracts will have to be oil based. We can't add water to a balm.
Limonene & linalool are constituents of essential oils which are impossible to buy so instead use an essential oil.
Here's our final balm recipe:
30g sunflower oil
22g coconut oil
15g beeswax
10g castor oil
5g lanolin
5g acai oil
5g licorice root extract
5g rosemary leaf extract
1g Vit E
0.5g soybean oil
0.5g canola oil
0.5g essential oil of choice
0.5g essential oil of choice
To put your own stamp on it, substitute another oil or extract for the ones here, but keep to the basic formula of 85g oils/15g beeswax. If your scales only weigh in 2g increments, make it 84g/16g.
Email or facebook us any ingredients' listing you want analysed in our next newsletter or on facebook. It would be good to get others' input as well.
New ingredients:
shampoo thickener; shea butter oil; cedarwood Virginiana essential oil
SPECIALS: We have meadowfoam seed oil at an amazing price. Also we managed to buy some of our fragrance oils really well so prices have dropped: chocolate, rose and traditional vanilla.
RECIPES
Make your own Vicks-like Chest Rub
71g oil (olive, almond, apricot or peach kernel)
15g beeswax
6g camphor EO
4g menthol crystals
2g eucalyptus blue gum EO
1g cedarwood Virginiana EO
1g nutmeg EO
Chocolate lip balm
It's divine! I'm always tempted to have it for lunch.
52g coconut oil
20g beeswax
16g natural cocoa butter
10g chocolate (Save the rest for the next batch. Yeah, right!)
1g Vit E
1g chocolate fragrance oil
As with all balms, just melt the beeswax and oils gently in a double boiler, then add the essential oils and pour into containers. Can be done in a microwave too. Very important to add the EOs/FOs after heating. They all have flashpoints and it's scary seeing them reach them in a pot or microwave.
Freight rates
These would be the biggest bone of contention we face. We are testing new options based on weight, instead of location. So far I'm not convinced it'll work.
To calculate weight, just add up all the ml and g. Treat them as the same. If it's more than 2000g/ml (2kg), then it's $11.
You may be interested in the costs and charges. I'm including $1 to $1.50 depending on size for packaging costs.
Nationwide under 2kg costs us $7.06 (we charge $7)
Nationwide 2kg to 10kg costs us $12.37 (we charge $11)
Rural delivery under 2kg costs us $11.49 (we charge $11)
Rural delivery 2kg to 10kg costs us $16.80 (we charge $11)
We are really reluctant to charge what it actually costs.
For two days we trialled an under 250g option in an A5 courier bag for $4, but it was a disaster. Very few people could calculate 250g so we had everyone clicking that option. Ouch! Which meant we had to spend heaps of time emailing people asking for more money. Made us feel very mean minded. It sounds miserable asking for another few dollars but multiply that few dollars by a few hundred orders over a month and we're losing big time. Our prices are so keen we can't afford to lose too much on freight.
I have to admit at this stage the freight based on weight isn't working. People are now clicking the $7 option no matter what the weight. So we're back to emailing for more money.
Any suggestions would be very welcome please.
Meanwhile I think I'll make myself some of Gillian's calming oil . . .
Gillian's advice
Gillian Parkinson, aromatologist, based in Wellington, Le'Esscience (www.LeEsscience.co.nz)
Brilliant Immunity Boosting Essential Oils to fend off Winter Bugs & Nasties!
Essential oils are so effective for boosting the immunity system. Applied in a carrier-oil-based blend to the chest and neck, under arms & groin glands daily for a week or two can help to fend off any lurking colds & flus - or if the bugs all have you, apply the blend 3-4x a day for 3-4 days & it will be gone in no time!
Highly recommended essential oils with immunostimulants are rosewood, palmarosa, lemon, fragonia, eucalyptus (blue gum), lavender. Combine 3-5 of these in a body blend and use in a steam inhalation, and you will be well in no time at all!
A good blend for this is:
30mls of carrier oil (grape seed, sweet almond, apricot kernel)
3 drops of fragonia
2 drops of eucalytpus blue gum
2 drops of lavender
2 drops of rosewood
It will help you to be nice and calm too!
Regards
Elinor and Chelsea
But first here's how to work out how to make your favourite products in your own home for a fraction of the price!
Interpreting ingredients' listings
It's fun to look at the back of a label and see what the product is made of and see if we can replicate it.
Let's look at Burt's Bees Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Acai Berry.
The ingredients list is:
sunflower oil
coconut oil
beeswax
aroma
castor oil
lanolin
acai oil
licorice extract
rosemary leaf extract
vitamin E
soybean oil
canola oil
limonene
linalool
Ingredients are always listed in volume order, with the highest first. So we know that sunflower oil has the highest volume and linalool the lowest.
When making a balm, 85% of the ingredients are oils and 15% beeswax.
So let's make 100g which won't test our maths skills as 1% will equal 1g.
Step 1: Go down the list and find beeswax. We know this will be 15% or 15g.
Step 2: Now go down to Vit E. This is usually used at 1%, therefore 1g.
Everything below Vit E is equal to or less than 1% (1g), so we'll make them 0.5% (0.5g) each, total 2g for those four ingredients.
Step 3: We have the six ingredients from aroma to extracts. Extracts are used at anything between 1% and 5%. Let's make them 5g each. I don't know what is meant by 'aroma'. It's too high up the list to be an essential oil and it would have been listed as such if it were. So I'll add it to castor oil and make castor 10g. So these all add up to 30g, making our total now 48g.
Step 4: We have sunflower and coconut oils left and 52g to play with. Let's make sunflower 30g and coconut oil 22g.
NB: The extracts will have to be oil based. We can't add water to a balm.
Limonene & linalool are constituents of essential oils which are impossible to buy so instead use an essential oil.
Here's our final balm recipe:
30g sunflower oil
22g coconut oil
15g beeswax
10g castor oil
5g lanolin
5g acai oil
5g licorice root extract
5g rosemary leaf extract
1g Vit E
0.5g soybean oil
0.5g canola oil
0.5g essential oil of choice
0.5g essential oil of choice
To put your own stamp on it, substitute another oil or extract for the ones here, but keep to the basic formula of 85g oils/15g beeswax. If your scales only weigh in 2g increments, make it 84g/16g.
Email or facebook us any ingredients' listing you want analysed in our next newsletter or on facebook. It would be good to get others' input as well.
New ingredients:
shampoo thickener; shea butter oil; cedarwood Virginiana essential oil
SPECIALS: We have meadowfoam seed oil at an amazing price. Also we managed to buy some of our fragrance oils really well so prices have dropped: chocolate, rose and traditional vanilla.
RECIPES
Make your own Vicks-like Chest Rub
71g oil (olive, almond, apricot or peach kernel)
15g beeswax
6g camphor EO
4g menthol crystals
2g eucalyptus blue gum EO
1g cedarwood Virginiana EO
1g nutmeg EO
Chocolate lip balm
It's divine! I'm always tempted to have it for lunch.
52g coconut oil
20g beeswax
16g natural cocoa butter
10g chocolate (Save the rest for the next batch. Yeah, right!)
1g Vit E
1g chocolate fragrance oil
As with all balms, just melt the beeswax and oils gently in a double boiler, then add the essential oils and pour into containers. Can be done in a microwave too. Very important to add the EOs/FOs after heating. They all have flashpoints and it's scary seeing them reach them in a pot or microwave.
Freight rates
These would be the biggest bone of contention we face. We are testing new options based on weight, instead of location. So far I'm not convinced it'll work.
To calculate weight, just add up all the ml and g. Treat them as the same. If it's more than 2000g/ml (2kg), then it's $11.
You may be interested in the costs and charges. I'm including $1 to $1.50 depending on size for packaging costs.
Nationwide under 2kg costs us $7.06 (we charge $7)
Nationwide 2kg to 10kg costs us $12.37 (we charge $11)
Rural delivery under 2kg costs us $11.49 (we charge $11)
Rural delivery 2kg to 10kg costs us $16.80 (we charge $11)
We are really reluctant to charge what it actually costs.
For two days we trialled an under 250g option in an A5 courier bag for $4, but it was a disaster. Very few people could calculate 250g so we had everyone clicking that option. Ouch! Which meant we had to spend heaps of time emailing people asking for more money. Made us feel very mean minded. It sounds miserable asking for another few dollars but multiply that few dollars by a few hundred orders over a month and we're losing big time. Our prices are so keen we can't afford to lose too much on freight.
I have to admit at this stage the freight based on weight isn't working. People are now clicking the $7 option no matter what the weight. So we're back to emailing for more money.
Any suggestions would be very welcome please.
Meanwhile I think I'll make myself some of Gillian's calming oil . . .
Gillian's advice
Gillian Parkinson, aromatologist, based in Wellington, Le'Esscience (www.LeEsscience.co.nz)
Brilliant Immunity Boosting Essential Oils to fend off Winter Bugs & Nasties!
Essential oils are so effective for boosting the immunity system. Applied in a carrier-oil-based blend to the chest and neck, under arms & groin glands daily for a week or two can help to fend off any lurking colds & flus - or if the bugs all have you, apply the blend 3-4x a day for 3-4 days & it will be gone in no time!
Highly recommended essential oils with immunostimulants are rosewood, palmarosa, lemon, fragonia, eucalyptus (blue gum), lavender. Combine 3-5 of these in a body blend and use in a steam inhalation, and you will be well in no time at all!
A good blend for this is:
30mls of carrier oil (grape seed, sweet almond, apricot kernel)
3 drops of fragonia
2 drops of eucalytpus blue gum
2 drops of lavender
2 drops of rosewood
It will help you to be nice and calm too!
Regards
Elinor and Chelsea