It is getting closer to summertime and I have been dreaming up warm and tropical soaps with hints of Island Coconut, Summer Fling and Fresh Mango scents. If you have a favorite warm and sunny blend be sure to let me know about it in the comments below. Next week is my last soaping week before Bramble Baby arrives so I want to make it a good one. =) Are you ready for the Facebook Photo of the Week? Read on to find more about the lucky winner below!
Update on Cosmetics Act Legislation
I wanted to provide you with an update on the latest news and events from Washington regarding the development of policies that could affect the soap and cosmetics industry in the future. On Thursday, April 18, FDA Commissioner Hamburg testified in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee regarding the FDA budget for the next fiscal year (FY 2014).
In the proposed budget submitted earlier this month by the President to the Congress, the Administration, just as they did last year, called for the establishment of new fees to be imposed on the cosmetics industry in order to stand up a more rigorous regulatory regime. It’s important to note that this is just a proposal at this point and has been introduced for the purposes of discussion. We are still a ways off from any new policies being seriously considered by the Congress, let alone enacted into law.
As you know, I, and other stakeholders from a wide spectrum of the cosmetics industry have been meeting with members of Congress and their staffs as well as the FDA to discuss any potential changes to the regulations impacting the industry and to make sure that the small businesses that make up our industry are protected as best they can be from potentially burdensome new rules and costs. While we’ve made a lot of progress, there is still work to do. [Read more…]
Bug Away Spray Bouquet
I don’t know what it is, but it has been absolutely beautiful here lately! With record-breaking temperatures in the 80s this weekend (I know, what month is it again and in what state??), I’ve been spending lots of time outside playing with Jamisen, catching up on some reading outside, and even hosting a baby Sprinkle party for our new Bramble girl (more on that coming soon).
But unfortunately with our wet Pacific Northwest climate we get a ton of mosquitos, and bites can ruin summer fun pretty quickly (now imagine a two year old with mosquito bites… that’s DEFINITELY a fun-ruiner). That’s why I’ve come up with a few natural bug sprays to keep your summers bite-free.
Both contain a simple mixture of non-greasy, quick absorbing fractionated coconut oil and two different blends of essential oils that have been specifically selected for their bug repelling properties. Now onto our sprays — or as I’m calling them, our Bug Away Bouquets!
BBAC 2012: Renee DiMichele
Summer is coming up soon and that means the beginning of race and marathon season. We’ve sponsored our 2nd Annual Bramble Berry Athletic Club Team this year and soon enough, we will be hearing all about their events and races. In the meantime, check out this interview with one of our amazing athletes from 2012’s team, Renee DiMichele and get ready to be inspired! I love that she wore her BBAC soapywear to the race. It’s made out of high performance bamboo material (eco friendly too!) and it’s great for working out.
Tell us about your event! What was your favorite part?
Soapy Swap Showoff + a New Swap
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Soapy Swap. We received some ridiculously fabulous soaps, and I know everyone will be totally soap nerded out upon receiving their Swap packages. It’s been just like Christmas morning around here as the boxes have trickled in this week and last. We had so much fun this go round that we decided to do another swap…details are below. In the meantime, take a look below at a few of the awesome soaps we received for this round: 
Like what you see? Don’t miss out on the fun… We’re announcing our August Soap Swap! [Read more…]
Win a $20 Gift Certificate from Bramble Berry!
Sunday Night Spotlight: Glitters
Another week has gone by and I’m getting closer and closer to meeting our little Bramble Girl (I can’t wait, less than three weeks!). In the meantime, I’ve been busy soaping and sewing up a storm and getting as much done as possible before she gets here. I’ve really enjoyed these product spotlights the past few weeks. Get ready to sparkle, because I’m talking glitter! =) Glitter can be used to decorate your M&P soaps, the top of CP soap and will add a sparkle and magic to just about any project. These glitters are not rated for use in eye or lip products (and they would be scratchy as all get-out), so be aware of that before you start a project.
Facebook Photo of the Week (April 26 ~ May 3rd)
It’s a fabulous Friday again and that can only mean one thing — Facebook Photo of the Week. There were so many creative bath and body creations that were shared on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page this week that it was hard to choose a favorite. I loved seeing all the different interpretations of the Leopard Print soaps and if you missed the quick Vine Videos I did, you can check them out here and here. Are you ready for the winner for this week? Check out the beautiful soap below!
Handmade Soap for the Gardener
AKA: Everything but the kitchen sink soap! When we were shooting the photos for my upcoming book Soap Crafting, the artistic director for Storey Publishing wanted a great shot of some soap batter with multiple additives. Of course I obliged, splitting a batch into 5 oddly-sized parts and adding anything I happened to have on hand. The result was a crazy herbed-up super exfoliating soap worthy of cleaning the Hulk himself, but not being one to keep a recipe to myself I just had to share. I was too happy with the scrubby results not to!
Non-Bleeding Colors from Bramble Berry
Color plays an important role in the design of your soaps, and can even make or break a sale for many soapers! This is why it is so important that you choose a colorant that works for your project, and does what it is advertised. A few years ago, I wrote a blog post on non-bleeding colorants and since then Bramble Berry has added even more to our inventory.
Wax Tart Melts 3 Ways Tutorial
If you’re like me, you know it’s not a good idea to have candles burning with toddlers running around. With another little one on the way, I sure don’t want to take any chances! To get all the benefits of burning candles without the fire hazard, I decided to try making a few wax tarts. Not only are they super easy to make, you can really dress them up by experimenting with different colors and finding a cute wax tart warmer.
Dealing with Unhappy Customers
I recently got an email from a long time customer. After I answered it, I realized that many more people would have the same question so I’m answering it for everyone below:
Lately my business has really exploded. I am nearing a thousand orders this month alone. With that amount of orders being turned around in a short time, and it being just myself, and my husband when he can, processing these orders, there have been a few mistakes. We check and double check, but it does happen. There have also been a few people not happy with what they receive.
I always bend over backwards to fix the issue, but it feels sometimes like I am being taken advantage of. If I missed something in the order, I send out a replacement, if I sent the wrong product, they keep it and I send out the correct one. If they have been unhappy due to a perceived problem, I replace, exchange, or refund. I don’t accept returns in general as I don’t want products coming back when people don’t like scent, color, etc. Who knows if they are used and I don’t want to take chances returns being mixed up with new products.
How do you deal with unhappy customers? Especially when it feels like you (or your product, or your business methods, etc) are being attacked. Right now everything feels so personal, and that is hard to deal with.
So, I really could use some advice as I am felling pretty down right now.
Facebook Photo of the Week (April 19 ~ April 26)
After a gorgeous week of weather up here in the Pacific Northwest, celebrating Jamisen’s 2nd birthday (I can’t believe my baby boy is two years old!) and being absolutely exhausted after moving while 8.5 months pregnant, I was happy to take a small little break to look over all the Facebook photos and pick the winner of this weeks Facebook Photo of the Week. Are you ready to check out this fabulous gem I found on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page? Follow along and you can ooh and ahh over the fabulous soap with me!
Sunday Night Spotlight: Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil
It’s time for another Sunday Night Spotlight to discuss a product in detail, including fun recipes and in this case, blends. If you have any suggestions for a Sunday Night Spotlight, let me know in the comments below! To read about last weeks spotlight, click here, and learn all about a fun and easy botanical to use in your CP and M&P soaps. Are you ready for this weeks? Read on to learn all about Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil.
