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Handmade Toiletries Weekly Newsletter
January 30, 2000

A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630
January 30, 2000
Issue 3

---->THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR: THE PACKAGING GODDESS<----

As an experienced handcrafted soapmaker, Charlon Bobo, knows how challenging it is to find great packaging materials. So she started The Packaging Goddess, which specializes in locating hard-to-find, unique and specialized packaging materials for handmade toiletries manufacturers and hobbyists who demand the highest quality, customized ordering and superb customer service. No minimum dollar order. VALENTINE'S SPECIAL -- Clear acetate heart-shaped boxes to display your love gifts-25% off if ordered by February 2! Regular - 5/$3.75 Sale - 5/$2.75. All products pictured on site!

The Packaging Goddess -- http://thepackaginggoddess.homestead.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Handmade Toiletries Products Reviews
2. Handmade Toiletries Thyme Question -- win an assortment of handmade soaps made by HBN members.
3. HBN Update
4. What's New On HBN's Web Site
5. Donna Maria's January Aromatic Beauty Recipe - "Jasmine Smooch Sticks"

1. HANDMADE TOILETRIES PRODUCT REVIEWS

--->**"Avocado & Jojoba Rich Moisture Butter"** The Myrtle Leaf, 1 ounce, $23.00
If you have dry skin like me, this is a moisturizer to die for. During my 1999 winter-time stay in South Africa where the atmosphere is extremely dry and arid, I used Avocado & Jojoba Rich Moisture Butter. Unfortunately, I used it up very quickly because it is so dry in Africa. But I loved the way it felt on my skin. It has a lovely honey/golden color from a combination of beeswax and rich nut and seed oils such as jojoba and avocado. It also contains shea butter, which really helps to give it a creamy texture allowing it glide smoothly and easily into the skin. I found that I only needed to use it sparingly if I applied it to my skin while it was still damp from bathing. Aromatic oils of rose, lavender, carrot and geranium combine to create a pleasant aroma as well as lend skin conditioning properties. The lovely essential oil blend makes Avocado & Jojoba Rich Moisture Butter especially delightful to use. The Myrtle Leaf, Myrtleleaf.com.

--->**"Rosita's Belize Bar"** Leslie's Garden, 4 ounc bar, $3.50
READER PRODUCT REVIEW. Before I used my first bar of handmade soap, it never occurred to me that people could actually make soap "from scratch". I thought it had to be made by big companies with machinery, white lab coats and lots and lots of chemicals (which I guess is how many big companies do make soap). But when I began dating my soap maker girlfriend several years ago, I discovered that there is nothing like bathing with a sturdy, long-lasting, creamy lathering bar of handmade soap. And Rosita's Belize Bar is my all-time favorite. Rosita's Belize Bar is named for an herbalist who has devoted her life to exploring plant life on the island of Belize. It has a sunny yellow color and a fresh, invigorating lemongrass scent that lingers on my skin after my shower. The lather is creamy and smooth and it makes my skin feel soft and well tended. My girlfriend has my heart, but Leslie has my $3.50 every month or so for a bar of her lovely soap. Leslie's Garden, (301) 779-8562.

If you would like your product reviewed, send particulars and a sample to HBN, PO Box 5732, Takoma Park, MD 20913. No guarantee of review. Compensation is not accepted.

2. HANDMADE TOILETRIES THYME QUESTION -- LAST WEEK'S WINNER & NEW QUESTION

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: Lancome, Estee Lauder and another well-known beauty business collectively account for approximately 70% of the "prestige" beauty market. What is the third cosmetics company that makes up this trio?

LAST WEEK'S ANSWER: Clinique.

LAST WEEK'S WINNER: Karen Hall of Glenbrook Farms in Mt. View, Hawaii. Karen won generous samples of sandalwood essential oil and jasmine wax!! You can win this week if you are the first person to email the correct answer to this question:

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Name the weekly publication that provides the beauty industry with specialized coverage of regulatory, legislative, scientific, financial and legal news. Among the most well-respected cosmetics industry trade publications, it has been in existence since 1939 and is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland. A 1-year subscription is $745. What is the exact name of the publication?

This week's prize is an assortment of handmade soaps made by HBN members... Rose Petal (a proprietary blend of essential oils, red clay and powder fine rose petals) by Leslie's Garden, Key West (yummy fresh lime scent) by Sally's Soaps and Lemon Mint (refreshing with green and yellow swirls) by The Soap Fairy. Read contest rules at the end of the Newsletter.

3. HBN UPDATE

--->Welcome Charlon Bobo as HBN's Pacific Region Representative. Charlon lives near Los Angeles, California. As HBN's Pacific Region Representative, she will monitor and report on activities of interest to the toiletries industry in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii. Charlon is a member of the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild and is currently planning the Southern California Soapers Gathering to be held this spring. You can read more about Charlon on HBN's Staff Member page at http://www.handmadebeauty.com.

--->The feedback keeps coming!! Scott Blackson of The Soap Fairy said, "HBN is great because it has put me in touch with others who make handcrafted soaps, not just as a serious hobby but as a full-time business. It's nice to have a group of peers to bounce ideas off of, to share information with, and to keep in touch with the latest trends in the business."

--->Judy Michaelis of Sunrise Soap Company in DeSoto, Kansas said, "I think the industry could really benefit by an ORGANIZED, focused network like [HBN]." --->Send us your feedback by going to http://www.handmadebeauty.com and clicking on "Give Us Feedback." We want to hear from you!!

4. What's New On HBN's Web Site

--->HBN's First Press Release!! Get a sneak peak at tomorrow's press release at http://www.handmadebeauty.com. Click on "The Press Room" and see what we're telling the world!!

--->Tell A Friend About HBN!! Tell someone you know who loves handmade beauty products as much as you do to subscribe to the Newsletter. It's easy by going to http://www.handmadebeauty.com and clicking on the Newsletter icon. Subscribe with the click of a button!!

5. Donna Maria's Aromatic Beauty Recipe - Jasmine Smooch Sticks

Jasmine Smooch Sticks are tubular shaped lip balms with a beautiful pink tint that may transfer only to very light colored lips. The perfect lip solution for the bitter winter season. Yield: approximately 32 ¼ ounce lip balm tubes, but you can cut it in half or quarters to make 16 or 8 tubes. Measurements are provided by weight, not volume.

INGREDIENTS
1 ounce beeswax
1 ounce jasmine wax
2 ounces jojoba oil
2 ounces camellia oil
2 ounces rose hips seed oil
1 tablespoon alkanet root infused olive oil (to make this, infuse the alkanet root in the warmed olive oil for about 20 minutes as you would any other herb (like calendula). Strain out the plant material and use the colored oil. Alkanet is a purple colored root which lends a beautiful color to oil so you can use it to tint handmade skin care products. 10 drops rose essential oil

BLENDING PROCEDURE
Combine all ingredients except essential oil in Pyrex measuring cup and place in hot water bath to melt. Stir well to combine. Add essential oil and stir to incorporate. Place a bit of product onto a coffee stir stick or pop sickle stick. Put the stick in the fridge for a few minutes and take it out to observe the probable texture of the mix. If it's too hard, add more liquid oils. If it's too soft, add more beeswax and/or jasmine wax. Adjust to your preference and pour into tubes. Love your lips with it!!

More Aromatic Beauty Recipes at http://www.donnamaria.com.

Have A Great Week!!
Donna Maria
Founder & President, The Handmade Beauty Network
"Securing The Future Of The Handmade Toiletries Industry"
http://www.handmadebeauty.com
http://www.donnamaria.com

Handmade Toiletries Thyme Question Contest Rules.
To enter, send one answer ONLY, name and street mailing address to donnamaria@handmadebeauty.com.  The winner will be notified via personal email.  Winner's name and correct answer will be announced in next week's HBN Newsletter.  Email entries are tallied based on the time indicated as "received" on my computer.  HBN VALUES YOUR PRIVACY ... your personal information will not be sold, loaned or given to any third party without your permission.  HBN staff not eligible to win.