Donna Maria's Handmade Beauty Connection
March 21, 2005

A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Vol. 6, Issue 12
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1. HBN Update: Welcome New & Renewing HBN Members!!
2. Feature Article: Candles Make Scents (& Accents)!!
3. Handmade Beauty Recipe Of The Week: Amber Dusting Powder
4. Beauty & The Business Trivia Question: win some handmade amber soap!
5. Handmade Beauty Product Review: Amber Products by Carrot Tree Soaps and Essentials

5-Year Renewing Members!

All this year, HBC will highlight members who are renewing for their 5th straight year of membership! Our 5-Year Renewing Members joined HBN in 2000 and have this week renewed their memberships for a 5th year without interruption. I am eternally grateful to all HBN members, but especially these who put their faith in HBN in the early days when there was no track record and no one was sure it would last. I'm excited to say that HBN has lasted and so have these members! Please visit their websites. Be inspired and buy something new and delicious just for you!

Essencia | Julianna Lipe | Louisiana
* Essencia's founders, a mother-daughter team, produce handcrafted products, including soaps, lotions, body creams and balms, designed to accentuate the rich gifts of nature and provide uncompromising benefits for the skin. Delicate blends of natural vegetable oils, butters, milks, waxes and botanicals, subtly fragranced with pure essential oils, create products completely free of synthetic chemicals and preservatives. Attention to every detail, from hand blending to packaging, assures a final result you will appreciate and enjoy! Their products have been featured in the Academy Award gift bags! Meet the company here, and while there, get some Rosewater Body Milk -- it's wonderful!

Renewing Members!

Susan's Soaps and More | Susan Svec | Texas
* soaps, shampoo bars, body butter, sugar scrubs, lotion bars, hydrosols, sachets, insect repellant, solid perfumes, lip balm and baby products

 Bee Naturals | Barbara Chappuis | Missouri
* beeswax-based all natural skin care cremes and lotions

Alabu Soap | Maryclaire Mayes | New York
* handmade soap for sensitive skin, made from pure goats milk and rich natural moisturizers

Harrington House | Margaret A. Hardy | Virginia 
* age defying and health enhancing products for your skin, hair, nails, body, and soul

Women's Wellness | Johnetta Miner | New York
* home spa products are packaged under the name of Lady Ja

Tomboy Soap Co., LLC | Jessica Newens | Colorado
* 14 original handcrafted, cold processed soaps, including castile bars, swirled soaps, scrubby soaps and pure, smooth bars

7 Arrows Farm | Judy Marcellot | Massachusetts
* 14 original handcrafted, cold processed soaps, including castile bars, swirled soaps, scrubby soaps and pure, smooth bars

New Members

Me Bath & Body

HBN Members On The Move!!

Traci Vanover of The Creative Concept is excited to invite you all to the Soap and Candle Bee in Fort Wayne, Indiana on  June 11, 2005. The Theme is "Fresh Ideas -- Fresh Outlook" and I'll be the keynote speaker -- hope to see you there! (HBN members, put "HBN OFFER" in the shopping cart comments to get your FREE spa CD when you register!)

The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild conference will be in Pittsburgh, PA, on April 27 - 30! Enjoy their theme, "Transitions For Growth -- Reaching Your Goals." Speaker topics Master Soapmaking classes, Merchandising & Customer Service, Teaching Soapmaking in West Africa, Trademarks, Copyrights & Patents and more! Click here for details!

Learn more about our members and their exciting activities by visiting their Web sites through HBN's Online Member Directory, now with 4 ways to search: (1) by state/country; (2) by member business name; (3) by keyword search; or (4) using our new alphabetical listings.

Whether you're moving into a new home or working to make an existing one a new look, candles are a great way to accessorize. Giving a room both scent and accent, a candle can complement the look of any room in many ways: color, style, aroma and more. If you are looking to start your own candle line or are struggling to choose the right candle for your home or office, consider these tips to help you get the candles that make both scents and accents for you.

1. Fragrance & Decor.
According to HBN member Ann Wooledge of Wingsets Aromatherapy Bath, Body & Candle Shop, while everyone is different, "The most universally popular desire with regard to candles is the desire for "a strong fragrance that they can smell as soon as they enter a room, even without lighting the candle." Says Wooledge, "Many people choose a candle scent because of its ability to reflect to tone they want to set in a room. For example, apple for the kitchen, lavender for the bath and so forth." While fragrance is usually important, more "fashion conscious" people are mainly concerned with how a candle looks with their decor, according to Doneen St. John, co-owner of HBN member Bitter Creek Candle Supply. Says St. John, "People who have the 'country look' in their home might lean towards canning jar or other rustic, primitive, 'grubbie' type candles, while people who like a more modern look might want candles in sleek looking jars, tins, or funky square pillars." Real "candle fashionistas" might like to accessorize using things like candle gardens with river rocks or sea glass on a ceramic tray with pillars in several different heights.

2. Wax Types.
St. John suggests that there are enough types of wax to suit any candle lover. Paraffin wax, soy wax, beeswax and palm wax are among the most popular. Says St. John, "We like to stock a good variety of each since different candle makers want different things. For example, paraffin wax can achieve certain results that cannot be achieved with soy or other waxes, such as a mottled effect. Beeswax makes a beautiful natural candle that is virtually soot-free and does not drop, but it is more expensive than other waxes. Soy is very popular these days for many reasons, among them because it is a natural, all-vegetable product. Soy burns very clean with less soot than paraffin wax, and it cleans up easy so it's a good choice for hobbyists and small business owners," says St. John. Rachel Lane at HBN member Barcelona Bath and Body agrees. "Soy is a cleaner burning wax and therefore, makes a healthier candle," says Lane. "In addition, it allows me to avoid consuming yet another petroleum-based product."

4. Safety.
No matter what type of candle you desire, or what type of look, color or scent you choose, St. John cautions that the most important consideration for home candle use and enjoyment is safety. "Consider whether your candle is for decoration only or whether it will most likely be lit and used. In the latter case," says St. John, "be sure to buy the right kind of heat resistant holder for the candle, and always read and follow the caution label or safety instructions on the candles before burning."

To help you get your creative juices flowing, here's a list of some of the most popular candle scents for spring: Lily of the Valley, Lilac. Dogwood, Texas Bluebonnet, Citrus Splash, Country Clothesline, Kiwi Strawberry, Southern Magnolia. Some of these are most popular in the southern part of the country. Scents that might appeal more to those with a more sophisticated taste include Cool Citrus Basil, Honey Coco Mango, Wildberry Zinger Tea,  Basil Sage Mint and Lime Leaf & Lily.

They all sound so delicious! You can learn more about how candles can make "scents and accents" for you at Bitter Creek Candle Supply, where you can also buy ingredients to create your own. To enjoy finished candles, visit Wingsets Aromatherapy Bath, Body & Candle Shop (where you'll find candle scents like Ginger Lime Basil and Pineapple Cilantro!) and Barcelona Bath & Body where you'll find soaps, candles and room sprays in coordinating aromas like Lemongrass Fennel and Coconut Bay Run.

Amber Dusting Powder is an especially easy powder to make and the aroma is heavenly and warm. Enjoy it!

When you visit MakeYourCosmetics.com, it's easy to buy the ingredients you need by clicking on our Selected Supplier links:

Essential Wholesale: pure essential oils, over 200 cosmetic bases, hundreds of carrier/fixed oils such as meadowfoam, cranberry, jojoba and shea butter plus a new Short Run Private Labeling Program!

Bramble Berry, Inc.: over 105 different fragrance and essential oils (including their exclusive "Energy" and "Relaxing"), all soap tested, soap molds and unscented soap bases!

SunRose Aromatics: pure essential oils (many organic), carrier oils and other aromatherapy products, each carefully selected for quality. Check out their new Perfumer's Emporium.

The Scent Shack: fragrance oils and soap supplies. Fragrance oils are pre-tested in cold process, melt & pour soap, and candles, and test results are listed at the Web site. Scents tested by soapers for soapers!

From Nature With Love: over 1,600 ingredients and supplies, including cosmetic ingredients, spa supplies, bath accessories and packaging supplies!

Last Week's Question: Several years ago, there was a run on dietary supplements to treat insomnia and help minimize the adverse effects of stress and depression. These supplements contained a chemical which naturally occurs in things like bananas and turkey meat. The FDA banned dietary supplements containing this chemical because it was eventually linked to severe muscle plain. Nevertheless, people who eat turkey and bananas might tell you that they sleep more or better as a result of eating those foods, which contain this chemical.

Last Week's Answer: tryptophan

This Week's Question: According to the leading trade association for candle companies, what are the four most important factors affecting candle sales?

Be the first to correctly answer this week's question and win some true amber handmade soap made by HBN member Carrot Tree Soaps and Essentials!

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner's name will be announced in the next newsletter!

Amber Products By Carrot Tree
4 oz. | $14.50

Amber has always been a mysterious ingredient for me. No one really seems to know exactly what it is. I'm sure Chris Richter at Carrot Tree has some idea since her recently launched Amber line is chock full of it. For my part though, I really don't need to know exactly what it is since I trust Chris and have enjoyed her products for a few years now. Having said all that, whatever amber she's using is -- in a word -- delectable.

True Amber Handmade Soap (pictured above)
3-3.5 oz. | $4.95
We blended premium dark amber resin from India with essential oils of sandalwood, patchouli, Himalayan cedar, frankincense, and vetiver, resulting in a calming, smooth, long-lasting soap for hair and skin. (3-3.5 ounces)

Amber Whipped Shea Butter Cream
4 oz. | $8.00
I saved this for last because it is my very favorite of the 3 products. In addition to being 75% shea butter, it also contains avocado oil, jojoba oil and oils of rosehip and carrot which give it a pretty light golden color. This product feels wonderful gliding into my skin but as a person with dry and brittle hair (especially in the wintertime), I have to say that the best part of this product is how it makes my hair feel and smell. I've even used it on my daughter's hair (when she can take her fingers out of it long enough to let me get some out of the jar). This is one of the nicest and most versatile products that is also unique, that I have used in a long time. The real dark amber in it just smells heavenly. I feel very mysterious and delicious when I run this through my hair.

Visit Carrot Tree to revel in your own amber heaven, and check out their Amber Massage, Bath & Body Oil as well as salves made with virgin coconut oil, cold-pressed shea butter, almond and carrot oils, and beeswax. Yum!

Visit our suite of Web sites serving the handmade toiletries industry:

HandmadeBeauty.com: the leading industry trade organization
MangoButter.com: 450+ suppliers of raw materials and packaging, updated weekly!
MakeYourCosmetics.com: ingredient encyclopedia & original cosmetics recipes
DonnaMaria.com: sound advice for your small business, Create The Life You Love™