Body Butters and Lotions

Do you know the difference between a whipped body butter and a lotion? Whipped Body Butters Body butters or whipped body butters are made up of pure oils and butters that have been heated and melted together, fragranced and packaged. These are more for extreme skin cases, I like body butter simply because they are pure oils and butters, they are fast absorbing on the skin, and they penetrate deep into the many layers of skin. I also like them because I can put them on once during the day, after a shower or bath, or in the evening and I not only feel softer skin the next morning but I can smell it on my skin the following day also! Lotions Lotions are not by far my favorite, not since I have tried body butters. But they still have their use, body butters are firmer, so they are nota easy to just grab and take with you in your purse, lotions are great for 'on the spot' pull out the little tube and use, uses. Both can have wonderful fragrances and scents to them, however lotions have a liquid base, whether it be water, aloe, witch hazel, or whatever you can get a lotion to hold. I like lotions for lighter applications on my face, where I like more of a light airy type of moisturizer instead of the heavier feeling of pure oils like in a body butter. Bottom line here is this Both have their use in bath and body care, lotions to me are more for your face, under eyes, and when you DON'T want a heavy oily feeling. Although body butters do not always leave a 'heavy oily feeling' on your skin either, it all depends on the maker and the type of base they are using... Don't be fooled I have seen body butters on sale at Bath and Body Works, one of their main ingredients is 'water' well that is not a body butter, because body butters don't have water or liquids like water in them, that classifies as a lotion! Don't be fooled! A true body butter is simply whipped butters, oils and a fragrance oil, no water..... A true lotions is the same as the whipped body butters but it contains water, or a liquid like water, be it witch hazel, or aloe juice or distilled water! Don't fret, not all body butters leave a greasy feeling on your skin, mine don't, they will however leave a feeling of pure moisturizing, quenching your skin's thirst for moisture through it's many layers. There is a big differenece when it comes to a whipped body butter, in the different butters that can and are used! Cocoa Butter- We have all heard by now of the wonderful skin healing abilities of Cocoa Butter, how it helps to reduce and remove stretch marks within the skin, by adding more elasticity to the skin. But Cocoa Butter is a much much thicher type of butter, giving you a much much deeper moisturizing than Mango or Shea Butters! I rate this base butter a Deep moisturizor. Mango Butter- This is a gift from the gods when you stop and thik about it. Mango is fast absorbed into the skin, and will give you a more medium strength type of moisturizing ability to your skin's needs. Leaving your skin feeling soft and supple this butter is incredible when your not needing a deep penetrating butter like Cocoa butter, but are looking for a middle grounds tpe of moisturizer. Shea Butter- Now this butter is very fast absorbing into the skin, and when whipped is ver smooth and creamy, a nice light moisturizor. Perfect when you don't want or need anything heavy on your skin. All of the above butters are excellent for your skin, all are extremely moisturizing and will give you lasting skin softening and soothing effects and feeling. I like to use Cocoa Butter based body butters when I was pregnant and after I was pregnant to help with stretch marks. I also like cocoa butter body butters when it is fridged cold outside during our winters here in Wisonsin, they last a long time and offer me the added moisture when I have to go outdoors in the extremne weather. On the flip side I still like my Mango and Shea Butters for other months of the year. Mango for Fall and Spring, and Shea for Summer, if I am tanning I will also use the Mango butter based body butters to help rid my body of the moisture loss duing tanning. I do not use moisturizers on my face during the Summer months, as my face does not require them, I simply use an Aloe Gel on my face for a very light skin quencher. However Fall through Spring I do tend to use light lotions on my face as I tend to get extremely dry skin in the general T zone on my face. I also very much like the extra use of an aloe and/or witch hazel lotion under my eyes to help releive the signs of squinting and/or aging, those nice fine lines we all know and have come to know as 'crows feet'. The use of Aloe gel with a very light moisturizer under the eyes will help to reduce if not elliminate those little nasties. I also use my cucumber and oats soaps to help keep my skin tight my complexion fair and even. Stay tuned for more help with reducing the signs of aging! More hints and tips coming soon!

Some ideas about Craft Shows to improve your Sales

I've recently had the privilege to be at the Round Lake Sports Area for their Fall Harvest Craft and Expo Show. The even was very nice, the venders were extremely helpful and wonderful to talk too. This event for me was an opportunity to expand and explore new ventures and ideas, I was able to network through the wonderful people I have met there. I decided to talk about and add this into my blog, because I know there are a lot of you crafters who are wondering what helps to make a good craft show. Well, I will start off by telling you I am in NO WAY and EXPERT on this subject. However, by going to different craft show over the last few years, I have learned a thing or two about how it works, what people are looking for and what you can do to improve your chanses at a craft show. First off I will have to say, you need to invest some money into dressing your area up! Find out the square footage of the area you will be having, and start laying things out, either in a real area the same size or on paper. If you need tables, GET THEM! buy some decorations depending on the season your in, dress it up. It is a known fact that the human eye s attracted to colors and cleanlyness! Cover your table or tables with cheap inexpensive flat sheets from Wal-mart, Kmart, Shopko, or Target, although Walmart is the cheapest, I've checked.... Make sure your table clothes are long enough to cover all the way to the floor, you don't want the bottom of the table showing, becuase that is where your going to store your boxes and such for packing up your items/products. Take the time purchase some flower, leaf, or pine garlands to weave in and around thigs on your table, make it look nice! Secondly, you want to elevate your items, people don't like bending over to look for things, they like it all at eye level. Price your items clearly, another thing I hear that people don't like is when they have to ask for a price on something, most times if they have to ask you, you just lost a sale. Cover whatever you are elevating your things on with a nice sheet, I suggest using an alternate color that highlites the packaging and one that is the opposite of the base table covering. Third and most important, get out there wear a big smile, dress professionally, and greet people. Start conversing with others, talk, but don't over talk, answer questions willingling and with ease. Don't seem over anxious, or jumpy, take a deep breath and let the information about YOU and YOUR ITEMS flow. Dressing nice and professionally is a big one, when you go to a store and the sales person who is approaching you has a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt with a goofy saying on it walks up to you, what is your first impression? Now reverse that! So dress to impress, remember you most times have one shot at making a possitive first impression, especially at a craft show, or expo, you only get about 1 minute to impress someone's eyes. Always be polite, and curtious to your customers, offer them a tester (if you make things they can try) offer to go that extra mile fr them..... It pays off in the end! When people are walking past, don't be scared to get out there and say, 'Hello, how has your day been so far?' or 'Good Morning' 'Good afternoon' "Hello how are you today" these are all excellent ways to 'break the ice' with your customer. It helps you to get 'noticed' stand out in the croud of others who are just sitting there doing their knitting not looking at a single person. Start creating connections between you and your customer. If you can do these three simple things, believe you me, your shows will start to look, feel, and reward you better!

Who is Earth's Essence?

Earth's Essence is a small little company started October of 2005, the brain-child of Michele Collins, a wife and mother who was on a mission to get rid of so many chemicals in her families lives. "Having 7 children in my home, having chemicals in my house and using them leaving a chemical residue throughout my home, well I knew I had to make changes and create a more healthy and 'Natural' lifestyle for them, they're lives depended on it" Ten years ago Michele Collins went to school to receive a degree in 'Naturology' little to her surprise, her dreams of over becoming an 'Alternative Dr.' or a 'Dr. of Naturology' was crushed when she discovered all the limitations of living her dream. Michele went on to continue to study herbalism, Aromatherapy, and finish her Naturology degree. A mother of 7 and a wife, she took on a whole new role within home, on a mission to create a more livable environment for her children, her husband, and herself, Michele found a medium that she could utilize, one that every person across America and the World used, one that she could still further her education and put it to good use. Michele started to study Soap, every book that was published on the subject Michele bought and read, studying it like there was a test on Monday! "it was torture to wash my face, not knowing if tomorrow my eyes were going to be swelled shut, or if I would be covered in hives the following day after trying a new product." It was then 7 years ago Michele started to make her own soaps, her first batch a simple batch of Melt and Pour soaps, she added ground oats, dried milk, and soothing Chamomile. After that Michele wanted something a little more in depth, she wanted more control over what she was making, more control over the ingredients and a little more 'natural' of a product. Well, one trial after another, and 4 years later Earth's Essence was born, on October 15th of 2005. "Why deal with all the hassles of hives, and skin irritations when an easier alternative was as simple as a few hours in the kitchen, relief was simple and very inexpensive." Earth's Essence has come a long way since October of 2005, added products, new ventures, and better soaps! Michele still sits down with every batch of soap, and formulates each ingredient with her calculator, writing every step down and keeping perfect tract of each ingredient that goes into her products. Every new product goes through a rigorous trial and test period, by her and her family. Michele has very sensitive skin, and there for was tired of the normal problems with todays conventional 'Beauty Products' on the market. Earth's Essence is not your 'normal' line of bath and body care products, they are a whole new way of life, a personal 'SPA in a bag so to speak'. Once you've tried natural you won't want to go back to those other kinds of products.