Welcome to our series, Common Scents! Common Scents is a series of articles exploring the history of commonly used essential oils, and how they became so popular in modern day soap and cosmetic crafting. In this edition of Common Scents, we will take a look at the uplifting history of sweet orange, often referred to simply as orange or orange … Read More
Building Your Empire: The Basics of Starting a Handcrafted Business
We probably don’t have to tell you this, but Handcrafters are a very unique group of people! When you speak to someone who makes handcrafted soap and/or cosmetics, you are talking to a creative mind that is a blend between science, art and a desire to make products that genuinely make the consumer feel good. While some Handcrafters achieve a … Read More
How To Represent Your Brand: Naming Your Products
There are so many moving parts when it comes to launching a business, it’s difficult to know where to start! One of the considerations you will have to face is the naming of your products. Whether you choose elaborate or simple terms, naming your product line gives you great creative influence over how your customer perceives what you have to … Read More
Understanding Preservatives
When making handcrafted soaps and cosmetics to sell, you of course hope that they will quickly fly off the shelves and be used up by your ravenous, amazing-product-loving customers! Sometimes, though, this is not the case; your products may need a little bit of a bump in their shelf life and anti-microbial defenses. When we hear the word “preservative”, there … Read More
How-To: Lip Balm
Lip balms are a quick and easy to make beauty product that can be the perfect stocking stuffer or addition to your product line. Besides knowing you made this simple yet silky masterpiece, the best part is how completely inexpensive it actually is to make lip balm. The first two things you will need to do are: choose your ingredients … Read More
Common Scents: Peppermint
Welcome back to our series, Common Scents! Common Scents is a collection of articles exploring the history of commonly used essential oils, and how they became so popular in modern day soap and cosmetic crafting. This week, we’ll talk about peppermint! Peppermint is one of the most recognizable scents in existence. Its strong, refreshing scent elicits thoughts of winter, chilly … Read More
Business Etiquette: The Holiday Edition
Saying that the “holiday season is upon us” might be music to consumer’s ears (think sales, discounts and BOGO galore), but to small businesses and large businesses alike, it can be a bit ominous. Now more than ever, consumers are driven to merchants who they perceive as sharing the same beliefs and values as they do, which can translate into … Read More
Legislation: Update on Advocacy Efforts
On April 20th, Senators Diane Feinstein (CA) and Susan Collins (ME) introduced S. 1014, The Personal Care Products Safety Act. The bill was drafted to update The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 and was intending to give the FDA more funding and oversight over the cosmetic industry. As many of you know, the HSCG has been involved in … Read More
A Beginner’s Guide to Vegan Products
The world is an ever-changing place, with ever-changing needs and constantly evolving beliefs. You may have noticed that vegan practices and products have enjoyed a boost in popularity; but do you know what constitutes a vegan product? A Vegan Story Veganism is defined by the Vegan Society as a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude-as far as … Read More
Common Scents: Eucalyptus
Welcome to our series, Common Scents. Common Scents is a collection of articles exploring the history of commonly used essential oils and how they became so popular in modern day soap and cosmetic crafting. In this edition of common scents, we will take a deeper look at a fan favorite: eucalyptus oil. Much like many of the oils we will discuss, … Read More