July 29th, 2010
A really fair question about this issue is “Why should I care?” You might be thinking, “I’m not in the cosmetics industry. Too bad for them, but there’s nothing I can do.” OR “I don’t even wear cosmetics. This won’t impact my life.”
Bad policy sets a bad precedent for all industries. Whether you’re a business owner or employee, imagine a scenario where the regulatory agency that governs your industry gains the power to require you to report gross sales figures, names and addresses of all your suppliers, your trade secrets/formulations/recipes (or your industry’s equivalent) AND deems all of this information to be public information and nonconfidential. Then imagine a fee structure the agency imposes so that your industry can pay for this level of regulation. I think you’d agree with me that you have enough challenges in the current economic climate without this additional burden.
We’re all consumers of the “cosmetics” industry. If you use soap, deodorant, lip balm, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, bubble bath, shower gel or a myriad of other daily-use personal care items, you’re a consumer of the “cosmetics” industry. It’s a big umbrella that covers many products we enjoy safely in this country with a wide range of choices at every pricepoint. The effect of the proposed legislation on the end consumer (that’s you) would be higher prices, fewer natural ingredients, fewer product choices, labels that are more difficult to understand and less money flowing into your local economy.
3 quick and easy action steps anyone can take today:
- Sign this petition: “We, the nation’s small cosmetics manufacturers, their customers, vendors, suppliers and other supporters, urge you to vote against HR 5786.”
- Vote “opposed” in the bill sponsor’s poll: At the time of this writing, 53 votes have been cast, only 7% in favor of the bill. Please help us grow the number of votes cast and continue the landslide opposition.
- Share this post with a friend.
Thank you for your time, interest and participation! Together we can make the voice of reason heard before this proposed legislation becomes law. Stay tuned for Part 3 where I’ll outline how FDA regulation of the cosmetic industry currently works. As always, I welcome your comments on this post.
Tags: American Dream, FDA, H.R.5786, Micro Business, Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, Small Business
Posted in Bath & Body Products, Entrepreneurship, Industry News & Trends | 3 Comments »
July 23rd, 2010
The introduction of proposed bill H.R.5786 – Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 has resulted in an eventful week for my industry. On the positive side, it’s uniting my community of colleagues. On the negative side, responsible hard-working micro- and small-business owners are faced with our livelihoods, our American Dreams being needlessly threatened.
I’m reminded of words from the quintessentially American, chills-inducing 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Manifesto commercial: “The things that make us American are the things we make. We are a nation of builders, craftsmen—men and women for whom straight stitches and clean welds are matters of personal pride.” It is with this same passion and painstakingly meticulous reverence for our craft that my colleagues and I approach our small-batch manufacture of premium quality personal care and cosmetic products.
The trouble starts with the fact that on the surface, this bill sounds like a positive move for consumers. The FDA has been in the news with egg on its face a few times in recent memory in the food and drug arenas. As such, it’s become an easy target for proposed “change.” Part 3 in my series will address how the FDA regulation of the cosmetic industry currently works.
Indie Beauty Network Founder and award-winning small business legislative advocate Donna Maria Coles Johnson summed it up well: “Of course it sounds good, but it doesn’t take long to scratch beneath the surface and see that it is onerous, unnecessary and not based on good science.”
If you’re on Twitter, you may have noticed the hashtag #opposesca bouncing around. If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve seen it for sure!
I’m a proud member of two prestigious trade organizations who have published their official positions opposing the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010. I agree with their positions and invite you to read more here:
Indie Beauty Network “It is the official position, and intention, of the Indie Beauty Network to oppose the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010.”
Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Great synopsis of the proposed bill’s impact on HSMG members’ micro- and small-businesses.
This is a complex issue, but those who value the opportunity we currently have in America to choose from a vast array of cosmetics, skin care, body care, perfume and toiletries from handcrafters, artisans, micro- and small-businesses at local boutiques and farmers markets on up to big corporations sold at fine department stores and big box mass merchandisers will want to understand and follow this closely. The small business owners who would be burdened and forced out of the cosmetics industry are predominately women who create jobs and keep dollars flowing into local communities all over this country. In the current economic climate, it astounds me that legislators would even put this on the table for discussion. We must band together and make our voices heard—as American manufacturers, American dreamers and American consumers of these amazing products.
Tags: American Dream, Donna Maria Coles Johnson, FDA, H.R.5786, Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild, Indie Beauty Network, Micro Business, Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, Small Business, Women Business Owners
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Industry News & Trends | 6 Comments »
July 14th, 2010
~ Sweet Orange Essential Oil is an awesome adhesive remover. My husband gave it the ultimate test recently by using it on a soft cloth to remove the residue from all the dealership stickers he’d taken off his new car. Passed with flying colors!
~ Hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle has taken the place of bleach sprays for kitchen surfaces. I even clean my cutting boards with it before running them through the dishwasher.
~ Vinegar is my glass, surface and faucet cleaner of choice. It works well in the dishwasher additive reservoir to leave your glasses sparkling. It also makes a great tile floor cleaner that leaves no sticky residue behind to attract dirt. My husband hates the smell, so I just finish up with a spritz of Room Refresh!
~ Baking soda and salt take the place of scouring powder. For example, if there’s still discoloration on my cutting board after I use hydrogen peroxide on it, I use baking soda and salt to scour out any remaining residue food may have left behind. Then I put it in the dishwasher and give it a final spritz of hydrogen peroxide.
~ Water in a spray bottle and a soft rag have taken the place of aerosol dusting sprays and dusting wipes. Let’s face it. Dry dusting doesn’t work! But spritzing a soft rag with a little water works well and is safe to breathe.
~~Bonus tip: Conventional wisdom tells us to sort laundry first by color, then by soil level. Washing heavily soiled items with lightly soiled items causes unwanted soil transfer. I save my rags for a separate load from my regular laundry. When my husband comes in from mowing the yard, I take the dirty yardwork laundry and toss it in the wash with my rags to make a fuller load. This would also work great for sports uniforms or work uniforms if you happen to have those in your household.
Tags: Earth-Friendly Cleaning Products, Green Living
Posted in Green Living, Spa Lifestyle | No Comments »
July 7th, 2010
The great news is that home fragrance is much easier to buy than personal fragrance because you don’t have to contend with body chemistry changing the scent as it contacts the skin. This makes giving gifts of home fragrance highly desirable and more foolproof.
There are 6 popular scent families and almost all fragrances fit into one or more of these families. We’ve cross-referenced the fragrance families with popular colognes and recommended Barcelona Bath & Body scents for each family:
Floral~The largest, most popular fragrance family makes up more than half of all cologne sold
- Cologne: Beautiful, Miracle, D&G Pour Femme, Joy, Pleasures, Island Michael Kors, Ungaro
- Personality/Lifestyle Traits: Light-hearted, romantic, youthful, playful
- Time/Season: Round the Clock, Spring/Summer to Year Round
- Barcelona Bath & Body: Vanilla Lavender, Grapefruit Ylang Ylang
Woodsy-Mossy/Chypre (sounds like SHIP-ruh)~Dry fragrance with minimal sweetness
- Cologne: Lovely, Cashmere Mist, Pure Turquoise, Fendi for Him, Envy, Romance, Narciso Rodriguez, Prada, Green Irish Tweed, Aramis
- Personality/Lifestyle Traits: Classicly elegant with a twist, sophisticated, unconventional, uninhibited, natural
- Time/Season: Round the Clock, Fall/Winter
- Barcelona Bath & Body: Cinnamon Sandalwood
Oriental/Spicy~The heaviest of the scent families includes cloves, amber and musk
- Cologne: Le Feu D’Issey, Escada, Gucci, Bijan, Shalimar, Obsession, Opium, Youth Dew, Princess, Paco Rabanne for Men, Joop! Homme
- Personality/Lifestyle Traits: Sensuous, decadent, exotic, daring, independent
- Time/Season: Evening, Fall/Winter
- Barcelona Bath & Body: Cinnamon Sandalwood, Coconut Bay Rum
Citrus/Fruity~Tangy, refreshing and gender neutral—these are among the oldest known scents
- Cologne: Happy, Burberry Brit, Acqua di Parma, D&G Light Blue, DKNY Red Delicious, Acqua Di Gio, D&G, Armani, Drakkar Noir
- Personality/Lifestyle Traits: Creative, decisive, honorable, irresistible, tantalizing
- Time/Season: Round the Clock, Spring/Summer
- Barcelona Bath & Body: Grapefruit Ylang Ylang, Lemongrass Fennel
Food~Eat dessert first! Research has shown that men are particularly drawn to food scents
- Cologne: Angel, Pink Sugar, Hanae Mori Butterfly, Chocolovers, Serendipitous, Angel Men
- Personality/Lifestyle Traits: hedonistic, adventurous, alluring, innocent, sweet, sassy, welcoming
- Time/Season: After Dark, Year Round
- Barcelona Bath & Body: Cinnamon Sandalwood, Vanilla Lavender, Coconut Bay Rum
Green~Clean herbal, grassy, leafy scents
- Cologne: Green Tea, Jess, Escape, Sung, Safari, Chanel No. 19
- Personality/Lifestyle Traits: Energetic, sporty, outdoorsy, down to earth, fresh
- Time/Season: Daytime, Spring/Summer
- Barcelona Bath & Body: Lemongrass Fennel
Fragrance blending notes: I often get comments from customers that they usually don’t like vanilla, but in our combination with lavender, they love it. Frequently, I get the same type of comment about lavender, fennel, coconut and ylang ylang. This is no accident, and therefore one of my favorite compliments to receive. The sweetness of vanilla knocks the sharp edge off lavender and vice versa. I did the first round of scent blending based on the principles of aromachology, but took it the next step further working with a master perfumer until the scents exactly matched my vision—mood balancing scents with wide appeal.
Tags: Aromachology, Chypre, Citrus, Floral, Food, Fruity, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Green, How to Choose a Fragrance, Mossy, Oriental, Personal Fragrance, Signature Fragrance, Spicy, Woodsy
Posted in Aromachology, Home Fragrance Products | No Comments »
June 30th, 2010
Home fragrance industry trend-spotters say home fragrance is no longer only for special occasions, but for everyday use. Home fragrance is arguably the fastest, least expensive and most available room makeover, but the same case could be made for home fragrance as a mood makeover. Why is that, you ask?
Scientific research has proven that the sense of smell affects mood—easy to understand since aromas are processed by the brain’s limbic center, also responsible for memory and emotions. This phenomenon called aromachology*, as defined by The Fragrance Foundation, is the scientifically observable influence of smell on emotions and moods.
The average person has 10,000 “scent memories” stored in the brain. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2004 was awarded jointly to Richard Axel and Linda B. Buck who proved this with their discovery of “odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system.”
“[The sense of smell] helps us to respond to those we meet, can influence our mood, how long we stay in a room, who we talk to and who we want to see again,” according to www.senseofsmell.org, the organization that founded National Sense of Smell Day.
When we talk about “home fragrance,” we often think of kitchens, baths and living spaces that we like to keep smelling fresh. It’s important to remember that we spend the majority of our time in our workplaces (if we work outside the home) and in our bedrooms. Many of us spend time traveling for work or leisure and many spend hours commuting each week. So as we venture further afield, so must our “home” fragrance.
Fragrance adds a rich, luxurious dimension to life and is an important aspect of the spa lifestyle. Instead of just letting smells happen, it’s empowering to put a personal stamp on indoor environments by choosing fragrances that soothe the spirit, sharpen creativity or lend excitement to a time or place. In light of what we’ve learned from aromachology, there’s never been a better time to adopt the Barcelona Bath & Body home fragrance philosophy of scent layering—moisturizing soaps, soy candles, sachets and Room Refresh® sprays—into all these environments where we spend our time.
Your mood will thank you—and most likely so will your friends, family and co-workers!
*Similar to aromatherapy but without the therapeutic claims
Tags: Aromachology, Aromatherapy, Home Fragrance Philosophy, Mood Makeover, National Sense of Smell Day, The Fragrance Foundation
Posted in Aromachology, Home Fragrance Products, Mood Makeover, Spa Lifestyle | No Comments »
June 16th, 2010
I get lots of questions about Ylang Ylang…how do you say it and what does it smell like? And the most burning question for me personally~what does it look like??
Ylang Ylang (sounds like EE-layng EE-layng or alternately YUH-layng YUH-layng) is a strong heady, exotic floral scent reminiscent of narcissus, jasmine or neroli. (Though some may find it too sweet and strong on its own, the grapefruit in our fragrance strikes the perfect balance.)
Ylang Ylang is native to the Philippines and the literal translation is “flower of all flowers,” a real tropical beauty that reminds me of trailing orchids. Folklore has long purported its aphrodisiac effects. Additionally, aromachology and aromatherapy experts recognize its stress relieving, calming properties.
I must share my favorite ylang ylang quote from my clever friend PR Maven Jef Tingley: “If ylike ylike ylang ylang, then you will love my friend Rachel’s fantastic bodycare line. I was fortunate enough to be a tester nose on some of these delighful fragrance blends.”
**Special thanks to TopTropicals.com who generously allows usage of their beautiful ylang ylang images for educational purposes. Photos of this gorgeous, exotic flower are rare and difficult to come by!
Tags: Aromachology, Aromatherapy, Grapefruit Ylang Ylang, Home Fragrance, Home Fragrance Philosophy, Jef Tingley, PR Maven, Ylang Ylang
Posted in Aromachology, Home Fragrance Products | No Comments »
June 9th, 2010
Scent Layering Is For Home Fragrance Too!
Most women are familiar with the concept of scent layering in the context of personal fragrance. Remember the first gift set you received with soap, lotion, powder, shampoo and cologne all in the same lovely scent? Or for men—soap, aftershave, deodorant and cologne?
Wow, that takes me back to a wonderful girlhood memory of Christmas morning and Tinkerbell, LOL!
Each layer adds a subtle hint of fragrance, a long-lingering whiff of your signature scent surrounding you in delicious luxury. That same concept works wonders in our homes!
Based on a home fragrance philosophy that is all about layering, our combination of handcrafted soaps, soy wax candles, embellished sachets and Room Refresh® sprays creates harmony throughout personal surroundings—home, office and travel.
Tags: Gift Sets, Home Fragrance Philosophy, Scent Layering
Posted in Handmade Soap, Home Fragrance Products, Spa Lifestyle | No Comments »
June 2nd, 2010
Researching Mood Led Me to Aromachology
Scientific research has proven that the sense of smell affects mood—easy to understand since aromas are processed by the same part of the brain responsible for memory and emotions. This phenomenon called aromachology*, as defined by The Fragrance Foundation, is the scientifically observable influence of smell on emotions and moods.
During my days as Director of Marketing for Mood Spa, I did tons of research on everything that affects mood. When I started my own company, I knew that I wanted to create fragrances that set a mood of balance. I love to be in a great mood, all of the time! Based on my research, I know it’s possible to stack the deck in favor of being in a great mood even though many things in life are outside of our direct control. Fragrance is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this goal.
So when I formulated our five fragrances, I used the principles of aromachology. Each mood-balancing fragrance contains components that both calm and energize. You take from it what you need at the time! This concept is very effective in a group dynamic like families, offices or spas where one person may feel exhausted and need a pick me up and another may be keyed up and need to relax. You can set the mood for your life, your loved ones, even a meeting. Go choose a great mood!
*Similar to aromatherapy but without the therapeutic claims
Tags: Aromachology, Aromatherapy, Mood, The Fragrance Foundation
Posted in Aromachology, Bath & Body Products, Home Fragrance Products, Set the Mood For Your Life, Spa Lifestyle | No Comments »
May 26th, 2010
People often ask me why I chose soy wax when I created our candle line. Or, what are the benefits of 100% soy wax candles?
I have never made a paraffin candle. I knew from the beginning that soy wax was the way I wanted to go. It was gut instinct, it fit my philosophy and I’ve never looked back!
Unless labeled otherwise, candles are made from paraffin, an imported byproduct of the oil industry. Buying soy candles supports American farmers, creates U.S. jobs and helps reduce our nation’s dependency on crude oil. As an added bonus, soy wax burns longer and cleaner than paraffin wax.*
*According to the Iowa Soybean Association
Tags: 100% Soy Wax Candles, Eco-Friendly Sustainable Candles, Soy Candles, Vegetable Wax Candles
Posted in Eco-Chic, Green Living, Soy Candles | No Comments »
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