[Margaret]

Thanks so much Matt!

I had forgotten to write in the cetyl alcohol in my formula (doh!!). I think I have run out of it, so I’ll use 0.5% brassica alcohol.

[Margaret]

TO COLOR YOUR SHAMPOO BARS:

You can either buy beet powder or make it yourself as I do.

I have photographed the equipment I use to make my own beet powder. I first sun-dried the beets I’d sliced thinly, then finished the drying in a food dehydrator, then ground them up using both a small food processor and a coffee grinder.

I make my own beet powder because I can buy beets from a vegetable stand nearby, instead of buying beet powder coming from Hungary (I am in Canada).

I have NO idea about regulations for using it in shampoo bars for selling. I use it in MY shampoo bars.

• This reply was modified 1 month, 1 week ago by  Margaret.

[Margaret]

I “feel your pain” regarding NOT being given expiration dates or manufacturing dates. For YEARS I have had to e-mail the various re-packers I buy ingredients from in Canada, asking them PLEASE give me one of these dates, since they NEVER had it on their web-sites. Finally, within the last 10 - 12 months or so, 3 of the re-packers (Voyageur Soap & Candle, Windy Point, Soap & More) have started to post this info. on their web-sites. I found this lack of important info. infuriating when it came to preservatives. The answer I always got in the past from one of the above-mentioned re-packers, was always a ridiculous “it’s good for one year after you receive it. ” What a load of horse doody!!! I would often throw away preservatives before I finished them because I didn’t want to take a chance on using them, even when only buying a 30 mls. bottle of them. At least NOW the re-test date according to the manufacturer, is given for preservatives.

[Margaret]

As far as I know, a balm does NOT have water in it, it is ANhydrous = NO water in it. There is probably an omission or error in the list of ingredients.

[Margaret]

My guess is they are missing a wax because I don’t see how all of those oils are going to form a semi-solid product, and most balms I’ve seen are quite solid because of wax (usually beeswax). It should also have a hard butter in there like cocoa butter to add to the hardness.

IN SUMMARY:

It just looks a tragic WASTE of ingredients, as written, to MY eyes, but I could be wrong (and often am).

[Margaret]

The 2nd option’s wording “Made in small batches due to space constraints…” was my attempt to explain that all the people who use the “made in small batches” story line are truly limited in their work space and that is why they only make small batches. The complete “small batch” story lines I have read are usually something like: “Made in small batches to ensure the best product” or more eye-rolling, like, “Make in small batches with love”. Small batches does NOT mean the product is better, it’s just that they are made in small batches because the makers are limited in their work space.

I like your line “…using ingredients less harmful to the environment with proven efficacy”. I can’t see what you’ve written while I’m typing this response, so it is NOT exactly as you wrote it, but you wrote something like that, and I like it.

[Margaret]

My hubby would really enjoy the ‘ropey/peaty’ flavor if I made this same flavor of toothpaste for him. Har har!

I made a lotion with vanillyl butyl ether for our aching feet and backs. It gives a little warmth, but nothing to “write home” about.

I’ve also tried niacinamide in a lotion, but it did ZILCHO to lighten up sunshine-caused skin splotches. I took before & after photos & noticed NO difference. I did adjust the pH as recommended when adding the niacinamide.

[Margaret]

Hiya,

I put the results of this poll on here because I found it HUGELY eye-opening to find the majority of people seem to prefer “fluffy” wording, versus merely “facts” at how something is made. AND, it appears the majority of people also do not care if the ingredients used in option #2 are less harmful to the environment. I thought it was a sad commentary on how so many people think nowadays.

[Margaret]

The idea to buy fabric at a store is a good one. I would do it if I were doing a HUGE experiment here. However, I just want to test ONE strip of those B.S. laundry strips. I have LOTS of fabric at home here, so I think maybe I’ll just run the fabric I want to use through my washing machine several times with hot water.

Thanks for the ideas!

[Margaret]

Thanks Phil!!! I thought I might have screwed-up.

[Margaret]

I WAS going to sacrifice some red wine, but we drank it instead 🍷 😃. It was sad enough to sacrifice the 4 little milk chocolate bars I had (from a coffee shop) for the trial.

[Margaret]

Man, you don’t know the HALF of it! 🤪

[Margaret]

OOOOOH. I forgot about Colonial. Thanks.

I’m familiar with Stepan’s Amphosol.

[Margaret]

I have no source to buy disodium EDTA anymore. The repackers have STOPPED carrying it. I also canNOT buy the GLDA, and I’ve forgotten what GLDA is short for. I’m sure it’ll come to me as I try to fall asleep, har har. However, I’m pretty sure I canNOT buy that either.

I do not trust the repacker selling the sodium phytate here in Canada, and ordering this from the U.S. is $$$$, plus there’s a chance the border inspectors will open the box and charge me $10 (or more now?) for opening the box (customs fee).

I DO have citric acid, so I was hoping I could use that.

Our water here is VERY VERY soft. However, I know from people on this forum that using a chelator even if using distilled water is a good idea because the chelator(s) can enhance a preservative’s effectiveness (or efficacy, if that’s the correct term here).

[Margaret]

Try PHIQUE brand of shampoo and conditioner. https://phique.com/

phique.com

Home - Phique

Phique products are backed by our 100% Quality Guarantee. Our scientifically formulated products are the result of thousands of prototypes and tests which have

[Margaret]

I was given 2 of the strips, so I don’t want to risk losing one by trying your suggestion, though it’s a good one. Sorry!.

The Tru Earth website shows the strip quickly dissolving when placed in a bowl of water, so it might not be a problem with anything gumming up like your dishwasher pods.

I have heard the SAME THING about pods being a problem, i.e., NOT dissolving. I was dishes by hand & use laundry powder so I can’t comment on the pods problem myself.

[Margaret]

The people who are drawn to the “made in small batches with love OR made in small batches to ensure the best quality” type of thing, are probably against big-cosmetics 🤩. Good point you made about how small batch manufacturing could mean a lack of stock to sell.

[Margaret]

I had a bad feeling that around HERE (like elsewhere), where I live, the “fluffy” marketing would win, but I just had to create a poll to verify. Since 64% of the respondents voted for the 1st option (which I called Fluffy), I can probably assume that around where I live, it’s the “fluffy” that wins, NOT fact-based marketing (sigh…). I just canNOT bring myself to advertise my soap as being natural or made in small batches with love, but it looks like THAT is what most people crave.

[Margaret]

I had not even considered that I might have offended those who read the poll and voted. What a dope I am!

[Margaret]

Aha!! So I am NOT insane. Thanks for the response.

[Margaret]

Take off eh(?)…hoser.😉

[Margaret]

Too bad most of it is from a palm feedstock.

[Margaret]

Canada…eh? I don’t know anyone who says, “eh”, just so you know 😜.

[Margaret]

Allo Graillotion!

Thanks so much for your response.

I canNOT get pentylene glycol from the 2 or 3 repackers I get my ingredients from, since I am just a hobbyist. The repackers have even stopped selling PG (I found a candy-making supplier that sells it luckily, so I bought 2 U.S. gallons recently. I’ll use MOST of that up however, for my stick deodorants).

I’m pretty sure the glycerin I get is from palm feedstocks, which bums me out. THAT is why I wish to abandon it. I am suspicious of the RSPO since forest was still cleared for palm plantations.

I have an issue with 1,3 propanediol. It’s made from corn, and I’ll bet it’s from the EDIBLE part of corn, NOT the stalks &/or leaves, and THAT is my issue with it.

It is IMPOSSIBLE to be environmentally-neutral with ingredients, but I am trying to be neutral where I can.

[Margaret]

I kinda figured that would be the case. It was going to be part of my explanation why there is NOT LOTS of B.S. oils/butters added to LIQUID shampoo (versus the majority of styooopid shampoo bars sold on-line & in stores) because then the liquid shampoo would be like a (crappy) lotion. Instead, LOTS of oils/butters are used in the vast majority of shampoo BARS, making THEM crappy. Thanks man!