Teach Soap

In everyone's experience do you find that people like sweetened or unsweetned lip balms? I bought a few "flavored oil for lip balms" without the knowledge that they are not "flavored or sweetned" so I think that I may have wasted a bit of money and not sure if people would even be interested in buying a lip balm that just smells. What do you all think?

I'm a little new to this but I have another question. I have read that I buy a sweetner, but how can I get the lip balm to taste like that particular lip balm flavor oil that I purchased. Is that possible?

Please don't laugh at my stupidity!?!?!

OH Yeah . .this is my first post!! Hello Everyone

Most chapsticks (even the big boys) do not have an actual taste. There is just a strong scent and a sweet taste that kind of tricks you in thinking there is a taste.

You generally do want to sweeten them as the flavor oil on its own can taste a little bitter.

Also - Welcome to the Forum! We are glad to have you!

My customers prefer them sweetened, so I do.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I've been making a unflavored - unscented lip balm that isn't sweetened. My customers have loved them so far. Kind of the less is more thing going on.

What would you use for an all natural sweetener? If I ever did add a sweetener, it would have to be all natural...

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

When I very first started making lip balm, I tried the stevia in it to "sweeten" ... I decided it made no difference than not having it because really you smell not taste lip balm so I've never put it in again and have never once had a complaint. I have never tried any of the pre-sweetened flavors/scents, though. I think BB has a couple. I use their flavors/scents that are not pre-sweetened.

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Sweet bathing!
Erin
www.bathcake.com

I just got into the world of lip balms (for my hubby's chapped lips) and am loving it! Each of the flavors I got are sweetened (good thing I asked, before I bought stevia), but not so much.

Does anyone use beeswax or candellia (sp)? What are your reasons for using either?

Has anyone tried using coffee butter in lip balm?

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Peggi

http://www.klamathriversfinest.etsy.com

I use beeswax in mine. Reasons? I guess the very first recipe I ever tired for it said to use it and so I always have. I keep beeswax around because I make beeswax candles for my husband - they seem to help with his allergies ... I don't sell candles anymore (when I did I used soy wax for what I sold).

Haven't tried coffee in lip balm. I've made scrubs with it ... and I think it'd be too gritty in lip balm unless you were using just enough for color/scent, maybe?

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Sweet bathing!
Erin
www.bathcake.com

coffee butter is a smooth creamy butter that smells (and tastes) like coffee, without the caffeine. I finally tried some in a lip balm for personal use-straight coffee flavor, and a mocha tasting one. They are both so good! BB carries coffee butter, but the last time I checked they were out.

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Peggi

http://www.klamathriversfinest.etsy.com

I just got my order of lip balm base from BB and so far I like it. I am waiting on it to harden more. I "flavored" it with Watermelon but no Stevia. I don't think that I would want a sweet lip balm. Now my question is how do you price them? I got the 1.4 oz lip tins and I calculated that it cost me .28 in material plus .55 per tin. That is a total cost per lip butter of .83. What do you think retail should be on them? I try to be very price conscious with my products because I think about what I would pay for something but also, I need to make something off of it. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

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Haven

Don't forget to calculate how much time it took you to make them so you can pay yourself as well.

Yeah, I am not very good at that. It took me like 5 minutes tops to melt it, scent it, and pour it. Plus, it is hard for me to put a price on time that involves something I love doing!

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Haven

^^^Think about this though...would you love doing it for free for 100 years? I'm all for reasonable pricing, but you also need to be good to yourself. And help your business grow.

I have sold "scented not flavored" for over a year. I have found that lip balm users love the natural petroleum/alcohol free feel and results--- the lack of a taste IMHO keeps you from licking your lips! That being said, the scented always sell before the unscented. I use a beeswax base, cocoa butter and other oils and I can't make it fast enough during the winter. My .15 tubes sell for $3. By the way, I have several customers who use them as eye stick moisturizers although I have never sold them as such.

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You may be only one person to the world, but you may also be the world to one person

You have a good point. I really do need to sit down and calculate those things. I generally get my hubby's help on it. That way I don't cheat myself.

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Haven