Essential U Blog

Life Lessons from My 7 Year Old Daughter & Ellen DeGeneres

Right smack dab in the middle of life it is hard to imagine the next chapter, let alone know the end of the story.  If only we could piece it all together, as we are going through a struggle and see the happy ending.  It would just be so much easier to wade through difficult times if we got a sneak peak at the final chapters.  But life is experienced linearly and we must live with enough faith to take the next step.  We need to trust that moving forward is worth it in order to not collapse to the ground in surrender during hard times.

      

My daughter got me to thinking about how we only have enough understanding at a given time to process our situation from our limited knowledge base.  Later we gain new perspective as we gather new experiences.  Only then can we look back knowingly and appreciate our journey. 

Press Release from Our Lab Division

Essential Labs Announces the Addition of a high speed Automatic Tube Filling Machine to Maximize Private Label Filling Capacity

 

Essential Labs recently purchased a new high output tube filling machine to increase tube filling capacity in order to fill the needs of our growing clientele.  With this new machine Essential Labs can fill between 25,000 to 80,000 tubes per shift.  When most companies are cutting back Essential Labs is expanding to serve our clients because the natural organic industry to which they serve continues to grow despite the economic downturn. 

 

             

 

Essential Labs is the leader in natural and organic private label cosmetic manufacturing and private labeling and is a USDA Certified Organic manufacturer.  Essential Labs combined with its parent company Essential Wholesale is able to meet the needs of any size company from small start ups to large established customers.  Essential Labs only has a minimum order of 500 tubes per product and Essential Wholesale with its unique Private Label Selector system that allows orders as small as 8 units making this company a friend to any size business.

 

Essential Labs is an organic certified facility specializing in organic and natural personal care and cosmetic formulations with the ability to custom formulate any product with an in-house Research and Development Lab.  Essential Labs can meet the needs of clients seeking to develop a personal care, mineral make-up, baby care, mother-to-be product, pet products, skin, hair, spa and body care as well as products for men and teens. 

Wordless Wednesday #7: The Standard of Friendship I Learned from My Mom

 

New Simple Aloe Jelly Launched

We are very excited to release our new Simple Aloe Jelly.  It is carbomer, TEA and paraben free.  Most aloe jelly products are thickened with carbomer and TEA.  There are a handful on the market that are thickened with other gums but tend to not be clear or they have gummy consistancy.  We have always wanted to release a carbomer and TEA free aloe jelly but did not want to put out a gummy product.  Our in-line mixer has finally made it possible to put out a aloe jelly that leaves no sticky feeling and absorbs quickly into the skin.  We were having no success in the lab with a new formula until we decided to take a leap of faith and make a 40 gallon test batch in order to use our in-line mixer on a test batch.  Thankfully our leap of faith was successful and members of our volunteer test panel passed the new product with flying colors. 

We are pleased to respond to your requests for a carbomer and TEA free jelly and will have more coming out soon. 

Understanding the Difference Between Drugs & Cosmetics

There is a very defined line between drugs and cosmetics.  It is important that as cosmetic companies we clearly stay on our side of the line and not walk the tight rope in between the two definitions.  Our jobs as cosmetic companies are to cleanse, beautify, and promote attractiveness.  We have plenty to do inside our own world without tinkering with the drug definitions. 

 

  

 

What is a Cosmetic?

Cosmetic is defined in Federal Food, Drug, Cosmetic Act, Section 201 (i) as being: Articles intended to be rubbed (serums, moisturizers, etc.), poured (bubble baths, oils, etc.), sprinkled (body powders, bath powders, etc.), or spray on (body deodorant, perfumes, body mists, etc.), introduced or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing (cleansers, exfoliants, etc.), beautifying (exfoliants, moisturizers, makeup, etc.), promoting attractiveness (makeup, perfumes, deodorants, etc.) or altering the appearance (cleansers, exoliants, serums, moisturizers, makeup, etc.)  All Italic examples are those added by Essential Wholesale and not official FDA comments.

Like a Fine Wine: Patchouli Only Gets Better With Age

A few weeks ago Steven sent a sample of patchouli down to the lab to evaluate.  The patchouli was from this years crop and smelled very green.  I twittered about the "green" patchouli which started some interesting conversations.  When I first got into the aromatherapy I disliked the scent of patchouli.  I described it as smelling like; dirt, mold and Lewis & Clark College.  But now I appreciate and love patchouli. 

      

Steven volunteered to write this post about patchouli after all the conversation as everyone took a whiff of the green patchouli sample.  It almost seems silly to write about patchouli. Who doesn’t know the scent of patchouli? If you are acquainted with any hippies or if you have ever visited a college campus, you know the redolent and earthy scent of patchouli.

Ducks in a Row or Not: Start Your Own Company

People often ask me when it is the best time to start a new company or launch a new product line. My answer is always the same, “Right now.” It does not matter what time of the year it is, what time of your life you are in, the current state of the economy or who you are. The time that you are thinking of starting a business is the time to get started. The following 10 points are lessons learned from starting our own company and supporting thousands of start up companies through Essential Wholesale.

      

1. Make a mess and clean it up later. Don’t keep getting ready to get ready, just get started. If you keep sharpening your pencils and filing your files then all you will have is an organized office. Too many “would-be” entrepreneurs are stuck in the planning phase and need to just jump in. You can’t grow and learn without the mistakes and lessons of actually doing the dirty work. Yes, there is a place for planning, but eventually enough is enough. So make a mess and clean it up later when the money starts rolling in.

Wordless Wednesday #6: Ice Storm Yet Soon After It Did Bloom

Chocolate: A Love Story

What can I say? I love chocolate; I am a chocolate connoisseur. I believe that there is one Universal and International truth: chocolate is pure heaven for women and just another food for men. You can watch a woman melt into the experience of a piece of chocolate. Her shoulders relax and her eyes roll back and close, as she fully experiences her chocolate with a smile from ear to ear. It is like the world vanishes and peace engulfs the woman. I have watched stress, hurt, frustration and worry dissolve from the very frame of woman when she bites into a piece of chocolate. On the other hand watching a man eat chocolate is a disgrace. They chew the divine chocolate as if they do not even notice that heaven itself has brought them this gift. 

      

A few years ago I forced myself to switch from milk chocolate to the dark chocolate that I have always avoided. Everything I read talked about how good dark chocolate was for me, but I resisted because I am historically a milk chocolate enthusiast. It took a lot of resolve to make the change. It was accompanied by a full lifestyle change that included eating only organic foods and quitting coffee, processed foods and sugar. I decided that I would treat myself pure organic dark chocolate instead.

Veteran of HSMG Conferences Testifies to Business Growth!

Many are wondering if they can afford to attend the 2009 Handmade Soapmakers Guild Conference this year in this economy.  Veterans of the conference are saying you can't afford not to go.  Monique Hodgkinson owns Stable Solutions and she shared with me her thoughts on attending the conference. 

 

      

 

Did going to the HMSG Conference help you business over the past year?  If so how?  How much did your company grow?

I've attended the HMSG Conference for the past four years. The conference has helped me grow my business by:

• Providing Technical Information
• Allowing me to network with other  soapmakers
• Motivating me to grow the business
• Giving me food for thought about how other successful entrepreneurs have grown their businesses.

My business has grown each year.  This past year, my sales have grown by 65%.