Batch Making

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon, that in truth really shouldn't be so lazy.  I have quite a few orders to fill but only 2 batches of product to make.  These batches are super easy no heat type deal and thus the reason why I am probably being so laid back.
Batch number 1:  Restoration Hair Repair Protein Treatment.

Find it here

With this I put several different proteins in this product for their individual and unique function on the hair.  The result is instantly stronger hair.

Batch number 2:  Silk Body Mist

Find it here or Here

This is my dry oil perfume that has full body fragrance without the chemicals.  Dry oil perfumes dry almost instantly on the skin without leaving an oily residue.  

So there you have it folks- what I should be doing and what I am actually doing- blogging and sleeping.   

Where have you've been?!?!

Oh I have been around- I had even started another blog, but I let that one fizzle too.  Let's just admit it, I am a bad blogger.  Or do I just have an extremely busy life?  Either way I know that I could and should do better.  But do you really want to hear about my ADD creations?  Things I think of and either never get started or just can't seem to get the formula right?

I guess some of you do.  So here we go..........again.

Please check my Etsy site for some of the updated products that have managed to hit the market.
NBD Costmetics  Even this is pared down as I get ready to upgrade my space.   Part of my busy life includes that fact that we are currently building our home.  I am so excited as I will finally have a dedicated space to do all my mad blending and mixing.  I can't wait until I get back to the creative process.  Just finished testing a keratin smoothing treatment (natural of course) and I am so excited.  Silky, Soft and Smooth was exactly how my 4a- 4b  hair felt.  More testing is needed of course.

Feel free to follow my other blog about my home building process:

From 41 to 14: Our Courtand Gate Journey

Coffee Scrub and Milk bath

So I plan to make a coffee body scrub because I like the idea of a great caffiene morning wake up.  But while I was reading Koco Nails FB post looking for new pedicures for the spring, one of her FB friends had a great idea./  Coffee, honey and brown sugar scrub in a milk bath.  So, I am like- whoa.  Great Idea!  I could even make the Milk and Honey Milk Bath for general body use.  I can see I am going to be quite busy over the next few weeks.

Color protection shampoo

Okay so two things- I am going to do a new shampoo AND I have decided to make two versions of my shampoos.

Here is why-  I have noticed that persons with silkier type hair do well with my surfactant (sulfate free) shampoos while people with more texture do extremely well with my black soap shampoos.  But beyond texture- people have the same issues between the two- damaged, dry, thinning, fine. won't grow.  So I figure why not offer both sets the same great formula in a different base (setting if you will)

So on to new shampoo(s).  This one will be directed exclusively at color protection.  Haven't decided a name for it yet but it will be rich in antioxidants.  Why antioxidants?  Because antioxidants are known sun protectors and can protect skin and hair from oxidative stress.

In addition, this will have tons of Sunflower extract.  Sunflower extract has a unique vitamin F that helps to protect your color. 

Before anyone gets to excited- this will have to go thru extensive testing, but I feel good about this one.  So wish me luck.

I have been a bad girl.

It's been so long since I have been on here, but I will try to do better. 
This is just a little update to let everyone know that I am also on Art Fire now. 

http://www.nbdcosmetics.artfire.com/

Creative mood

Ok, a new client is begging me to make a soap with rhassoul clay.  I have it, but currently I only include in a Koco Foot Mousse.  But I am just thinking of the possibilities right now,  I want to re batch a soap and include rhassoul with maybe some amber extract, and sandalwood powder and vanilla bean specks.  That would be for face and body, and then I could do another one for hair, maybe even a deep conditioner.  

Ok the mind is working!  Hmm, deep conditioner can include some Argan oil and maybe some Hemp.  Maybe I will try my hand at that tomorrow (its time for a deep conditioning treatment again for myself).  Oh the possibilities!

Foot lotion and Spray

So I am at it again. I am going  to make a foot lotion and spray, to especially be sold at Koco Nails.
I have decided on the scents (peppermint orange and manuka rose) but I have not quite decided on all of the ingredients.  I think I want to to Kukui Nut Oil and maybe some rose hip oil  for healing and moisturizing.  But I go to thinking, well what about comfrey root and chickweed herbs.  Let's not forget the bilberry extract and the maplesugar extract.  I have also got my hands on a special olive oil extract that is suppose to make your skin feel extra silky.  So many decisions and that's just the lotion.

The foot spray will be scented the same but what do I include in them?  Any suggestions?

Magic Eye Potion

Sorry gang, I have been so busy lately I forgot to keep you guys posted.  I finally listed my eye cream on Etsy!  I know, I know its about time.  Can you give a girl a break?  Big things have been happening and some things just get lost in the confusion.  Here is the link with all the details in case you are interested"

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63811355/magic-eye-potion-paraben-free

And in other news, remember when I said I would not do perfumes?  Okay so chalk that up to "I didn't say absolutely not"  Anyone who know me, knows I love smell goods and so I just couldn't resist.  What I will be putting on the market soon is a list of dry oil perfumes.  Dry oil perfumes contain no alcohol and dry almost instantly when sprayed on skin and dark colored cotton.  It is an oil, so do not spray on silk and some polyester blends.  You can however, spray it on your hair because it is an oil.

BTW- we are retailing at Koco Nails in Philadelphia!  I told ya, big things are happening for me.

Black Friday

So I am running a Black Friday sale on Black Friday of course for 15% off my entire shop.  Just use BlackFriday as the coupon code at checkout.  This sale only lasts one day.

On to other news,  I have started testing the reformulated Avocado and Honey Daily Conditioner for damage repair and most definitely the irish moss gave it more slip.  I still have to recheck the pH and make sure its about a 5 maybe a little less.  As for the deep conditioner version, I have not reformulated that yet but will definitely do that after the Thanksgiving holiday. 

I also decided I wanted to do a hydrating hair mask based on roses.  I want rosehip oil in this one as well as powdered roses and some rose water.  I may put a touch of rose clay in it, but I will see.  I haven't decided if I am going to put any other goodies in it but you guys know me by now, once I get in the "lab" anything can happen.

BTW, I have created an oil free conditioner!  I know, oil free, but this was actually created as a "refresher" for people with oily hair.  My tester decided to use it as a leave in and loved the results.  I let someone else buy it as a pre market product and she loved it.  So ladies and gentlemen I think I have an accidental hit on my hands.

Avocado and Honey Deep Conditioner, the first test

Ok guys, so I did my first test run on the deep conditioner that I have been working on and I definitely want to do some changes. 
First, I wanted to just use a thicken aloe as the water base, which is fine but I add so many ingredients that it thins out and I have to re thicken it.  Which leads me to my next issue, when it is the thickens that I want, it is not as smooth as I would like. 
My next big issue, I want the hair to have more slip and for whatever reason, it doesn't.
But the good points: my hair is definitely strong and it did provide some conditioning effects.
So here is what I want to do, add a lot more marshmallow root and Irish moss.  Adjust my pH down some, (the previous batch was about a 6, I want to make it a 5.) And lastly, I will add a conditioning ester as well as my detangling wax.

If the new batch works well, I will start doing product testing and move on to the Rose Water Hydrating Hair Mask.  Yes I did think of something else.  But I will talk about that later.

Hemp Hair and Skin Butter

Just completed a custom blended hair butter for a client who has nut allergies & a sensitive scalp.  I am  really excited about this one. I  took unrefined hemp seed oil & castor oil & infused it w/ a few herbs good for sensitive skin as well as hair growth.  I  then added this infusion to raw shea butter, added rosemary & orange eo's. No wax, no preservatives, & not a drop of nut oils. Maybe market material.

Pomegranate Nite Cream

So I finally finished a test batch of the pomegranate nite cream and just need to test it.  Guess what people this is about as natural as it can get.  I have bunch of extracts in this one including sugar cane, bilberry and orange fruit all known for there AHA content.  I also have rice bran oil, rose hip oil and of course pomegranate oil.  To preserve this dreamy concoction I actually use radish extract.  You read that right, radish extract.  Now if I can get some people to sign up to be product testers.  It seems everyone wants to test hair products but nothing else.  Ce la vie.

Gift packages

So I just spent the last couple of days coming up and researching possibilities for gift packages to offer on my Etsy shop.  I think I went overboard, as I normally do.  I have to many options my head is spinning but I think that it will be great and will probably drive a lot of business my way.

So in honor of this I have designed a silk lotion, that I will include in some of the packages.  I have included a generous amount of silk protein in the formulation and  it leaves your skin so smooth.  I am kinda excited about it.  I think I will also offer it for sale by its self.

So I have also been considering selling solid perfumes.  Not quite sure, because if you are like me I have to smell it before I buy it.  I will however give this item away as part of my gift giving this year.

Still have to get in the lab and design that night time cream, this ADHD of mine is at its finest moment right now.

Sesame Street:Song: I Love My Hair

Pampered Princess Milk Bath

We are currently looking for product testers for our new Pampered Princess Milk Bath.  This milk bath contains whole milk, buttermilk, coconut milk, silk peptides and roses.  This item is limited to 20 testers.

Please visit my facebook page for details and for product tester application.

www.facebook.com/NaturalbyDesignCosmetics

Avocado and Honey Deep Conditioning Hair Mask

So I have been truly thinking about this one.  Running a couple of ideas in my head but I would like to see what you guys think.

So the base will definitely be a kaolin clay, my favorite clay to use.  I will also add my avocado powder.  But this is where I am stuck.  Do I add my honey powder and then a conditioner type base?  If that is the case, adding silk protein becomes a problem too.  Do I had the hydrolyzed version or the powder version. 

If I don't add the conditioner base, do I make this a dry mask and have the customer add water?  Some people want there stuff ready to go.  If I make this a dry mask, I can add the avocado oil for richness.

See why I haven't completed this one yet?  I may have to make 2 different versions for the product testers and ask them which one do they prefer.  See what happens when you think too much?

Chocolate Body Scrub

While in the midst of designing a few products for a dayspa here in Philadelphia, I came up with a scrub that I think you guys will absolutely love.  It is as the title says, a chocolate body scrub with all the yumminess that you would expect from chocolate.  It has raw sugar, raw unprocessed cocoa, unprocessed first pressed cocoa butter and a blend of rich oils including vitamin E.  I swear you will just find yourself sniffing the jar.  As soon as I finish this order plus an eye and night face cream, I will have this bad boy or girl on the market. 

Honey Moisture Spritz Revamped

I must love you guys, I am on vacation and I am still blogging.  It's because I am on vacation that I decided to revamp the Honey Moisture Spritz.  I mean its great as is, but the sun down here can be brutal on the hair, as I am finding out.

So I decided to add an antioxidant blend for sun protection.  I might even see how I can boost the moisture factor for those who leave in the intense heat.  Too bad, I am not here long enough to test anything.  Darn.

Guess I will have to take another vacation to make sure that this new formula is just right. :-)

Peach Coconut Hair Milk

So technically I am on vacation but I need to get this idea out there before I forget it.  Coconut Hair Milk.  Yes I know it has been done before but I haven't done it.  I want of course the coconut oil but unlike other hair milks mine will actually contain coconut milk and possibly a little concentrated coconut cream.  Here is the other twist:  I am researching the benefits of peach extract on the hair.  If everything looks promising I will be adding that to the blend as well.  In addition, this will be gentle enough the young ones.  I want to use my naturally derived preservative for this one.  This is made from a glucose sugar and benzoin,  Cross your fingers.

And in case I didn't mention it I will be working on a few yogurt lotions/ creams.  Yogurt is a natural softening agent so it should work well on dry cracked hands and feet.  Perfect for this nail salon I will be working with.   So I have  a lot do my friends when I get back, but you know I like the hustle and bustle of it all.

Oily hair shampoo update

So I completed part of the shampoo, finally.  I did do a tea infusion with some nice astringent herbs and I added acai extract.  I may add more extract but time will tell.  I will let my product testers have it soon.  In anycase, my new scale should be here when I get back from vacation (yes my dears, vacation) and I will able to better calculate a final amount.  I did add a fragrance and then I changed my mind and decided to use eo's instead.  But sill me not thinking, I added it to the batch with the fragrance.  I am glad I did.  This accident gives the shampoo a unique scent that should conjure up images of clean.  New thought:  Acai Mint.  Would this be a good name for a shampoo?  Give me your thoughts people.

I started part 2 tonighit, which is a mid day refresher.  It has the same herbs and extracts as the shampoo but I making this into a gel.  I am letting it sit now, because I am so tired.  I want .5% of acai and ended up doing 5%.  I will do a quick test in the morning and if everything is ok, I will contact my testers.