I lost over half of last year due to a shoulder injury and then surgery on my dominant arm. I wasn't able to lift anything over 5 pounds! I finished my physical therapy last month and the surgeon finally gave me the green light to get back to work!
I'm kicking off the year with the release of 2 customer favorite sugar scrubs! In the meantime, I am working on soap restocks, lip balm restocks, and more regular production.
As for what's new- I am working on revising my body butter formula to make it more stable in hot weather (don't worry- the texture will be the same!) and I hope to have that nailed down this month. I've been gifted a huge lot of crystal mushrooms and plan to add those to the tops of the butters until they run out. You can let me know if you want them to stay!
Beard products are poised to return this year along with a revamp of the facial line. Some even more good news: we might be able to bring back some of our tinted lip balms! There was a piece of legislation that would have made tinted lip balms impossible to continue, but it looks like the legislation passed without that little tidbit included.
I've also been fervently testing my own candles, melts, and "wickless" candles. Since it is something I could make in tiny batches, it was my main project during my recovery! After testing about 15 different kinds of candle wax, I settled on a paraffin-free coconut/soy blend. Candle wax looks like a generally dirty business, and deep dives into the manufacturers was a very eye-opening experience.
The wax I chose is slightly tougher to work with, but it is among the most eco-friendly and sustainable choices that I could make.
I have my heart set on a 8oz candle tin (7oz fill weight) but have been struggling to single-wick it. I'm close, though! Everyone told me that candle-making would make me want to pull my hair out, and they weren't wrong! I wanted the challenge, though, and have been enjoying myself.
I'm looking forward to 2023!