Until recently I had been purchasing bath fizzies from another company, but I wasn’t all that impressed. I wasn’t impressed with their prices, their ingredients, and the way it felt in the tub. I had been trying to make my own for the last year off and on, but none of the recipes I found online worked. I even considered buying a $600 “bath bomb maker” just to get it right but stumbled across a company that showed me how to make the perfect moisturizing bath fizzy, and tailor it to be my own recipe. My bath fizzies not only fizz, they are very moisturizing (and without having to clean out the tub)! And, I sell them at a reasonable price for wholesale and retail (in pretty much any scent imaginable!). They aren’t up on the website yet, as I am building our inventory as we speak! Hooray for bath time luxuries!

We just returned from our first tradeshow experience. We showcased Muscle Relief Gel at the Natural Products Association 71^st Annual Tradeshow in Las Vegas last week. What an experience!  We rolled into Las Vegas two days before the tradeshow started so that we could set up the day before the event began. We were one of the first businesses to set up, but we had a lot of prep work to finish (stapling packets together, folding brochures, etc).  It was pretty wild watching all of the other businesses slowly trickle in and set up. The large companies, like Xango and Now Products, were amazing to see. They must have spent tens of thousands of dollars on their tradeshow displays (not to mention several thousands they must have paid for their location on the floor!).

With our Kinkos banner and athletic event décor in hand, we set up our booth. The two days during the tradeshow consisted mostly of informing retailers and distributors about who we are, why we created/formulated Muscle Relief Gel, why it’s so great, and handing out samples and order forms. It was a lot of fun talking about our product and business, but by the end of each day we were exhausted!

We met a lot of very cool entrepreneurs including Michelle of Emani Mineral Cosmetics and Julie Breaux of Baby Breaux products. Meeting other women entrepreneurs is always a pleasure! Please check out their websites!

Being first time exhibitors we were unaware of the take down process at the end of the show. We thought we would just come back the next morning to break down our display. However, we soon found out what really happens. The tradeshow ended at 4:00pm, and at precisely 4:01pm the forklifts came out and the union workers started ripping up the showroom carpet. Even though we were ready to call it a day and head to the pool, it was actually nice to get everything done and cleaned up so that we could sleep in the next morning.

Overall, the tradeshow was a great experience. We made wonderful, quality contacts with retailers, distributors, and other entrepreneurs. And, we learned what we would change for our next tradeshow, and ideas for how to showcase our products better. Over the next few weeks I will be posting interviews and articles about some of the businesses we visited at the tradeshow!

We recently found out about the Natural Products Association. This is an organization which was founded over 70 years ago and according to the organization, it is the nation’s largest and oldest non-profit organization dedicated to the natural products industry. “The Natural Products Association represents more than 10,000 retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors of natural products, including foods, dietary supplements, and health/beauty aids.” (Source http://www.naturalproductsassoc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_AboutNNFA).

The Natural Products Association is also a resource for business and personal consumers alike. For businesses there is information on member benefits, member directories, press releases and current issues in the natural products industry. As a consumer, you will find member directories, natural food and product stores, facts and information on the natural product industry, and more information on their mission, code of ethics, and more.

 

Every year the Natural Products Association holds the Natural Marketplace trade show. This year, the annual trade show will be held July 17-19 in Las Vegas.

 

Natural Body Care Blog will be there to report on new products, trends and more! Stay tuned…

Have we been busy! When Salus first opened its doors last year, one of the top products was Muscle Relief Gel (or MRG as we like to call it for short). It was so popular that we ran out of it in the first few months, and this made us realize that we were onto something special. So special and great that we wanted to take it to a larger market and tweak the formula based on some feedback and extended human testing. So that is exactly what we have done.

 

We took a careful look at or original ingredients and knew that we wanted to take a more pure approach and include Arnica Montana, replace the Capsicum with pure Capsaicin, get rid of the color, change the preservatives, and enhance the Essential Oil formula. The first few lab revisions with our current partner just did not turn our the way we wanted, so we started from scratch with a new partner, and what a great partner we found!!

 

In all it took about 30 revisions to the formula to get it exactly the way we wanted it. The reason for this was that we wanted it to be perfect. For example on of the tests we did was an everyday heat test due to the Capsaicin levels. To much Capsaicin leaves a painful sensation on the skin (think sunburn feeling), yet we wanted it to be an active OTC ingredient. According to the FDA to be listed as an active ingredient a final product must contain 0.025% Capsaicin (this threshold is also the reason that when you review research on Capsaicin the levels are 0.025% and higher but not lower). When we finalized our formula and sent it off for testing to adhere to FDA guidelines and ensure that the ingredient percentages we predicted were correct, we discovered that the final Capsaicin percent was x.xx%, and not 0.025% as we expected (we have to have some secrets). This also happened at the same time that we were having our tubes printed so we had to stop the printing presses. Our dilemma was that we had the perfect Capsaicin amount that resulted in a great complement to the Menthol cooling effect, yet a heat level that did not result in a a burning sensation, but we were beneath the FDA guidelines for active ingredient listing. Our decision was simple, leave the formula as we created it and change our active ingredient listing. We have the perfect formula, and know it.

 

We also partnered with Xelapack as our sample packet company because through them we were able to continue our commitment to the environment and use 100% Post Consumer Recycled Paper (PCRP) samples. Rob over at Xelapack was great to work with.

 

We are also proud of our efforts with Muscle Relief Gel because it is 100% Made In the USA!

 

So Yes! Muscle Relief Gel by Salus is finally here! We are sponsoring some GREAT athletic events (think Leadville Trail 100) and are looking forward to more sponsorships, events and promotions. We are also negotiating with some pretty big name premium retailers to get it into your local market, and we will be announcing these partnerships shortly. In the mean time you can buy MRG at the Salus webiste and find more information at MuscleReliefGel.com

 

Most importantly though we want to thank you and all of our customers!!!

-Jerèll Klaver

Justin Short of JRD Steam was just interviewed by Rob McNealy, this is a great interview that I encourage you to listen too.  By the way I have also included a brief summary from Justin below on “What Is A Steam Shower”.

 StartUpStoryRadio Link

What is a Steam Shower?

10th March 2007

Brief definition of a Steam Shower

A steam shower is a small cabin or enclosure designed to contain heated water vapor that has been created using a humidifying steam generator. A steam shower session can be a social affair if the enclosure sits more than one person. Steam showers combine the functionality of a standard steam room with many additional features including a shower. Steam showers are designed for use in a bathroom. Therefore, many of them have been packed out with features that enhance the standard showering experience, turning the bathroom into a mini spa.

Brief History of the Steam Shower

Steam showers are an adaptation of the steam room. Steam rooms can be traced back to the Roman times where the Romans would bathe in a sweat room called a sudatorium. Around the same era, the Turks had their Turkish bath (the hammam), while the Russians caught hold of the concept and had their own steam bath called the banya. The history of the sudatorium goes back to the ancient Greeks. With the evolution of technology, manufacturers integrated the steam room and shower into a combination unit called a steam shower, designed for use in a bathroom.

Types of Steam Shower

There are many different styles of steam showers for every home and taste. The following are the most popular styles of steam shower:

Single / Double Steam Showers Steam showers can have seats in them, and the ones that do usually have one or two seats. Steam showers with two seats are generally larger than steam showers with one seat, however, there are steam showers which are large and only have one seat.

Corner / Wall Steam Showers Steam showers are manufactured to many different specifications as customers have different spacing requirements, therefore steam showers are made for both corners and walls. Steam showers which are designed for corners are generally free standing and can be pushed into the corner. Steam showers which are designed to stand against a flat wall are often rectangular and are also free standing.

Bathtub Steam Showers Steam showers can also have a whirlpool or standard bath integrated into the unit. Instead of a shower base, a whirlpool bath with hydromassage jets is used. The user can have the option of bathing in the bathtub, using the shower, or the steam, making the bathtub steam shower the ultimate bathroom centerpiece. Steam showers that have a whirlpool bath are generally larger than steam showers with a shower base.

Features of a Steam Shower

There are many different steam showers on the market, integrating into them different technologies. Steam showers can include some of the following features:

1.       Music & Phone Connections - A function which allows the user to connect an external audio device (e.g. CD player, iPod, MP3 player, etc.) to the steam shower. The user can listen to their favorite music while showering. Steam showers usually have a phone connection which enables the user to dial and answer calls while in the steam shower.

2.       Handheld shower on slide rail - The same as a handheld shower on slide rail in a standard shower.

3.       Overhead shower - Usually a static shower head, integrated in the roof of the steam shower unit. This usually gives the effect of falling rain as the surface area of the head is large, approximately six inches in diameter.

4.       Body Jets - Steam showers often have body jets, enhancing the steam experience further. Typically ranging in number from 4 to 16+, the jets, acting as hydrotherapy treatment, spray water onto the muscles relaxing and stimulating them.

5.       Digital control panel with remote control - Steam showers can have a digital control panel which will control most of the features within the unit. For example, it can control the overhead shower, the steam temperature and the radio function.

6.       Thermostatic controller - A thermostatic valve controls the temperature of the shower water, preventing surges of hot and cold water.

7.       Foot massage - A device, usually attached to the wall of the steam shower that can be placed on the floor to massage the feet. Water sprays up from the foot massage which massages the feet.

8.       Steam generator with time and temperature settings - A steam generator acts like a kettle: it is the physical device which produces the steam. Steam generators on residential steam showers usually range between 2-3KW. The higher the wattage of the steam generator, the faster the water will boil, therefore the faster the steam shower will fill with steam.

9.       Aromatherapy - This feature uses a mechanism that allows the bather to add drops of essential oils to the steam outlet, steaming the aroma into the steam shower, improving the steam shower experience even more.

10.   Radio and speaker - Operated from the control panel within the steam shower, the bather can listen to the radio, with a built in shower speaker.

11.   Fluorescent overhead light - Usually a circular fluorescent light, the overhead light illuminates the steam shower, creating a fresh bright atmosphere.

12.   Shampoo & Body Wash Dispensers - A shampoo bottle, attached to the wall of the steam shower which can be filled up with shampoo and conditioner.

13.   O3 - A function that is activated when the steam shower is switched off. This self activating function releases a gas called O3 which sterilizes the unit, helping to reduce the build up of bacteria.

14.   Seat - A seat which allows the bather to sit down and relax during a steam shower session.

Summary

Steam rooms have a rich history. The development of technology has brought along with it affordability. Where steam showers would not have been an option in the past due to expense, they are now available at reasonable prices. The integration of the steam shower with the home bathroom will ensure the tradition of the steam room will live on for many years to come.

 

Sometimes we just have to post about other non natural body care sites that we like. This week we found one on sweets and anything sticky gooey creamy chewy. They have an excellent recipe for French Chocolate Brownies that we just couldn’t pass up.

http://stickygooeycreamychewy.blogspot.com/
For me, one of the simple pleasures in life is sitting down with a warm, fudgy brownie and an ice cold glass of milk…

Feeling sexy before you have sex

You might end up with a pleasing full body massage…

 

Homemade products simplify beauty regimen

A honey almond body scrub…

 

Naturopathy and Ayurvedic Treatment for Eye Cataract

Epsom salt bath should be taken twice a week….

On of the soap lines that we love is from Primal Elements.

Not only do their soaps look great, they feel and work great too.   

 

According to Primal Elements:

Primal Elements is dedicated to providing the highest quality bath and skin care products. Primal Elements bath and skin care products have evolved from the revitalizing benefits of aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, and botanical infusions. Primal Elements is committed to protecting our environment and using renewable resources. Primal Elements bath and body care products are high quality, effective, and are based on caring, sound environmental practices. Our products are not tested on animals and contain no animal ingredients. Pure essential oils and natural botanicals are replenishable resources. We package in recyclable containers and encourage our customers to reuse or recycle our containers. Primal Elements encourages feedback from our clientele. We are always open to your suggestions to help us develop and refine our unique product line.

 

You can buy Primal Element soaps from their website or at SALUS.

H2O Plus, LLC Acquired By Cordova, Smart & Williams, LLC And Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group

 

Homemade products simplify beauty regimen

 

Whether skin turns lobster red or golden brown, protect it in the sun

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