FTW

New items up today a skin cleanser with oil control great for those with combination skin and with a plant extract that reduces redness and shrinks pores.

It's an Alpine plant extract that alleviates redness from over producing oil in the skin and shrink the pore size making the skin smoother and softer.

Some on the same old and some of the new new!

Good New Good News.



Got a hold of some exciting cosmaceuticals!

Got me a anti-aging peptide and a skin healing herbal extract!

Also have a plant extract that reduces the skin oil!

Plus I'm posting up some of my products that come in other fragrances!

Starting on the samples and moving on up!

Look at what I found!!!

I'm amazed sometimes by big industry check out this item!

L'Oreal Dermo-Expertise HydraFresh Toner, Alcohol-Free

What I love about this product is it's 99% Alcohol Free.



99% is not alcohol. Yet it's an alcohol free product. That seems a bit weird does it not. So if it's advertised as alcohol free. Wouldn't you expect it not to have alcohol in it? So what's that one percent? Let's have a look at that label!

Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denatured, Butylene Glycol,...

The third ingredient is alcohol! And we know it's one percent because the other 99% is not alcohol. So what are you really paying $7.00 for anyways?

Hand meet forehead.

Well I'm going to dinner tonight and I think I'll order me a 99% fat free burger.

New Fragrance!

Yep launching the fresh clean scent! In the Fox Day Spray!

THis invigorating aeromatic fragrance lifts your spirits and your mood!

As promised!

The Dry skin lotion is up!

I've really impressed myself with this product with a non-greasy formula and Petrol Chemical Free it really the way to go!

Clarity

Last weeks post about how cheap something is really not about what I make it about what I've been asked to work on for someone else.

I've really got to work on my communication skills.

This week I'll be launching two more products!

One will be the

Fox Dry Skin Cream.

Featuring Lanolin! Lanolin is a natural ingredient and very renewable!

What makes lanolin such an interesting ingredient is that lanolin traps moisture in the skin. So when paired with a short term moisturizer such as glycerin and hyxroxyethyl urea. By pairing these I've created a moisture locking system that can sustain short term moisture on the skin for a very long time!

For spread and feel I've added Flax seed which has a high concentration of Omega-3 which are good for blood circulation in the skin.

The cream has a short play time on the skin(rubs in quickly) and is wonderful to combat the dry weather!

The second item is called

Fox Day Spray!

This is a morning spritzer with a light and clean fragrance in combination with plant extracts that improve skin feel and your state of mind!

New projects! You paying what for that!

So, Ive been working on this new serum. It's a high end product that I thought broken down I could help me get some ideas for a new skin feel.

Well I priced it out and viola! This $15.99 product cost....$1.20 to make! The pricing break down is absurd! The expensive stuff is diluted and the product feels the same! Ugg well buyer beware!

Mini man scrub is up! As well as Fox Morning Lotion!

All the manlyness just half the size!

And the Morning Lotion is the kick off item for the FOX day products and the Moon night Products!

Ok bad me

..I forgot that I didn't have the camera... So this week I'll do everyone one better and post two new items!

Back from vacation!!!!

Good news! Trial size Man Scrub in the next few days will be up!

And I will call it... Mini Man Scrub!

Sunscreens

Sunscreens are the mostly misunderstood as to what they protect from, how they work, and how people should use them. If you want the nitty gritty just skip to the last paragraph.

One such misconception is that high SPF give higher protection. This is not the case.
the amount of protection that a sunscreen provides has been derived by the formula

(SPF-1)
--------- *100 = % UV Protection
SPF

Looking at this formula at this moment no mater how high an SPF you buy you can never reach 100% protection. So no sunscreen provides complete protection.

Now, going back to the formula and using five popular SPF ratings currently in use, SPF 15, 30, 50, 70, and 100. The following table of data can be made.

SPF	15	30	50	70	100
% UV Protection	93.33	96.67	98	98.57	99

Notice that the amount of protection between a SPF 15 and 100. That is only 5.6% difference however you are blocking at an SPF 15, 93% of the UV radiation!

So what does that SPF number mean?

The SPF is determined by the Minimum Erythelose Dose (MED) times the amount of UV light the skin can handle.

So what is an Minimum Erythelose Does (MED)?

An MED is the amount of time that the skin is irradiated by light before it shows the first sign of reding. Most people are in the twenty minute range.

I've made another table using our favorite five SPF's. I've listed all the times in hours.

SPF	15	30	50	70	100
MED		hours spent in the sun before the SPF limit is reached
10	2.5	5	8.33	11.67	16.67
20	5	10	16.67	23.33	33.33
30	7.5	15	25	35	50
40	10	20	33.33	46.67	66.67

Now we know from the first table that the sunscreen protect relatively the same and here we see how long they can protect us at the five SPF levels we've looked at earlier. Looks pretty impressive. Until you put the number in a perspective.

In Dallas, Texas on June 20 from sunrise to sun set the city will have 14 hours and 20 minutes of sun. And since most people are an MED of 20. An average person will be able to use an SPF 50 stay our in the sun all day and be protected, and that is only ONE application!!! In theory.

There are three problems with this table. Issue one, most people will not use enough sunscreen and issue two, you will move around and you will sweat and move and rub off that precious sunscreen. Issue three that is a ridiculous amount of time to be spent in the sun to only use one application of sunscreen!

Yet all table 2 shows us is the amount of time we "CAN" sped in the sun. But don't let those numbers fool you. For it is the water resistance that matters! The FDA has two types of ratings when it comes to water resistance. The first is (wait this the shocking part) water resistant and Very water resistant (tax dollars at work people). (It is the same test to determine if a product is sweat resistant or very sweat resistant). What that means is, to be considered water resistant the SPF must remain the same for 40 minutes after being submerged in 75 degree F water. For a sunscreen to receive a rating of very water resistant it must last for 80 minutes in water then tested. That's it that is as long as a sunscreen has to last according to the FDA. At the end of the 80 minutes you are suggested by the FDA to reapply. So, even the FDA doesn't believe that you need to be wearing a high SPF. Also, why would you want to cover yourself in so much chemical?

Application: How do you know you are using enough? The best method I've ever seen I like to call the gun method. Lay you hand flat palm up and hold your hand like you're shooting a gun with your pointing and middle fingers. Then fill the space between the pointing and middle finger with a half inch wide line of sunscreen. Filling the space from the tips of your fingers to the base of your fingers. That is enough sunscreen to cover your face, chest and arms.

Conclusions:
According to the FDA you need to reapply sunscreen every 80 minutes that's when the water resistance wears off. Most (99%) of us don't need a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more (see above for explanation). The amount of protection an SPF 15 can give compared to an SPF 100 is less than 6% and a SPF 15 gives over 92% protection. Not applying enough is just as bad as not applying at all so reread the application step before you get to the beach. Please, buy smart, reapply every hour and a half and tell everyone you know how to be sunscreen safe.

The wonders of neem!

Neem a natural biocide! Seems to be too good to be true. Or is it?
Check this out the wikipedia link

Notice the lack of information on the invasiveness...

The truth of the matter is while it is a welcome tree in India. The Australians have had a hard time with it. And here is where I have the problem with the neem tree.

The neem tree grows very well in arid climates and high temperature. The proliferation of the tree has brought welcome shade and animal life back to Australia. That is a fact that can not be argued.

The other part is the plant has been so successful that it may be the reason that the fires in the winter of 2008 were so ferocious. The neem tree likes to grow around the old growth trees in Australia. The neem tree is very combustible. In the times before the neem invasion the old growth trees would have withstood the wildfires. Now with the fresh timber around the old trees it seems that they are not able to withstand the more intense fires that were raging around Australia.

So it comes down to this:

Use neem and promote it use or not use it and hope the problem goes away? Please feel feel to post comments with your opinion!

Hey look restock done!!!!

Good news I've restocked and ready to go! Lotion Samples are ready and waiting to go!

Parabens are safe. Now that is a topic up for discussion!!!

Best link I've ever found on the subject!

Parabens bad press based on flawed science

It's short quick and a pod cast! The other point I like to make on this that was not added was that parabens are in fact used most commonly in foods! We all eat this stuff!

Goes back to the bench Has an anti aging lotion that needs tending.

Work Work Work!

The latest and greatest is I've been busy!!! not with life but with a new product line roll out!

Yeah!!!! So far there is a morning wake up lotion and a dry skin night lotion! The total line contains 14 products! Lots to do! So yeah I've been busy!


Thanks for sticking around! I'm hoping to post a new market blurb. Tonight or tomorrow!

Breaking E

Step two in a the emulsion business is all about feel.

Thickeners are the real work horses when it comes to a lotion.

Thickeners can make a lotion feel draggy, sticky, gooey and heavy. They are also as the name implies the foundation of thickness.

Thickener can be anything from Carbopols to xanthan gums. And contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as an organic thickener. Xanthan Gum is a bioreacticed product, please get over it.
And carbopols are no longer being purified with benzene. That being said, there are really two different ways in which thickeners operate and this is important to the overall appeal of a lotion.

Xanthan Gums are a class of thickeners that behave like a parachute. Before they are added to water they are packed really tightly and are easy to use. However when added to water they expand and interconnect and give structure making pockets that the emulshon has to fit into. As xanthan gum does this the over all feel becomes slime type feel.

The second method of thickening is by using Carbopols. Carbopols are examples of longer chained polymers that work by assimilation. The reason they work is they attract water and hold water molecules very close to its polymer chain. By doing this it makes water not available to slide around the emulsion and therefore thickens. This method is often used in gel systems and can make for clear products. The lotions that have carbomers have an after feel of tackiness.

When either of the above methods are used they are only short term processes that as soon as physical action is used against them they break down. Making it a temporary fix!

That's all I got for this installment Next time it all about the Fatty!

I know marketing because I've seen, "Save the Last Dance"

As promised the next part in the marking to youth guide!

HIP-HOP

Baggy clothes, cool moves, complicated greeting rituals and clever raps: that's hip-hop in a nutshell. Hip hop is a cultural revolution which originated in the Afro-American ghettos of New York in the 1970s and was fueled by hatred on an unfair, discriminatory society. In the last three decades, hip-hop has spread to become a global subculture for urban youth; it defines itself as street culture. Hip-hop came to ascendancy in the 1980s, when kids in the US and later Europe, they started rapping, spraying graffiti and break dancing. The music is lyric spoken or chanted over a strong, catch rhythm.

WHAT!?! Maybe is just me but in one paragraph did this just marginalize a whole genera and it's importance to youth culture? How can this even be close to the truth! Which I'm afraid it is not! I'm still trying to find where hip-hop was fueled by hatred anywhere on the net. Social injustice yes, but hatred? That's a really big step in the wrong direction for hip-hop. Even wikkipeda says that the old school hip hop promoted non-violence.

It's ridiculous to say the least.

So ,what did we gain from all of this: White people can't market.

Next week Emos: Livejournals backbone!

News news news!!!

Consumer reports rated 2 of my formulas as a best buy! Thought people would like to know!

Application: The psycological war won and lost and won in an instant

Application is the first presentation of the lotion. When the intended recipient looks at the masterpiece for the first time, they use preconceived ideas as to how it should feel. This preconception is totally in the hands of the consumer. When the properties or the intended look run astray, the impact on how the user feels about the overall value of the lotion can also be affected and effected. Application is not only visual but it is in the preconceived physiological value of the product.

Some companies use this initial physiological impression as a way to niche their products. Take for instance Daily lotion. When you look at the product in the bottle you will notice that it has a shine. This wet look to is signify to your subconscious that this is a moisturizing product. Water glistens, and therefore this glistening means that this product is good for a wet moisturizing feel. Instantaneously, without even thinking, you have given yourself an opinion about something you haven't even touched.

Another example of this is body butter. Just by saying "butter" you instantly have an idea of what this should feel like without an example. Instantly, the mind goes for a heavy thick paste like solid in your head. The mind furthers this concept to say that this is a dry somewhat unyielding spread that covers and coats. An instant physiological reaction as to how your idea should feel.

Psychologically speaking not all precepts are helpful in intended use. Soaps and cleansers are one type product category that have suffered greatly by physiological impression. The true cleaning power of a soap is directly related to its surfactantcy. However the perception is that the more a product foams the better it is at cleaning. These concepts may seem to be the same but they are a constant struggle for the modern formulator. I once created a cleanser that would cleanse black heads and makeup off the face without harming the nourishing oils within the skin. I went to marketing and they loved how it worked, however they hated how it the application wouldn't foam. When I added foaming agents to the wash, the ability for the product to clean like before had become extremely limited, thusly losing the function for foam.

Application is the psychological feel. It hits upon what is known as the sixth sense in formulating. A sense that carries over well into the final phases of lotions, cleanser, or any bath and body products.

Next week: Breaking The E! A tragedy with a sweet outcome.

Visit my store at www.foxandmoon.etsy.com

Youth Culture and Marking like Pie and Clowns

I often get marketing pieces from firms that spend millions of dollars on research, countless hours of development and highly organized focus groups. All of this so the company they are helping can "get to know" their target market.

It's beyond words. A masterpiece PC and MTV. God help us all.

This months report was on Youth culture-Outward expressions of an inner attitude
they break this down into seven categories that all teens fall into. I'm posting this word for word, because everyone deserves to read this its glory.

Today's category is..... Ravers

Ravers are pleasant, usually conspicuously dressed people with an affinity to psychedelia; they like going to parties, having fun and listing to loud music with thumping baselines. The name comes from the verb "to rave." Ravers are partial to brightly colored distinctive style, depending on which techno scene they belong to. Ravers can generally be divided into one of the several categories or scenes, each of which has different tastes in music and clothing. Ravers like to go to raves - all-night parties where loud techno music is played. There are five main techno scenes: Hardcore, House, Breakbeat, Chill out and Acid House. The three biggest raves in Europe are the Love Parade in Germany, the Street Parade in Switzerland and the Budapest Parade in Hungary.

Just wow! You can literally hear the old lady voice with the condescending tone ring in your ears! Watch out world a 50 something found Wikkipidea! Can you believe I get this stuff in the mail. I like the part about how Ravers go to "raves", that clever. Ryan Seacrest must have editied this thing.

Literally it's the idiots guide to youth culture. I think you're going to be ready for the next one Next week some time the post Hip-Hop!

Why should I care about lotions?

Lotions are like food. You can have the finest ingredients and still make the most disgusting thing ever. It's true, it really is. I've dissected some of the most popular creams and lotions. And I've found that essentially. There is no difference between Vaseline and Jergens. They hide behind the brand and find that as an excuse to sell hamburger as sirloin. This is due to people not knowing what to look for in a lotion. Hopefully in the next couple of week anyone looking at this will come to appreciate what happens and what is necessary to fully enjoying a surprising and pleasant experience.


Let's get started:
Most people don't know this but there are 5 stages to applying and getting the full sensory out of their lotion.
The first step is the application. This is described as the initial feel. To wet or oily you probably won't like it.
Second the breaking the emulsion. This is where initial glide and slip are important. To much of or little of the thickeners will drastically affect how the glide will proceed.
Third is the final break down. This where the product is almost into the skin and the oils and emollients start to take over.
The fourth in initial skin feel. After the last of the final break down phase has been fully applied to the skin and the skin is dry or oily or when we've finished rubbing the lotion in. This state is where most people judge if they like the lotion or not!
The final stage is the hour after application. Where the true judge of whether it works or not needs to me made...

This may seem overdrawn but this is what happens in the application of a lotion. Fail at anyone of these junctions and the whole systems is compromised. Just like in food. To much salt or not enough yeast. The whole thing doesn't turn out right. Then it doesn't matter if your serving hamburger or sirloin. Nobody going to want it.