Consumer Guide
This was compiled with the assistance of IBN Seed Members. It is designed to inform and advise you, the consumer -- the most important person in the beauty equation. These questions were taken from hundreds received from people just like you who are enjoying the unique benefits of handmade beauty products. Click here to post your own question.
What Are "Handmade" Beauty Products?
What's So Great About Handmade?
How Do I Choose A Handmade Toiletries Manufacturer?
Are All Products Sold By IBN Members Handmade?
Are Handmade Beauty Products Necessarily "All Natural"?
What Equipment Is Used To Make Handmade Beauty Products?
Do Handmade Beauty Products Contain Preservatives?
Are Handmade Beauty Products Regulated?
What Are "Handmade" Beauty Products?
Handmade toiletries are conceived of, designed and made by hand by a person or persons working closely together. They are often custom-designed for specific clients who desire unique beauty products that are unavailable from mainstream manufacturers.
IBN often uses the term "handmade toiletries" to mean the same thing as "handmade beauty products" or "handmade personal care products."
Handmade beauty products are typically composed of different types of raw materials, or materials that have been minimally processed. An example of a minimally processed material is beeswax which is removed from the hive and then processed to remove non-wax materials so it can be used in cosmetics. Another example of a minimally processed material is deodorized cocoa butter which is processed to remove the familiar chocolate scent from the natural butter. This is especially useful to use in products where the moisturizing properties of cocoa butter are desired, without the cocoa aroma.
Definitions of the term, "handmade" can differ from person to person. At IBN, we use the definition for "handmade" found in Mirriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: "made by hand or by a hand process." This means that the IBN member makes the product by hand, "from scratch," using raw materials. Products made from a pre-formed base that is purchased and then later scented, colored or otherwise changed to produce a desired result is not "handmade" according to this definition.
Sometimes, a company makes very substantial changes and additions to a pre-formed base product. In these instances, they might label the product as "handmade" even though it's not made from scratch. If the question whether a product is made "from scratch" matters to you, don't be shy about asking the manufacturer exactly how the product is made.
What's So Great About Handmade?
Click here for Top 10 Reasons To Choose Handmade Beauty Products.
There are several reasons why IBN places such a high priority on "handmade" beauty products. First, we believe that as consumers, you have a right to know the identity of every ingredient contained in your personal care products, and you have a right to know how each product is manufactured. Since common understanding of the term, "handmade" is that a product is made by hand and "from scratch" using raw materials (and not from pre-made mixes), use of the word, "handmade" on a product should indicate just that.
The simple comparison between a handmade pound cake and a cake made from a boxed mix illustrates this point. There's nothing wrong with the boxed mix, but it's not handmade.
This distinction can also be important because providing reliable ingredient labels is sometimes a challenge when a product is not made from scratch. In those cases, the manufacturer must rely totally on the word of the supplier of the pre-made mix to determine what is in the product. Since suppliers of some pre-made mixes consider their ingredients "proprietary trade secrets," they do not always disclose each ingredient. This issue is not a concern when the product is made from scratch because the ingredients can be described by the manufacturer with confidence, and you -- the purchaser and user -- can take the product home knowing exactly what is in it!
Another reason handmade personal care products are uniquely beneficial is that in nearly every instance, you -- the consumer -- can communicate directly with the manufacturer of your product. Even the largest handmade beauty businesses insist on remaining in close contact with their customers. This allows you to contact them easily via email or phone to ask specific questions about the products you use on your skin.
Yet another reason that handmade beauty products are so wonderful is because so many handmade beauty businesses will work with you to custom-design products especially for you! This allows you to enjoy using a product that is freshly made with you in mind. Peruse IBN's Member Directory and you will find many IBN members that will customize your products exclusively for you.
How Do I Choose A Handmade Toiletries Manufacturer?
The handmade toiletries business is on the rise!! At most craft shows and industry trade shows and conferences, several booths exhibit handmade soaps and toiletries. Many retail outlets and direct mail catalog businesses realize that their customers appreciate the unique value of handmade beauty products, and they prominently feature them in their beauty and cosmetics departments. There are also thousands of World Wide Web sites devoted exclusively to the manufacture and sale of handmade toiletries.
The handmade beauty business is thriving among a vast array of options, and many of these business will personally customize products just for you. You can actually pick up the phone and chat with the person who made your skin care product!! There's no mystery and no confusion ... just ask!! (Try doing that with a mass customized beauty brand!!) Competition in the handmade beauty industry is flourishing, providing you -- the consumer -- with a vast array of choices!!
So how do you choose among all of these delicious handmade options? Here are some issues you may wish to consider when purchasing handmade beauty products.
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Is the product labeled with ingredients and the name and address of the manufacturer?
Of course, not everyone is going to read a product label, and an unlabelled product is not necessarily sub-standard (though it may be illegally labeled!).
Isn't it nice to have the option to read an attractive and informative label? To make sure you're not allergic to anything in the product? To make sure that if you have any questions later on, there's someone you can call long after you make the purchase?
Consumer education is the key to the growth and development of any industry. Advising you -- the purchaser -- about what a product contains makes it easy for you to ask questions about the product. We welcome your questions, and we make it easy for you to contact us to ask them.
But we don't stop there!! Handmade beauty products manufacturers often include information about their manufacturing processes right on their Web sites! This makes it easy for you to familiarize yourself with the processes employed, ask questions and make selections.
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What are you looking for in a handmade beauty product?
Decide what YOU are looking for in a toiletry item. For instance, the word, "natural" is often associated with handmade toiletries. Yet, the word, "natural" is not a technical term and means different things to different people. There are many top quality, cosmetic-grade (approved for use in cosmetics) ingredients, both synthetic and natural, that are used in handmade toiletries.
What are YOU looking for??
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Do you want preservatives (this may be desirable in products containing water)?
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Do you want fragrance? If so, does it matter to you whether the fragrance comes from a synthetic product (such as a laboratory produced fragrance oil) or a natural product (such as an aromatic oil removed from a plant material such as roses or sandalwood)?
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Do you want colors to come from only natural, earth based ingredients (which necessarily limits your range of options) or do you want bright, vibrant colors which add a decorative touch to your products?
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Are you allergic to anything? If so, make sure the product is labeled so you can try to avoid any adverse reactions. (Note that that fact that you have not previously been allergic to an ingredient does not mean you won't have an allergic reaction to it.)
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One of the very best things about the handmade beauty business is that so many manufacturers will work closely with you to remove any ingredients you do not want in your product.
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Make direct contact with the manufacturer to ask your questions. Sometimes the answer to your questions will be right there on the manufacturer's Web site. If meeting in person is not feasible, a detailed phone conversation will suffice. Failing that, a letter or email will often provide you with the answers you need. Making a specific list of questions ahead of time is often helpful.
Once you decide what you are looking for, ask the manufacturer what is used in the product you wish to buy. A responsible business will welcome your questions and scrutiny.
Here are a few questions you may wish to start with:
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how long have you been making handmade toiletries?
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is a particular product made by hand "from scratch," or is it made from pre-formed materials that are scented and colored before they are labeled and packaged?
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what are your areas of specialty?
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what happens if I am not satisfied with my order?
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how long will it take to complete my order? (This question is especially important if items are being customized just for you.)
Remember that if the manufacturer is going to be customizing products for you, the more specific your questions, the easier it is for him/her to make exactly what you have in mind.
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Last, but certainly not least, your own common sense will be your best guide when choosing handmade beauty products. Perhaps every magazine and advertisement you've ever seen says that lavender essential oil is relaxing and soothing. But if you don't like the scent, you will be neither relaxed nor soothed by a product featuring it, no matter how well made. And that's OK. Let YOUR senses be the determining factor, not what is displayed in a magazine or in advertising materials.
Are All Products Sold By IBN Members Handmade?
It depends on the IBN member. In order to qualify for membership in IBN, a manufacturer must make at least one beauty product by hand, from scratch, using raw materials. Some IBN members make all of their products by hand from scratch and some do not. If this is important to you, ask the manufacturer to be sure.
Are Handmade Beauty Products Necessarily "All Natural?"
No. The term "all natural" has been seriously distorted. Besides, poison ivy is "all natural," but you wouldn't want to rub it all over your skin, right?
IBN believes that the most important thing about a label is not whether it contains the word, "natural," but whether it contains a truthful listing of the ingredients that are contained in the product. We recommend that, rather than look for a label containing the word "natural," you should look at the ingredients listed on the product itself. This is the only sure-fire way to determine if it contains items that you would like to use on your skin.
For more information on cosmetic ingredients, we recommend, "A Consumer's Dictionary Of Cosmetic Ingredients" by Ruth Winter. Take the time to educate yourself about what you are placing on your skin.
What Equipment Is Used To Make Handmade Beauty
Products?
This varies greatly among different manufacturers. Everything from sterile spoons, small mixing bowls and hand-held electric blenders -- to customized tanks and electric powered stirrers -- are used to make handmade beauty products. If the answer to this question is important to you, ask the manufacturer.
Do Handmade Beauty Products Contain Preservatives?
There are several different types of preservatives that can be used in handmade
beauty products. As a general rule, handmade manufacturers select
preservatives that are least likely to cause adverse skin reactions, and they almost always use minimal amounts of
all synthetics, including preservatives. In this way, your handmade beauty product contains as many nutrients and skin-loving ingredients as possible.
Synthetic preservatives include parabens and methylparabens. Natural preservatives include such ingredients as grapefruit seed extract, essential oils, benzoin and antioxidants such as vitamins A, C & E. Ask the manufacturer for details if this is important to you.
Are Handmade Beauty Products Regulated?
Yes. Handmade beauty product manufacturers must abide by the same rules and regulations as large, commercial manufacturers. Some of the agencies that regulate beauty products that are sold in the US include the Food & Drug Administration, The Consumer Products Safety Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. These agencies require that products meet minimum standards in terms of safety, packaging, labeling and advertising.
