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23 February 2010

When your Supplier Tells You ..

Do not apply directly to skin or taste it undiluted.

A wise person would read that as: "Test at the minimum recommended usage rate, and make sure it is absolutely, positively, thoroughly (and then some) incorporated" .. Well today I was the Fool :(

I was testing some new Flavour Oils today and was quite excited as I didn't like the scent of the first bottle at all, yet it turned out exactly what I was after when incorporated into my balm *yay* .. The second one however, left me with this within a few minutes of applying:
That was taken after washing with soap to remove all traces and holding ice to it for a good 10-15minutes to reduce what was an instant huge blister! And while I'm terribly embarrassed to share this photo with the world, if it saves someone else from this end result it's worth it!

I've since weighed out the volume amount I used in an effort to see if I had put too much in but, we're talking 12gm of balm & 1 dripolator drop of Flavour which is clearly less than the recommended 4-6% .. However my method of blending such a small amount was undeniably less than desirable as I just smooshed it in and stirred with a spoon = carelessness on my behalf, though I also believe it to be an allergic reaction ..

The reason I'm thinking an allergic reaction may also play a roll in this is that later on I *Carefully* mixed and sampled some more new Flavours (on my arm this time), and a Strawberry one from another supplier also made my skin react though nothing to the same extent as the Wild Berry .. Incidentally I can use Peppermint EO (One of my fav's actually, it tingles but doesn't irritate), Chai Tea (A flavour which is known to bother some people), and none of the others I tested did either so I don't think it's a matter of my being overly sensitive in general ..

So all up an important lesson learned, but a big price to pay for a flavour/scent I didn't even like anyway! *sigh*

“If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning.” ~ Catherine Aird

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting this! I wonder what is in the flavor oil to make you react? I hope the swelling and redness has gone down. Looks like you're a good tester for flavor oils!

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  2. Ouch! That looks painful! Curiosity kills the cat they say....no, I've never learned my lesson either.:) Hope it's not still painful.

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  3. Sorry you are injured Clare! Thank you for your 'horrible warning' though :)

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  4. I don't like flavour oils in lip balm personally and they sure can burn, I have had the same problem on chapped lips. But essential oils can also be an issue.
    When making a lip balm you never know how many times in a 12 hour day the person applies it. Like every 5-10mins for the obsessed. How do I know? Well because I had a customer that did that and I nearly died when she came to me and said this is not working. OMG not working and this stuff used to heal bleeding cracked lips in 12-24hours.
    The product was designed to be used 4 times a day only and it said it on my label. The lips looked like well you know those monkeys at the zoo, shockingly red and inflamed.
    Of course I then I pulled a totally awesome product out of my range because of the few people who maynot follow the directions, it is good to keep this in mind if you sell to others.

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  5. That's an excellent point Sharon!

    I don't sell but very much like the idea of a usage rate (4x a day) being on the label ..

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