Oh the headache of room sprays! After 6 years of back and forth with different bases, different formulations, I finally found a base I'm happy with. If you haven't yet, I'd check out Peach State or Hive and Honey. Both have good bases that are alcohol based that do not separate. I can only attest to Peach State's because it's the one I've decided to go with. The base is very reasonably price and my margins are at nearly 85%. I'm in Pittsburgh and I've always charged $14 for my room sprays with no issues. I'm not sure your market could handle it, but you could probably hike your price up a little bit. The weight thing. I was reading on how to properly label room sprays. Because it is a fully liquid product it should be labeled by volume, not by weight. The alcohol is lighter which is causing it weigh lighter, but the volume is still 4 ounces. I was perplexed when I filled my first bottles last week which took me down the rabbit hole of how to label them correctly. So the label should be fluid oz/ml. I think I found all the info on Marie Gale's site, or her book (I can't remember anything these days). I can take snap shot of the page and message it to you if you'd like.
ohh,thanks for the Hive and Honey and Peach State's websites. They do look good and I may give them a try. I like that it would not be yellow LOL So - volume vs weight - I have read that and can't find the info I am looking for. Maybe you can help me?? I understand liquid should be in volume - but how do I get there? Do I pick a line on the bottle and say "yep, that is 4 mL". It seems like there is no clear way of doing that to, 1. make is consistent and 2. make it exactly 4 mL. Or do I have to literally put my solution in a measuring cup to the 4 mL line and then add to bottle?? I see other YT videos and they weigh everything - and I would want to, if only to keep my raw materials in check. clearly I have tried to work this out and am at a loss. 😂😂😂 I actually do have Marie's book and still can't get my head around it. 😆💕
Glad you found something that worked! It’s really difficult to get a tiny bit of oil to mix with mostly water. People say Poly 20 or Poly 80 works, but I’m not sure how people get that to work, because I’ve yet to see it happen. Yeah, most perfumer’s bases contain ethanol and DPG. I have both of those things… Everclear (I can buy it here in MI, not sure other places it’s legal) and DPG (inexpensive alone). I’ve heard that an ethanol base works really well for room sprays. But I’ve not yet tried it.
Hey Aubrey! 🤗 I am not familiar with DPG. I think someone on the FB post made mention of it. I am not sure I can get ever clear in IN but may check into it. Especially if it less expensive. Where do you get DPG from?
If I was less stubborn that would smart LOL - I bought opaque bottles for this reason but could not leave well enough alone. It just bothered me so much 🤨. Thanks for your sweet comment Alison! ❤️
First, your curls are just fantastic! Second, I also have separating with most fragrances. I'm wanting to find something that works, is odor neutralizing, without using poly or anything on the prop 65 list. I may be asking too much, lol!
Hi Mandy! 😍 Check out the comments in this video - someone suggested Hydrogenated Castor Oil (I think that is also called Red Turkey Oil). I don't know if that is on the prop 65 list though No poly in that formula she shared. I may give it a go as well.🤗💕
I think you should! They are just so easy to make and really just about every fragrance seems to work well with them. I wish I sold more, but maybe now I will. I think my “not being proud” of the product probably hurt my sales…🤔🥰
I have not tried heating the water but I have tried stick blending. Well I stick blended the whole batch anyway, with not real success. If I ever try the water again I will try heating it, but honestly I’m probably over trying it 😂
crap!! I just placed an order with them just hours before this comment!😂 I did email them to see if I could add this to my order to test it out. Haven't heard yet but it is early Monday morning here. I was really (happily) surprised that the shipping and everything was very reasonable as they are in Canada. 💕
I would be interested in how well the spray worked for each one you tested. Sure, you didn't want the separation, but was there a difference in how long each room spray lasted when you tested them? I have been testing a couple of room spray bases and one is the odor neutralizing base from Wholesale Supplies Plus. I used the Poly 20 with it and I haven't had any issues with separation, but it is very milky looking. I'm not concerned with how it looks so much as how long the fragrance sticks around once sprayed. It doesn't seem to be lasting very long. How long does the fragrance of your sprays stick around after you've sprayed them?
you know I think I spoke about this, or meant to maybe and I either forgot or cut it out...I think I forgot actually so I think the alcohol one lasted a decent time. The CME one lasted a good amount of time too but the fact that it is surfactant based made me put that aside, I don't want slippery floors. The base wasn't bad but I didn't feel it was any better than the others. The water/poly one, I think was ok but maybe not as good as the others. but I honestly don't remember for sure.
With all of the formulating I do for other products I went with the lazy option and just bought room spray base. Deep South has a really really good base, BUT it usually takes a month to get my order, and often it’s a partial order and the rest takes another few weeks to arrive. I’ve stopped using them for FO’s, but I’m hooked on their base.
thanks so much for your comment. 🤗I may check them out. I have a couple of other options that was shared as well. I may go the base route - I am still deciding. the cost of the one I purchased was ridiculous - but I should not base that on WSP pricing I know. 😆
I’ve just started hearing really good feedback for Peach State’s brand new room spray base. I plan to test theirs, I really need to move away from Deep South completely. @@WalnutCreekBathBoutique
Have you considered hydrogenated castor oil? I use 47.8% water, 39% 91% Alcohol, 5.3% Hydrogenated Castor Oil 5% Fragrance, 2.4% Glycerin, 0.50% preservative. Turns out clear every time. On a side note, I find HCO to be a little cheaper than the polys.
Let me correct that formula. I don't include the glycerin with the Hydrogenated castor oil-PEG40. I only use the Glycerin if I'm using the Polys as an emulsifier.
Thanks Darlene! I appreciate your sharing your formula. I may give it a try. I used to have some of that castor oil and never did a thing with it, until I finally pitched it. I may have to buy a small bottle and try your way. May I ask why don't you use it? Is it because the castor oil is already very thick and viscous?🤔💕💕💕
I totally get this frustration about separation....then I see sprays from the huge company ZEN and everyone is completely separated. They use water glycerin and fragrance....that's it!
thanks for this! I did check out her video. I may look into the sugar cane alcohol. I know it is pretty expensive through Makesy but might be worth it...💕
OMG this video was so informative AND entertaining 😂. Thanks for sharing your room spray testing journey (more like epic saga 😳). This was timely for me as I’m currently testing out room spray bases from different suppliers and I’ve been avoiding making my own base because I don’t want to sell a product that’s cloudy or separates and all the DIY recipes I came across seemed to do that. I’m glad that you also mentioned the costs ‘cause that’s important. I don’t want to invest too much time and money into testing a product that’s not going to have a decent profit margin in the end (I mean none of us WANT that, but sometimes we end up in that situation because we are determined to make something work - am I right?). Thanks again for sharing some really helpful info and making me laugh too 😂
aw, thanks for your comment! I am so happy you are enjoying my videos! I have fun and just like to bring whomever along that wants to join LOL I received quite a few comments on my pricing - to the point I may go up to $12 to start. It seems most are at $14 I don't want to sell to low, as a fellow maker that feels wrong. And I don't want to leave money on the table either. So it makes sense to go up a bit. I think I always had them at $10 because I just couldn't get past the separating issue. It is hard to charge what you need when you yourself can't be proud of what you are selling. anyway - that was probably way more of a reply than necessary 😂😂😂 thanks again for your sweet words💕
@@WalnutCreekBathBoutique Yeah pricing for one’s local market can be so tricky for handmade. We don’t want to under charge and there is the handmade aspect that increases the value but we can’t price ourselves out of the market either. It’s great to know what other makers are charging for similar products but it also depends upon your local - like prices that makers are charging at a NY or SF street fair aren’t gonna fly in an “any-town middle America” farmers market. I guess you just gotta do some market research - see what sells at different prices and find that balance. Good Luck - I’m sure folks will buy at a higher price.
I went and looked at her video, but she basically stated she uses a base so it will be clear. I'm trying not to use a base (although I haven't written it off yet). so far I am really happy with the current formula. Other than the yellow color, I don't know if that will throw people off or not...🤔 thanks for the suggestion though!! 💕
I love the Sea salt and Lily. I use that in my diffusers. Thanks for sharing your fails, it helps when your favorite youtubers have the issues you run into. Don't feel like such a dummy now.
aw, thanks for your comment! 💕 oh that Sea Salt & Lily is sooo lovely. I don't buy many fragrances from Bramble Berry but that is def on my reorder list.
Yyyaaayyy Tammy! I'm so glad you found a formula that works for you! It definitely was a long time coming. Good job! 🎉
Thank you!! 😊 I appreciate your encouragement Nora ❤️❤️
Oh the headache of room sprays! After 6 years of back and forth with different bases, different formulations, I finally found a base I'm happy with. If you haven't yet, I'd check out Peach State or Hive and Honey. Both have good bases that are alcohol based that do not separate. I can only attest to Peach State's because it's the one I've decided to go with. The base is very reasonably price and my margins are at nearly 85%. I'm in Pittsburgh and I've always charged $14 for my room sprays with no issues. I'm not sure your market could handle it, but you could probably hike your price up a little bit. The weight thing. I was reading on how to properly label room sprays. Because it is a fully liquid product it should be labeled by volume, not by weight. The alcohol is lighter which is causing it weigh lighter, but the volume is still 4 ounces. I was perplexed when I filled my first bottles last week which took me down the rabbit hole of how to label them correctly. So the label should be fluid oz/ml. I think I found all the info on Marie Gale's site, or her book (I can't remember anything these days). I can take snap shot of the page and message it to you if you'd like.
ohh,thanks for the Hive and Honey and Peach State's websites. They do look good and I may give them a try. I like that it would not be yellow LOL
So - volume vs weight - I have read that and can't find the info I am looking for. Maybe you can help me??
I understand liquid should be in volume - but how do I get there? Do I pick a line on the bottle and say "yep, that is 4 mL". It seems like there is no clear way of doing that to, 1. make is consistent and 2. make it exactly 4 mL.
Or do I have to literally put my solution in a measuring cup to the 4 mL line and then add to bottle??
I see other YT videos and they weigh everything - and I would want to, if only to keep my raw materials in check.
clearly I have tried to work this out and am at a loss. 😂😂😂
I actually do have Marie's book and still can't get my head around it. 😆💕
Glad you found something that worked! It’s really difficult to get a tiny bit of oil to mix with mostly water. People say Poly 20 or Poly 80 works, but I’m not sure how people get that to work, because I’ve yet to see it happen.
Yeah, most perfumer’s bases contain ethanol and DPG. I have both of those things… Everclear (I can buy it here in MI, not sure other places it’s legal) and DPG (inexpensive alone). I’ve heard that an ethanol base works really well for room sprays. But I’ve not yet tried it.
Hey Aubrey! 🤗 I am not familiar with DPG. I think someone on the FB post made mention of it. I am not sure I can get ever clear in IN but may check into it. Especially if it less expensive. Where do you get DPG from?
I'm proud of you for sticking with it!
LOL - thanks Andi. That stubborn streak I have sometimes pays off 😆💕
Optiphen works better in oil based formulas. I’ve tested and tested and tested and found that Germal plus reduces separation
Thank so much for this Tracey - I will switch. I don’t think I really considered the preservative when I switched from the water formula (duh!)
Most people put them in amber jars, and say shake before use, I think you will find it’s normal. 😊
I use amber glass bottles and just tell people to shake first. They work great and are inexpensive.
If I was less stubborn that would smart LOL - I bought opaque bottles for this reason but could not leave well enough alone. It just bothered me so much 🤨. Thanks for your sweet comment Alison! ❤️
First, your curls are just fantastic! Second, I also have separating with most fragrances. I'm wanting to find something that works, is odor neutralizing, without using poly or anything on the prop 65 list. I may be asking too much, lol!
Hi Mandy! 😍
Check out the comments in this video - someone suggested Hydrogenated Castor Oil (I think that is also called Red Turkey Oil). I don't know if that is on the prop 65 list though
No poly in that formula she shared. I may give it a go as well.🤗💕
There's lots of products you buy from the store to say shake well before use
Yay, you have done it. I am so proud of you.
Aw Thanks Chely 🥰
Love it! Been looking to add room spray to my line!
I think you should! They are just so easy to make and really just about every fragrance seems to work well with them. I wish I sold more, but maybe now I will. I think my “not being proud” of the product probably hurt my sales…🤔🥰
I also hear my water a little and stick blend. It helps the poly and water combine much easier.
I have not tried heating the water but I have tried stick blending. Well I stick blended the whole batch anyway, with not real success. If I ever try the water again I will try heating it, but honestly I’m probably over trying it 😂
The cost is cheaper if you buy the Perfumers Alcohol from Voyager candles. If you get the 4 liter it should drop the price.
crap!! I just placed an order with them just hours before this comment!😂 I did email them to see if I could add this to my order to test it out. Haven't heard yet but it is early Monday morning here.
I was really (happily) surprised that the shipping and everything was very reasonable as they are in Canada. 💕
I would be interested in how well the spray worked for each one you tested. Sure, you didn't want the separation, but was there a difference in how long each room spray lasted when you tested them? I have been testing a couple of room spray bases and one is the odor neutralizing base from Wholesale Supplies Plus. I used the Poly 20 with it and I haven't had any issues with separation, but it is very milky looking. I'm not concerned with how it looks so much as how long the fragrance sticks around once sprayed. It doesn't seem to be lasting very long. How long does the fragrance of your sprays stick around after you've sprayed them?
you know I think I spoke about this, or meant to maybe and I either forgot or cut it out...I think I forgot actually
so I think the alcohol one lasted a decent time. The CME one lasted a good amount of time too but the fact that it is surfactant based made me put that aside, I don't want slippery floors.
The base wasn't bad but I didn't feel it was any better than the others.
The water/poly one, I think was ok but maybe not as good as the others. but I honestly don't remember for sure.
@@WalnutCreekBathBoutique I had a feeling the alcohol one would last a while. Thanks for the update.
It’s the witch hazel that makes it yellow or a combo of alcohol / witch hazel.
Thanks! That was kinda driving me crazy 😆❤️
I used the alcohol spray and love it
I’m so glad to hear that! 🥰
With all of the formulating I do for other products I went with the lazy option and just bought room spray base.
Deep South has a really really good base, BUT it usually takes a month to get my order, and often it’s a partial order and the rest takes another few weeks to arrive. I’ve stopped using them for FO’s, but I’m hooked on their base.
thanks so much for your comment. 🤗I may check them out. I have a couple of other options that was shared as well.
I may go the base route - I am still deciding. the cost of the one I purchased was ridiculous - but I should not base that on WSP pricing I know. 😆
I’ve just started hearing really good feedback for Peach State’s brand new room spray base. I plan to test theirs, I really need to move away from Deep South completely. @@WalnutCreekBathBoutique
Have you considered hydrogenated castor oil? I use 47.8% water, 39% 91% Alcohol, 5.3% Hydrogenated Castor Oil 5% Fragrance, 2.4% Glycerin, 0.50% preservative. Turns out clear every time. On a side note, I find HCO to be a little cheaper than the polys.
Let me correct that formula. I don't include the glycerin with the Hydrogenated castor oil-PEG40. I only use the Glycerin if I'm using the Polys as an emulsifier.
Thanks Darlene! I appreciate your sharing your formula. I may give it a try. I used to have some of that castor oil and never did a thing with it, until I finally pitched it. I may have to buy a small bottle and try your way. May I ask why don't you use it? Is it because the castor oil is already very thick and viscous?🤔💕💕💕
I totally get this frustration about separation....then I see sprays from the huge company ZEN and everyone is completely separated. They use water glycerin and fragrance....that's it!
I use amber bottles with a side label that says Shake Shake Shake
How To Lymarie …has a clear room . spray recipe all organic with witch hazel and sugar, cane alcohol
thanks for this! I did check out her video. I may look into the sugar cane alcohol. I know it is pretty expensive through Makesy but might be worth it...💕
OMG this video was so informative AND entertaining 😂. Thanks for sharing your room spray testing journey (more like epic saga 😳). This was timely for me as I’m currently testing out room spray bases from different suppliers and I’ve been avoiding making my own base because I don’t want to sell a product that’s cloudy or separates and all the DIY recipes I came across seemed to do that. I’m glad that you also mentioned the costs ‘cause that’s important. I don’t want to invest too much time and money into testing a product that’s not going to have a decent profit margin in the end (I mean none of us WANT that, but sometimes we end up in that situation because we are determined to make something work - am I right?). Thanks again for sharing some really helpful info and making me laugh too 😂
aw, thanks for your comment! I am so happy you are enjoying my videos! I have fun and just like to bring whomever along that wants to join LOL
I received quite a few comments on my pricing - to the point I may go up to $12 to start. It seems most are at $14
I don't want to sell to low, as a fellow maker that feels wrong. And I don't want to leave money on the table either. So it makes sense to go up a bit. I think I always had them at $10 because I just couldn't get past the separating issue. It is hard to charge what you need when you yourself can't be proud of what you are selling.
anyway - that was probably way more of a reply than necessary 😂😂😂
thanks again for your sweet words💕
@@WalnutCreekBathBoutique Yeah pricing for one’s local market can be so tricky for handmade. We don’t want to under charge and there is the handmade aspect that increases the value but we can’t price ourselves out of the market either. It’s great to know what other makers are charging for similar products but it also depends upon your local - like prices that makers are charging at a NY or SF street fair aren’t gonna fly in an “any-town middle America” farmers market. I guess you just gotta do some market research - see what sells at different prices and find that balance. Good Luck - I’m sure folks will buy at a higher price.
Tammy, have you watched sunshine soap and candle?
I went and looked at her video, but she basically stated she uses a base so it will be clear. I'm trying not to use a base (although I haven't written it off yet). so far I am really happy with the current formula. Other than the yellow color, I don't know if that will throw people off or not...🤔
thanks for the suggestion though!! 💕
I love the Sea salt and Lily. I use that in my diffusers. Thanks for sharing your fails, it helps when your favorite youtubers have the issues you run into. Don't feel like such a dummy now.
aw, thanks for your comment! 💕
oh that Sea Salt & Lily is sooo lovely. I don't buy many fragrances from Bramble Berry but that is def on my reorder list.
I love watching your videos. Maybe use large labels or opaque bottles 😅
That would be the sensible thing to do LOL - I can be very stubborn😂🥰
😂