The smash hit video...Everybody's free to wear sunscreen! Watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfq_A8nXMsQ&feature=player_embedded

The Pied Piper

Not for the lips but for another use.....

I shot this little bit of video to send to the client showing them that their product was at the end of the line in production and would be shipping out that day.  There is something mesmerizing in watching the continuous flow of product as it goes through the labeling equipment at a remarkable rate. All products are lot coded and quality control needs to come by and sample it for product meeting specs on the batch, the fill and even the labeling to make sure we are all spinning in the right direction.

Just so we don't spin out of control!

The Pied Piper

Caught Red Handed!

This is our batching area and you can see the tank in front with the red on the edge.  This is a fresh batch of red Face Paints that are being filled this week to put into stock.

A separate batch will be made for all of these colors.  As a new product introduction this year it has far surpassed our expectations!  So when the next big event happens-be ready.  So far these paints in the small .1oz tubes have been used by grade schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges.  They have been used by summer camps, parades and as giveaways for a variety of events.

Need Paint?  Send me a note and I will direct you to one of the suppliers that carry it...
The Pied Piper

I know you have been saving your lips for me!

This is the mighty cluttered desk top of the Pied Piper.  The place where lip rescue 911 starts.  Among the items laying there are the sunscreen products for the USGA Woman's Championship being played right now in the 100 degree heat up the road in Kohler, Wisconsin.  There is also some of our blue wonder cream, pet conditioner, soap, hand sanitizer and a plethora of lip balms.

Note the highly sophisticated system of note organization, the symmetry of the carefully placed pens and highlighters and the strategic placement of the OUTDOOR show print out.  Salt Lake City in August...the Pied Piper will be there!

Steamy and sunny conditions lead to chapped and stressed lips.  Keep them puckerable, use some spf lip balm!

The Pied Piper

A vast vat bath

As I wandered back into the batching area before the heat of the day kicked in I saw Chris heating up the area anyway.  Steam in the air and steaming soapy water pouring out of one of the tanks as clean up was underway.  Cleanliness is next to Godliness!

It is vital to have equipment total clean and able to pass inspection before they put another group of ingredients into the tanks and vats.  It is what you do on a Friday morning at 6:00 AM.

The Pied Piper

To hot to handle?? To cold to hold?

If wonder what it is like to work in a batching area cooking secret recipes for the hot fill lines in a factory and the outside temperature nears 100 degrees Fahrenheit, wonder no longer....

HOT,HOT,HOTTER, HOTTER, HOTTEST!

I give the boys in batching, Chris and Lee, a lot of credit for standing in and making us tick.  Way to go boys!

Unfortunately my office is air conditioned and I don't get the benefits of overheating and sweating all day.
But blogging is thirsty work so it is iced tea time!
The Pied Piper.

Slippery Facts about Mineral Oil

I was snooping around in the batching area yesterday as they were working on a super secret recipe for a sporting good manufacturer for whom we are making a new wonder product and I saw the boys put in some Mineral Oil.  And while the product they were making was not a cosmetic, I thought I would address the issue of Mineral Oil in cosmetics. 

Mineral oil provides many benefits for skin and hair. . Is mineral oil safe for cosmetic use?

Mineral oil is a common cosmetic ingredient that can be found in many skin and hair products. Over the years as natural products have grown in popularity, a number of beauty experts have criticized the ingredient and questioned its safety.  Misguided thinking.

Cosmetic Grade Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a derivative of petroleum that is clear and odorless. The cosmetic grade mineral oil has been refined into a substance that is hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic (your new word for the day, means won't clog pores) and has many conditioning properties. After refinement, it does not resemble the same properties as petroleum or industrial mineral oil.

Cosmetics expert and beauty journalist, Paula Begoun, wrote on her website that cosmetic grade mineral oil is "one of the safest and most nonirritating moisturizing ingredients ever found." She points out that many of the critics of mineral oil are misinformed about cosmetic mineral oil and are also selling a natural alternative product. She also questions their motives.

The beauty industry often uses mineral oil as a conditioning ingredient because it is well-tolerated by people with sensitive skin, is noncomedogenic, and seals moisture into the skin effectively. Many of the most moisturizing body lotions contain mineral oil.

According to the Beautifulwithbrains.com site, many critics of mineral oil called it pore clogging and claimed it could suffocate skin. The site points out that cosmetic grade mineral oil will not clog pores and is nothing like the highly comedogenic (pore-clogging) industrial mineral oil.

Cosmetic grade mineral oil is occlusive and forms a barrier on the outside of the skin to hold moisture in. It does not suffocate skin. However, mineral oil shouldn't be used in a product that has pore-clogging ingredients because it could seal them in. There are also people who frequent acne boards, like acne.com, who experienced break-outs from using products with mineral oil in them

You are in safe hands with us!

The Pied Piper