Week in Review #7

We skipped posting a week in review last week. Most of what we'd done wasn't too exciting. We finished up getting the last of the feedback from our testers, designed labels for some new products, and bought a new printer. All that was to get ready for this past week.

Aftershaves are ready. We're pretty excited about these. We put a lot of research into our ingredients and what it takes to make a good aftershave. Once we figured out a recipe that would, in theory, accomplish our aftershave goals we put it to the test on Matt, then tweaked it and tweaked it until finally it was right. The guys we know jumped at the chance to test aftershave for us, and even with their widely differing skin types  they gave it a big thumbs up.

A good aftershave needs to accomplish a number of tasks. It must help to close pores that were opened by warm water, clean any nicks, balance pH that was thrown off by alkali shave soaps or creams, moisturize, and soothe skin. A pleasant scent is nice, too. Our aftershave contains all the ingredients to accomplish these tasks, without the harsh burn of alcohol. And, just like our soaps, our aftershave is available in a number of different fragrances to fit the personal scent of each gentleman. Shaving is something you have to do, and do frequently - why not make it a nice experience?

Another new addition to our product line is our Foot and Body Scrub. The inspiration for this scrub came from a coworker who asked if I could figure out something for her husband's "crusty feet". But I didn't want to stop at just moisturizing and exfoliation. I work in a hospital, where I frequently have to deal with the funky feet of others, so anything that was meant for feet needed to address the issue of stink. Lastly, feet get tired. They're packed into work boots or dress shoes or sneakers and forced to carry us around all day long. A product for feet should help soothe and relax them. On top of all that, the end product had to be masculine.
I think I accomplished my goals.

Epsom salts provide the perfect combination of scrubbing exfoliation, and soothing soak. I think of Epsom salts as being more sporty and manly than, for example, something like brown sugar that other lady scrubs use. Oils like olive and sweet almond are excellent moisturizers, and when they're infused with arnica can be muscle soothing as well. Cinnamon and cedar essential oils really get rid of stink, and have a smokey, woodsy, masculine scent.

Our testers were really positive about the Foot and Body Scrub. In fact they liked it enough to use on their arms and legs too, hence the "and Body" bit. I know that exfoliation may be thought of as for women only, but I promise it's not. Give it a try. Your feet, and those that get near them, will thank you.

All of that is available in the shop.