Bartender's Hand Balm

[soap_rat]

Sorry I can't answer your main questions, as I'm just about to start selling, myself. I'm going to try your recipe on me, though, as I find my own balms to be too greasy for applying on-the-go. I don't have sweet almond oil, do you think avocado oil is a decent substitute? Or should I just suck it up and buy some SAO? Thanks for sharing version 1 of your recipe!

Do you think that if you recommend keeping the balm in a pocket, it will be ready to apply without being warmed up?

Someone above mentioned Okeefe's Working Hands, and I wanted to mention them too, that product is still my go-to for preventing bleeding cracks. I found it after trying a million things back when I was a welder and got cracked hands; metalworking involves getting the hands wet surprisingly often (washing greased steel, and the cold saw pumps a cooling solution onto everything). So while your product is helping out people you know, you may wish to mention this product too. If I'd had any idea that it would actually work I would have taken "before" pictures. (I figured I was throwing my money away again). But 11 days after I started using it, my hands looked normal again. (my hands were not as bad as your son's friend's hands, though)

 

[DeeAnna]

"... So I'm trying to add isotropy alcohol to make it drier. What o you think. ..."

I regret I don't have any words of wisdom for you. I have never heard of isotropy alcohol. Since this is an alcohol of some sort, I wonder if it is soluble in oil? If it is not, you might have a tough time making this work.

Soap Rat -- I'd try the avocado if I were you. There's no magic in the sweet almond oil, really. Avocado is going to be heavier than the almond, but you're using it in a relatively small amount, and it might end up being even nicer than the almond. I didn't evaluate all the oils I have in my stash -- just grabbed the sweet almond because it's cheap and handy. In fact, in my latest recipes, I switched to rice bran oil instead of the sweet almond, and RBO has a heavier consistency than almond. I like the suggestion to keep the balm in a pocket or warmish place so it's warm enough to apply easily.

I'm not remotely thinking my balm is some kind of miracle stuff, so nothing else can compare. I've sure heard good things about Okeefe's working hands lotion and others, and I don't want to poo-poo or downplay the success of others' products at all. I'm just having fun creating a product that is helpful to others, even if I'm reinventing the wheel to some extent.

An update on my experiments: I sent 8 full-size tester bars with my stepson tonight. He will give them to his various bartender acquaintances and the one guy with the ugly dermatitis on his hands. I'm not asking them for money, just honest feedback. (Although the little tins I put some of the bars in are $0.80 apiece, on top of the ingredient costs, so this testing thing could get a little expensive over time!)

 

[MzMolly65]

bumping for follow up .. how's this turning out DeeAnna? and how well did it work on your bow strings? I have a bow hunting brother so would like to try this for him to use on hands AND bow if it's working well for you.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Also interested in the outcomes. Will make some of the original recipe but with a different oil, I think.

Would Castor be an idea instead of the Sweet Almond, or too oily?

 

[DeeAnna]

Since I'm a hobbyist, I don't feel much pressure to spend a lot of time on product development, but I haven't forgotten about this balm either. Here's what I have learned so far:

The response from the bartender testers has continued to be positive, but my sole information source is my stepson. He's a sweet person and a wonderful son, but it's clear he's a politely disinterested middle man when it comes to my balm. (I don't blame him!) So ... I have not been able to talk to my testers directly to wring them dry of the details (!!!) and I feel rather frustrated about that. I have been using it this winter with good results, for what that's worth.

I know a nurse in the local clinic and a local owner of a "steak house" with a very busy bar. Karen and Josh seem like people who would be open to trying this balm too. I need to work up the courage to talk to them and offer samples.

Here's the last recipe I made and sent to Devin's friends in November. I poured the balm into little honeybee "guest soap" molds and packaged the balm in 2 ounce screw-top metal tins.

In my first impromptu recipe I used sweet almond oil rather than the rice bran. I went with rice bran in this last version because it is lighter and silkier and absorbs into the skin a bit faster than almond. But there's no magic about the liquid oil nor about the babassu -- at only 6% each, they are not major players. I could easily sub coconut oil for the babassu, for example, and pretty much any liquid oil for the rice bran. It's the beeswax and the cocoa butter that would be hard to find substitutes.

Beeswax 49% Properties: occlusive, water resistant
Cocoa Btr 39% Properties: occlusive, anti-itch
Babassu 6% Properties: anti-inflammatory, skin softening
Rice Bran 6% Properties: anti-inflammatory, skin softening
Total 100%

I have not used any essential oil in this product so far, but if I did, I would use EOs known for their low toxicity, mild odor, and soothing, anti-itch, anti-inflammatory action. I'd stick to a light to moderate EO dosage of 1% to 2% of the weight of the main ingredients on the theory that this product is meant for long-term frequent use; it's not a medicine to treat a short-term problem.

To my dear Gentleman -- I'd think any oil would work fine, including castor, but you may need to adjust the proportion of wax-to-oil to find the sweet spot where the balm is soft enough to rub off but firm enough to leave a tenacious film. Castor is much thicker and somewhat more oily feeling than most other liquid oils, so I'd imagine some tweaking might be in order.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

You are always delighting me, DearAnna!

I will play and see what comes - although I've been trying to find a good supplier for the metal tins (about the size of shoe polish) for this and also for the boot oil (which is not unsimilar, but don't tell anyone) but so far no joy. Until then I will struggle to package it too well

 

[mel z]

DeeAnna I used to bartend and wait tables a long time ago.

As far as scenting with an EO, be very light handed. When touching the glass for a cocktail, a powerful EO may make the drink seem to smell or taste odd to the customer. Just a thought, I'm sure you already know.

Meadowfoam oil is also very light on the "greasy, print leaving" oils, but too expensive for your experiment I would think.

Your recipe sounds wonderful, and, as soon as I get get some beeswax here, I am going to try it for my ever dry skin. I like the idea of hard and in a tin. I don't really see a sub for beeswax and cocoa butter as they both melt easily enough in the hand and not the pocket tin. I thought of kokum butter, but then you would have to remove the beeswaz I think, as it is so very hard you would still need the cocoa butter. Beeswax is excellent for the skin and the honey aroma with the cocoa butter would be pleasant and not overpowering.

I think it is a brilliant idea, best wishes and keep us posted on updates! I can't wait to try myself. Off to order beeswax now....

 

[DeeAnna]

Yep, I totally agree on the scent issue, Mel. Food service, bartending, health care, hairdressers, anyone who works closely with people or with food, etc. -- strong scent is a super no-no.

edit: And, now that you mention it, I have a friend who is VERY PARTICULAR about her cocktails and will return one immediately if it is not done properly ... and complain at the table if the drink is even a tiny bit not quite to her liking. I will have to keep Ann's standards in mind if I ever do use EOs in this balm. In fact, just thinking about it makes me shudder a bit and seriously re-think the idea of using any EOs at all. :end edit.

I recently splurged on a whole gallon of meadowfoam, and I agree it would be an excellent choice for this product. I love it in lotions and facial oil, so thanks for the reminder about trying it in this balm. If I was making this balm for the masses, yes, meadowfoam is expensive and I probably couldn't justify the cost of including it in this product.

If you try it, please let me know what you think of the recipe and how you tweaked it to meet your preferences.

 

[MzMolly65]

Thank you DeeAnna .. for sharing your experiment's results with us. I'm going to try some of this for myself because I'm a neurotic hand washer and end up with dry, red, cracking hands. I'm going to send samples off to my bow hunting brother to play with.

Gent? If I may ask .. are you limited to where you can shop for tins? I have found many available for sale on Ebay and other places on the internet but perhaps you're looking for a local supplier.

 

[mel z]

Oh no, still use some EO, just a little. And maybe avoid Patch or Clove, 2 things people love or hate with no in between. Lol.

I'll let you know, ordered some beeswax today. But, I will make it and try for a while before I report back.

Yep, people COMPLAIN about everything in restaurants and bars. I just had to roll with it 'cause I have to work, some younger people and with parental funding were not as nice.

I really do think this recipe is great and will provide protection from the constant water use, and that horrible chemical some bars put in the sink to "wash" the glassware for the next use. Eek! It was terribly harsh on hands. Another selling point, it would be good in harsh weather as skin protection too!

 

[AnnaMarie]

A few weeks ago, I was experimenting with a simple recipe to make a wax for bow strings (meaning the kind of bow you hunt with). I ended up with a spur-of-the-moment recipe of 3 parts beeswax, 2 parts cocoa butter, and 1 part sweet almond oil. I made a little experimental batch and poured four small patties of the stuff about the size of a peppermint patty, if you're familiar with that candy.

This balm would be fine for waxing bowstrings if the bow owner likes a firm wax that is a bit softer than beeswax. In playing around with the cooled patty, I realized it was also kinda nice on the hands, even though all that beeswax and cocoa butter doesn't melt easily at body temperature. You really can't "slather it on" like a lotion or salve with a softer consistency, and it's not really soft enough to be applied to tender lips. Once it's on the hands, however, this balm is nicely dry and waxy feeling -- not goopy or greasy -- and it sticks really well to the skin for some time after application.

My day job is working with leather and light manufacturing. My hands are in water and solvents frequently, so I often get really bad hangnails and in winter the skin on the tips of my fingers sometimes crack. This balm feels like it might help with that problem, but I haven't used the stuff long enough for me to see a lot of benefit.

Which brings me to the next part of the story in which this odd little experiment took on an unintended life of its own....

My twentysomething stepson asked me for a patty to give to a friend who has ugly-looking dermatitis on his hands. The skin of this guy's hands is always so irritated and dry that it will crack and bleed if he just flattens his hands out. He normally sleeps with his hands slathered with petroleum jelly. The friend told Dear Stepson that the balm I made is the only product he's found that lets him sleep through the night without waking up from the itching and pain.

But that's not all....

This guy let some bartender friends try out the balm ... and they loved it too, according to DS. I did a little reading about "bartender rot" -- the dermatitis and infection that is triggered by working with citrus, having wet hands, and frequently getting small nicks and cuts. Bartenders apparently want a product that sticks to the skin, is food safe, has little or no odor or taste, and doesn't make the hands overly slick so the bartender can grip knives and wet barware securely.

So, um, I'm really rather bemused and amused to find that this guy and his friends are clamoring for me to make more of this stuff. I don't sell, but it seems as if people are eager to buy. I told DS to pass on the information that I am looking for guinea pigs who will give me feedback on recipes, not money.

Has anyone else ventured into making products for bartenders and folks like that? If you do, what general types of products seem to be popular with this kind of clientele in your area? Are your observations similar to mind about the kind of products they need? If not, what are the differences? I'm very curious to know more about this niche area of B&B products.

I got started making lotion bars because of a similar experience. People who use their hands a lot(my construction worker friend loves these and bought 10 at once) or have skin issues (another friend bought 6 at once recently for her mother who insists mine are the best for her psoriasis ) really like these, and they seem to really help skin issues although I can't advertise that. I am a person who uses my hands A LOT. I garden, I can food, I am a seamstress, I cook, I make soap and lotion, I decorate, I knit, etc. etc. Because of this my hands have cracked and bled for years until one night a few years ago I made a simple lotion bar that I got the recipe for out of the paper. Never again have I had cracked and dry hands. My theory on this: the absence of water. The product doesn't wash off easily like water based lotions. My hands never had a chance to heal with regular lotion. I have developed my own brand of lotion bar with super ingredients which really have a chance to work their magic because they aren't being washed off every few minutes. Another friend called it "Chapstick for the hands" which IMO is a great description. Some of us needs something stronger than a traditional lotion. Sounds like you have a potential niche, and I would milk it.
Cheers!
Anna Marie
Ps: FYI shea butter is really super in lotion bars!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

..............Gent? If I may ask .. are you limited to where you can shop for tins? I have found many available for sale on Ebay and other places on the internet but perhaps you're looking for a local supplier.

Hello! Not overly concerned about local, but the delivery to Austria can be expensive at times. Many Amazon.de suppliers won't do it at all roblem:

 

[MzMolly65]

delivery to Austria can be expensive at times.

Oh you weren't kidding. Just for info sake I checked an ebay sale for a bundle of plastic pots with lids (for lipbalm type) and a $6 lot ends up costing over $40 in shipping. Gosh you're the same as living in some parts of the North West Territories. I sent a small $9 tin of hand balm up there and it cost me close to $30

 

[MzMolly65]

I'd think any oil would work fine, including castor, but you may need to adjust the proportion of wax-to-oil to find the sweet spot where the balm is soft enough to rub off but firm enough to leave a tenacious film.

I'm thinking Neem oil???

 

[Lin]

I'm thinking Neem oil???

Oh man, without reading what you were replying to I first thought you were SUGGESTING neem oil for the balm. Whew.

 

[MzMolly65]

Oh man, without reading what you were replying to I first thought you were SUGGESTING neem oil for the balm. Whew.

Technically I was, since the balm is a mix of oils but I did mean as a replacement for one of the oils. Are you suggesting it would not be a good oil to use in this balm?

 

[Lin]

Oh... Guess my second thought was the mistake! Yes, I would think neem oil would be a perfect example of an oil to NOT use in this preparation, due to the scent. Same reasons as why to avoid strongly scenting with EOs.

 

[MzMolly65]

Yes, I would think neem oil would be a perfect example of an oil to NOT use in this preparation, due to the scent.

ah ok .. thanks. I read that Neem oil was so antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and that it smelled strong (every comment from earthy to garlicky to nasty), but I'm going off reviews since I've never actually smelled it before.

Some people say that when mixed with butters it smells nutty or earthy, so I thought it would be perfect for this application.

 

[DeeAnna]

I use neem and water spray on my roses as an antifungal and insecticide. Neem may smell nutty or earthy to some people, but my nose strongly disagrees, unfortunately. :-o

 

[crey15]

The only thing I souls worry about is the almond oil. Touching glasses and food with ur bare hands and then giving it to someone with a nut allergy could be a big problem. Other than that I think it's a great idea.

I am a chef by trade an always have set cracking hands so I talk from experience that something like this would be awesome to have on hand. Just maybe use another oil instead of almond