What to do with melted sample jars?

[PuddinAndPeanuts]

I've figured out how to keep my body butter inventory from melting at summer shows. The problem I have is that a tray of sample jars set front and center (and often in brutal sunshine) is much more effective than a tray of them tucked back in the rear of the tent where it's shady. If an unopened jar melts, that's easy- I can just reprocess it the next time I make that scent. But what could i do to salvage melted samples? When they firm up again, they're crapped out (super grainy and it seems like the butters separate into different layers). Any thoughts on what to do so I'm not losing a fortune in body butter samples?

 

[dixiedragon]

In the future, perhaps take multiple teensy jars of samples and swap them out of a cooler? I've seen some places where they were kept on a bed of ice.

My mom makes these special ice packs for injuries - 1 part rubbing alcohol, 3 parts water (I need to double check this). She seals it in a seal-a-meal bag and puts that in a freezer bag, b/c the alcohol will eventually eat through the plastic. She puts it in the freezer so it is super cold but the alcohol means it doesn't form crystals, so it is gooshy. maybe make a few small ones of those. Put one under your samples and swap out?

Can you microwave your melted, separated samples and re-pour them?

 

[houseofwool]

Honestly, we just don't take bb when it super warm.

 

[earlene]

In the future, perhaps take multiple teensy jars of samples and swap them out of a cooler? I've seen some places where they were kept on a bed of ice.

My mom makes these special ice packs for injuries - 1 part rubbing alcohol, 3 parts water (I need to double check this). She seals it in a seal-a-meal bag and puts that in a freezer bag, b/c the alcohol will eventually eat through the plastic. She puts it in the freezer so it is super cold but the alcohol means it doesn't form crystals, so it is gooshy. maybe make a few small ones of those. Put one under your samples and swap out?

Can you microwave your melted, separated samples and re-pour them?

I keep 3 ice packs in my freezer with 1 part Rubbing Alcohol & 2 parts H2O. They are in the same rubber ice packs I have used for ages and ages (many years) and no deterioration has occurred. I may have refilled one, but almost never have a need to do so unless someone accidentally unscrews the lid. The great thing about them is that they stay much colder for much longer than ice does and they can be formed to fit the body better than ice because by squeezing the bag, the ice can become a bit pliable (like mushy crushed ice inside the bag).

I even take a couple of them along with me on roadtrips because they stay cold so long inside my cooler and I get back pain sometimes. Ice on my back works better for my pain than anything else.

 

[shunt2011]

I don't sell body butters in the heat of summer. It's a pain taking an extra cooler. So I only sell them in the fall, winter and spring.

 

[PuddinAndPeanuts]

Body butter makes up roughly 1/2 my sales at most shows. I've done one or two shows without it, and did not find that my jewelry sales increased with the added available display space when I didn't have the body butter. A show I can't bring both jewelry and body butter to just isn't worth doing.

 

[snappyllama]

At the last show I went to in Houston, there was a booth with sample jars of salsa... they were sitting in wide container with ice and had a mini umbrella over them. Even in the oppressive heat, they stayed nice and chilly. Everyone bought some... maybe that kind of set-up would work for you.

The umbrellas were about this size: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007CNJ6M6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[cerelife]

This is what works fairly well for me - and temps at the market during the summer often exceed 100 degrees.
I have a metal tray similar to this:
https://www.pier1.com/magnolia-home...3lwuzMQpGhPGo82GhHxoCxaMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I use the same alcohol and water ziploc baggies that others have mentioned since they are 'moldable' and last longer. I line the bottom of the tray with these and cover with a bright white hand towel (and another larger white towel folded double underneath the tray for more insulation and to catch any possible leakage). Then I kind of smush my sample containers into the towel-covered baggies in a semi-circle with a pretty dish of those little wooden sticks in the center. To minimize waste I use 2 oz disposable condiment cups for my sample containers and refill them from my sample jars in the cooler as needed. At the end of the day, I just toss the cups. I also keep enough baggies of the alcohol/water mix in the cooler to switch out on really hot days. But that mini-umbrella idea is pure gold, since direct sun + body butter is never going to be pretty!! I've got to find some of those in my colors!!
These are the condiment cups I'm talking about - 100 per pack for less than $2 and you only need a spoonful of product per cup :
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ch...wu_qMZpGxYwrCCjfbWsgLU6EfR-pHPXBoCmEIQAvD_BwE
Hope this helps