This was a very “interesting” experience. We have been working on creating new recipes, and products. This one in particular has been in the works for awhile now, but all great things take time, patience, and love. I honestly almost failed at this. I had started making this recipe, and it just didn’t seem to be coming out right. I had almost decided to turn some of this recipe into a soap, but then it came to me. Actually what came to me was to try to ship this up as a shea butter cream, but that always didn’t work.

Here’s what happened.

I’m making the recipe, and I melted all the oils, and waxes. I hadn’t decided on a scent as yet, and didn’t add the vitamin E while it all melted. The candelilla wax is nothing that I am used to especially since I’ve only used beeswax in other recipes. So it won’t melt. I am getting really frustrated that I am wasting all of these products and wonder what I’ll use them for if this doesn’t work. I also had added Mimosa Floral Wax. The ingredients I chose are all absolutely amazing, and I took great care in selecting them. My goal is to create a balm for hair that is 100% vegan. So I left it overnight.

I came back to it and it’s one thick slab of wax and oil. So I start to warm it up so it melts. It melts very nicely. Then I can see it’s much too waxy. So I take to research candelilla and mimosa floral wax to see if I can use it to make a soap instead. I figured I used too much wax in the recipe, as it much “heavier” then besswax is, so therefore you should use less. Okay. Now what? I continue to think, and research more. Finally I decide to add more shea butter. So that the proportion of shea butter is much higher. I decide that maybe I’ll try to whip it with the new hand mixer we have (see our YouTube Channel on our new mixer). Will it turn into a whipped shea butter? No. This doesn’t work, and I’m tired of mixing it. I put a bit on my fingers and it solidifies nicely. I pour it into a tester and see how it reacts. It becomes a balm. Yes, I am VERY happy now. VERY!

So now we have this fabulous looking product as it becomes a smooth, consistent balm perfectly! Now how do we scent it?

I have been mixing essential oils and seeing how they come together. Finally! Sweet Orange, and Peppermint. WOW! It smells amazing. I’m immediately sold!! So we add that to the balm, and I preserve it with Vitamin E. Now it gets mixed up really well.

Each of these balms are poured into a 4 oz container. We need to find a name for this product! So this brings us to OUR CONTEST.

The balm is going to be used to line your hair line so that it doesn’t dye it, or stain it when coloring your hair with henna, and herbs. It also feels really amazing on the skin, and lips. BONUS! It is rich enough that it creates a barrier on the skin, while moisturizing, and nourishing it with these fabulous ingredients. It smells like juicy oranges, with a hint of mint. It is a very light scent, and not overpowering. I am addicted to smelling it 🙂 (Be on the lookout for a new body bar with this scent).

Our balm contains: Shea butter, candelilla wax, castor oil, extra virgin olive oil,  extra virgin rosehip oil, aloe vera gel, aloe vera oil, mimosa floral wax, vitamin E, sweet orange essential oil, and peppermint essential oil.

So here’s what we need you to do: NAME THIS PRODUCT.

What you’ll receive: A 4 oz container of our new balm, and recognition for naming this product on our blog, and a $25.00 Gift Card that you can use anywhere (this will come in the format of a visa/mastercard gift card). We will mail all of this to you at no expense to you.

There is a deadline. All submissions must be made by February 13, 2011 at midnight. You are allowed only 1 entry per person. No exceptions. Henna Sooq reserves the right to deny entries, and will select the winner by February 15, 2011.

SUBMIT your entry to: hennasooq@gmail.com

We look forward to all of the entries, and can’t wait to have a name for our new balm!  Please feel free to comment, and suggest labels, colors, art to be put onto this package. Thank you!