Here are some suggestions from readers, and based on my experiences at the shop where I worked.

Fragrances

• Intense “pink” florals: Plumeria, magnolia, hyacinth.  Island Plumeria, in particular, sold like crazy during Mother’s Day weekend in the shop.
• Sophisticated (trendy) blends: Bamboo, white tea, ginger, red currant, any rose/berry combination.  These are still in and well received, as long as the fragrances are subtle and well-balanced.
• My personal favorite: greens!  Fern, mint, herbs, heather.  Any garden or rainforest type scent can work, and they are the underdog of the fragrance world.  I think the green smell of growing things is perfect for any women with children!

Products

• CP soap was the best seller in our store, followed by…
• Foot care kits.  We did an interesting tomato/mint foot mud mask which sold well.  I often suggested doing intense foot bath bombs from the small mold, but they never got around to it.
• Solid lotion bars.  These are easy, easy, easy!  Just melt some butters and oils together with your favorite fragrance, and pour them into some silicone molds.  A plain rectangular bar works well and is easy to wrap.
• Soy candles.  So easy and fun, soy candles can be whipped up in a day and are usually a pleaser.  I use soy candles for any kind of gifting occasion.  I’m not an expert, but you can get some very basic instructions by downloading this PDF: http://www.excellentlivingguide.com/2009/12/soy-wax-tea-lights/

Special Ideas For Sellers

• If you sell your products on Etsy or in a store, think of the many different stages of being a mother.  New mothers are always a money-maker, but what about preschool moms… mamas of preteens… college grad mothers?  You just might strike gold, and you’ll easily set yourself apart from all the others who are doing generic Mother’s Day products.
• Men buy a lot of Mother’s Day stuff, but they often need a lot of help making a good decision.  Help them out!
• Team up with someone who makes handmade cards, and have them design a special matching card to go with you gift packages.  People love good looking packages for this holiday, and beautiful cards are a thoughtful addition.

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I’ve seen this done a few times at places like Bath and Body Works, Lush, etc, but their packaging isn’t generally that eco friendly.  I asked the bath bombing list for suggestions, and it opened up discussion for any cool bath bomb packaging, whether it’s single or in a mix and match fragrance set.

On our list, we try to be as eco-friendly as possible.  So, reusing and repurposing containers, buying packaging that is easy to reuse, using biodegradable stuff, etc.  Here are suggestions:

Wrapping the individual bath bombs.

• Heat shrink bags are the most popular choice.  They take up very little bulk and are easy, but many people don’t like to use them because they aren’t that eco-friendly.
• Real cellophane bags are completely biodegradable and pretty easy to find.  Pop the bath bombs in a bag with twist ties and a tag.  For the smaller bath bombs, which tend to be stronger, you can put 3 or 4 in a large cellophane bag (like mini donuts!)
• You can also wrap bath bombs in real cellophane sheets, waxed paper, or parchment paper.  There will be some fragrance “bleed,” but not too bad.  This is the most bulky and labor intensive option.

Gift packaging.

• Mercedes suggests: “What if you wrapped each in plastic wrap to keep scents separate, then pretty tissue paper over that, tied at the ends with thin ribbon or string, to look like candy? Then you could store in a candy jar!”
• Annie says, “You could use any thrift store cannister (preferably glass) find something funky for the lid, like a kids teacup and saucer, etc.”
• Melissa had some great ideas: “If I wanted to go fancy, I’d probably venture out to the kitchen/storage dept at IKEA.  When I made bath salt favors for a bridal shower, I found glass canisters (with airtight lids) at IKEA and tied a coffee scoop to the canister’s lid.  I embellished the scoop with beads I wired around the handle.  But back to the bombs….glass canisters, Lucite bathroom drawer organizers, wicker baskets (boring), a fancy cloth wine bottle gift bag, a hat box, or the ever popular – cellophane bags.”
• Karen recommends using dollar-store cardboard wine canisters!
• Chris also had some dollar store recommendations: “What about using some of the interesting glass vases at the craft stores?  If the bombs are wrapped, it would preserve the fragrance, and you could top it with tulle or lace and ribbon to finish.  Large drinking glasses and vases from the dollar stores might also work.”
• Jacquie recommends using a plastic cylinder that can be cut to size, such as the ones at http://store.visipak.com/home.php.
• Keri asks, “Are the smalls the right size to fit in an egg carton? bath and body works is doing that with their mix n match wallflowers for the holiday season and it’s super cute! especially a clear egg carton where the label can be covered or peeled off…”  Good question!  And so eco-friendly.

My own thought was to use tins, since they have a high reuse value — Papermart has a good selection here: http://www.papermart.com/Product%20Pages/Product.aspx?GroupName=INDEX_TINS&GOCMP=Papermart%5FCampaign+%231+%96+Main&GOMTC=Phrase&GOKEY=tins&gclid=CN_Hhv2QnKUCFYK5KgodbCUJJQ

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The Aromatherapy Angle
According to several sources, the purpose of shower steamers is aromatherapy. You make them with essential oils, get them a little wet, and put them out of direct range of the shower spray. The steamy heat from the shower helps the essential oils circulate, creating an aromatherapy steam-room environment.

I thought that was pretty cool. There are few products that enhance the shower atmosphere — just the bath — and leveraging the humid heat is clever. I’ve done shower sprays with mint and eucalyptus, but I never thought to repurpose the bath bomb in this way.

How To Make ‘Em
I checked the ingredients on several sites, and they are exactly the same as a bath bomb: citric acid, baking soda, essential oils. Some have borax, possibly to alter the pH balance or make the tub easier to clean. All of them have to have good essential oils, of course, and some knowledge of aromatherapy is required.

As far as I can tell, you can just make a basic bath bomb with essential oils and call it a shower steamer. If I’m wrong about this, be sure to email me and let me know, but my research supports this conclusion.

If you don’t know how to make bath bombs, you can start by downloading my free Fast Guide, a 48-page instruction manual on bath bomb making.

Packaging
I didn’t want to steal anyone’s product photos, but if you search Google images for “shower steamer,” it’ll give you a good idea what other people are doing.

The format is either a small bomb size, such as the 2 ounce size, or half a 4 or 6 ounce bath bomb. They are usually wrapped in colored foil, rather like a Valentine’s Day chocolate, with a sticker holding it together.

As the shower steamers contain essential oils, they need to be stored in an airtight environment. The foil must provide a good air block, but I don’t see why the right clear bag would do the trick as well. I suspect the foil is also to distinguish it from a normal bath bomb, if the sellers provide both products.

To find the foil, search google for “confectionery foil,” or start here at Sugarcraft, where there are all kinds of good things for the creative bath bomber.

As a marketer, I do not like the look of many of these shower steamers because of the confusion with candy. For bath bombs, it makes sense — it’s bath candy — but the cognitive dissonance of cheap candy packaging + semi-poisonous essential oils + luxury spa experience? Not so good, in my opinion. I’d prefer a more natural look to go with the aromatherapy angle.

Cautions
I do not recommend using corn starch. It will make the steamer softer and possibly provide food for mold. People will leave the shower steamer out, and heat + moisture + air = uninvited growths. The chemical salts may help deter spores, but don’t count on it… there are some very hardy strains of mold out there. It’s their job.

I also do not recommend using clay, since it will leave a slushy residue as the steamer melts down. Not that there’s any reason to use clay, but since some people do use it in bath bombs, I thought I’d mention it.

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