Everything About Blissful Butter
Everything You'd Ever Want (Or Need) To Know About
'Blissful Butter', Our Signature Moisturizing Lotion
Blissful Butter, in some form or another, has been the cornerstone of Son of Suzette's endeavors into the personal care, cosmetics, and beauty industries from the company's inception in the Fall of 2016. From its beginnings as a niche tonic with familial ties, to its evolution into a myriad of specialized variants, and its present-day pinnacle of perfection as a truly universal moisturizer, we're giving you a look into every step of Blissful Butter's journey toward greatness. Along with a bit of history and background, you'll also find in-depth details about the formula, the ingredients and their functions, and how the individual ingredients get structured into the signature texture which has become synonymous with Blissful Butter.
THE JOURNEY: A HEARTFELT HOMAGE
Just in case I haven't said it enough already, every facet of this business and its products are extensions of my heart. The goal of this business is to help people feel beautiful about who they are; we want to help people get the tools they need in order to care for their bodies and treat themselves with kindness. In order to find the inspiration necessary to create a product out of thin air, I've always looked toward the people in my life who have loved & supported me even at times when I was unable to love & care for myself (which has been frighteningly frequent). This business is called 'Son of Suzette' in the first place to honor the woman who gave me life and taught me to embrace & cherish everything that the world brought before me; so our inaugural product, naturally, was an homage to my most ardent supporters: my family.
One person in particular, my paternal grandmother, MiMi, was an avid cheerleader of mine throughout her life; I'd like to think she's still a fan now, but that's a much deeper discussion than we'll be tackling today! Anyway, my MiMi was an exceptional person in every way you can imagine; and that's not just my obvious bias, she was a force of good for our entire community whose influence is still discussed nearly 15 years after her passing. At risk of sounding pathetic, she was one of my best friends through my entire life and I still miss her deeply. When it came time to create my first product after months of self-taught cosmetic chemistry, MiMi became my inspiration: I wanted to create a product that made people feel as good on the outside as MiMi made me feel on the inside.
The result was 'Alpha Omega Silk Cream', a fairly complex lotion infused with natural silk proteins and named in honor of MiMi's mother, Alpha Omega (her ACTUAL name, I swear!). Although it was named after my great-grandmother the name served a purpose, as 'Alpha Omega' was designed to be a OSFA lotion, conditioner, and skin & hair mask. Aside from its universal appeal and countless uses, 'Alpha Omega' was very different from the 'Blissful Butter' we sell today both in appearance and formula. 'Alpha Omega' was packaged in red-tinted bottles with black flip-top caps and an Olde-English-inspired label with red, black, and gold printing on a white backing. The lotion was fairly thin, had a creamy yellow tint, and smelled faintly of orange blossoms; a scent necessary to help disguise the slight savory scent from the silk protein (in its pure form the silk straight-up smells like Funyuns, ya'll). It was a decent product which did a surprisingly good job but it was a far cry from fulfilling the lofty goals I had set for Son of Suzette's signature product, so I kept what worked and took it to the next level.
My next attempt took a little bit longer than a few months; two years, to be exact. Over those two years I took my cosmetic chemistry education to new heights and devoted my entire life to my lab work. I studied the physical characteristics of each and every ingredient in my lab under different conditions, taking note of every change in texture or structure under various temperatures and environments. I began piecing together the similarities between these very different raw ingredients and how they played together in formulae, developing a feel for which fats & waxes worked best together and enhanced each other in different formulae. Eventually I began reworking the signature lotion formula in earnest and after many, many, MANY trials and test-runs (I have over a dozen spiral-bound notebooks devoted just to test formulae from those two years), I found a formula I felt was the culmination of every second of work I'd accomplished: I called it 'Bliss Butter'.
'Bliss Butter' was more than a career endeavor, it became a way for me to personally deal with the very recent loss of my Aunt Linda (Winna); it was one of her favorite products I'd ever made for her and I perfected it just weeks before her passing. Winna was a source of immense support throughout my life and became a major influence in Son of Suzette; some of my earliest product prototypes were named for her and inspired by her obsession with hot pink, and her love of butterflies directly influenced the design of the Renewed Hope logo. When she passed away it was a giant blow to my spirit, despite knowing her passing was imminent, and I had difficulty resuming work. Somehow I was able to channel all of that grief into a drive, a determination to help Winna live on in some way, and it became my mission to use all the love & confidence she had gifted me in her lifetime to create something that she would have adored. From the loss of Winna I was able to find a new creative stride, and by the end of that year I had developed multiple variants of 'Bliss Butter' along with nearly a dozen other products inspired by Winna. My newly revamped products gained traction and I even got the opportunity to donate a huge lot of products to a foster home for young girls, something Winna would have positively cherished as she often spoke of her tenure working at a home for differently-abled children as one of the most rewarding times of her life. Being able to continue that sentiment in some way truly showed me that I had hit the nail on the head, and I found renewed hope for my cause knowing Winna would have been proud.
'Bliss Butter' was more than a career endeavor, it became a way for me to personally deal with the very recent loss of my Aunt Linda (Winna); it was one of her favorite products I'd ever made for her and I perfected it just weeks before her passing. Winna was a source of immense support throughout my life and became a major influence in Son of Suzette; some of my earliest product prototypes were named for her and inspired by her obsession with hot pink, and her love of butterflies directly influenced the design of the Renewed Hope logo. When she passed away it was a giant blow to my spirit, despite knowing her passing was imminent, and I had difficulty resuming work. Somehow I was able to channel all of that grief into a drive, a determination to help Winna live on in some way, and it became my mission to use all the love & confidence she had gifted me in her lifetime to create something that she would have adored. From the loss of Winna I was able to find a new creative stride, and by the end of that year I had developed multiple variants of 'Bliss Butter' along with nearly a dozen other products inspired by Winna. My newly revamped products gained traction and I even got the opportunity to donate a huge lot of products to a foster home for young girls, something Winna would have positively cherished as she often spoke of her tenure working at a home for differently-abled children as one of the most rewarding times of her life. Being able to continue that sentiment in some way truly showed me that I had hit the nail on the head, and I found renewed hope for my cause knowing Winna would have been proud.
Over the next few years it became very apparent that I had found something special with 'Bliss Butter' and its fans grew steadily, but it still didn't feel just right. The formula was perfect, but something in its presentation was still lacking; despite the labels & web pages being bright and artistically-driven, it felt like too much time was being devoted to the wrong areas. That brings us to our present incarnation: 'Blissful Butter'. Our new and improved approach to presenting our products is the next logical step in our company's evolution, the positive result of so much pain, determination, and hard work fueled by a pure desire to propagate positivity in the people Son of Suzette serves. Son of Suzette was founded on the principle of 'people first, profits second', and while I do believe we've followed that credo I don't know if we've done everything we possibly could to truly live up to that goal; which brings us back here to our modern incarnation as 'Blissful Butter'. This marks a change for more than just this one product, as you can expect to see blog posts just like this popping up for every product we release under the SKENcare brand! We want to share every single detail of these products with you for one simple reason: we can. Our heartfelt intentions and transparency are what separate us from everyone else, because when we say we stand for something we want you to be able to see that we mean it in every step we take as a business. I want you to love our products as much as I do, so this is my way of giving you every opportunity to fall in love with the good things we try to bring to life. After all, to be 'blissful' means to be in a state of supreme happiness which, to me, means to be free of any worries or doubts; we want to give you as much information as possible to assuage any worries or doubts you may have about our products so you can truly experience the bliss they bring!
THE SPECIFICS: FORMULA, INGREDIENTS, & HOW IT WORKS
. . . And now we get down to the nitty-gritty of things, the technical aspects of Blissful Butter!
What makes Blissful Butter so effective?
'Blissful Butter' is an oil-in-water emulsion which strikes the perfect balance between water, vitamins, hydrophilic conditioners, and skin-nourishing, organic plant-sourced fatty acids. We've worked diligently to get the ratios of fats-to-water-to-actives JUST right in order to make this formula absorb quickly, start working as soon as it's applied, and continue working throughout the day. In short, 'Bliss Butter' is so effective because it has been painstakingly formulated to enhance the health of your skin; but in order to understand how our (or any) lotion works, you have to understand the inner & outer workings of the epidermis. We are currently working on an in-depth look at the epidermis, the skin's role in immune health, and how self-care is paramount to optimal health; we planned on putting all of that information here but it's such a vast & important subject that it deserves a blog post of its own. Until then, suffice to say that 'Blissful Butter' is effective because it has been designed with kindness in mind, as each and every ingredient has a purpose and has been stringently tested to find its most effective dose/ratio in the formula.
What are the ingredients of Blissful Butter?
What are the ingredients of Blissful Butter?
Blissful Butter is made of 12 ingredients, each contributing a specific function or quality to the overall formula. We’ve hopefully made it so that each one of these ingredients and its respective role can be properly understood by anyone, not just people with a background in chemistry or cosmetics. Below you will find an image displaying samples of each ingredient, along with a detailed list describing each ingredient. You can also click on the ingredient to find its designated entry at CosmeticsInfo.org, the database endorsed by The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) which oversees The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI); if an ingredient isn’t available in that database, a link to manufacturer information is provided.
-
Distilled Water
- Aside from instantly adding hydration directly to the skin upon application, water acts as the delivery vehicle for the nourishing fats, vitamins, and water-soluble skin conditioners. Sourced from USA. -
Safflower Oil (High Linoleic)
- High in linoleic acid, also known as Vitamin F, is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and helps to fortify the skin's natural lipid barrier (which helps prevent moisture loss, plays a vital role in immune health, and is your skin's first defense against environmental stressors and free radicals). Sourced from Mexico. -
Emulsifying Wax NF
- This blend of emulsifiers, which help blend oil & water, is a term for a special ratio of Cetearyl Alcohol and Polysorbate 60, two naturally-derived ingredients found in many lotions, serums, and cosmetics. Sourced from USA. -
Illipe Butter
- Illipe Butter is a highly-moisturizing plant butter renowned for its skin soothing properties and its ability to alleviate dryness, as well as its ability to promote healthy & strong hair. Like the other butters and oils in the formula, Illipe helps fortify the skin's lipid barrier. Sourced from Malaysia. -
Kokum Butter
- This natural butter promotes healing and has been known to improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, dark spots. Its healing properties make it wonderful for banishing skin dryness, itchiness, redness, and general irritation from environmental stressors. Sourced from India. -
Mango Butter
- Rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, mango butter softens skin and can help fight signs of aging while also fighting free radicals from the environment (even helping to protect from UV rays). Sourced from USA. -
Palm Kernel Oil
- An extremely supple and butter-like oil, palm kernel oil is an excellent skin conditioner and is rich in antioxidants. It is also an excellent source of palmitic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. Sourced from Indonesia. -
Vegetable Glycerin
- Aside from being a smoothing skin conditioner, glycerin is a natural humectant (a substance which pulls moisture from its environment), meaning it helps skin continue to get hydrated long after the lotion dries. Sourced from USA. -
Aloe Vera
- One of the most famous skincare ingredients renowned for its ability to soothe skin, promote healing, calm inflammation, and more thanks to its potent natural cocktail of vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes, and other skin-nourishing botanical bits. Sourced from USA. -
Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate)
- Aside from being a well-known antioxidant, Vitamin E helps the product retain integrity throughout its shelf-life; it's also believed that Vitamin E has multiple skin benefits (though research-based findings are limited). Sourced from USA. -
Optiphen PLUS
- This mixture of natural & synthetic preservatives has ZERO parabens or formaldehyde/formaldehyde derivatives, but still manages to be a powerhouse defender against yeast, bacteria, & mold in personal care products. Sourced from USA. -
Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)
- Kind of a skincare jack-of-all-trades, Vitamin B3 is an incredibly beneficial ingredient which helps improve skin elasticity, cellular regeneration, regulation of keratin production, minimizes pores, fights environmental stressors, and much more. When used at low, stable concentrations over time you maximize benefits to skin while minimizing the risk of irritation or adverse reaction, which is why we spent years figuring out the perfect dose for Blissful Butter. Sourced from Switzerland.
How much of each ingredient is in a jar of Blissful Butter?
We've spent years perfecting this formula and truly believe it is a universal skincare product appropriate for all skin types, tones, and ages. Of course each person is unique and has unique needs/concerns when it comes to their skin's health, so we've done our best to give you as much information as possible regarding what's in our Blissful Butter. In order to maintain some semblance of privacy regarding the minute specifics of this formula, the following percentages are presented as ranges of numbers rather than precise numbers; in other words, we want to be able to be transparent with customers without letting other companies copy off our homework.
With that said, here are more detailed specifics regarding the ingredients:
In the following list, each ingredient is listed from most-to-least present within the formula; ingredients contributing the most to the formula will appear highest on the list.*
1. 60-70% Water
2. 5-10% Safflower Oil (High Linoleic)
3. 5-10% Emulsifying Wax NF
4. 1-5% Illipe Butter
5. 1-5% Kokum Butter
6. 1-5% Mango Butter
7. 1-5% Palm Kernel Oil
8. 1-5% Glycerin
9. 1-5% Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
10. 1-3% Aloe Vera
11. 1% Optiphen PLUS
12. ~0.58% Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
* The ingredients 'Optiphen PLUS' and 'Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)' are given exact percentages as they play a larger role in possible skin irritation than the other ingredients. We add just enough Vitamin B3 to help promote skin health while minimizing the risks of skin irritation on even the most sensitive of skin types (or people with dermatological conditions like eczema, psoriasis, keratosis pilaris, et cetera). We also add just enough Optiphen PLUS, a broad-spectrum preservative and antimicrobial, in order to preserve the product's integrity and extend its shelf-life while adhering to US & EU safety guidelines and standards. Too much of either Optiphen PLUS or Niacinamide can irritate skin, exacerbate underlying skin conditions, and even damage the skin itself; we believe it is imperative to give precise measures of these ingredients in order to ensure customer safety & promote awareness.
Miscellaneous Information:
Ph : 5.7 (slightly acidic, just like the lipid barrier of human skin)
Color: creamy white
Texture: thick and substantial, readily melts on skin contact and absorbs quickly
Fatty Acid Profile:
