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We have something embarrassing to admit. We are not always the most environmentally sensitive family in the world. We use Ziploc bags from time to time, we don’t always rinse out milk jugs before putting them in recycling, and we are often accused of leaving too many lights on in the house during the day. I know. Shameful. However, as we formed Dabble & Dollop, we wanted to be more sensitive, more purposeful, and, quite honestly, we wanted to be better as a brand than we are as a family. So, you are probably asking yourself, “how can a company that ships plastic bottles of children’s shampoo across the country be environmentally conscious?” Well, here are some of the decisions we made, some big and some small, to try and ensure our company has as low an environmental footprint as possible. In some cases we have done well, and in others, we can (and will) be better. Our most impactful decision was insisting on having as many of our components, ingredients, and packaging as possible be sourced from the USA. Why? Three reasons. First, U.S. manufacturers produce the highest quality, safest and most pure ingredients in the world – just what we wanted for our formulations. Second, as small business owners, we are big on supporting American job creation and get goosebumps thinking about the myriad families touched in small ways by our company. Finally, and most importantly today, by sourcing close to home we significantly lowered our supply-chain’s environmental footprint. No Diesel container ships chugging in from China full of shampoo. No empty plastic bottles molded overseas and freighted here waiting to fill. No 20Kg drums of liquids bobbing across the seas while higher quality drums sit here ready to go. This has proven to be an expensive choice for us – but it is one we would make again for our environment and so many other reasons. What else have we done well? We hope: Choosing sustainably sourced and sustainably processed ingredients (see more about this from our November 2019 blog here); Developing USA-made custom, soft-touch bottles using 100% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Resin (which are in turn recyclable); Designing and producing Deco Boxes for our Bubble Box and Bath Bombs from recyclable US-sourced corrugated here in Southern California; Avoiding Styrofoam, plastic air pouches, styro-peanuts and other non-recyclable fill during shipping. But we certainly are not perfect and feel there are many areas where we can improve environmentally as a brand. With that goal in mind, we will be taking the following steps immediately, and in the days and weeks ahead: Exploring recyclable refill packs for our 3-in-1 products. Like many larger brands, we too want to offer a larger, environmentally friendly, cost-effective solution for “buying again.” These packs would allow customers to re-use our durable PCR bottles over and over, further reducing our use of plastic and streamlining our shipping; Eliminating the use of all bubble wrap and non-recyclable bubble-padded mailers. Keeping shipments from cracking and leaking is of course a priority. Bubble wrap/padding is effective (and cost effective), but we know it’s generally not sustainably produced. So, we are working with a company called Eco-Enclose (as well as others) to source and test new 100% recyclable mailers and post-consumer recycled padded envelops that allow us to ship single bottles bath bomb boxes in a more environmentally friendly, but still protective, manner; Investigating non-plastic based solutions for protecting our bath bombs. Currently, each bath bomb is encased in a thin, recyclable film. However, we would love to find a solution that is just as economical, but does not use plastic. We have discussed algae-based products, paper and others, but there does not seem to be a great solution at present. If you have ideas, please reach out and let us know! We know we are not perfect – but seeing little areas where we can improve gives us motivation to be continually better. We continue to be proud of the company we are building here at Dabble & Dollop, and want to be your trusted source for clean, natural, sustainable children’s bathing products for years to come. If you have any comments, suggestions or feedback, we’d love to hear from you at info@dabbleanddollop.com. To shop our entire line click here  

In the face of COVID, small brands are challenged to keep items in stock, and experiencing delays on new products.

At the outset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we saw supplies of daily staples running low. Some made sense…and some were, well…real head scratchers. Let’s just say it’s good to see “TP” back on the shelves.   But, some of the shortages made perfect sense. Disinfecting wipes, Lysol spray (please do not inject), surgical masks, and, of course, hand sanitizers. The sanitizer shortage enticed scores of companies getting into the game. Some were doing it altruistically – e.g. alcohol distilleries switching from scotch to sanitizer to help first responders. But we also saw price gouging, fake product, and ineffective, watered-down formulas. This, plus the emergence of Instagram Inventors and Tik Tok Technicians showing people how to make hand sanitizer from common household products created what we called “sanitizer insanity!” It’s so crazy in fact that neither Instagram nor Facebook allow companies to even advertise they have it! At Dabble & Dollop, we discussed launching a children’s Hand Hygiene line (including hand wash, hand sanitizer, and lotion). Pre-COVID, that was likely going to be a 2021 event. But, given our connections in the ingredients space, we were inundated with suppliers, formulators and other companies that love our brand asking whether we would launch a hand sanitizer now! Not surprisingly, “Hand Sanitizer” is now the #1 search term on our site. We wrestled with the positives and negatives of launching this product. On one hand (no pun intended), we knew we could create a high quality, CDC-recommended, safe, great smelling hand sanitizer that our customers would love. On the other hand, we did not want to be viewed as trying to capitalize on tragedy, or worse, violating our customers’ trust. After much discussion, we decided to create a limited run of product using the tangerine scent we use in our 3-in-1 bath gel. Dabble & Dollop Hand Sanitizer is 100% American Made with a 62% organic alcohol formulation meeting the CDC’s recommended potency. Our sanitizer is in gel form, again recommended by the CDC, because it spreads easily kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses (including COVID-19). We use denatured alcohol for safety, and we assay (test) every batch to ensure we meet the CDC’s minimum alcohol content. Our formula dries quickly and leaves behind a fresh tangerine scent. It doesn’t feel tacky after application and doesn’t leave a sticky residue. As an extra step, we use witch hazel water to nourish and help moisturize the hands.     We tested our product with some friends, and one, who is a senior executive at a large regional bank, was so impressed that she ordered 1,000 additional bottles from us and will be using them in their Southern California banking branches!   Committed to value pricing, our goal is to get our product into the hands (ok, pun intended this time) of those that really need it. We will also be donating products to two local charities with whom we work so they can be distributed to those in need in the Long Beach, California community.   We are proud to offer this product to you and hopefully, you will agree that we found the right balance. Please note: All children under 6 should be supervised by an adult when using a hand sanitizer. Made in the Southern California with USA-made ingredients including:  62% Organic Alcohol, Carbomer, Witch Hazel Water, Fragrance (Plant based & Nature Identical/Synthetic).

Learn more about our exciting new product: Dabble & Dollop Droplets

Learn what Dabble & Dollop is doing in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic

  One night, while I was giving my kids a bath, it dawned on me the commercial products I was using on my own kids weren’t quite right. I was using premium natural baby products that were perfectly good but were clearly targeted with me in mind (think Lavender and a clean Spa look), and not with the preference or enjoyment of my children in mind. And why was everything labeled and formulated with a “baby” or most likely, an infant in mind?! It also dawned on me that my kids (then 7,7 and 6) weren’t babies any longer. Their skin and hair was so different than when they were tiny newborn babies. My kids were at an age where when they saw the word “baby” on their shampoo and bubble bath, they were not amused. Also, I was kind of annoyed with the obvious gender-based marketing behind some of the brands. The “sexy, coy” strawberry character and the superhero robust apple characters I’d see on their shampoos bummed me out. As I sat there I realized the children’s segment wasn’t being properly addressed. I watched my kids play and mix one shampoo with a different shampoo, and claim to have just created “strawberry milkshake” (mixing strawberry shampoo with a vanilla bubble bath). This became the eureka moment behind the creation of Dabble & Dollop. At my previous company, I created and orchestrated a “Kids Science Day” to help foster an interest and understanding of science and natural ingredient technology. Every year, we’d have 20—30 little ones in who loved learning about the science of ingredients and LOVED “formulating” their own shampoos and bubble baths. It was so obvious (and cute) that picking out fragrances and customizing was their favorite part and at the end of the day, at least two would declare they were going to be scientists when they grew up. Seeing children so inspired in that environment became the source of inspiration for me and ultimately the purpose behind the creation of Dabble & Dollop.

I am so grateful for the small but mighty following we’ve generated in our first few months of being in business; and I can’t think of a better way to thank you than to offer more good, clean fun! We’re very excited to report that the latest R&D (research & dabbling) in our laboratory has resulted in exciting new product launches coming very soon. We closed out our 2019 working diligently, getting ready to deliver more bubbly & fizzy fun in the tub.   We’ve learned that our customers appreciate the premium quality, the natural and sustainable elements of our formula and design, and amazing aromas. But it’s the act of mixing that the kids (and parents) really, REALLY love!  With that in mind, we will expand our lineup from 3 to 7 mixable washes in 2020. In addition to our Strawberry, Vanilla & Tangerine formulations, we will launch Honeydew, Blueberry, Coconut and Lemon. These are scents we love and several of them were suggestions from our customers and friends using our products! These additional scents will give our Tub Club subscribers myriad options to choose from with each shipment. With the new additions, children will have hundreds of new recipes to whip up for their bubbly baths, body washes and shampoos. Blueberry-Lemonade body wash? Coconut Cream Pie shampoo? There will be so many possibilities! And, all the fun ships free to your doorstep when you are a Tub Club subscriber. In addition to the new washes, we will launch a set of mixable bath bombs, called Dabble & Dollop Droplets. As a parent, I’ve always had mixed emotions about bath bombs. Are they really necessary? What are manufacturers putting in those things? Is this trend a bubble that's about to burst?  Well, turns out people still love them, but we also wanted to add our Dabble & Dollop twist. So we’ve decided to mix them up! What makes our Droplets unique is that they are designed to mix!  A couple Droplets of strawberry, a couple Droplets vanilla and, well, you should know by now!    I also love that we continue to focus on formulas that follow our “less than 10” ingredient philosophy. 100% natural, no artificial dyes or unnecessary filler ingredients. Just the gentlest moisturizing oils released with kid favored “satisfying” fizzing and those fresh fruit aromas. Our Droplets will be mini sized at 1”. Fizzy fun for all! Delivering the safest and gentlest way for your children to enjoy the sensory experience of bath bombs.   Thank you so very much for supporting our little brand and helping fuel our dreams of a better bath for our littlest ones. Please, keep sending us your feedback and new product ideas - (and your children’s too!) as we are committed to accounting for every comment, note and review we receive. Cheers to a new year filled with exciting possibilities. Wishing everyone a fizzy, fun-filled bubbly 2020.   

There’s a lot written about so-called “no-no” ingredients in our business. In recent times, brands have built huge profits based almost solely on what’s not in their formulas versus what is. Recognizing such successes, we now see other brands jumping on the same bandwagon. And perhaps, it’s likely, even these brands don’t know why they are, outside of following what’s tried-and-true or (unfortunately) standard in terms of cosmetic marketing. The problem is that brands simply saying “no” to certain ingredients is not the same as being truly transparent and consumer-centric. Consumers are getting stuck on what I call “The Label Game.” In this piece, we’ll explain why things aren’t always crystal clear when you read ingredient labels. That is if you can read them at all. And while you very well may end up more confused than before, you’ll learn how crafty marketers spin their labels to extract dollars from your wallet. It's why I spend so much effort selecting the fewest, and best, ingredients for our 3-in-1 shampoo, body wash and bubbles. As you will see, we stripped down our formulas to eliminate confusions and let you say YES to Dabble & Dollop! The Yes Natural “Yes” to natural - and equally important - “yes” to sustainable. How could a nature-loving consumer use a natural ingredient if it’s not sourced sustainably? While it’s wonderful that there is a strong preference for natural ingredients, being or buying “natural” is not enough. The best brands should ensure their natural ingredients are being derived from sustainable sources. I think it’s unethical how many brands simply throw in endless extracts and natural products just to boldly claim NATURAL on their packaging. Having spent over two decades witnessing how raw material suppliers operate in this space, I can tell you firsthand that, more often than not, these natural ingredients are extracted with absolutely zero regards for the environment. (By the way, you know what's good for the environment? This Easter Egg. If you use this discount code IREADTHEBLOG25 you will receive 25% off your entire order! Thanks for reading my blog!!!) A light often goes off when I explain this issue to people. Many people love natural ingredients because they love Mother Earth. I can’t blame them; I do, too! Lavender, aloe, olive oil, etc. can all be wonderful and effective ingredients and generally preferable to their synthetic counterparts, but consumers must demand that these ingredients be harvested and planted sustainably and that these products are produced by humans making sustainable wages. We already demand it for our morning coffee, so…let’s demand it for our skin. The Maybe… Essential Oils & Fragrance Many brands have swapped traditional fragrance for essential oils, and then cleverly like to tout “no synthetic fragrance” on their labels. Sadly, this practice isn’t based on any real logic. Both essential oils and fragrance are volatile aromatic compounds, hence why you can smell them! So, even though essential oils are technically “natural,” they can sometimes be equally irritating to the skin. It’s ultimately difficult for a consumer to know whether fragrance or essential oils will be gentle on sensitive skin. The only real way to find out is if the brand you are using starts with quality material from a trusted supplier (essential oils or fragrance or a combination thereof), ensuring that they contain no known allergens. A trusted reference list can be found published by the atopic dermatitis association or within the European Union’s Annex III Guidelines. Then, the final product should be HRIPT (Human Repeat Insult Path Test) tested to see if either, neither or both irritate. But how do you know if the brand you love conducted HRIPT testing? That’s not typically mentioned on product labels (I wonder why?). However, if you don’t have sensitive skin or a skin disorder, there’s no need to worry about aromatic compounds. As long as whichever synthetic fragrance or essential oil you are using is free of allergens (and free of phthalates if you have any concerns). Synthetic fragrance is not always bad, nor are essential oils.  Extracts How do you make a product seem like it is utilizing a panoply of ingredients that seem wonderful in the Whole Foods organic section as they are in CVS? Drop the names of extracts! Extract of Heirloom Roses. Extract of Maine-grown Blueberries. Extract of Angel Tears. I’ve seen it all, and I’ve also clearly seen how the extract business label game works. Take seven to 10 water-based extracts and then put 1% of that mixture into 99% water. Then, throw 1% of that 1% into a formula. Voilà, you have gone from Plain Jane to Angelina Jolie! Extracts often end up being the ingredients that are called out as some special complex on the front of an expensive skincare line. This practice has always really upset me. Smart people buy these products! How beneficial is Rose Hip extract when used at a fraction of a percent in a formula? Your guess is as good as mine. Based on what I’ve seen, it’s unlikely that extracts are being used at any real substantial percentage such that they would be truly efficacious. So, why bother using extracts in a rinse-off product when it’s eventually headed down the drain? Unfortunately, the chance of any of that 1% of 1% doing anything for you is strictly wishful thinking. The No Palm Oil Speaking of natural ingredients, say “NO” to palm oil derived ingredients unless they are Certified RSPO. What’s RSPO? RSPO stands for “Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.” Established in 2004, RSPO’s objective is to promote the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and its engagement of stakeholders. This is a huge issue that, again, most people don’t ever think about, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to tell whether an ingredient was palm-sourced simply by reading an ingredient deck. The same companies that are super excited to tell you all about how they don’t use bad ingredients are secretly using palm oil derivatives and getting away with it. Learn about the devastating effects the palm oil industry is having on the rain forests of SE Asia, the species who live there, native peoples’ rights, and our atmosphere. We should demand a halt to our over reliance on what is, of course, a “natural oil” that is responsible for emissions rivaling those of fossil fuel combustion. Start asking. Are your ingredients palm free or Certified RSPO? Maybe that should be the next thing being called out on labels. I mean, it is kind of important!

I spent twenty years in the cosmetic ingredient business, most specifically in the naturally-derived, natural, specialty, premium space and the entire experience was eye-opening.  Between my on the job experience and the skin biology and ingredient chemistry courses I took, I learned a ton.  It wasn’t until stepping out of the business (we sold the business in January 2017 to global specialty powerhouse Azelis) that an entirely new level of clarity hit me. And that clarity fueled my desire to launch products that were purposeful, effective and used the best that science and art had to offer.