New Formulations: A Brew for the Bath
A tea bag is designed for dry-blend formulations.
by Marie Redding, Senior EditorAdding Epsom salt to a bath was once a remedy your grandmother might have prescribed to ease everything from stress to sore muscles. Now, that same Epsom salt has become a trendy ingredient in the formulation of personal care products.
Epsom salt is known for its detoxifying and stress-relieving properties. It contains magnesium and sulfate ions that can be absorbed through the skin while drawing out toxins from the body. “Detoxification and aromatherapy are extremely popular buzzwords. Dry-blend formulations that incorporate these two benefits are definitely in demand right now,” says Pat Campbell, executive vice president at Coughlan Products Corp. (Wayne, NJ).
One type of blend that is popular with Coughlan’s customers combines the natural look of large salt particles with the aromatherapy benefits of lavender buds, rose petals, or herbs. “When creating dry-blend formulations, the challenge is ensuring that added fragrances remain stable and that blending is consistent throughout the batch,” explains Laura Spaulding, vice president of R&D at Coughlan.
There are some drawbacks for the consumer when it comes to using botanicals in salt-based bath products at home. “Who wants to clean out a tub with herbs or leaves stuck to the side after a bath?” asks Campbell.
The solution is using a tea bag as a delivery system. As it brews in the bathtub, all of its beneficial ingredients are dispersed into the water. Some marketers and product developers have been searching for a tea bag that is sturdy enough to hold the weight of a salt, yet is sealed well enough not to break in the tub. Our sources say there are plenty of suppliers able to fill and seal a quality tea bag, but that many are currently using their machinery for the food industry and aren’t willing to accommodate customers in the beauty business.
Coughlan Products has decided to fill this need. It launched a new type of tea bag designed for its dry-blend formulations. The first samples were presented to the industry at the HBA Health & Beauty trade show in September. “We developed the capability in reaction to the demand. People have been calling us over the last several years asking if we made bath tea bags,” says Campbell. “Since last spring, we have been receiving a lot of interest.”
It took the experts at Coughlan years of research to develop this new type of tea bag. “It involved a lot of trial and error. We had to identify a material that is both porous enough and strong enough, but at the same time that has the capability to be heat sealed,” explains Campbell.
In the past, round tea bags resembling a pillow were commonly used for bath products, but they posed some problems. “Because they only had a pressed seal, they opened easily and couldn’t be filled with enough bulk to treat a bath,” says Spaulding. Coughlan has identified an appropriate film for its form-fill-seal equipment to make its new tea bag, which is able to accommodate the weight of a salt. The company even makes a larger size that holds up to 8 oz of product and stays securely sealed. It is designed to be used in larger baths, such as whirlpools at spas.
Besides Epsom salt, Coughlan makes many other dry-blend formulations that can be used in its tea bag, including Dead Sea salt, oatmeal, rose petals, lavender buds, and dried herbs. “Adding dried flowers or herbs makes the tea bag very visually appealing in the water,” says Spaulding. “You can even see a swirling pattern forming in the water as all of the beneficial ingredients permeate through the tea bag into the bath.”
Since the tea bag is opaque until it becomes translucent in the bath water, one challenge for marketers might be how to creatively use secondary packaging to convey to consumers what is inside the bag.