When I began making my own handmade aromatherapy products, I discovered a whole new world of handmade gifts and products made by a variety of different artists and talented people. Often, many of these people don’t receive the recognition that they deserve because the general public doesn’t always appreciate the hard work and dedication that goes into producing a single handmade product. More often than not, and especially in today’s economy, the first thing that people look at is the price – and compare it to a similar product mass produced by a large retail store. However, its impossible to compare the talent, beauty and experience that goes into a handcrafted product to one that is mass produced.
Although this post covers specifically handmade aromatherapy products, the same logic can be applied to any handmade or custom product. Here are some of the reasons why it is smart to buy handmade:
Custom Made Aromatherapy Products and Gifts
The key word here is custom. A custom made product is a product which has been made specifically for you, the customer, in mind. The artist/designer/product maker has taken the ideas which you have given them and used their experience, training, skill and talent to turn it into something which you desire.
With regard to aromatherapy products, a certified aromatherapist will have both the training and experience to successfully blend together specific essential oils to create the scent or use which you desire. A certified aromatherapist will also be able to suggest alternatives to your original ideas and guide you on the use of true essential oils as oppose to the use of fragrance oils. Both knowledge and experience contribute towards creating a successful aromatherapy blend just for you.
The Economic Cost of Making Handmade Products
When costing out a specific request for a customer, a certified aromatherapist has to take into account the cost of the initial supplies before calculating any profit on the product. Included in the calculation of the end price to the customer is also the time put into making the product, plus any overheads. All of these factors have to be taken into account before marking up the product for sale. And remember, it is not a mass produced product, so costs will be higher, and ingredients will be of a higher quality, than that mass produced candle you saw in the pharmacy store, for example. Think about these factors before questioning the cost of the product. Although most handmade sellers are open to negotiation on price, they usually undervalue their work (and their time) to begin with.
Handmade sellers may also offer products wholesale. Wholesale is a term usually applied to a discount for ordering a custom made product in larger quantities. The handmade seller can usually discount a product for wholesale when certain requirements are met. However, costing out products for wholesale is a time consuming task, so be specific in your requirements, ask any questions immediately – and don’t expect the same discount if you drastically reduce the number of items you initially asked for in a quote. The handmade seller also receives discounts for buying supplies in larger quantities and cannot pass on these same savings to you if you reduce your initial request, resulting in a smaller order of supplies.
Some small businesses impose a small order fee. This is simply because of the cost involved in making a product in small quantities.
Free Samples of Aromatherapy Products
Because of the business I am in, I usually offer a few free samples to wholesale customers or brides, who are buying in larger quantities. After all, its difficult to select a scent without a sample! Samples, however, still cost time and money to make, a point worth remembering if you have no intention of ever purchasing a final product; the cost of this action impacts onto other customers eventually.
Handmade or Mass Produced?
There are many factors to take into account when deciding to shop handmade or custom made. In this post, I have tried to identify the main points that you might not be aware of when discussing the price of a handmade product. Think about the passion, talent and expertise that goes into a custom made product! And finally, it is not unfitting to compare a custom made aromatherapy product, a scent, skincare product or therapeutic blend, to the custom perfumes and scents that were made for royal Queens such as Marie Antoinette; Marie Antoinette had her own personal perfumer for such requests, so it really isn’t that much for a custom, hand made product when you think of it in those terms, is it? 🙂
Custom Aromatherapy Scents and Blends
If you would like your own custom made aromatherapy blend, scent or product, visit the custom aromatherapy blends page for further information or contact me with your request. If you would like to learn how to make your own aromatherapy products, consider one of the Sedona Aromatherapie courses. Enjoy!
