how to prevent body butters from melting in the summer (you don’t!)
The hard truth about selling body butter in the summer.
I recently posted a video about why big brands don’t sell body butters in the summertime.
I was reposted by a skincare creator who had an influx of complaints about shipping body butters. Customers were saying the product melted and there was less product in the jar than advertised.
Despite disclaimers on the website, complaints were still rolling in.
Here’s my personal opinion and thought process. Some of you may not agree and that’s okay. But for those focused on ease, systems, sustainability, and scalability, this is for you.
Let me give y’all this analogy:
Body butters are like trying to ship ice cream in the summer.
It just does not make sense no matter how you try to explain it.
It does not matter that people don’t read disclaimers. We all know people don’t take the time to read the fine print.
But it also doesn’t matter if your loyal OG customers understand.
You cannot educate your audience out of a bad impression.
If I see something online in its final form and then go to your website and see a disclaimer, that’s friction.
If I miss the disclaimer and receive the product not in its intended form, that’s friction.
And if I request a refund, get denied because of disclaimers, and file a chargeback, guess who the processors will side with?
Customers.
Your business structure cannot rely on “educated disclaimers.” No one cares, respectfully.
Explanation = friction = lost money.
The problem isn’t the customer and the issue isn’t the product. The issue is the customer experience.
You cannot structure your business around “my loyal customers understand” and dismiss new customers because “they’re new here.”
Your business will plateau and hit a ceiling.
New customers coming in with complaints is a clear sign your current model is not sustainable or scalable.
Of course your loyal supporters are going to agree. They are emotionally attached to you and your brand.
But let me make this clear:
Sometimes your customers can validate a flawed system.
Your loyal customers and the market are two completely different things and the market will always win.
The market is everyday consumers. They are unbiased. If they say something is flawed, that should be an eye opener.
Your job as a beauty founder is to ask yourself:
Does this business run smoothly without constant explanation, defense, and damage control?
If not, there is a problem.
Here’s what I did when I ran Oh Buttah and what I would recommend as a brand strategist:
I do not recommend reformulating.
I do not recommend the ice pack or dry ice method. Most brands are not priced to sustain that.
Body butters are seasonal.
Again, it’s like shipping ice cream in the summer.
Yes, body butters melt depending on formulation, but does that mean you should ship them in the summer? No.
So what do you do?
You make them seasonal and exclusive. Create demand and anticipation.
Then create a body cream version.
I did this with Oh Buttah and it became my second best seller.
I’ve also seen an influx of brands introducing body creams. It’s the new wave. It’s more sustainable and scalable. Here’s my recipe and course if you need help getting started.
Lastly, take advantage of pushing another alternative like body oils. Make that your hero product for the summer.
The goal isn’t to force body butters to work in the summer.
The goal is to find what actually works.
