Some Scentsy Reps are taking creative liberties with safety claims- Scentsy says some "go too f
UPDATES TO ARTICLE BELOW A few days ago, MommyGyver published an article about a post made by Mia Lockette, a Scentsy rep showing a baby covered in what was reported to be Scentsy wax. The mother of the child took a picture of the wax-coated infant, and somehow the sales rep, Mia got access to the image. Being of industrious mind, this rep took the image and published it on her Facebook "business" page for Scentsy-related sales. She then praised the products for their safety as "the baby didn't even cry". (Although her skin was visibly red/pink, and the image shows the baby putting her wax-covered hand into her mouth) The rep was faced with much negative feedback over the image and post.
Upon further investigation, we learned that the wax incident wasn't recent. The original post was shared last year by the rep- and per her own recent (March 16) Facebook posts, the image did not receive much attention the first time she published it. Whatever prompted her to repost it, we don't really know. Here is a screenshot of her addressing the baby covered in wax post. I took this screenshot today.
After the article about Mia's post was published, I decided to take a deeper look to see how common it was to practically cry miracle over babies getting drenched in wax. I used the simple search "baby scentsy wax" on Facebook, and the first post that I found was that of Courtney Mahon, another Scentsy rep. The images below were taken from her business page.
Ms. Mahon reached out to MommyGyver, upset that her public post was shared from her own Scentsy "business" page. She also claimed the same post was shared by multiple other reps. She then invoked her own version of the "everyone else is doing it, so why can't I?" argument we hear from our pre-teens...
So, to be fair to this clearly triggered woman, we looked a little deeper on social media, and did in fact find more posts that were similar.... but not identical to Courtney's. These posts stated that many baby fingers have made their way into Scentsy warmers with no burns to be had. In Courtney's version, she took it a step further to affirm one of her customers mistook a wax bar for a bar of chocolate (?!?) and if eaten, the worst thing that could happen are "fabulous burps". She then added in a photo of her own very young son sticking his fingers in a wax warmer (reported to be Scentsy branded) that was conveniently plugged into the wall within his reach. Because her child was able to do this (with mom brandishing a camera to catch the evidence) she proclaimed it to be totally safe. Courtney's outrage over feeling targeted by MommyGyver sharing her post led her to comment on the page, to then create a Reddit account crying that she was "bullied" by MommyGyver and our readers, failing to hear the pleas to invoke common sense that came along with the "targeting" posts. Readers and MommyGyver both argued that definitively proclaiming that a product- ANY product is totally and unquestionably safe is not only (for lack of better words) stupid, but negligent. Then, she added in a photo of her own child arguably in harm's way as fodder to support her proclamation of safety to apparently solicit more sales. Gross. This site has been no stranger to pointing out the flaws within Direct Selling and MLM, and we've been fair with our position that sometimes, the company is NOT to blame for the stupidity of some participants. This is one of those cases. We certainly didn't want Courtney to feel targeted personally- as much as we wanted to show the rampant spread of misinformation within Direct Sales organizations and stress the importance of not taking creative liberty with sales pitches. We know that some MLMs and DS companies have made fantastical claims in the past, but this is not one of those companies. We also bear in mind that companies like Scentsy have entire departments dedicated to addressing legalities and safety. We can rest assured that usually before safety claims get published by the company, the legal team has had the opportunity to pick it apart first. With that being said, we were unable to find any document on Scentsy's pages that make claims that Scentsy wax bars are safe for consumption by anyone or that there is NO burn risk associated with the use of their warmers or waxes. To the contrary- Scentsy outlines their products only as a "safer" alternative to open-flame candles. But the warmers are still an electrical appliance, and that appliance generates heat. Anything heated could cause burns, and anything electric can cause shock or fire. Allowing a child access to the warmers simply because you believe the wax will not burn you- and then encouraging others to do the same is appalling. Common sense, where have you gone off to now? "But MommyGyyyyyyverrrrrr- my upline posted it, so it MUST BE legit." (facepalm) In researching paraffin wax (the base wax used in Scentsy wax melts) I was able to find out that the lowest melting point (where the wax BEGINS to melt) is approximately 99 degrees fahrenheit. According to multiple Scentsy reps' posts, the warmers heat to approximately 125 degrees fahrenheit. I searched further, this time on the lowest temperature that can cause first degree burns. Burncentrecare.co.uk states that a long exposure to material that is 109.4 degrees fahrenheit can cause first degree burns, and Wikipedia states that the lowest temperature that can cause a burn in a finite amount of time is 111 degrees fahrenheit. Theburnfoundation.org states: Hot Water Causes Third Degree Burns:
in 1 second at 156º
in 2 seconds at 149º
in 5 seconds at 140º
in 15 seconds at 133º. And- "Most water heaters are set to heat water well above 140º. But a tap water temperature of 120º to 125º should be hot enough for washing clothes and dishes. And few people bathe at temperatures above 110º." With this information, assuming for the sake of argument that all Scentsy warmers always maintain 125 degrees fahrenheit (which is also an impossible and dangerous claim to make- as fluctuations in temperatures and product defects can and do happen) it is entirely possible for a child, or a person with sensitive skin to sustain some type of burn from a Scentsy (or any other brand) wax warmer. For this reason, it's safe to assume that's why Scentsy won't make the claims of safety themselves. Furthermore, Scentsy uses fragrance in their wax melts. The levels might not be considered toxic, but neither paraffin nor fragrance are a good snacking option. It's well known that fragrance is anything but healthy. Unless you like to ingest your perfume, I'm not sure why anyone would even suggest eating a fragranced hunk of wax- let alone tell you it will make your burps "fabulous". Now, no one is knocking Scentsy or their quality here. Accidents happen, and defects happen with all types of products. In the spirit of protecting your children (and potentially your customers' children) wouldn't it be advisable to err on the side of caution and not proclaim these products to be totally free of burn risks? And also not joke about eating them? One would think so. To continue with my research, I reached out to Scentsy's public relations department with questions as well as screenshots of the questionable posts.
Mark Stastny, the Chief Marketing Officer for the brand was kind enough to respond to my request himself. I expressed my concern about the dangerous trend in Direct Sales and MLM for consultants to take "creative liberties" with the representations in their sales posts. His response is as follows- "Operating within the direct selling industry as we do, there are times when Consultants (who as you know are independent business owners) take “creative liberty” as you put it, with the information they provide in their efforts to share their excitement about the product or the opportunity. Unfortunately, this does happen across the direct selling industry and does contribute to negative perceptions about the selling model. We are not immune to this happening at Scentsy." He goes on to say- "In the case that you provided, this Consultant is actually taking what is a very positive aspect of Scentsy products generally (safety) and going too far with it. We obviously would never recommend that a customer (adult or child) eats or ingests our wax Scentsy bars. We obviously would never recommend that a warmer with melted wax be used in a situation where a young child would pour or spill the wax over himself/herself. We also agree with you that direct selling companies DO have the responsibility to take corrective actions with their independent distributors when they have crossed the line with the claims they are making." And- "For example, the photo you currently have posted on your blog of the baby with wax on its face is absolutely inappropriate and should not be used by Scentsy Consultants to promote the safety of our wax. When it was originally posted last year, we immediately reached out to the Consultant when we became aware of it and asked her to remove the image (which she did). Unfortunately, as you well know, once images are posted in the realm of Social Media, it is almost impossible to eliminate them entirely as they get shared and copied, however, when they do pop up and we become aware of them, we reach out to those Consultants as well." But, Mark was unaware that the original post we wrote about with rep Mia Lockette was REPOSTED this year by Mia- after she was allegedly asked to remove it by Scentsy compliance. We provided him the screenshot in one of the above images, taken today, dated March 16th 2019, of Mia addressing the repost. We also included the following repost of Mia's original post, which was also shared recently by another rep. Scentsy was unaware of any of these. We also shared with Scentsy yet another rep/mother we found today that thought it was a good idea to take photos of her own wax-covered infant in effort to share the miracle of the product.
Clearly it would be impossible for Scentsy (or any Direct Sales company) to police all posts made by all reps at all times. But they just might be as guilty as the rest of us are of assuming all of their participants employ common sense and tact when advertising their products. It is the opinion of this blog that the defensiveness expressed by Courtney and other reps that are provided concerned consumer feedback speaks to an even bigger underlying issue- "We're independent, so we can say and do what we want." This opens the door to that rep getting dragged into court for something as stupid as what she thought was a simple repost. While we're thanking God for the "safer" options, (One of these reps actually hashtagged #ThankGoditwasScentsy) can we also ask him to forbid someone gets really seriously injured at the hands of misinformation spread by a clearly know-it-all independent "business owner"? Scentsy is gathering some more information for me to publish per my request. I have asked for them to provide me some documents that the company has published with reference to temperatures and safety/safe handling of their products. I must say, their willingness to participate and provide information to me does not go unnoticed. I can assume if they're willing to speak kindly with the big, bad, MLM-slaying MommyGyver, maybe they're willing to smack a little sense into their overzealous, albeit idiotic reps that see no harm in repeatedly sharing blatant misinformation. I'll update with any more information as it is provided. UPDATE: Mark from Scentsy came back to clarify some information about the wax and products. He stated- 125 degrees is THE MELTING POINT OF SCENTSY'S WAX (We learned earlier that melting point is the LOWEST temperature that the wax needs to be warmed to in order to start to melt) I asked about the temperature of Scentsy warmers. He provided a very detailed explanation:
As to the ‘temperature of our warmers:
Our warmer temperatures vary considerably due to the variety of materials we use (different types of ceramic – dolomite, porcelain, stoneware – glass etc…); Here’s why…
What a lot of people don’t realize is that the temperature required to cause a ‘burn’ on human skin varies pretty dramatically based on the material the person is touching. This is because different materials have VERY different heat transfer rates because they have very different levels of thermal conductivity (the material’s ability to efficiently transfer or ‘conduct’ heat). This is why 120-degree water will scald skin, yet wax would need to be much hotter to have the same effect. Or why the metal gear shift in your car on a hot summer day will be too hot to touch yet the same gear shift wrapped in leather (with the exact same surface temperature) will be tolerable to touch/grasp. Or why you can be in a 120-degree sauna, but not a 120-degree hot tub.
So, TWO primary factors come into play when determining a ‘safe’ operating temperature for products – the surface temperature AND the materials thermal conductivity.
For each material we use, our engineers strive to keep the warmer temperatures warm enough to melt our wax bar material within a specified timeframe… but not much warmer. In fact, the fragrance experience from our product will last longer if the wax temperature is kept as low as possible while still melting, because warmer temperatures cause the fragrance to ‘flash’ off faster than cooler temperatures.
In order to dial in the optimum operating temperature, our designers and engineers use bulb wattage, glaze color and vent holes to control the temperature.
We also work closely with nationally recognized testing laboratories (such as Intertek and MET) to ensure that each product conforms to safe operating temperatures within a household environment when used properly.
With that information provided by Mark, the answer to the question- "What temperature are Scentsy warmers?" can not be answered with a single temperature. The short answer is- they vary. I had some follow up questions for Mark, and as I wait, I tried to find more information about wax burns specifically as Mark made a good point about the actual substance involved changing the ability to cause a burn. Online information outlets suggest when using paraffin for dipping hands, it is ready and should ONLY be used when it is 125 degrees. Of course, you should test a small spot of skin before plunging your limb into it. Since people use paraffin on skin, I thought that's where I'd start looking for more information about what temperature can cause WAX burns specifically. All I could really find easily is that they all recommend "to avoid burns, wax should be kept below 125 degrees fahrenheit". Based on that, we can deduce that temperatures of wax over 125 degrees can indeed cause burns. With Scentsy telling us that the wax melts at 125 and warmer temps vary based on materials used to make them, in order for the wax to melt, they MUST be 125 or higher. They are designed to be as low temp as possible- but he could not tell me they are all at 125. This says that some could indeed be higher than 125 degrees. Once again, to err on the side of caution isn't a bad idea. Scentsy isn't wrong to create a wax warmer with different designs and materials, so what's the harm of approaching it cautiously for safety's sake? Certainly no one wishes anyone's baby to be burned in an unfortunate accident, just keep your kids out of hot wax- it CAN BURN. So help me, if I have to heat up a vat of paraffin wax and burn myself to prove it, I will- if if it means keeping baby fingers and bodies OUT of it for the sake of a sale. If Scentsy can be gracious and provide the information to our readers, reps should be equally as gracious and ACCEPT IT. I also looked up "food grade paraffin" and it is commonly used in canning as well as to make fruits and veggies look shiny. It's considered to be edible- HOWEVER, paraffin melts are not made for ingestion. Why anyone would want to eat a brick of fragranced (or unfragranced for that matter) wax boggles the mind. But Scentsy openly reports using fragrance- some synthetic, and those are not good for eating- chocolate covered or not. FINAL UPDATE 3/26/19 --My questions are BOLD, the responses from Mark are plan type.--
But the melting temperature of your wax is 125, and we can safely say that the ideal temp for a warmer is around that. Would that be correct?
Not necessarily. Your assumption is correct when we are using a material that has a higher thermal conductivity (more efficient heat transfer). However, when we are using a material that has a lower thermal conductivity, a higher surface temperature is required to melt the wax. However, the same properties of that material that require us to increase the temperature to effectively melt the wax also make that material at the higher temperature ‘safer’ when contacted by human skin. Surely it's also safe to say that due to fluctuations, wax... Even scentsy wax can potentially cause a burn? I'm willing to say that's definitely not an expectation, but caution should be exercised because there is a possibility. You are correct. While this is not an expectation and we manufacture our products to stay on the safe side of the equation, it is in the realm of possibility. Different people’s skin, and even skin from different parts of the body (a calloused hand or bottom of the foot vs. the backside of your hand; A newborn baby’s skin vs. the skin of a middle-aged farmer) have different sensitivities to a burn. This is why the safety instruction label on all of our warmers clearly states, “To reduce the risk of injury, close supervision is necessary when this appliance is used near children.” And “Use caution when handling – the appliance may become very hot. Always allow appliance to cool before touching or moving.” And “Hot wax may cause serious injury. Do not add water to hot wax.” And “Do not place in a position where the warmer may be easily bumped or knocked over, causing the melted wax to spill.” And “This appliance is not a toy and should be kept out of the reach of children and pets, as serious injury could result.” And lastly, “This appliance is not to be used by anyone (including children) with altered or reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities, or those lacking in instruction or experience, unless supervised or trained on the proper use of the appliance by a responsible adult. Children must be supervised to avoid use of the appliance as a toy.” I look forward to whatever else you can send. Hopefully your company sees we're not at odds on this one.
We are not. And despite our differences of opinion regarding the Direct Selling model, the dialog has been helpful and instructive in allowing us to look for areas where we can improve our efforts with our Consultants in aligning their marketing efforts with the safe and intended use of the products. While we do have specific guardrails and guidelines for making product claims, as I reviewed them yesterday with the team, we realized that they could be much stronger and more specific in the area of product safety claims, and ensuring that any claims Consultants are making in their marketing need to align with and support the information we provide on the product safety instructions. We’ve got work to do on this front (and it will be a priority), but I appreciate the dialog and for your reaching out to us for our perspective. ---------- It's nice to think a little bit of feedback could possibly encourage a company to review training materials and communications with reps for clarity's sake. Especially for the reps that have even a single person in their downline, the responsibility and commitment to sharing CORRECT information is unarguable. If a single customer is provided the wrong information, that opens the door to a world of potential harm- for the customer, the rep, and the company. For those that find the DS sales model attractive, you must embrace the importance of correct information being shared. I'll also stress in situations like, for example, Younique and their 3D fiber lashes- the company represented the product to be "naturally derived" and "tea leaf based"- which an independent scientific evaluation deemed to be false. The reps that reported only this information should be ok because they acted in good faith- in this case, the company would have been responsible for making those false claims. Legalities and liability is a complex arena. I encourage anyone with additional questions on the subject of potential liability for their claims to speak with a reputable attorney for further clarification. I have, myself, reached out to several, and the consensus has been the same- Paraphrasing advice given to me: As an independent contractor, as a general rule, you subject yourself to liability by making claims and representations about products. A good rule to follow is the only information that should be shared by a rep is information provided for publication by the company directly. Not an upline, not a colleague. Companies don't want to be sued, so there's usually an extra layer of consideration made before a company releases product claims and statements. It doesn't necessarily indemnify the participant, but the defense "I didn't make this up, it was provided to me by the company and I believed it to be true." is a stronger one. A final thought here- Now that we know Scentsy takes product safety very seriously, hopefully the reader understands better why this website chooses not to hide the identities of reps that blatantly provide dangerous information. We don't siphon through posts and choose a person to pick on each day. We publish the ones we find- all of them. Because we know companies keep an eye on our blog in fear of becoming subject matter here, we appreciate that sharing offenders can also provide the companies with the opportunity to take action before we ask them to. No one can not possibly police all posts- but together, we can expect- even demand a higher standard from everyone in this sales channel by sharing the false information and expecting it to be addressed. If a rep's commitment to sharing correct information is only because of a fear of being "called out" on MommyGyver- then, at least she's still sharing only the correct information. If you support the investigative work done here, please consider supporting this page to keep it a free source of information without ads. You can donate HERE or support us on Patreon HERE