Patent ID: 8636173

Claim:
A custom powder dispensing method for use at a retail purchase site, comprising the steps of: a) providing a computer controlled automated powder dispensing apparatus including a plurality of containers storing different powder ingredients, wherein: 1) at least one powder ingredient is a powdered natural product; 2) at least one powder ingredient is a vitamin; and 3) at least one powder ingredient is a naturally occurring pigment; b) inputting a custom powder formulation selection into the apparatus; c) retrieving ingredients proportion information associated with the selection from a database of the computer of the apparatus; d) outputting the ingredients proportion information associated with the selection so that a controller will dispense the appropriate predetermined proportion of the ingredients onto a receptacle; e) rotating the powder dispensing apparatus so that one of a plurality of dispensing assemblies is aligned with the receptacle; f) dispensing powder ingredients into the receptacle from the one of the plurality of dispensing assemblies, in a preselected amount according to the ingredients proportion information from the outputting step, at the retail purchase site, wherein at least one of the dispensed ingredients is the vitamin; g) placing a receptacle onto a mounting stage that is translatable; h) mixing the dispensed powder ingredients; i) repeating at least steps (b)-(h) for a different selection at the retail purchase site; j) packaging the dispensed mixed powder ingredients; k) monitoring inventory of ingredients using the computer; l) notifying an operator of a reduction in the inventory via an internet system so that an operator is not needed to monitor inventory.