# Am I the only one who is afraid to share my soap with other soapers?



## gigisiguenza (Sep 29, 2015)

So I've got friends testing my soaps, to help me gauge the quality of what I've created... yet the idea of another soaper, especially an experienced soaper, checking out my soaps gives me the nervous twitchies LOL. Am I the only one who fears the critique of a fellow soaper?

G .... wondering if what I create is craptastic creativity or crafty genius


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Sep 29, 2015)

I admit, when I took part in a swap I was slightly worried if I found out that what I thought were good soaps turned out to be horrible when I compared it to those of others.


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## rparrny (Sep 29, 2015)

I give my soaps to friends and family and they say they love them...what do I _expect_ they are gonna say?  Am I really getting a true review?  I am looking forward to some feedback from experienced soapers on my soaps.  Can't wait until I can qualify for a swap....


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## Susie (Sep 29, 2015)

I buy enough soaps from other soapers to know how mine measures up.


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## LittleCrazyWolf (Sep 29, 2015)

You're not alone! I love my soap, my husband and son love my soap, and friends and family all rave about it. That is all really nice but would they really tell me if it wasn't good? Would they say "your soap is ok but I've had better" or "uh, no thanks!" 

I KNOW it's great soap BUT the thought of other soapers trying it gives me butterflies.


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## Obsidian (Sep 29, 2015)

I love having other soapers try my soap. Who else to judge how well you are doing then someone who has been doing for years? They can offer the best advice on improvement.
We can all learn and improve, and if you get a bad critique, instead of being upset or ashamed, use it as a learning experience.


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## dixiedragon (Sep 29, 2015)

Don't let yourself be intimidated! What is awesome about swaps is your soap will be tested by people who have different skin types and also by people who are using it with different types of water.


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## Sallyj (Sep 29, 2015)

I am really lucky (or unlucky) in that my family is brutally honest when I give them things to try. In fact I think my mother-in-law has sent back at least 4 hand creams with her notes on them! But I say you can please some of the people some of the time ect ect


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## IrishLass (Sep 29, 2015)

gigisiguenza said:


> .. yet the idea of another soaper, especially an experienced soaper, checking out my soaps gives me the nervous twitchies LOL. Am I the only one who fears the critique of a fellow soaper?


 
Yes and no......

On the one hand yes, because I am in awe of those who have been making soap longer than me, especially those that can actually make a living at it, or at least have a big enough loyal/repeat-customer base to break even/pay for their soaping addiction.

And on the other hand no, because soap, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder....or rather in the skin-type of the bather, and/or the hardness/softness of their bath water, and/or their lather preferences. lol 

I figure that if the skins of a soaper and their soap peeps are truly happy with the type of soap they are using, then that's all that matters, and the opinions of others are just that- opinions. As I always like to say, opinions are like noses- everybody has one and they each have a couple of holes in them. lol

If, on the other hand you are not completely happy with your soap and you feel there's room for improvement, or you suspect your peeps aren't being totally honest with you because they don't want to hurt your feelings, then that's a whole 'nuther story.

Thankfully, my most closest peeps are brutally honest with me (hubby, son, sister, brother, sil and best friend). I point blank told them to not hold back, and although tentative at first, they've grown to completely feel safe telling me 'like it is'. 

Take my 100% Castile soap for example. My son ran out of 'his' bar of soap in the shower one day and grabbed one of 'my' bars off the ledge of the shower door, which happened to be a 100% Castile. Boy did I get an honest earful! lol "What kind of crappy soap was that!?"  

IrishLass


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## SplendorSoaps (Sep 29, 2015)

You're definitely not alone! I've had soap makers buy soap from me and report back positively and am racking up more and more repeat customers, but I'd be nervous to swap with other soapmakers here. We all have our preferences, different skin types, different water, etc., and I'll be honest here, I've seen some threads where a few people on this forum (no names) have been a little bit nasty in the name of constructive criticism.


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## lenarenee (Sep 29, 2015)

I've been lucky that I've only really cared about how I like my soap since I first started making it because the store soap was making me itch like a mad monkey. But now that I've given out so much to so many people...and they're back to ask for more...that makes me a little more self conscious about how good my soap is. However, except for a little tweaking I want to do to make a lighter lather, the recipe is staying as it is because I like it. 

Have you ever tried a truly bad piece of homemade soap? The kind that leaves your skin worse because of inadequate curing, too little/much sf? After that experience - them using your soap again....just might permanently cure your fear of other's judgements.

To a fair extent, a good bar of soap is subjective. I met a professional soapmaking with a brick and mortar shop who sells her cp soap days after it's made. It's a very high co soap, with an even higher sf. They're pretty, wonderful custom blended fragrances...but it melts away like milk chocolate on a summer day, leaves a ton of residue, and the amount of sf in the plumbing makes me shudder.

Long story short...try out the soaps from other soapmakers - see what you like and don't like and don't worry about pleasing them.


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## brandnew (Sep 29, 2015)

First of may I thank Irish Lass for a good ol belly laugh! Don't you just love a son's means of expression!.....and rparrny, the photo of your soap is lovely!....and finally gigisiguenza....if your soap is as creative as your use of words (I love craptastic!) I bet your soaps are great! How can you go wrong with oils?!? My first ever bar was a lardy bar and it is still one of my favourites despite all the recipes I like to think I was the first to come up with ...


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## Dana89 (Sep 29, 2015)

The idea does intimidate me a little. I have sent soaps to freinds and family and asked them for honest feedback. With the  first batch I sent out I got " a little to strong"  "not strong enough" "too oily feeling"  "too drying". The results were as different as the people who used them.
After trying many,many different recipes I settled on about 3, one for regular to dry skin, one for oily skin and a vegan bar. I only make the one for oily skin for my son. The one for regular to dry skin is what my family and friends enjoy most. I have really have no reason to make my veggie batch much because I have not ran across anyone that was opposed to lard. My glorious moment came when my die hard ZUM BAR user aunt stopped buying those and started sending me EOs to make her a batch of my "soap with lard".
Scents is where I still find most difficult to please people.


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## navigator9 (Sep 29, 2015)

I remember early on in my soapmaking days, thinking my soap was pretty darn good, and feedback from my friends agreed. So I thought to myself, boy if I can make such good soap, what must soap be like from those big names in the handmade soap world....those who made a living selling soap, the ones who, if you mentioned their names, other handmade soapers would know who you were talking about. The big dogs. So I ordered soaps from them, waiting in anticipation of experiencing something absolutely amazing!!! And the soap arrived, and I unwrapped it and ran to the sink, and then the shower, and I thought, hmmmm.......really? Don't get me wrong, it was good soap. *Really* good soap. But it wasn't any better than mine. I did not hear the angels sing. So I gave it a lot of thought, and in the end I realized that what made them household names was marketing. They knew how to sell themselves, and do it really well.

So for all of you who are unsure how your soap would stack up against another soapmaker, know this.....if you use quality ingredients, and a balanced recipe, and you give your soap a good cure, I bet you anything that your soap would compare very well to other soapmakers out there. So take a deep breath, give it a try, and you may be pleasantly surprised. :grin:


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## TheDragonGirl (Sep 29, 2015)

gosh no I was a nervous wreck about the swap I'm in, even though I was excited at the same time (still am a little since not everyone has tried them yet) I think its a general anxiety thing for me though  I try not to let it hold me back from anything, if I get something wrong then next time I'll know to correct it!


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## Dorymae (Sep 29, 2015)

When I started soaping and friends and family were the testers I told them flat out that I didn't want to hear that they liked the soap. What I wanted to hear was every little thing that they didn't like, whether it was the feel of the soap on their skin, the lather, the color, fragrance, how long it lasted, etc.  Of course they still tried to tell me they loved it but I would badger them until they told me at least one thing I could improve. 

Now all my testers are people who want to try free stuff (lol), but they all know what I want to hear and it's not "I love the soap. "


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## Judiraz (Sep 30, 2015)

I just participated in my first swap. I have iron clad skin and soft water so everything works well at my house! It was good to get different opinions. Some people liked my soap and some didn't. I will be making some changes to a couple of recipes and hope to participate in another swap so I can get some more feedback.  It can only help you become a better soaper!


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## gigisiguenza (Oct 1, 2015)

Ugh the idea of swapping my soaps give me a case of the jitters LOL. I'd be biting my nails for days waiting for the feedback from everyone


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## Saponista (Oct 1, 2015)

Gigi, you have to get over the fear. The anxiety over whether your soap is good enough is vastly outweighed by the joy of receiving loads of different new soaps to try. And people are never mean about swap soap, all you will get is honest constructive criticism, which can only help you make better soap.


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## kumudini (Oct 1, 2015)

I was just excited about the swap I participated in, which is the same one that Judi, DG, DD and others were in. first thing, I would get goodies but most importantly I wanted that knowledgeable feedback from other soapers which is kind of hard to get from friends and family (hubby only wants his mint and anise star soap and is very much ok with my eucalyptus and litsea salt bar so no more useful feedback from him, I am happy he is only using my soaps though). The comments I would get could only help me improve my recipes and make the best soap possible. 
I have to say though, the swap soap scent being my very first FO blend I probably had some beginners luck as most everyone seemed to like it. about the recipe itself, I will wait for some more feedback before thinking about tweaking it. Now testing other FOs to hopefully find few winners.


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## Relle (Oct 2, 2015)

I've never been scared of swapping with other soapers or any other craft swaps I have done. For the most part it's positive feedback and you get great goodies in the mail that you don't have to pay for.


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## TwystedPryncess (Oct 2, 2015)

I say jump in and go for it! I have always been curious about a swap. I have a rack of soaps left and feel like I am running dangerously low for that though (holiday season is approaching. My fella told me the other night that 'I had better get my butt to soaping'. Haha. He does that sometimes.) Honestly no one around here soaps but me that I know of so I really don't have anyone to buy soaps from to do a self critique. I'd really love to hear what someone has to say. My family all loves mine, too, and they keep my racks empty, but they are cut off until Christmas!


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## gigisiguenza (Oct 2, 2015)

Ok I hear all of you and I'll have to bite the bullet because no one here soaps but me, and it's very difficult to get decent feedback from people who are just impressed by the fact that it's hand made soap. I think my anxiety is based in worrying that experienced soapers will try it and say it's horrible soap, which is ridiculous, but a real worry. I'll just have to send them out and see I guess because that's the best feedback I'm going to get.


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## Susie (Oct 2, 2015)

Gigi-truly you are going to be your own worst critic.  When you get the soaps from others, you will then realize it.  We have seen your recipes, hon, and they are fine.


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## Misschief (Oct 2, 2015)

I'm another one on the side of letting as many people try your soap as you can find. I do always stipulate, though, that I want an honest opinion. I don't just want to hear "It was really nice; I like it" and then find out it's still sitting in it's wrapper on top of your microwave (as in my daughter's case). That's flat out lying and doesn't help me at all. 

I don't have any soapers to share my soaps with (apart from my mother, who stopped making soap many years ago). I'm sending her some soap this weekend and I'm sure I'll have her opinion soon. Around here, though, no one in my circle makes soap, sadly. I wish I could get input from another soaper nearby.


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## gigisiguenza (Oct 2, 2015)

I feel like this too Misschief. I wish I had soapy friends closer. But I will bite the bullet and send some soaps out to folks and get feedback. I really want to know if they are decent, from people who know what decent is. Friends have been trying the little tester squares I've given them, and their feedback is positive, but theirs is not peer feedback, based on skilled knowledge of the process and quality goals soapers strive for.


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## Misschief (Oct 8, 2015)

This past weekend, I sent some soap back to my home town with my daughter. She took some for my son and second daughter, as well as my mother and sister. Yesterday, I received a FB comment from my sister, telling me my soap was "amaze balls". She loves it!! 

(This particular sister is very hard to impress so that was quite the compliment.) As you say though, Gigi, she's not a soaper. As much as I appreciate her enthusiasm, she's not a peer when it comes to the quality.


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## gigisiguenza (Oct 9, 2015)

Misschief said:


> This past weekend, I sent some soap back to my home town with my daughter. She took some for my son and second daughter, as well as my mother and sister. Yesterday, I received a FB comment from my sister, telling me my soap was "amaze balls". She loves it!!
> 
> (This particular sister is very hard to impress so that was quite the compliment.) As you say though, Gigi, she's not a soaper. As much as I appreciate her enthusiasm, she's not a peer when it comes to the quality.



I agree, it's not the same. I'm waiting to get a few more batches under my belt and some soaps I really think are all around solid (good soap + beautiful). Then I'll offer to share with some soapers


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