# Everywhere or hands only ?



## SoapMakingTommy (Feb 9, 2014)

Hey everyone ive had something on my mind and wanted to bring it up here in general chat.
Ive given some soap bars before and have got two takes on it.
One take is that the person would only use the soap to wash there hands.
The second take would be they use the soap in the shower on the whole body.
I am curious about this, and wanted to know if what type of person are you? And if you market your soap do you say or do anything special to try and emphasize on the bath and body idea of using the soap.
I personally make my soap to use as a whole body shower soap, but i would also use it any other way as just a hand soap also. For those who are unsure in the marketing world, would it be a good idea to label your soap as a bath soap instead of a regular soap, or do you think this wouldnt make much difference?
:wink:


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## AnnaMarie (Feb 9, 2014)

Hmmmm, good question.  I'll look forward to seeing answers on this one.  For myself, if I'm paying good money for soap then it better be for my whole body.  That being said I have made a couple of hands soaps myself, but it doesn't seem to stop people from using it all over their body.  I hope you get some great feedback 
Cheers!
Anna Marie


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## clhigh29 (Feb 9, 2014)

Honestly, I would want any soap to work for the whole body.  On the other hand, there are soaps that I prefer as hand soaps than body soaps, but that's a personal preference.  I've dabble with hp and made a peppermint soap with tea leaves.  My husband likes it in the shower, but we both agree its perfect for hands, so that's at our sink. 

I'm too much a newbie to consider selling, and don't know much about marketing, but think you might only wind up confusing your end user if you start identifying your soap by body parts.  After all, homemade is about simplicity.  Just my opinion.  Interested to read more.


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## true blue (Feb 9, 2014)

clhigh29 said:


> Honestly, I would want any soap to work for the whole body.



I agree - absolutely. We've used my soap as handsoap in the bathroom but honestly ... it makes such a big mess I just went back to liquid. Maybe when it's just DH and myself using the bathroom sink we'll go back to the bars.


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## PinkCupcake (Feb 9, 2014)

I use all my soaps interchangeably as bath or hand soaps. Not on my face, though.


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## dixiedragon (Feb 9, 2014)

The only soap I would consider not an "all over" soap would be something with pumice or some other heavy-duty exfoliant.


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## Susie (Feb 9, 2014)

I use my bar soaps for showering.  Everywhere.  Even my face.  

I use liquid soap for hand soap as I am a nurse and was raised by a nurse, and bar soap for hand soap squicks me out.  *NOTE*  I did not say that anyone will catch germs from it!  It makes a mess, and I have issues with rubbing someone else's dirt and skin cells on my own hands.


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## Ruthie (Feb 10, 2014)

Whole body here.  But I do have a "regular" customer who swears by my "grubby hands soap" for her whole body, saying the exfoliate (coffee grounds) is good for all her skin. Her hubby says it hurts, so I have been trying to also sell her a more gentle exfoliate.


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## pamielynn (Feb 10, 2014)

My soaps are formulated to be used anywhere too, except for the super scrubby soap I make specifically for hands. However, since customers are always looking for a "facial" soap, I have several that I market as facial soap. But they'd work anywhere on the bod.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 10, 2014)

My soaps too are formulated to use anywhere except my mechanics and kitchen/garden soap.  Even on my face.  Though I use mostly salt bars personally.


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## new12soap (Feb 10, 2014)

Different perspective here, while I use my soaps and most purchased soaps as all-over soap, when other soapmaking friends have sent me something to try, or I have participated in swaps, I _always_ start with hands only. If there is something in there my very sensitive skin doesn't like I want to know that in a small area before it's bothering me everywhere.

Many people that have used commercial soaps their whole lives are very leary of homemade soap ("Oh my god, did you make this with _LYE_???") and may just use it as hand soap. When I first started making soap people asked me what is was for, you mean like laundry or something? Nope, I generally use soap in the shower folks!


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## lsg (Feb 10, 2014)

dixiedragon said:


> The only soap I would consider not an "all over" soap would be something with pumice or some other heavy-duty exfoliant.


 The same here, except I don't use salt bars on my face.  Every once in awhile I will make a really mild soap for the face, but I generally stick with a formula that can be used everywhere on the body.


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## Susie (Feb 10, 2014)

This is just my opinion, but homemade soap is so much more hydrating than even the store bought facial soaps that there is no reason to not use it on faces.


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## clhigh29 (Feb 10, 2014)

I did make an acne hp soap for my daughter with rose clay and tea tree, but it also makes a luxurious body soap, so it's kept in the shower.  

 As for liquid hand soap, we've always used some form of antibacterial soap until I started making my own.  We've discovered just how damaging that soap has been all these years.  I've started to keep my soap at the sink, and this is the first winter my husband and I haven't suffered from painful cracked fingertips. My son finally made the switch, and he's seen significant improvement to his painful, chaffed hands.  There's no going back ...I'll put up with the mess.


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## kryse13 (Feb 10, 2014)

new12soap said:


> Different perspective here, while I use my soaps and most purchased soaps as all-over soap, when other soapmaking friends have sent me something to try, or I have participated in swaps, I _always_ start with hands only. If there is something in there my very sensitive skin doesn't like I want to know that in a small area before it's bothering me everywhere.
> 
> Many people that have used commercial soaps their whole lives are very leary of homemade soap ("Oh my god, did you make this with _LYE_???") and may just use it as hand soap. When I first started making soap people asked me what is was for, you mean like laundry or something? Nope, I generally use soap in the shower folks!


 
 my family asks me all the time when I am over "is this one for laundry, can I use this on my body, is this just a hand soap" the thing is I sent instructions on each one with them when I gifted it! BAH! "Grandma, WHITE is for laundry, put it downstairs with your laundry.  The rest are for hands, body, whatever, so put them in your bathroom.  NO do not store them in a plastic bag upstairs to keep them forever, I can make you more!"

 My dad on the other hand, "whats the green one for, whats the tan one for, why are they by the sink..."


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## AshPea (Feb 10, 2014)

I use my first couple batches as hand soap (basic recipe) and now that I know what different oils do I use the moisturizing soap in the shower only. As someone else said, this is the first winter my knuckles haven't cracked and bled from dryness. Also my back and chest are clearer (acne wise), softer and better looking than they ever have been.


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## Obsidian (Feb 10, 2014)

I've never had anyone ask where to use soap except for salt bars and I tell them they are for all over. All my soaps are gentle enough for the face, I have no plans on a facial soap unless I get a request.
I do have facial bars for myself though as I have excessively sensitive skin.


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## mel z (Feb 11, 2014)

Personally, I only make soap for all over the body. I don't make soaps, or any sort of combo that is only for hands. My skin can't take scrubby, I don't sell soap, so I make what I like.

If someone is selling soap, I can see the advantages of having some with ingredients just for say "mechanics soap" or "gardening soap".  That gives yet another variety and a possible extra soap sell. 

As far as store marketing liquid soap as hand soap, I've never figured that out. It is still just liquid soap, only in the small pump bottle instead of a large pump bottle. I do remember, and it may still be made, a few bar soaps just for hands. I think Lava was the name of one, it was scrubby and harsh, but, it was meant to be.


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## FlybyStardancer (Feb 11, 2014)

mel z said:


> As far as store marketing liquid soap as hand soap, I've never figured that out. It is still just liquid soap, only in the small pump bottle instead of a large pump bottle. I do remember, and it may still be made, a few bar soaps just for hands. I think Lava was the name of one, it was scrubby and harsh, but, it was meant to be.



Well, I definitely notice a difference in my hands between liquid dish soap and liquid hand soap from the store! While neither is great and I'm working on replacing them, the dish soapis a lot more drying to my hands.

I still see Lava bars in the store. My dad preferred them for getting the gunk and grime from working on his rig off of his hands. There's still a couple bars in the house, even though he moved out a few years ago. Heh. Too harsh for daily use, but good if you have stubborn stuff you need to get off.


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## mel z (Feb 11, 2014)

FlybyStardancer said:


> Well, I definitely notice a difference in my hands between liquid dish soap and liquid hand soap from the store! While neither is great and I'm working on replacing them, the dish soapis a lot more drying to my hands.
> 
> I still see Lava bars in the store. My dad preferred them for getting the gunk and grime from working on his rig off of his hands. There's still a couple bars in the house, even though he moved out a few years ago. Heh. Too harsh for daily use, but good if you have stubborn stuff you need to get off.



I see what you are saying. Yeah, I wouldn't use dish liquid as bath liquid soap. I was talking about bath liquid soap to hand soap, sorry for the confusion. Even in bath and hand liquids, there probably is a difference, I just don't know what it is. I don't use them since I make my own soap. 

I thought Lava might still be made. It is great for mechanics hands and all that oil in the skin, good for coal miner's hands too. Not for all over use by any means!


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## Jencat (Feb 13, 2014)

So far we've made soaps for the whole body.  I haven't tried either of them on my face, but I really should.  I've been using liquid soap on my face for a long time because it's easier.  I don't like bar soap for hand soap for the most part, so we're still using store-bought liquid soap (but not anti-bacterial).  For some reason communal bars of soap at the sink creep me out.


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