# Soap varieties



## Rusti (Aug 13, 2017)

So, those of y'all that sell, how many different soap recipes do you use, do you price them all the same if you do use a variety or do you try to clearly market each bar as different so customers aren't confused as to why the bars are priced different and don't just go for the cheapest one all the time?

I'm just really curious as to how other soapers who sell handle that kind of thing. I'm still working on getting my ducks in a row, but I think I may start selling soon.


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## cmzaha (Aug 13, 2017)

I cut all my soaps the same, except facial bars, and sell all for the same price. I do weigh each soap and Mark weight on the label. I am not one to make just one of two recipes since variances happen depending on what oils I have on hand, or if I am making coconut free, neem, vegan, non vegan, Palm free etc. I do like to cover all areas.


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## Viore (Aug 17, 2017)

I have one basic recipe that may get tweaked from batch to batch (a little extra avocado oil here, a bit more lard there) and I sell it for the same price as my melt & pour soaps. We started off with two different prices, as my soap obviously takes more time to cure, but found that people didn't want to pay two different prices and complained. So we averaged the prices and sell all the soaps for one price. I don't make specialty soaps (vegan, coconut free). I just point to the M&P table when I hear someone wants no animal products.


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## jcandleattic (Aug 17, 2017)

Rusti said:


> So, those of y'all that sell, how many different soap recipes do you use, do you price them all the same if you do use a variety or do you try to clearly market each bar as different so customers aren't confused as to why the bars are priced different and don't just go for the cheapest one all the time?
> 
> I'm just really curious as to how other soapers who sell handle that kind of thing. I'm still working on getting my ducks in a row, but I think I may start selling soon.



I have 3 basic recipes, and 1 that is the same recipe as one of those, but is a GM soap. 

I sell all but my "3 butter luxury bar" for the same price, and the luxury bar for $1 more. 
I do market the luxury bars, and the GM bars differently than the others, as the GM is not a vegan recipe as my others are, and the luxury, well, I market that as a luxury bar. 

HTH


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## biarine (Aug 17, 2017)

I have 3 basic recipe. 50% olive oil, 20% coconut oil, 15% palm oil, 10% castor & 5% cocoa/Shea butter. The 2nd 45% avocado oil, 30% coconut oil, 10% sweet almond, 10% castor oil & 5% jojoba.  The 3rd is 70%  pomace olive oil, 15% coconut oil,10% castor & 5 wheat germ. The third one I always use because more cheaper.


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## mx5inpenn (Aug 18, 2017)

I use 4 oil recipes, some additives vary for different types within those recipes. I have my 2 main lard recipes, 1 of which is adjusted to be very slow moving for more difficult designs. Then I have a vegan recipe and a salt bar recipe. 

The vegan recipe is the only one that I will sell at a different price. For that one I use EO instead of FO and natural colorants so it costs more to make.


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## NsMar42111 (Aug 26, 2017)

If you're going to vary the pricing, vary the labeling and marketing too. I find people get turned off when they pick up what looks like two of the same bars and they are two different prices...


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## cmzaha (Aug 26, 2017)

mx6inpenn said:


> I use 4 oil recipes, some additives vary for different types within those recipes. I have my 2 main lard recipes, 1 of which is adjusted to be very slow moving for more difficult designs. Then I have a vegan recipe and a salt bar recipe.
> 
> The vegan recipe is the only one that I will sell at a different price. For that one I use EO instead of FO and natural colorants so it costs more to make.


I find a lot  FO's actually cost more than some EO's and you miss the vegans that want a fragrance. This is why I have a wide range of Vegan and Non began soaps. I simply prefer not to have a shot at all markets with my soaps.  Many times I get asked for a particular soap and when I have it the look on their face is priceless, since many times it is someone that really does not want to buy a soap but do not want to say no. If I am going to lug everything to market I am going to cover as many bases as possible. 



NsMar42111 said:


> If you're going to vary the pricing, vary the labeling and marketing too. I find people get turned off when they pick up what looks like two of the same bars and they are two different prices...


 This is very true, I do not change my labeling, but my facial bars, which do cost more per oz, since they are an oz smaller, are square bars. I do carry 2-3 bars that I label as facial bars.

The one very expensive bar to make is my Hump Day soap with Camel's milk, which I sell at the same price, but getting a decent profit on the other soaps balances out the cost of making it. Many times a customer will buy a Camel milk soap and a regular bar of soap. At $30 per pint Camel"s milk is costly


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## mx5inpenn (Aug 27, 2017)

cmzaha said:


> I find a lot  FO's actually cost more than some EO's and you miss the vegans that want a fragrance. This is why I have a wide range of Vegan and Non began soaps. I simply prefer not to have a shot at all markets with my soaps.  Many times I get asked for a particular soap and when I have it the look on their face is priceless, since many times it is someone that really does not want to buy a soap but do not want to say no. If I am going to lug everything to market I am going to cover as many bases as possible.
> 
> This is very true, I do not change my labeling, but my facial bars, which do cost more per oz, since they are an oz smaller, are square bars. I do carry 2-3 bars that I label as facial bars.
> 
> The one very expensive bar to make is my Hump Day soap with Camel's milk, which I sell at the same price, but getting a decent profit on the other soaps balances out the cost of making it. Many times a customer will buy a Camel milk soap and a regular bar of soap. At $30 per pint Camel"s milk is costly


There are vegan FO available, nurture's for example. I use them for my husband since he likes citrus scents more than anything else. However for selling, I was wanting to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and use EO in the vegan since many vegans don't want FO period. I haven't used any expensive EO, lemongrass and anise so far, but looking at prices for future reference, many are much more costly than FO.


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## lenarenee (Aug 27, 2017)

cmzaha said:


> The one very expensive bar to make is my Hump Day soap with Camel's milk, which I sell at the same price, but getting a decent profit on the other soaps balances out the cost of making it. Many times a customer will buy a Camel milk soap and a regular bar of soap. At $30 per pint Camel"s milk is costly



I thought about you a couple weeks ago as I drove up to Julian and passed by a camel dairy in the Ramona area!  By chance, is this where you get your camel milk?


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## cmzaha (Aug 27, 2017)

mx6inpenn said:


> There are vegan FO available, nurture's for example. I use them for my husband since he likes citrus scents more than anything else. However for selling, I was wanting to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and use EO in the vegan since many vegans don't want FO period. I haven't used any expensive EO, lemongrass and anise so far, but looking at prices for future reference, many are much more costly than FO.


Interesting, I have never had a Vegan question FO's in the soap, and I have several vegan customers



lenarenee said:


> I thought about you a couple weeks ago as I drove up to Julian and passed by a camel dairy in the Ramona area!  By chance, is this where you get your camel milk?


Nope, I have to purchase from a Health Food Store in Pasadena or on Amazon. The Dairy is not wualified to sell the milk only their Camel Milk products


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## jcandleattic (Aug 28, 2017)

cmzaha said:


> Interesting, I have never had a Vegan question FO's in the soap, and I have several vegan customers



I've also never had a vegan (or anyone else for that matter) question the scent aspect of my soaps. 

Honestly the only time I get questioned about fragrances is in my candles, never in my soap. 
The only questions about scent for my soaps I get is if I have certain scents, never if they are EO's.


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## artemis (Aug 28, 2017)

Ok. I have to ask. What in an FO makes it not suitable for vegans?


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## mx5inpenn (Aug 28, 2017)

artemis said:


> Ok. I have to ask. What in an FO makes it not suitable for vegans?


Some scents are animal derived, such as musk, ambergris, civet. Any FO with these or components of these would not be ok for a vegan to use.

The odds of real ambergris being used in an FO are probably very slim since its very expensive. But since we don't know what is actually in the FO, I prefer to err on the safe side.


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## jcandleattic (Aug 28, 2017)

mx6inpenn said:


> But since we don't know what is actually in the FO, I prefer to err on the safe side.



The MSDS sheet will tell you what's in the FO.


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## cmzaha (Aug 28, 2017)

jcandleattic said:


> The MSDS sheet will tell you what's in the FO.


 Actually most msds will not tell you, at least not in the US. Any Fo's that I have found the ingredients listed do not have natural musk.


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## jcandleattic (Sep 5, 2017)

cmzaha said:


> Actually most msds will not tell you, at least not in the US. Any Fo's that I have found the ingredients listed do not have natural musk.



Thank you for pointing that out. Honestly it's been quite a few years since I studied a MSDS sheet, so I assumed they would have that info. Guess that's what I get for assuming, because we all know what "ass u me" means. LOL


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## cmzaha (Sep 5, 2017)

jcandleattic said:


> Thank you for pointing that out. Honestly it's been quite a few years since I studied a MSDS sheet, so I assumed they would have that info. Guess that's what I get for assuming, because we all know what "ass u me" means. LOL


LOL, yep we know assume means   I have seen a few that list ingredients but very few. But I really doubt very few synthetic fragrance manufactures use the very expensive natural musks.


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