# How strong is too strong? How fancy is too fancy?



## gigisiguenza (Nov 18, 2015)

My cousin came by couple days ago to drop off mail, and was perusing my mountain of soaps. She was picking them up, oohing and aahing over the colors and scents, asking when she can try them etc, and she commented on how different they are than the ones she's run across in her travels (she's a flight attendant). She said since I started making soaps, she's been on the lookout for it everywhere she goes, because she never really noticed it much before and is now very curious about how many different styles and types there are.

In her travels she's run across soaps so overly scented they were obnoxious, and it turned her off because she said she couldn't imagine wanting to smell like perfumed soap all day. She's run across ones so fancy, she said she saw no point in buying them because they'd never get used, they'd just sit in a bowl and get dusty. And she's run across ones that looked so much like commercial soaps (e.g. dove) that she didn't trust they were really handmade, so saw no reason to pay over $6 a bar for what she suspected was actually commercially produced soap being touted as "handmade".

All this got me thinking about the perfect bar and how we each define it. I've seen all the soaps she mentioned and understood her perspective, and began looking at my own soaps, asking "would someone see that and think - perfect! - or would they look at it and think - too plain, too simple, not enough scent. As an artist, I create what I like looking at, so it makes sense that as a soaper, my soaps would reflect the kind of soaps I would by myself. 

But I wonder how many people who sell soap make soaps they don't really like? I couldn't imagine doing it. I have to love what I'm creating and be striving towards a visual in my head that inspires me to create it. Don't get me wrong, I think that the soaps shaped like cake slices, cupcakes, airplanes, etc, are all very pretty, but I wouldn't buy them because they don't make me want to wash with them. I feel the same about the giant oversized bars, or the ones with elaborate toppings like balls, cookies, stars, glitter, etc. They are pretty and I love looking at them, but they don't make me want to wash with them. 

The perfect soap for me is one that makes me want to lather it up...
... fits in my hand so I can wrap my fingers around it
... is thick enough to not feel flimsy but not so thick it feels cumbersome
... has soft edges that are comfortable in my hand and on my skin
... looks luxurious and creamy, like you could cut it like butter
... is softly scented, so when the hot water hits it, the smell blooms, but dissipates later
... smells of natural things, like foods, flowers, herbs, etc
... looks hand crafted while still being readily identifiable as soap
... leaves me feeling soft and conditioned, without feeling greasy
... and finally, appeals to my personal aesthetic in color combos and pour style

What's your idea of the perfect soap?


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## Misschief (Nov 18, 2015)

I think you pretty much nailed it, Gigi. Your list of ideals is excellent. And now, I need to rethink the mold I had made. I find the bars really big, especially for my fairly small hands.


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## gigisiguenza (Nov 18, 2015)

Writing this post has my brain cooking for sure because I realized I've been so busy learning techniques that I've detoured away from my original mission - to make soap I personally love. 

I very much love and enjoy all the learning, the challenges, and exploring all the options out there, but I haven't made a simple soap since the beginning, and that's what I love best. Simple soap. I know I posted a little while back about going back to basics so I could find a recipe that works for my skin. Well I got distracted again by a technique challenge LOL, but I am still gonna do it, but I'm going to add "simple beauty" to the requirements too.

I want to see if I can make soaps that fit the ideal I listed, and that simple yet beautiful soaps. Those are usually the ones I see in my soap p*rn searches that make me sigh the most in appreciation.


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## lenarenee (Nov 18, 2015)

My idea...:think:....:think:....:think:.

Its hard to explain, but it has nothing to do with color, swirls, fo or eo.
I want a bar that feels and acts "crisp" and solid when dry - with a somewhat waxy feel (not oily or dusty), and weirdly enough...has a certain sound to it. I don't need lots of lather - but a healthy one that at least starts with big bubbles and end with a combination of all bubble types.
As for scent....I love the smell of a plain, freshly cured bar made with as few ingredients as possible. Right now, my fave has only 5% co,  5 castor, about 10% shea?, and the rest is grass fed tallow. The shea has really given a silky touch to the dry feeling of the bar, and it lathers shockingly well.


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## gigisiguenza (Nov 18, 2015)

Oh I bet all that tallow makes a creamy bar


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## Neve (Nov 18, 2015)

I like to make them pretty but not overly elaborate. I like to match the colours and style to the scent, and I make my bars about the right size for my hand. I find the cupcake ones awkward to use and although they drew a bit of attention people didn't buy them so I gave most of them away as gifts. For my mini guest sized bars the ones that look like the big ones sell, and are my faves to use, while the fancy ones don't.

So I'm keeping it to my core style and I'm not going to go crazy with experimenting as what I like seems to be what others like too - a medium sized rectangular bar that smells nice but not too strong, and pretty but not so elaborate you wouldn't use it.

Pretty much what you said Gigi!


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## MissBee (Nov 18, 2015)

I don't make anything but unscented and uncolored soap these days. I'm too cheap to get unnecessary ingredients at the moment. I don't sell, nor do I have people that want CP soap as gifts. (My family thinks bar soap is unhygienic). So there's no incentives for me to get too crazy.

I do LOVE highly scented and over the top designed soap, though. Back when I used to only purchase CP soap I was all about Villainess, Dreaming Tree, Future Primitive, Haus of Gloi. My skin isn't picky with the formula of CP soap. I've never tried a soap maker's formula that my skin didn't like. All the CP soap I've ever tried felt nice. Really, the only thing setting these companies apart encouraging me to spend money on them was their scent/design. Preferably those that blend their own signature scents. 

I can't use the Love Spell scent dupe, though. It gives me a headache.


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## Misschief (Nov 19, 2015)

I think it depends, too, on who you're making soap for. I'm finding that two of my soaps have been especially popular but they're not my faves. They're very nice but I want something that pampers ME. The most popular right now? A coffee scrubby soap  (I have an order for 5 bars for Christmas)with a combination of orange and spicy e.o's and a lavender goat's milk soap (which has more lavender e.o. in it than I, personally, like). My fave? Hmmm... I'm torn between an unscented coconut milk soap and my unscented tallow and borax soap. Both are so creamy and mild and skin loving.

I've been doing a lot of experimenting over the last few months and I'm just now settling in to a few that I think will be staples. To what end, I'm not sure yet. Sure, I'd like to sell some to cover my costs. Yes, people who I'm giving samples to are loving what I'm doing and want to buy. Primarily, though, I'm making it for me. I'm making soap because it relaxes me while doing something productive. It teaches me patience. I'm learning more chemistry than I ever thought I'd ever absorb (hello, Chem 11... which I failed... twice). My work is sometimes stressful, almost always busy; soaping helps me to relax and take my time to make something I like and others do, too.

Yeah, I'm rambling now. I should stop at two glasses of wine.  Someone tell me to go to bed.


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## Arimara (Nov 19, 2015)

If there's one thing I don't see myself touching is the process of coloring my soap. In part because I'm lazy, I really don't want to appeal to anyone but family and friends. I keep in mind that not everyone is tolerant to FO but I like them for my own pleasure. My perfect soap will be balanced for my tastes. I will also have to be able to use them from my daughter. SO far, I have three soaps I trust for her skin.


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## gigisiguenza (Nov 19, 2015)

It's so nice to hear I'm not the only one who really likes the simplicity of some bars.


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## Susie (Nov 19, 2015)

I am a KISS kind of gal.  If it is too complicated, I won't buy it, much less be interested in making it.  I have swirled a time or two, just for the fun of it.  And made a cocoa line just to see if I could.  But I like simple bars that give me pleasure in the using, rather than pleasure in just looking at it.  Also, of all the soaps I have seen in farmer's markets and craft fairs, the booths that were the busiest were the ones with either plain soap, or simple two color swirls.  The booths that had works of art called soap were not selling.


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## shunt2011 (Nov 19, 2015)

I like a solid feeling bar that makes my skin feel clean but not stripped.  I do like scented and pretty swirled soap but I also enjoy just a plain naked bar. I love thick creamy lather.  I think that's one of the reasons I love salt bars so much.

 I do sell and I can tell you that the pretty colors and scent draws people to my display but what sells is the scents themselves.  However, I do have several regular customers that purchase the soaps by colors to match their bathrooms or their giftees bathrooms.

I've worked hard to develop my recipes and lots of trial and error for sure.  But am extremely proud of the product(s) I put out.


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## navigator9 (Nov 19, 2015)

I appreciate all of the artistic energy that goes into "fancy" soaps. As a soapmaker, I know the kind of effort it takes. But as a soap user, my tastes are quite different. I'm not a neon swirled, glitter dusted, cupcake shaped soap kind of girl. Actually, I'm not too fussy about how the soap looks at all. Sure, it's nice if it's pretty, but if the FO turned it brown, and it's just rectangular, that's OK with me.....as long as it's incredible soap that makes my skin feel soft and pampered. I do love a good fragrance, just enough. I prefer scented soap, but I could even live without that, for an *incredible bar of handmade soap*. :grin:


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## dixiedragon (Nov 19, 2015)

Your list is pretty much perfect, except for the scent part (for me). I don't mind scents that are perfumy. Some I like and some I don't. I don't care for food scents (except fruit). I don't want to wash my hands with something that smells like chocolate cake.


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## Misschief (Nov 19, 2015)

The only reason I even swirl or colour any of my soaps is so that I can tell at a glance which bar I'm using.


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## kumudini (Nov 19, 2015)

The perfect bar of soap for me is one which looks like it's well made, simple or swirly and no high tops and things projecting out but most importantly it fits in my small hands, has a nice scent, lathers decently and doesn't dry me out. And I'm happy to say, with the exception of 2 batches, all my others meet these criterion. Size choice differs from person to person, so if someone is selling, they should be able to make and offer different sizes. As a maker, I prefer soaps that don't take hours on end to create, I'm lazy and my hands move fairly slow. so I need to get things done in the shortest time possible. I really loved making 100% CO 20% LD batch .


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## Arimara (Nov 19, 2015)

I finally made 100% coconut oil soap, same superfat. It's a week old... Luckily, I can really try out my other bars now.


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## Deedles (Nov 19, 2015)

What a coincidence you posted this today as all the same things ran through my mind last night. Yesterday I made my 2nd attempt at the challenge and really did not enjoy it at all. Maybe it was trying to achieve a specific look/design but it was very tense all around. 

I agree with most everything you said. First I want good soap, ie; conditioning, good lather and a nice fragrance. I don't care for food fragrances at all, I much prefer clean 'natural' smells. I do like spice scented candles for the holidays but I quickly get tired of them.

When looking at all the soap p**n, I can appreciate the work that goes into them, especially now that I know what is involved. And love the colors and whimsy of the swirls but my soap is used in the bath/shower, not displayed for it's looks. I agree that the soaps in all the shapes with 'stuff' added to the tops are just not something I'd want to wash with. I find them too busy and not pretty at all...to ME. It's those simple soaps with the homemade organic look to them that are always my favorites. I do like to try to match the scent to the recipe and/or look of it. 

My soaps aren't sold, I doubt I ever will sell, so I don't worry about whether someone will like the look. As long as the friends I gift it to like the properties of the soap, I'm happy.

Good, thought provoking topic!


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## BrewerGeorge (Nov 19, 2015)

Misschief said:


> The only reason I even swirl or colour any of my soaps is so that I can tell at a glance which bar I'm using.



It's kind of like this for me, too.  With the added benefit of learning and mastering new things.  For me personally, a successful hobby requires that I can progress in it.  It needs to be fun.  Trying the new swirls, colors, and decorations adds that level of challenge I'm looking for.  (A nice plus to experimenting with decoration is that failures don't ruin the soap for use, too.)

For example, I made another batch of my personal bath bars last week which is just a solid  bar, scented with BB's Wasabi and green from sea clay.  While I wouldn't quite call it a chore, there was certainly no challenge to it and I was completely done and washed up in half an hour.

Conversely, I'm planning some Christmas gift soaps for my mother and aunts which are lavender scented, with a lavender mica swirl and made in flower silicone molds.  (Which I actually need to make this weekend if they're to be ready for Christmas.  Fallout 4 has put quite the crimp in my other leisure activities for the last few days :twisted  I've already failed at this soap once by overcooking them, so it is _quite_ the challenge.


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## dixiedragon (Nov 19, 2015)

I generally don't care for more than 4 colors. I've seen 13 color swirls and I'm impressed by the skill and technique, but the end result doesn't appeal to me.

I also don't like stuff on top of the bar. Herbs, etc, - they're dry and scratchy.


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## Obsidian (Nov 19, 2015)

I do like colors and swirls but not too much. 2-3 colors that aren't overly bright or saturated look best, I really prefer a white or uncolored base with just a simple wispy swirl.

I'm ok with a strongly scented bar as long as the scent doesn't stay on my skin all for hours. I want my skin to smell clean, not like I've dumped FO on my clothes. I don't care for foodie scents, I don't want to bath in snicker doodles or cinnamon rolls.

As much as I can appreciate highly decorated soaps, I don't like using any that have toppings like flowers, cinnamon sticks or other things that will scratch the skin. I also don't care for ones that have mounded or tall piped tops. I see no practical use for cupcakes or other food shaped soap.


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## JuneP (Nov 19, 2015)

My personal preference is good lather, some bubbles, lovely scent, and creamy. I've tweeked my recipe to give me the balance that works for me and family and friends really like it.

I only gift my soaps so I can't relate to what sells; but a few days ago I gave some simple Nag Champa soaps to my daughter-in-laws parents; and I asked them how they like the Feathered Mantra swirl I gave them last fall, I think. They told me they hadn't used it because it's too pretty! 

So maybe the thing to do is offer same scents both in a simple, no frills bar, and offer the same scent in a more decorative bar and charge a dollar more for that one. If you're selling soap the important thing I would think, is to get customers who will be regularly purchasing your soaps to use, and not just as decorations for their bathrooms.

Like some other posters, I'm not partial to bars with big balls and other quite large embeds sticking out, or the big bars of soap that look like a slice of cake, which seems ungainly to use. But, those cakes sure look like fun to make and are pretty to look at. If I ever make one of them as an exercise, I would use a smaller cake pan so the cut bar wouldn't be so big. 

I haven't used food FO's yet and only have one on hand to try for an oatmeal soap. Other than that, I'm not sure I would like food scents in my personal soap; but maybe once I can smell some of them in soap, I may just change my mind. That's what I love about soap making - we have so many choices in color, scent, design, etc. to choose from.


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## TeresaT (Nov 19, 2015)

Gigi, you nailed it in your original post.  My personal favorites are the simple soaps that I've made, just mixing some oils and lard with lye and throwing it in a mold.  No color or fragrance.   Roughly cut with little pockets of air bubbles from the SB are perfect for me.  I like that rustic home made look.  I do like my salt bars, too.  I'm making fragranced, colored and swirled soaps for the fun of it, to learn how, to eventually be able to sell.  But I don't really think I'll be making too many foodie soaps.  They are cute, but completely impractical to me.  I am definitely a minimalist; but I'm also an artist.  I've discovered that making soap is allowing me to be more creative than my knitting is (although that will always be my first love).  It's the instant gratification I get from soaping that I can't get from knitting that makes me want to do more intricate and harder techniques.  I was looking up how to make soap frosting.  I thought I might try some piped soaps.  However, waiting around for 30 minutes for the soap to mix in the blender is not my idea of a good time.  I don't anticipate piped soaps ever being in my repertoire.


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## snappyllama (Nov 19, 2015)

I'm a more-is-more kind of person. I do make and appreciate naked soaps, but I get most excited about playing with design and colors... and trying to match everything to the scent. Those are the bars I cannot wait to cut and use. I mean, my pine tar bar is nice and challenging in its own way (getting it to pour perfectly smoothly requires a bit of skill). But it's a little boring...

Mainly, I love it when something turns out just how I wanted. Right now, I have a batch of Vanilla Oak soap that I adore. It's a dark brown discoloring FO so I separated out a small portion to color white. Then I did a clyde slide into a slab mold and spun it until it resembled petrified wood. Getting to watch the FO discoloring over the week and intensifying the contrast was so much fun. I love the shape, scent, and overall effect of it. Just what I wanted...

As far as performance, I want a highly scented, hard bar that lathers easily into thick, rich bubbles. I want my skin to feel refreshed after using it. I'm a huge fan of lard and goat milk soaps. I like the feel of ungelled soaps. I prefer the shape of bars from my slab mold or T&S mold.


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## SplendorSoaps (Nov 19, 2015)

Gigi, your criteria is right on! I've been selling my soaps for just over a year now, and I've found that scent is what seems to really draw the customers in. But there's so much more to it than that! We (I'm including myself in with customers, because I love to buy other soapers' soaps, too!) want a bar that's not so big that it doesn't fit into your hand, but not so small as to feel like a guest soap. (Side note, I think I designed bars on both ends of that spectrum before I hit my own sweet spot!) 

We want the soap to look _inviting_ to use. I like to use color swirls and a lot of textured tops, but I'm not into heavily embellished designs. While I really admire the people that can make those cupcake soaps looks just like edible masterpieces, I'll be darned if I could figure out how to wash with those without having to cut it in half or awkwardly juggle it in the shower. I never want a customer to feel like my soaps are "too pretty to use"! (And for the ones who have said that, I always promise them that I'll make more!)

As for scent, we want to smell it, but not be overwhelmed by it. I tend to have a pretty light hand on fragrance, and I did once have a customer tell me that she wanted the scent to be a little heavier. I've never had a customer tell me that my scents were overwhelming, though. 

As for the soap composition itself, I'm all about the bubbles! In my usual recipe, I use 20-22% coconut and a healthy dose of castor to make sure that I get those big, fluffy bubbles. I make sure to superfat liberally and complement the recipes with sweet almond, avocado, or rice bran oils to make sure that the high CO won't be drying, but I'm really all about those bubbles!


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## mymy (Nov 19, 2015)

When I wasn't into soapmaking I loved to use soap that has fresh smells. Florals and herbals really turned me on during shower. I wasn't really care regarding the shape or colors of the soap, just smell. Years after, I felt that my skin started to behave badly, I still no longer could use soap that has harsh chemicals. So I optioned out to use natural soap, as in something that has less chemicals and colorants. I found Simple skincare, the cleansing bar was very nice. It had no scent and color. It became my favourite for quite a while until I read negative comments on the net. Well, now I'm hooked with my own creation, I prefer a low profile soap. No fancy color, no scent would be great too.


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## paillo (Nov 19, 2015)

In the past I made mostly rectangular tiger swirls with fancy tops and glitter, really pretty, many combinations of EOs and a fair amount of FOs. What I wound up using though, were reject uncolored hockey pucks that were too hard to make into felted soaps. The fancy soaps felt an awkward size for my hand, I hated the high tops and mountains and valleys, they didn't wear evenly, and I just wasn't crazy about them although they sold really well.

Then life got crazy and I didn't make soap for six months. 

When I returned to it I just wanted simpler. Simpler means still pretty for me. So doing simple in-the-pot, one-color swirls in silicone molds, soleseife or salt bars. I like squares or bullion bars, both Brambleberry molds. And my signature stamp in matching mica. 

I use mostly EO blends, and typically use OO, CO, PO, Avocado, Shea Butter, castor. Always coconut or goat milk.

I'm not vegan nor vegetarian, but just can't seem to bring myself to use lard or tallow, can't get through my personal 'ick factor', though may have to buy another soaper's soap just to try it. Will be moving to Colorado next year, and in the interest of not wasting any of my hunter friends' kill, may try to make and use deer or elk tallow. Anyone have experience making/using these?

I'm in love with my soap again, and hope buyers will be too


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## Obsidian (Nov 19, 2015)

You really should try a bar of lard/tallow soap, I'm betting you would love it. I've used deer and bear tallow before. Deer makes extremely hard soap with decent creamy lather. Bear is better though, not as hard but much creamier. If hubby get a deer this season, I will be using it again.


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## commoncenz (Nov 19, 2015)

Hmmm ... When I think about it, I like a bar that is not drying, feels nice and silky when used and after it has cured, has that "waxy" feel described earlier.  I prefer a thick lather to start; that bubbles well as you are washing with your wash cloth/sponge, etc. 

I prefer a strong scent, but not too strong. So, I've been setting the soapcalc to .7 oz/lb. As I've noted before, I absolutely LOVE fragrances and trying them out in my soap.

When it comes to color, I prefer to have a white background with some swirling. However, I don't like an overly colored bar. That said, I really enjoy the process of learning new techniques.  I've also been known to have a plan for what technique I want to use when coloring/swirling a batch of soap and then at the very last second, scrapping the original plan, grabbing another tool, and going in a totally different direction.

I think what I enjoy most about soaping is the "process" of making the soap. I enjoy looking at the final product as a reflection of that process and I love cutting the soap and revealing the mystery contained inside. It's like Christmas every time! lol ... 

Finally, I like to hear from family and friends how much they enjoy the soap that I have made. And I really get a perverse kick out of watching their eyes glaze over as I describe the process of making that particular batch ... the process that I enjoyed so much.


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## gigisiguenza (Nov 20, 2015)

I love reading about what each person likes in their soap and how they define their ideal bar


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## Judiraz (Nov 23, 2015)

Interesting thread. I just started selling and was surprised to find that what I like isn't what customers loved. What sold were my swirled, floral or perfumed scented soaps. And I sold out of my coffee/ cocoa bars???? All my big, fat bars sold.

What I like is interesting designs or something linear. I love color, but not super saturated or dark. I prefer citrus, herbal, or "fresh" scents. I like to soap up with the bar in my hand, directly on my skin, so I like a small, tall, skinny bar. Hardly sold a one, even tho I priced them $1 less.

I've come to love lard & goat milk or salt bars.


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## luebella (Nov 23, 2015)

I love elegant beautiful soaps and the over the top fancy ones. The over the top fun ones just make me feel good. Everything about them makes me smile. I need a non dying bar though no matter what it looks like.


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## dixiedragon (Dec 4, 2015)

I tend to heavily scent my soaps. I have enough soap waiting that my soaps are usually a year old before I use them. Unless I try something new that I really want to try in the bathtub. Generally, if I use the max FO, there is still plenty of scent a year later.


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## crispysoap (Dec 7, 2015)

I really like a plain colour (infused oil) soap with a nice creamy lather ☺ and a nice simple smell.


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## shunt2011 (Dec 7, 2015)

I like pretty swirled soaps with great smell.  I dislike soap with anything botanicals on top or really high top soaps with imbeds. They are beautiful but I don't like stuff in my tub.   What sells are my swirly soaps that are well scented.  What doesn't sell is my poor plain unscented soap.  I tried something at my last show.  I had OMH that was just plain beige with a bit of really finely ground oats on top and then my cocoa poweder swirled OMH with a bit bigger grind of oats on top and the swirled did way better than the plain one.  Go figure.


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## gigisiguenza (Dec 7, 2015)

I am so loving this thread


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## Arimara (Dec 7, 2015)

I'm becoming convinced of the following:

1. I must start adding Koalin Clay to my soaps.

2. I must soap with either coffee, coconut milk or scented buttermilk. Sometimes, I will use beer and the like.

3. Avocado oil is a must in my soaps.

4. I will NEVER use red palm oil in ANY of my soaps again, even if I need palm oil. Palm Kernal flakes is also on the never list though it is not bad.

5. As much as I love to cook with them, the next crockpot I buy is for making liquid soap. Food can wait. 

6. Beef tallow(from Essential Depot at least) smells kinda yummy and creamy and would so well with scents and milks that accentuates that creaminess.

7. I my attempt at a pumpkin soap left me disappointed at how soft it still is (it's as malleable as clay) , it the defining reason for my newfound hate for red palm oil in soap, and is the second best feeling soap I have, besides my first beef tallow soap.

What else am I going to find out? Hopefully, it will be if I like lard soap. It'll be easier to get lard, I won't have to render it and I would be able to start next year.


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## penelopejane (Jan 8, 2016)

This is a strange soap, to me.  Are there really choc chips on the top?  Or would they be soap and the choc chips in the front just for decoration? It says there is choc in the soap ingredients. 

Otherwise you would be smearing yourself with chocolate while you try and wash yourself!  I don't get it!

mint chip soap Materials: olive oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil, shea butter, peppermint essential oil, kaolin clay, cream, castor oil, cocoa powder, raw cacao, chocolate, mint, sea salt

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/197...-handmade-soap-natural?ref=unav_listing-other


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## Saponista (Jan 8, 2016)

I've seen the lady who makes these in a face group group. It is piped soap.


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## shunt2011 (Jan 8, 2016)

They looked piped to me but the chocolate chip used for the photo around the soap look like the real thing.  I've used chocolate and cocoa powder in my soap but I wouldn't dream of putting it top for decoration.  That soap look cool though.  Wish I had better luck with foodie scented soaps.  They just don't sell for me.


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## scott312 (Jan 8, 2016)

*I gave 1 to my neighbor and she yelled at me, lol.*



gigisiguenza said:


> In her travels she's run across soaps so overly scented they were obnoxious,
> What's your idea of the perfect soap?




I just ordered my first handmade soap from a person and 4 of the bars made me want to throw up. The oat and honey was nice. The lavender bars I will throw away I guess. I kid you not, they smelled so bad my wife and I both gagged.
I gave 1 to my neighbor and she yelled at me, lol. It was so bad to her. 
It got to thinking, maybe soap making is not for me. If the soaps smell this bad I want nothing to do with soap making.
Then I got to thinking, this is one persons taste in soaps. 
But I have to say, I am thankful that I have experienced an over zealous soap maker.
So far I am getting my $$ worth out of this forum . Hec I might even make so friends  
By the way the person I had watched  make their soap online was a wonderful sweet person.


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## penelopejane (Jan 8, 2016)

scott312 said:


> I just ordered my first handmade soap from a person and 4 of the bars made me want to throw up. The oat and honey was nice. The lavender bars I will throw away I guess. I kid you not, they smelled so bad my wife and I both gagged.
> Then I got to thinking, this is one persons taste in soaps.
> .




Buying stuff on the internet is so difficult. I think the shockingly bad handmade soap that is being sold out there is what inspires others to sell or make their own.


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## cmzaha (Jan 8, 2016)

shunt2011 said:


> I like pretty swirled soaps with great smell.  I dislike soap with anything botanicals on top or really high top soaps with imbeds. They are beautiful but I don't like stuff in my tub.   What sells are my swirly soaps that are well scented.  What doesn't sell is my poor plain unscented soap.  I tried something at my last show.  I had OMH that was just plain beige with a bit of really finely ground oats on top and then my cocoa poweder swirled OMH with a bit bigger grind of oats on top and the swirled did way better than the plain one.  Go figure.


It is the same way for me. My plain soaps can sit forever to sell, but the same fragrance with a swirl will sell. Shows me people do buy for color as well as smell. My strongest scented outsell any of my lighter fragrance soaps, not lighter because I used less fo, just because they faded. A few oats on top is the only botanical I will use and only on a couple of soaps. I made the cutest Gingerbread, and Christmas tree soaps one year, that smelled delicious. The regular poured bars with the same fragrances sold but the bars with the standing up embeds did not sell. They were really cute.

Also mention, when I first started selling most of my soap had lots of nice big fat bubbles due to the 20% co, 7% castor and a superfat of 5-7%. People used to mention I made great soap. After a year or two I changed to low to very low superfatting below 5%, cut the coconut oil and cleansing factor. My men's soap have a cleansing factor of 15% and my women's designed soap carry a cleansing factor of approx 10. This does certainly affect lather and gives a more lotion creamy lather, but my customers now tell me it is awesome, so I guess the change is good.


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