# Sanity check on lotion bar cost



## kmarvel (Nov 20, 2014)

I have a recipe I use now and the way I have it added up I only am making .8 a lotion bar.   

 Can someone do a sanity check for me?

 1.5 oz of beeswax     $3.00 for 3 oz
 3 oz  Mango Butter    $7.91 for 16 oz
 3 oz  Avocado Oil      $25.95 for 128 oz
 1      tin                    $15.95 for 12 tins
 20 drops FO              $5.95 for 4 oz   (approx.)
 2 Avery Labels           $7.97 for 60

 This recipe will fill the 6 cup silicone mold at 2 oz each.

 Any help will be appreciated.  Thanks.

 Kathie


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## lpstephy85 (Nov 20, 2014)

Math is not my strongest subject (I just got excited because I got a 75% on my latest math mid-term). But, here it goes:

1.5oz beeswax
You bought 3oz for $3.00 to that equals $1.00 per ounce. So multiply 1.5 by $1.00 and get $1.50

3 oz  Mango Butter    $7.91 for 16 oz
 You bought 16oz for $7.91 so that is $7.91/16oz which is $.494 per ounce. Multiply that by the 3oz you used which is $1.482

3 oz  Avocado Oil      $25.95 for 128 oz
Cost is .203 per ounce, times 3 equals .609

1      tin                    $15.95 for 12 tins
Per tin is $1.33

 20 drops FO              $5.95 for 4 oz   (approx.)
This one is a little tricky because it is hard to translate drops in to ounces.

 2 Avery Labels           $7.97 for 60
$.13 per label so two labels are $.26

Total (excluding the EO because of the measurement). So it costs roughly $2.60 to make two lotion bars.


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## kmarvel (Nov 20, 2014)

lpstephy85 said:


> Math is not my strongest subject (I just got excited because I got a 75% on my latest math mid-term). But, here it goes:
> 
> 1.5oz beeswax
> You bought 3oz for $3.00 to that equals $1.00 per ounce. So multiply 1.5 by $1.00 and get $1.50
> ...



So...$7.80 to make 6 bars??

 And grats on the 75 on the math exam!!!   I got a "C" on my college math and was proud like it was an "A".  lol


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## lpstephy85 (Nov 20, 2014)

Are you making a total of 6 bars or 2? I thought it might have been 2 bars because you had two labels on there. If it is six bars are 2 ounces each then the amount of oils listed is not enough. The amount of oils: 1.5oz beeswax, 3oz mango, and 3oz avocado is only 7.5 ounces, not 12ounces.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Nov 20, 2014)

kmarvel said:


> I have a recipe I use now and the way I have it added up I only am making .8 a lotion bar......




How did you get to a figure to sell them for? It should be costs x 4 but it sounds like you set a price and then worked out how much your costs were, which is an odd way to run a business


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## kmarvel (Nov 21, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> How did you get to a figure to sell them for? It should be costs x 4 but it sounds like you set a price and then worked out how much your costs were, which is an odd way to run a business



No, I am not selling them yet.  And do not have a cost for them yet.
 I know that it is x4 of the price per bar.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Nov 21, 2014)

kmarvel said:


> No, I am not selling them yet. And do not have a cost for them yet.
> I know that it is x4 of the price per bar.


 
Sorry, I was being thrown by this - 



kmarvel said:


> I have a recipe I use now and the way I have it added up I only am making .8 a lotion bar. ........................


 
So, based on the other questions here - how much of each ingredient do you use to totally fill the mould (to make 6 bars)?  We already have the cost of the ingredients, but need a clear answer on what 1 bar consists of.


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## kmarvel (Nov 21, 2014)

lpstephy85 said:


> Are you making a total of 6 bars or 2? I thought it might have been 2 bars because you had two labels on there. If it is six bars are 2 ounces each then the amount of oils listed is not enough. The amount of oils: 1.5oz beeswax, 3oz mango, and 3oz avocado is only 7.5 ounces, not 12ounces.



I am making a total of 6  -  2 oz bars.  And believe it or not, it fills all 6 molds to the top.  I looked and I used 1.6 oz of beeswax and 1/4th tsp Vit E and 25 drops of FO in this batch.
 The 2 labels is the front label for the tin and the back label.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Nov 21, 2014)

kmarvel said:


> I am making a total of 6 - 2 oz bars. And believe it or not, it fills all 6 molds to the top. I looked and I used 1.6 oz of beeswax and 1/4th tsp Vit E and 25 drops of FO in this batch.
> The 2 labels is the front label for the tin and the back label.


 
And you weigh the bars at the end - they are all 2 oz?


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## kmarvel (Nov 21, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> Sorry, I was being thrown by this -
> 
> 
> 
> So, based on the other questions here - how much of each ingredient do you use to totally fill the mould (to make 6 bars)? We already have the cost of the ingredients, but need a clear answer on what 1 bar consists of.



EG,

 This is the recipe I used to fill a mold.

 1.6 oz beeswax
 3 oz    Avocado Oil
 3 oz    Mango Butter
 1/4th tsp Vit E
 25 drops of EO or FO

 I realize it does not add up to 12 oz.  Which is weird because all 6 2 oz molds I filled to the top.


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## JustBeachy (Nov 21, 2014)

Easy answer is to split your costs into product/packaging. 

Recipe costs per batch is approximately 3.69.   Packaging cost is 1.64 for each unit. 

So figure how many units you get out of the batch. If you are filling 6 molds with one batch, then the numbers would be..

3.69 divided by 6 = .62 product cost per unit.

Packaging is 1.64 per unit, soo....Product .62 + Packaging 1.64  = 2.26 total per unit  if you produce 6 units from one batch.

Is weird if you can fill 6 2oz molds with less than 12oz of product???  You must have some magic molds, I need to get me some of those. 

Hope this helps.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Nov 21, 2014)

I also make it to be about $2.20 per bar based on the figures.


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## kmarvel (Nov 21, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> I also make it to be about $2.20 per bar based on the figures.



No, actually I haven't weighed the bars.  I ASSUMED  (what is wrong with me?) that the silicone mold I bought was 6 molds and they were 2 oz.
 They fit in the 2 oz metal tins.  I bought them from WSP.

 Now it is bugging me and I can't wait to get home and weigh them!!!


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## kmarvel (Nov 21, 2014)

JustBeachy said:


> Easy answer is to split your costs into product/packaging.
> 
> Recipe costs per batch is approximately 3.69. Packaging cost is 1.64 for each unit.
> 
> ...



lol.....I know right??  EG brought up a good point.......have I weighed them.  Noooo........but that is the first thing I am going to do when I get home!!  haha


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## kmarvel (Nov 21, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> And you weigh the bars at the end - they are all 2 oz?



http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/products/round-guest-silicone-mold.aspx


 They are 1.5 oz that fit in a 2 oz tin.  Problem solved.   Whew.


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## jadelilly (Nov 21, 2014)

I make bars for my 2 oz tins and they are 1 oz by weight


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## shunt2011 (Nov 21, 2014)

That's the hard part with making products.  As Craig said it should be cost x 4 but that's not a reality.  I sell my 2 oz lotion bars for 6.00.  I have tried to get more and am unable to.  I sell a lot of them at this price so I'll continue to do so.  Mine cost 1.85 each to make including container and labels. I also use Meadowfoam, Argan and Vit E in mine.   It also helps to buy what you can in bulk.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Nov 21, 2014)

kmarvel said:


> They are 1.5 oz that fit in a 2 oz tin.  Problem solved.   Whew.




Ah! Makes sense. 

Weights to volumes in this world of ours is a curious thing - different products that are the same size can be quite different in weight!


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## new12soap (Nov 21, 2014)

I don't use tins but that price seems pretty high to me. You may want to try another suppler. SKS has that size for $0.55 each, but that doesn't include shipping and that's for buying in bulk, 144 at a time.

http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin7.html

Since your packaging costs are so high it may make more sense to look at other types as well.


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## kmarvel (Nov 23, 2014)

new12soap said:


> I don't use tins but that price seems pretty high to me. You may want to try another suppler. SKS has that size for $0.55 each, but that doesn't include shipping and that's for buying in bulk, 144 at a time.
> 
> http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin7.html
> 
> Since your packaging costs are so high it may make more sense to look at other types as well.



This is true.  After these tins are sold, I will look at the screw up plastic containers.....like the deodorant bar.  Thanks everyone for your help.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Nov 23, 2014)

Maybe keep the tins for a kind of "premium" bar - something really luxurious and special


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## kmarvel (Nov 23, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> Maybe keep the tins for a kind of "premium" bar - something really luxurious and special



mmmmmmmm.....good idea, sir.


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