First GM Salt Bar Recipe feedback request

[AAShillito]

And everyone here is nice. And have given great advice to my newbie questions and many other people's questions. .

 

[AxtFarm]

.

 

[cmzaha]

@AxtFarm

PS - there are some soapmaking-specific business courses that could also be of some help: check out the Lovin' Soap website, and the Modern Soapmaking website. The courses aren't cheap, and aren't for everyone, but I've heard good things about both of them.

I personally would save my money and not spend it on those courses, but that is my opinion. Testing and small batches are the best way to learn. In my years of selling soap, I did make a decent extra income and my daughter actually made a living for her family for several years until DIY became so popular and the competition became so brutal. It is hard work and takes a lot of promoting with the competition today. I visited one of the weekly markets I did for over 6 years that used to be 4 blocks long 3 rows deep with vendors. It was down to 1 block and had 4 soap sellers. Sadly I did not see one selling any products, and I felt bad for them because I know their booth space is $65 or $70 per night which is crazy in today's market. It is tough out there now.

 

[Marsi]

goats milk useless in salt bars
6+ months to cure
Extra FO
100% salt
....that's just seems like too much to even pursue since my business is selling GMS.


What is your purpose for going through that?
Are you able to get better roi because less people sell them?

the reason for salt bars?
they are simply amazing and gentle to use
for roi, salt is cheap (the trade-off is storage time)

you might have a unique niche for individual gm salt bars

to answer your original questions
if you make a reduction of your goats milk
the gm can be added as a concentrate to the oils

a technique
oil
cool the oils, add scent and the milk syrup
split the oils into colour batches, add the colours, blend
get the molds ready

lye water
make the lye water, portion for each batch
chill the lye waters until cool (or at most slightly warm)

salt
measure out salt portions for each batch

mix
add the lye water to each of the oils, briefly burp your stick blender before starting, then give a quick blitz to get to emulsion
add the salt portions to each batch
stir by hand until thin trace (this will take only a few moments)
pour your colour blend into the one jug as you described in your earlier post
then pour into your individual molds



on your recipe itself, i agree with cmzaha - replace the palm and mango (these cut bubbles)
if you replace with coconut the bar will be exceptional (gentle and bubbly)
if you replace with olive it will be smooth and nice but the lather will be minor with very tiny bubbles
if you leave palm and mango butter it will feel (and bubble) somewhat like plastic

 

[AxtFarm]

the reason for salt bars?
they are simply amazing and gentle to use
for roi, salt is cheap (the trade-off is storage time)

you might have a unique niche for individual gm salt bars

to answer your original questions
if you make a reduction of your goats milk
the gm can be added as a concentrate to the oils

a technique
oil
cool the oils, add scent and the milk syrup
split the oils into colour batches, add the colours, blend
get the molds ready

lye water
make the lye water, portion for each batch
chill the lye waters until cool (or at most slightly warm)

salt
measure out salt portions for each batch

mix
add the lye water to each of the oils, briefly burp your stick blender before starting, then give a quick blitz to get to emulsion
add the salt portions to each batch
stir by hand until thin trace (this will take only a few moments)
pour your colour blend into the one jug as you described in your earlier post
then pour into your individual molds



on your recipe itself, i agree with cmzaha - replace the palm and mango (these cut bubbles)
if you replace with coconut the bar will be exceptional (gentle and bubbly)
if you replace with olive it will be smooth and nice but the lather will be minor with very tiny bubbles
if you leave palm and mango butter it will feel (and bubble) somewhat like plastic

Awesome roadmap. I had written them off, but after reading this I'm interested again.

 

[AliOop]

I personally would save my money and not spend it on those courses, but that is my opinion. Testing and small batches are the best way to learn. In my years of selling soap, I did make a decent extra income and my daughter actually made a living for her family for several years until DIY became so popular and the competition became so brutal. It is hard work and takes a lot of promoting with the competition today. I visited one of the weekly markets I did for over 6 years that used to be 4 blocks long 3 rows deep with vendors. It was down to 1 block and had 4 soap sellers. Sadly I did not see one selling any products, and I felt bad for them because I know their booth space is $65 or $70 per night which is crazy in today's market. It is tough out there now.

Some people have great business instincts, and a real knack for intuitively knowing the next move in their chosen field. You and your daughter no doubt fall into that category; you each made a thriving handcrafted bodycare business before others even saw the possibility. In fact, you were both trendsetters, given how early you started, and how well you did. Every time you share about something you did that worked, I file it away in my head (or bookmark it here) because I know it is gold.

It's true that those courses are expensive, and that you can get similar (non-soap-specific) business training online for free. But for a variety of reasons, other folks may need that very specific, step-by-step help and coaching in order to get their business going.

From what AxtFarm has shared, he sounds pretty business savvy already, but if he decides that such a course would help, now is the time to invest in it and take the tax loss while he can.

 

[AxtFarm]

First salt bar batch. I had a feeling the stamp wouldn't work very well on them. Either cracked them from hitting too hard or didn't go deep enough. Unmolded at 8 hours. I measured out the FO at the recommended amount and decided salt bars will be left unscented.

 

[Marsi]

your salt bars look incredible!

to avoid cracking salt bars, unmold and stamp early (as soon as you can demold the soap)
start checking after 20 minutes - i would be surprised if you need to wait longer than an hour - they get firm quickly
the soap will still be very warm

i love your colour choice for these salt bars

 

[Basil]

@AxtFarm There are a few weirdos unusual people who don't.

Had to laugh

 

[AxtFarm]

your salt bars look incredible!

to avoid cracking salt bars, unmold and stamp early (as soon as you can demold the soap)
start checking after 20 minutes - i would be surprised if you need to wait longer than an hour - they get firm quickly
the soap will still be very warm

i love your colour choice for these salt bars

I tested on my scrap bar around 30'ish minutes and ended up with what see you in the pic. It also left a lot of residue in my stamp. I made the batch right before bed so I unmolded after I got up. Even this morning I was having to use a toothpick to clean out the letters in between stampings.

I think we are going to get a basic worded stamp to stamp the side of the soap like Ellen does and use it on recipes the other stamp doesn't work well on.

 

[Marsi]

try cling wrap over the bar for cleaner stamping
if you can stamp while they are still in the mold, even better - the sides of the mold will stop the expansion cracking

given how much i already like your existing stamp
i am looking forward to seeing your next iteration

 

[AxtFarm]

try cling wrap over the bar for cleaner stamping
if you can stamp while they are still in the mold, even better - the sides of the mold will stop the expansion cracking

given how much i already like your existing stamp
i am looking forward to seeing your next iteration

The stamp was made for my larger mold box that is supposed to make 5oz bars. These are 3.5oz bars so the stamp barely fits inside the edges. Hopefully once I start making 5lb batches the cracking will fix it's self.

You would think that cling wrap would be the easiest step, but it's my Achilles heel lol.

At the end of the batch it dawned on me why someone told me not to scrape the bowl on salt bars. They all poured so perfectly then I decided to top them off.

 

[cmzaha]

Some people have great business instincts, and a real knack for intuitively knowing the next move in their chosen field. You and your daughter no doubt fall into that category; you each made a thriving handcrafted bodycare business before others even saw the possibility. In fact, you were both trendsetters, given how early you started, and how well you did. Every time you share about something you did that worked, I file it away in my head (or bookmark it here) because I know it is gold.

It's true that those courses are expensive, and that you can get similar (non-soap-specific) business training online for free. But for a variety of reasons, other folks may need that very specific, step-by-step help and coaching in order to get their business going.

From what AxtFarm has shared, he sounds pretty business savvy already, but if he decides that such a course would help, now is the time to invest in it and take the tax loss while he can.

I know I am late in replying back but I have been in Winnemucca. You are correct we started back before the market was flooded, but even then we were late and had to rely on strong marketing skills where my daughter excelled. Where I had the edge was always being self-employed, (beauty salon) I had to be able to keep customers happy.

We were lucky that we started when a lot of promotional companies were putting together sample boxes for bloggers and individuals to purchase so we did a lot of them. They did get us business but the percentage was low. It was hard hard work, but I was always able to compete in outdoor markets with up to 10 other soapmakers selling.

The key for us was excellent products of course, but never let a paying customer leave without an extra goodie in their bag. Over-the-top customer care. We did make mistakes at times, especially online, when we had to correct an order they always received an "Oopsie Gift", which usually was about half the cost of the box if they were to purchase the item from our site. Of course, the oopsie gift did not cost us as much.

 

[AliOop]

I know I am late in replying back but I have been in Winnemucca. You are correct we started back before the market was flooded, but even then we were late and had to rely on strong marketing skills where my daughter excelled. Where I had the edge was always being self-employed, (beauty salon) I had to be able to keep customers happy.

We were lucky that we started when a lot of promotional companies were putting together sample boxes for bloggers and individuals to purchase so we did a lot of them. They did get us business but the percentage was low. It was hard hard work, but I was always able to compete in outdoor markets with up to 10 other soapmakers selling.

The key for us was excellent products of course, but never let a paying customer leave without an extra goodie in their bag. Over-the-top customer care. We did make mistakes at times, especially online, when we had to correct an order they always received an "Oopsie Gift", which usually was about half the cost of the box if they were to purchase the item from our site. Of course, the oopsie gift did not cost us as much.

Such excellent advice for those looking to get into soapy sales! Customer care will always win the day.

 

[SoapDaddy70]

I just want to hear what has worked and hasn't worked from others so I can try to avoid those things as well

This statement in itself is what is wrong with your approach in my opinion. You know how you find out what works? Make soap! The veteran soap makers on this forum put in the work and made batch after batch after batch and figured out what worked for them and what didn’t.