Gifted soaps. Are they being used?

[lucycat]

I think it is hard as a soap maker to not give soap as gifts. Over time, I know that a few people who get soap that haven't before will eventually buy. I also learn if it is the husband or wife who uses and put in scents accordingly. For family sometimes it is just best for a big basket and people choose. Then the people who won't use it defer to people who do.

 

[MrsZ]

I think maybe about a quarter or less of the people I have gifted soap have actually mentioned it again. Out of that, I have a few who really love it, and some who like it but like liquid body wash better. I even have one relative who says that they love it, and asks for more each year, but has told me that I need to give it to them for free because we're family.

I think everyone likes to receive it as a gift. Whether they use it or not is a different story.

 

[basti]

I need to give it to them for free because we're family.

Family gets charged double

(Joking, of course!)

 

[Soaped]

I gift my soaps to friends and family. I have some people who love them and encourage me to sell, I have other persons who say they are too pretty to use. I tend to continue to gift them to the people who tell me they like or those who ask. I respect the fact that my bar soap obsession isn't everyone else's, imagine that!!! . When I first started giving away soap I had to tell people it's because I make them and I love it and not that they smell bad .

I actually do keep cured soaps that I love the smell inbetween towels in my linen closet, and in a cosmetic stand under my bedside table. My friends are always amused when they come over and they meet a random bar of soap that I had hidden.

I hear the same ”too pretty” comment - but as I DO keep some of my soap in my socks and undies drawer, i just suggest to my friends that storing with clothing is a perfectly good spot until it’s needed in the sink or tub . Storing in the wardrobe keeps it dry and dust-free!

 

[user 56151]

I have some friends and family who absolutely love my soap and won’t use anything else. I post soap to my sister and sister-in-law. Normally 5 kilos to my sister about 3 - 4 times a year, her husband is obsessed with it. My sister-in-law gets 3kilos a couple of times a year. I love giving it to people who appreciate it. I have a neighbour, male, who says it’s the only soap that doesn’t make him itchy. I keep all of my family in soap, son, daughter, spouses and grandchildren. I don’t get any feedback from some people I give it to. My husband’s brother and wife never comment on it. Some friends I give it to ask if they can buy it ( I don’t sell ) and some I don’t get any feedback. I know a lot of people will only use body wash because they don’t get the build up of scum in their showers.

 

[Obsidian]

I stopped gifting pretty soaps. I want them to be used so I just do a simple one color swirl in a white base or maybe completely uncolored. No pretty tops, no fancy textures, not even glitter.

 

[Zing]

Lookit what you done started here!! Please feel free to send all cookies my way.

My friends and family are all over the place. I got sooo frustrated with my beloved sister who displayed my soaps for years because they were too nice to use. She now uses my soap, and her hubby is totally into my soap and lotion bars (he's a ruff 'n' tumble guy, not someone you'd expect to be into self-care) for the health benefits.

I have several friends into homemade soap because of less packaging and appreciating the skin benefits. Several friends know soap makers and appreciate what goes into the hobby. Several friends will place special orders with me for their own gift-giving. I freely give out my soap to friends and family -- I only charge if they want several to give to people I don't know.

And mostly people go ga ga over my lotion bars.

 

[AliOop]

And mostly people go ga ga over my lotion bars.

Yup, including my good friend who said it was the first time she didn't have cracked and bleeding skin during the winter. Which reminds me, she made me swear that when it got cold, I'd make her more of "Zing's Magic" as she called it. It's starting to get cold here, so I'd better go make some!

 

[Zing]

Yup, including my good friend who said it was the first time she didn't have cracked and bleeding skin during the winter. Which reminds me, she made me swear that when it got cold, I'd make her more of "Zing's Magic" as she called it. It's starting to get cold here, so I'd better go make some!

Zing's Magic!! Love it love it love it! Evidently, I have a cult following!

I've shared this ad nauseum, but for decades I resigned myself to cracked and bleeding fingers every Midwest winter and literally used Super Glu to treat my hands. Tell your friend she just made my week!

 

[LidiaG]

Hi everyone ☺
Here I am thinking to make soaps to gift for Christmas.
But I have this in my head. Are my gifted soaps being used?
I have gifted some soaps in the pasts and most people don't really make any comments about the soaps I had given them.
So does that mean that they weren't used?
What do you think ? Should I go back to making cookies?
Thank you! Any suggestions/guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone ☺
Thank you so much for taking your time to reply! It's been giving me so much to think about.

My main issue was, why do something different (make soaps) when what you were doing before was being appreciated (sweet treats)

Sometimes you just want to do something different!!! we're creative people aren't we!? and I'm on a soap roll! So guess what? You're going to be getting soaps!

So I have decided to make 2 baskets, one with personal care and cleaning items and another one with sweet treats. I'll let my friends and co-workers choose what they want.

Yes I'm asking for feedback and that's helping me decide to know what I'll put into the baskets. So excited about this!

Now @Zing these lotion bars!? I need to try this right now! Winter here in Ottawa is brutal on our skin.

Would you mind to share one your recipes? Pleeease I couldn't find it on the search.

Ohh man! What am I getting myself into?
More work! I know! I don't mind! It's all worth it when others appreciate and like what you're making for them

 

[user 56151]

I make a lotion bar using Wholeelise’s recipe. I’ve tried a few but I love this one. I use it in the shower just before I get out. You can find the recipe on her website wholeelise.com or on YouTube.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Here's my recipe, recently tweaked because my prior recipe was too soft and broke up easily in our summer time:

Carnauba Wax	10%
Cocoa Butter	20%
Soy Wax	25%
Shea Butter	18%
CO	7%
Apricot Kernel	13%
Meadowfoam	6%
ROE	0%
FO	1%

I'm thinking I may re-jig this yet again because it's quite hard now ( although we are coming into summer again now so will see how we go). I pretty much copied from @Zing - with his blessing of course ( he gave the recipe most generously) and then tweaked it to be vegan (all of my products are vegan so I can't use beeswax). Essentially it's a third each of wax, butter and oils. So if you break mine down it's 35% wax, 38% butter, and 26% oils - that leaves approx 1% for fragrance and i add a drop or two of ROE as a preservative.
If I tweak this again I would probably take the carnauba and cocoa butter down a notch because they are the most expensive, adding the difference mostly to shea butter and maybe a bit more soy.
I also think my bars are too big and I might make 'chocolate' sized ones using candy molds. Big bars last too long and I think they can go a bit manky looking.

 

[Zing]

Lotion bars:
1/3 beeswax
1/3 butter
1/3 oil
1% vitamin E oil
1% essential oil

For butter, I much prefer mango butter. For oil, I use one or more of apricot kernel, jojoba, meadowfoam seed oil. For essential oil, friends love lavender-scented and the clove-scented.

 

[meepocow]

Hi everyone ☺
Thank you so much for taking your time to reply! It's been giving me so much to think about.

My main issue was, why do something different (make soaps) when what you were doing before was being appreciated (sweet treats)

Sometimes you just want to do something different!!! we're creative people aren't we!? and I'm on a soap roll! So guess what? You're going to be getting soaps!

So I have decided to make 2 baskets, one with personal care and cleaning items and another one with sweet treats. I'll let my friends and co-workers choose what they want.

Yes I'm asking for feedback and that's helping me decide to know what I'll put into the baskets. So excited about this!

Now @Zing these lotion bars!? I need to try this right now! Winter here in Ottawa is brutal on our skin.

Would you mind to share one your recipes? Pleeease I couldn't find it on the search.

Ohh man! What am I getting myself into?
More work! I know! I don't mind! It's all worth it when others appreciate and like what you're making for them

Just wanted to say, I finally found another Ottawa soaper on here! Hit me up if you're ever placing an order for soap supplies, I'll be glad to throw in some items of my own and split the shipping with you for a local pick-up lol.

I don't think you can truly comprehend -40-50 C until it hits you lol. As a Toronto native, I almost froze my first winter here! First order of business was buying a real, proper winter coat.

 

[LidiaG]

Lotion bars:
1/3 beeswax
1/3 butter
1/3 oil
1% vitamin E oil
1% essential oil

For butter, I much prefer mango butter. For oil, I use one or more of apricot kernel, jojoba, meadowfoam seed oil. For essential oil, friends love lavender-scented and the clove-scented.

Thank you so much!

Just wanted to say, I finally found another Ottawa soaper on here! Hit me up if you're ever placing an order for soap supplies, I'll be glad to throw in some items of my own and split the shipping with you for a local pick-up lol.

I don't think you can truly comprehend -40-50 C until it hits you lol. As a Toronto native, I almost froze my first winter here! First order of business was buying a real, proper winter coat.

It's a small world after all!
Hey I remember you! You did an amazing job with the Zany no slime castile soap! Great job! Looks beautiful!
It's on my to do list.

Hit me up if you're ever placing an order for soap supplies

Will do! Thank you

 

[LidiaG]

Lotion bars:
1/3 beeswax
1/3 butter
1/3 oil
1% vitamin E oil
1% essential oil

For butter, I much prefer mango butter. For oil, I use one or more of apricot kernel, jojoba, meadowfoam seed oil. For essential oil, friends love lavender-scented and the clove-scented.

Hi Zing!
Finally had time to make them.
I love mango butter ❤
They are lovely. I make some in small deodorant to use as lip balm or to take them to rub on the hands to go. I used orange EO
Thank you so much!