hello from Vietnam

[Zeb Lisik]

First time poster but I've read quite a bit here. I've been using soapmakingfriends calculator for a while as my preferred calculator. I'm from Canada and the USA but I now live in Vietnam, sadly there's some soapy products that can't be found here.

I haven't been making soap very long but thank you for all the info I've already had the benefit of reading here. Recently I find myself in a soap start up side business. Soaping has been a lot of fun so far and I aim to continue the good times even while attempting to monetize it.

My purpose in coming here is to learn and contribute if possible.

Thanks!
Zeb

 

[shunt2011]

Hello and welcome! I see you're curing your soap on a metal rack. That's a huge error. It can cause DOS (rancidity) reaction between the soap and metal. You need t line them with something. Freezer paper, parchment paper etc... I use needlepoint plastic. Also, selling before how you know how your soaps will be in 3/6/12 months is not a good idea. You may get customer cut will lose customers as well if your soap goes rancid, loses its sce etc..... take time and learn the process, learn your recipes and see how they go long term.

 

[Millie]

Welcome Zeb

 

[sirtim100]

A very warm welcome, Zeb!

And good luck with your venture!

 

[Zeb Lisik]

thanks! haha I checked and some seem to be coated in something plastic like while others are just metal. The needle point plastic looks useful, I haven't seem that in ages =) While I am new, the others are not so. However we are in the initial planning and experimental phase -- but it is well advised. haha I have read that sticky in the business forum already, thank you.

Hello and welcome! I see you're curing your soap on a metal rack. That's a huge error. It can cause DOS (rancidity) reaction between the soap and metal. You need t line them with something. Freezer paper, parchment paper etc... I use needlepoint plastic. Also, selling before how you know how your soaps will be in 3/6/12 months is not a good idea. You may get customer cut will lose customers as well if your soap goes rancid, loses its sce etc..... take time and learn the process, learn your recipes and see how they go long term.

 

[Relle]

Welcome Zeb .

Soap is not all about money, Shunt gave you great info before you should start to sell. Please don't put the cart before the horse.

 

[lsg]

Good Morning Vietnam!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

WOW! what an impressive array of different kinds of soap. Well done! I'm looking forward to seeing more and watching your business prosper. Thanks for sharing!

 

[melinda48]

First time poster but I've read quite a bit here. I've been using soapmakingfriends calculator for a while as my preferred calculator. I'm from Canada and the USA but I now live in Vietnam, sadly there's some soapy products that can't be found here.

I haven't been making soap very long but thank you for all the info I've already had the benefit of reading here. Recently I find myself in a soap start up side business. Soaping has been a lot of fun so far and I aim to continue the good times even while attempting to monetize it.

My purpose in coming here is to learn and contribute if possible.

Thanks!
Zeb

Welcome! There is so much to learn and you are in the right place to make that happen!!

 

[Kiti Williams]

First time poster but I've read quite a bit here. I've been using soapmakingfriends calculator for a while as my preferred calculator. I'm from Canada and the USA but I now live in Vietnam, sadly there's some soapy products that can't be found here.

I haven't been making soap very long but thank you for all the info I've already had the benefit of reading here. Recently I find myself in a soap start up side business. Soaping has been a lot of fun so far and I aim to continue the good times even while attempting to monetize it.

My purpose in coming here is to learn and contribute if possible.

Thanks!
Zeb

Hello and welcome! You could use peanut oil or sesame oil as add ins to your base oil. You may have to go to Lard and Tallow, since I believe those are more common in the East. I know that my stay in South Korea showed me that Olive Oil was not easy to come by except via the Commissary.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome, Zeb!

As long as your metal cure racks are coated, you should be fine! I've always use coated metal racks to mine and have never had a problem. Mine (from Pampered Chef) are coated with some kind of black silicone or plastic.


IrishLass

 

[GossamerMaven]

Welcome, Zeb - It looks like your soaping craft is well on its way. Wishing you all the best in your soapmaking endeavors.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I aim to continue the good times even while attempting to monetize it.

Good thinking. Having a way for your hobby/business to support itself so you can buy more soap making supplies is a sure way to keep the cycle going.

 

[Zeb Lisik]

Hello and welcome! You could use peanut oil or sesame oil as add ins to your base oil. You may have to go to Lard and Tallow, since I believe those are more common in the East. I know that my stay in South Korea showed me that Olive Oil was not easy to come by except via the Commissary.

Thanks for the suggestions. I've considered these oils but two things make me wary: 1) customer perception of nut allergies -- while most born and bread asians don't have many allergies, a large part of our target market are foreigners, many of which are on the look out for peanut products .... 2) both oils are on the higher end of lenoleic FA % -- shelf life is something I'm trying to keep an eye on esp since this is such a humid and hot part of the world! I've been able to easily source medium-oleic canola which should do nicely for an affordable, slow trace, clear, conditioning oil.

Welcome, Zeb!

As long as your metal cure racks are coated, you should be fine! I've always use coated metal racks to mine and have never had a problem. Mine (from Pampered Chef) are coated with some kind of black silicone or plastic.


IrishLass

Haha thanks. I've been trying to research this topic. As a baking tool cooling racks are exactly cheap in Vietnam. Can you show me what yours look like? I've scraped off some of the outer layer and its metal underneath. I'm betting its the same as yours, it seems pretty inconspicuous and the same as the ones back home in the USA/Canada. I think we will stay with these coated metal racks for the short term. I've discussed it a bit with my partners and I think plastic stacking racks would be the long term plan.

WOW! what an impressive array of different kinds of soap. Well done! I'm looking forward to seeing more and watching your business prosper. Thanks for sharing!
View attachment 42709

haha thanks. The experience pool is not large, especially with more 'modern' techniques. So there's been a lot of fun mistakes haha color interactions with EOs and their exciting morphing has been a lot of fun haha its past time to do some rebatching xD

 

[KiwiMoose]

Hi and welcome Zeb!

Maybe @Dawni might be able to chip in with some suggestions of other oils that are more prevalent in your part of the world. She's in the Philipines .

 

[Dawni]

Hallo Zeb

Not sure how similar our markets will be, but from the supermarket I have access to the following:

What I use:
Coconut oil - very cheap
Rice bran oil - a lil more than coconut
Mid oleic canola - lil more than RBO
Mid oleic sunflower oil - lil more than canola
Grapeseed oil
Pure olive oil
Avocado oil

I've stopped buying pomace

What I haven't tried that I see there:
Soybean oil
Peanut oil
Walnut oil
Extra virgin olive oil - expensive for me

From soaping suppliers online I get the following:
Cocoa butter
Shea butter
Mango butter
Sweet almond oil
Castor oil

Been meaning to get sesame oil (not the toasted one) but I haven't so far.

I found lard in the wet market. No idea where to get tallow nearby. I found someone who sells it online but it ships from another island and costs more than my shea butter.

Hope that helps you some?

Hope that helps

 

[Zeb Lisik]

@Dawni Thanks for the detailed reply. My experience seems very similar, I guess that's a bit reassuring? haha
For the life of me I can't find high-oleic sunflower and canola. Almost all sunflower here is imported from Russia and is +70% polyunsaturated! Avocado and walnut oil is very expensive here, and probably not very fresh.
I think we raise and eat more cows here in Vietnam; I believe tallow, lard and chicken fat would be pretty easy to get here. But I'd probably have to process it myself haha I've rendered lard and chicken fat for cooking purposes but I don't think I want to make that commitment. For now we're avoiding animal fats.
Whats your coconut oil like? We've bought it commercially processed and from local traditional makers (like a relative's husbands mom); I just got to the bottom of a 5L container last night and found some scummy, solids, about 4cm long. I'm thinking something was growing in there since I received it. I'm wondering if we should use this coconut oil for soap at all?

 

[Dawni]

Avocado is one of my "luxury" oils lol it's not as expensive as say argan or rosehip but it's about 3x the cost of my RBO so I only use a little of it. Same goes with sweet almond.

Pity about the animal fats. Lard makes great soap, and very cheap. Like very... I guess it's reverse here, more pork eaters than expensive beef hehe.

The coconut oil I use for soap is RBD. It's the cooking oil most households use and is a local brand. I've not tried unrefined coconut oil yet. For home use I'd use that still, but strained, maybe for laundry or kitchen soap. I assume the lye monster will take care of any bits n pieces, as long as their not organic lol

 

[Zany_in_CO]

haha thanks. The experience pool is not large, especially with more 'modern' techniques. So there's been a lot of fun mistakes haha color interactions with EOs and their exciting morphing has been a lot of fun haha its past time to do some rebatching xD

Sounds familiar... and "normal". Hang in there. It won't be long before all these issues are in the rearview mirror.

 

[TheGecko]

First time poster but I've read quite a bit here. I've been using soapmakingfriends calculator for a while as my preferred calculator. I'm from Canada and the USA but I now live in Vietnam, sadly there's some soapy products that can't be found here.

Hello and welcome.

Constance Wang is a soaper from Taiwan on YouTube and she often lists her ingredients and uses a lot of different oils. Another option is to go soap shopping and see what is being used...a quick search showed a lot of soaps with Coconut Oil and Rice Bran Oil.