How do you test your new soap ?

[Guest]

When trying out a new soaps bubbles or lather I find myself counting to 10 as I rub the soap on my hands . Depending on the recipe I get lotion like lather ( my favorite) others tons of bubbles . After a cure , a bath or shower to see how my skin feels afterward . Then I hand them out to my testers . What is your standard test /tests ?

edited for missing info.

 

[ChrissyB]

I will wash my hands with a tiny sliver after I have cut into bars.
I generally try to let it cure a bit more before I take it into the shower.
I made a batch of maychang/pineapple the other night, and after it had gelled and cooled down and I cut it, I kept a small sliver and it was so creamy and bubly. I can't wait till this one has cured a bit more!

 

[Ganiggle]

I take it into the shower with me and test how my skin feels afterwards. Then I've been handing it out to my friends and family for them to try. So far, the reviews have been good

 

[LJA]

I do ChrissyB's method.

 

[dagmar88]

Give it to my husband. He's real fussy and loves to complain about... well almost everything So, perfect job for him
First the same as Chrissy, I use some scraps after cutting.
Then my DH picks the soap up, sniffs, uses it on his hands, showers with it the next day, gets totally exited, gives 3 different sorts of soap to everyone who walks in... Comes in really handy, cause all those people can give comments too.
And yes, after 2 weeks all my soap is gone and he starts complaining about how I know he can't use anything but my soap on his hands :roll:
Great excuse to start making some new batches

 

[oldragbagger]

My husband is also my first tester on every batch. And for better or worse, I can sure count on him to be honest!!! The only problem is, I have very dry skin and prefer superfatted, mild soaps with a creamy lather. He is a little more tough skinned and prefers the super bubbly, extra cleansing. So oftentimes his opinion of a soap and my opinion of the same soap do not jive. Go figure.

After the soap has passed muster with my husband and I, it then goes to neighbors, co-workers, daughter & grandkids and friends.

I also sometimes whack of little pieces early in the cure process. Just because I can't stand the wait.

 

[NatureandNurture]

I haven't really figured it out yet, I'm working on getting some people to test my small bars (I make 1 lb batches that yield 8 or so small 2.5 x 2" bars). However, I handed a couple to my mother to test (a feat in itself seeing as how she lives 300 miles away, on the other side of the state!), and also gave a bar to DH to test the other night. I can already see he's going to be useless, he didn't tell me a single thing about how the soap was! So I had to test it myself later that night.

 

[honor435]

i test on my hands first, then shower,
hubby will only use ones he likes the smell of, he likes more bubbles than creamy.
I try all my soaps in the shower, then go back to my notes and see what oils i used and decide if i will use that recipe again.
both my daughters are my testers, so they get lots of free soap!

 

[Guest]

I shave my legs with it.
Often, I can bathe with soap and think it's fine.

For the true test:
Test the CENTER of the bar (cut out a hotel-size bar from the center)
I shave my legs.
Don't use lotion or anything afterward.
In 3 to 4 hours look closely at my skin.
Are there squares/wrinkles/chapped areas?
Do my legs feel tight/dry/itchy?
Yep, shaving my legs is a true test of the mildness/moisturizing properties of soap.

 

[alwaysme07]

I cut a small chunk off and use it the next day for hand washing. I shaved with my soap yesterday and my legs look great .

 

[oldragbagger]

I shave my legs with it.
Often, I can bathe with soap and think it's fine.

For the true test:
I shave my legs.
Don't use lotion or anything afterward.
In 3 to 4 hours look closely at my skin.
Are there squares/wrinkles/chapped areas?
Do my legs feel tight/dry?
Yep, shaving my legs is a true test of the mildness/moisturizing properties of soap.

I like this idea and will be giving it a try in the future!!

 

[artisan soaps]

..

 

[Artephius]

I shave my legs with it.
Often, I can bathe with soap and think it's fine.

For the true test:
I shave my legs.
Don't use lotion or anything afterward.
In 3 to 4 hours look closely at my skin.
Are there squares/wrinkles/chapped areas?
Do my legs feel tight/dry?
Yep, shaving my legs is a true test of the mildness/moisturizing properties of soap.

I like this idea and will be giving it a try in the future!!

I second! That's a great idea for testing, and I'm definitely going to use it. I have fairly easygoing skin (give me a 100% coconut bar with a decent super fat and call me happy), so sometimes it's hard for me to know how others are going to react to my soap. But, shaving is definitely a true test.

 

[MikeInPdx]

First I test it with my tongue for zap.

Then I try a sliver on my hands to see how the bubbles are.

Then I try a bath/shower a couple of weeks in to see how my skin feels.

At four-six weeks, I hand them out to testers, and continue my own testing on hands and body.