New here

[mamato4kids]

Hi,
My name is Robin, and I just completed my first 2 batches of soap. I just cut the first batch today, it was Lavender/Oatmeal and I LOVED IT! It came out perfectly. I just ordered labels for the soaps, and can't wait for the soap to cure and get it ready to sell! I have actually already sold my first bar on etsy.com!

My second batch will be ready to cut on Thursday, it was Shea Butter and Clove. I hope to have a great turn out for that too!

I started this whole soap making thing to help bring in some extra money for our household, we are a family of 6, I run another small business of my own, but my husband came up with this idea, and I am LOVING IT!

 

[Pamela]

Welcome Robin...let me tell you your going to love soap making...it's highly addicting. I keep ordering more and more stuff, so much I forget what I was going to make with some of the ingredients. I'm trying to stick with a few recipes but it's always fun to try something new even though I had some experiments not turn out. I've learned to experiment with 1.25 lb batches that way if it doesn't turn out it's not a big loss. Good luck with your new adventure!

 

[Hazel]

Hi Robin,

Welcome! I think it's great that you're excited about soapmaking and I really understand the desire to bring in extra money. However, we encourage people to make batches over a period of time so they can learn how soap will hold up over time, whether FOs fade or morph, etc. You don't want to start selling and then find out from your customers your soap has developed DOS or the fragrance has faded. Here's a link to a topic that discusses it in detail. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=17621

eta: I just realized you said you had cut the first batch today and already sold a bar. How can you sell a bar if the batch isn't even cured?

 

[mamato4kids]

Thanks Ladies
As for selling a bar already, i opened my etsy store and then told my cousin about it, she hopped on and bought some, i did tell her that it wouldnt be ready for another 3 weeks and she was fine with that. It was basically a pre-order. My etsy store has the bars listed as " pre-order" now, with a shipping date. I didn' t realize how excited my friends would be about it!

I am not making up my own recipes, i bought kits from a company so i assume with their ingredients and instructions followed to a "t" they will be ok. So far they look aesome!

 

[Genny]

Welcome to the forum. It's nice to see someone so excited about soap making We'd love to see pics of your soaps. We're "soap porn" lovers here

While soapmaking is quite enjoyable, there can be a lot of things that go wrong as well. That's why seasoned soap makers that have already been through all of the stuff that can go wrong suggest that new soapers not sell right away. There are so many things that can go wrong with the soap, even by following the recipe perfectly. Like, if you didn't reach true trace the soap could be lye heavy, which is dangerous. Or the soap could get dos. Or you may find that the clove is irritating to your skin. Or the fragrance fades after a few weeks, so now it's all gone. Or the fragrance is too heavy and is irritating to the skin. Or the color has completely morphed (which is only a cosmetic problem and not harmful, but it's a good thing to be aware of).
Usually in the beginning, we use the excited friends and family as testers, to help test our soaps and recipes.

Then there's the process of finding a good insurance company that will cover you and your business. There's not a lot of them that cover soap makers because of all the possible risks.

I in no way want to discourage you from soap making, I've been doing it for 7 years and I absolutely love it most of the time. I've got 5 kids and am a stay at home mom, so I definitely understand wanting to help bring in an income. I just started selling a few years ago and am now finally starting to see a profit. I've made money in the last few years, it's just that I spent about the same amount as all that in the last 7 years in testing, buying equipment, advertising, etc.

I hope you're not offended by what I've posted. I didn't post it to make you mad or to degrade you or anything. But a lot of new soapers are not aware of what's really involved in soap making before they sell. I see so many soap making suppliers and e books and stuff telling people how it's "Easy Money" and stuff, when in reality they are so far off.

 

[judymoody]

Hi Robin, welcome to the forum!

Just a word of advice, even if you are using a kit from a reputable vendor, I strongly advise you to run your figures through a lye calculator to make sure that your soap is balanced. I use this one: http://www.soapcalc.net

Sometimes measurement errors happen in the warehouse or by the soapmaker at home. It's always appropriate to check and double check your weights to make sure they are accurate. You wouldn't want to give or sell lye-heavy soap to anybody. I also recommend that you zap test and try it yourself before distributing it.

If you move on to formulating recipes, many recipes on the internet and even in books are unsafe or recommend the use of oils that go bad. Again, the lye calculator is your friend.

Personally, I agree with Hazel that it's prudent to wait at least a year before selling. You will not know how well your fragrance will hold up or how stable your recipe is. Do you want to put soap out there that has lost its scent or has started to go bad within a few months? While you may like the soap you are making now, in a year you will look back and realize how much better your soap has become. I wouldn't want to be judged by my earliest efforts. They were perfectly good useable soap but nothing out of the ordinary. The link Hazel recommended is a good one that covers the basics.