packaging soaps

[pik]

We want to prepare a try me box for our first soaps and want to give friends a small box with samples of our soap.

I have a question - how do we contain the smell of each individual soap? Is there a tissue-wrap special paper we can use to wrap each soap bar? Or are we over-thinking this?

Any advice much appreciated.

Sue

 

[Lin19687]

Over thinking............. if this just for friends then it wouldn't really matter.
Just wrap each in something like wax paper or maybe even coffee filter?

 

[amd]

I would wrap in saran wrap (cling film, whatever name floats your boat) and hit it with a hair dryer. [I mean, turn the air dryer on high to cause the cling film to shrink around the soap, please don't abuse the soap by literally hitting it] Or quicker just wrap in a plastic sandwich baggie. I tend to go to towards plastic rather than wax paper or coffee filter for better keeping scents from mingling, but go with whatever floats your ecofriendly heart. Most of the time if the scents mingle, they'll go back to their true scent fairly quickly after being separated. I would only worry if you're putting large amounts (I'm talking 50+ bars) of different scented soaps together. If you're putting together 4 or 5 bars, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[earlene]

Susie, like, amd says, shrink wrapping helps keep the fragrance in. I have used plastic food wrap with a blow dryer just to test it out and it does work, but I'd add an air hole to allow for a bit of a 'sniffy hole'. A little pin prick or a small slit with scissors is sufficient and it won't lead to scent loss.

What process are you using to make your soaps? If they are Melt & Pour, then you can shrink wrap fairly soon, although I think there are a couple of MP bases that do better if left out to the air for a bit first (I don't recall which ones those are, though). But Cold Process soap needs sufficient air flow to cure, so immediate shrink wrapping is not a good idea. HP soap if made with a lot of water to keep it fluid will need sufficient air flow as well, so I would wait at least 4 weeks before shrink wrapping either CP or HP soaps.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

KISS -- Keep it Simple Sweetie... In a recent swap with another soaper, we both just used brown paper bags... like the ones used for wine bottles... just the right size for a bar of soap... ingredients were hand written on the bags.

 

[Hayla58]

Over thinking............. if this just for friends then it wouldn't really matter.
Just wrap each in something like wax paper or maybe even coffee filter?

I would try tissue paper . I believe its biodegradable . Always thinking the environmental impact!!!

Carolyn

I would wrap in saran wrap (cling film, whatever name floats your boat) and hit it with a hair dryer. [I mean, turn the air dryer on high to cause the cling film to shrink around the soap, please don't abuse the soap by literally hitting it] Or quicker just wrap in a plastic sandwich baggie. I tend to go to towards plastic rather than wax paper or coffee filter for better keeping scents from mingling, but go with whatever floats your ecofriendly heart. Most of the time if the scents mingle, they'll go back to their true scent fairly quickly after being separated. I would only worry if you're putting large amounts (I'm talking 50+ bars) of different scented soaps together. If you're putting together 4 or 5 bars, I wouldn't worry about it.

Plastic is so bad for the environment right now . try biodegradable tissue paper or just stick the label on the soap itself...
Good Luck
Carolyn

 

[Relle]

Welcome Hayla, as you are new would you like to go to the Intro forum and tell a little about yourself and your soaping etc.

 

[lucycat]

Do you expect the soap to be used or just set out in a bathroom? Scent blending may happen when the soaps are dry but once in the shower the outer surface is washed off and the bar scent is present. I think most make too big a deal about scent blending and I don't worry about it. I give packages of 3-4 bars wrapped together most of the time. It makes a pretty package; nicer looking to me shrink wrapped.

 

[Sharee]

Do you expect the soap to be used or just set out in a bathroom? Scent blending may happen when the soaps are dry but once in the shower the outer surface is washed off and the bar scent is present. I think most make too big a deal about scent blending and I don't worry about it. I give packages of 3-4 bars wrapped together most of the time. It makes a pretty package; nicer looking to me shrink wrapped.

Do not essential oils and fragrances last in MP soaps? Are you saying that 1.) if it gets wet because its being used the smell will go away... and 2.) if i made a batch of soaps say like 40...i cant let them sit out? They have to be shrink wrapped or the smell is gone? Or am i reading wrong. I LOVE the smells of some of the bramble berry stuff and Id really LOVE the smell to stay for myself and the ones I give out...

 

[lucycat]

I don't do MP; all of my soaps are CP. I do not shrink wrap but use cigar bands for soap that I sell at fairs and have multiple scents in a tray next to each other. My response is about the "blending" of scents when you have two bars sitting next to each other or wrapped together in a sack/box and not shrink wrapped. Since I make CP shrink wrap isn't a necessity and I like the cigar band look at fairs.

I am saying that the fragrance is throughout the bar. When the soap gets wet in the shower you are exposing a new layer of the soap and scent. Most of us have used a soap that we thought the scent was too light when it was sitting out but just fine in the shower. The outer soap layer was washed away and we smell the scent again. (Not always; because there are plenty of scents that fade away completely from lots of suppliers).

At fairs I see soapers who do lots of things to keep a cherry soap not touching a gardenia soap or putting dividers between the mint soaps; lots of things to keep the scent of one bar separate from another bar. I am not one of those people. I package cello gift sacks with two or three different scents in the same gift sack. I think any "blending" of the scents is only the outermost layer of soap. So, I don't worry about it. When the person uses the soap the lavender won't smell like cherry or mint or whatever else was in the sack. My opinion.

The person who purchases soap to sit in a drawer and never puts the soap in the shower/tub may notice the blending of two scents when I package the cherry with the lavender. since the soap never gets wet to wash off the top layer. Its just like I can't always tell what scents are on my curing rack when I open the door into the room. I smell the impression of all the different scents rather than a specific one.

 

[Sharee]

From what Branbleberry said.. if you store them... then an air tight plastic wrap is recommended.

 

[Lin19687]

From what Branbleberry said.. if you store them... then an air tight plastic wrap is recommended.

NOT everyone wants to use PLASTIC just so you know

 

[Sharee]

NOT everyone wants to use PLASTIC just so you know

I agree! What other options would you suggest.

 

[dixiedragon]

Individual soap boxes are one option.
paper is another. Some people here are using Cricut to make their own boxes from pretty paper from the craftstore.

I like deli paper - it's cheap and somewhat water resistant.

I also like to raid the Free bin at 2nd and Charles and use pages from books. If you want to go that route, you'll need to try out some books until you learn to recognize the feel of the paper you want. Thick paper actually doesn't work very well - when you fold it around the soap, tears tend to develop on the corners. I like to use the old college lit books - the thin pages are very foldable, plus I like wrapping things in Shakespeare, etc. I also keep a look out for books with colored pictures. The subject almost doesn't matter - you just want the color.

I've thought that math or science themed soap could be cool, wrapped in pages from old text books.

 

[Sultana]

I wrap my soaps in shrink wrap. There are some biodegradable options out there. I know a lot of people are on the hate plastic bandwagon but personally I would rather keep my soap free and clear of people's and especially children's hands that may not be the cleanest.

 

[Sharee]

Agreed! I think i will wrap in plastic to keep the smell in and then wrap that in a design of my choice. I really like the cigar look design.

 

[dixiedragon]

You can also use glassine bags, like these:
https://www.papermart.com/p/flat-glassine-bags/3643

I got I think 1ooo for about $15 from a local restaurant supply store.

 

[cmzaha]

Like Sultana, I still use shrink wrap bags and do not apologize for it. Sadly the biodegradable is just too expensive to use so I have to go with regular shrink wrap bags. Most of my customers will not purchase a naked bar of soap due to cleanliness. Of course, I am selling at a hospital, so employees and patients are very aware of cleanliness. But even in any of the markets, I have done over the years customers would complement on all soaps being wrapped. Glassine bags do work but just do not look as nice when selling. If I am sending a soap to a forum member, friend or family I usually just use grease resistant sandwich wrap if the soap has not already been wrapped. It does work just fine.

 

[Sharee]

You can also use glassine bags, like these:
https://www.papermart.com/p/flat-glassine-bags/3643

I got I think 1ooo for about $15 from a local restaurant supply store.

thats cheap! But I don’t think they would seal the smell in would they?

 

[cmzaha]

they will if you tape the bag closed.