Rhino hide and soap testing

[Derpina Bubbles]

I think I'm more covered in rhino hide than human skin. I make a soap or buy one and use it and my skin is "Oooooo that's lovely". This is using it on my face included. I can use any soap I make on my face. I can get a cheapy from the supermarket. I mean 4 for $2 stuff. Yep. All good. I change the oil in the car, get a blob on my face, "Ooooo that's lovely".

So you get the general idea. I give out soaps to family and friends to try as my testers. I ask for honest feedback. "Ooooo that's lovely" they say. Right, now I've read enough on here to know that they can't all have rhino hide too. Friends and rels are telling me only nice things. My soaps aren't magical all rounders. I've had just my sister react to FOs.

So the question is, how does one work out if a soap is really good for different skin types? I look at the different properties of the oils and so forth, try and make soaps for different peeps but if the testers just nod and go with everything what do you do? I told em showing love and care is giving me true and honest feedback I can work with. I'd be excited to hear about a reaction lol. I'm not sensitive about hearing negative things. I live to learn.

*ok apart from when my hubby told me my coffee scrub bar was too scratchy so I told him to man up because I'm his wife and it's my job to take the Mickey out of him.

 

[Obsidian]

I'm the exact opposite of you. Every CP bar I've bought or traded for is too harsh for me to use. I've found I need at minimum a SF of 8% and preferably a cleansing number around 13.

Its hard to get good feedback from family, they just tell me either they like it or they don't, no real reason for their choice. I think getting another soaper to test your soap is good way to go, at least they will understand how to critique it properly. I like doing trades with other forum members.

Since I'm getting ready to sell this year, I came up with a recipe that is tolerable for my skin but seems to be great for the majority of people. It has a high enough cleansing number to clean well but a high enough SF for people with dry skin. I've also decided to stop using coconut oil as it can irritate some people, I've switched to palm kernel instead and I can really feel the difference.

Side note, my hubby didn't like my coffee soap either. He said it felt like gravel lol. I'm saving it for grubby hands this summer.

 

[Soaplily]

I have a little questionnaire that I give with my soap asking very specific questions. If I don't give the questionnaire, the only feedback I get is "It's good. I like it. It's soap, what do you want me to say?" The questionnaire helps the tester focus on the details.

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

2 genius moves -Having another soaper try my soaps would be like the ultimate test and having the feedback form for the norms that are trying them is brilliant, which is why I never thought to do either of them. I have the mental acuity of wet sponge cake. Cheers for those ideas.

 

[PinkCupcake]

I had wondered about a questionnaire to give when I give out my soaps. Maybe I'll work one up. Thanks for the idea, Soaplily!

 

[QueenBeeSoap]

I give out soaps to family and friends to try as my testers. I ask for honest feedback. "Ooooo that's lovely" they say. Right, now I've read enough on here to know that they can't all have rhino hide too. Friends and rels are telling me only nice things.

I get the same thing too! My friends and family are just excited to receive handmade soap and are surprised that I actually made it myself. They want to know how I made it, and I'll hear about the scents and designs they liked best, but the feedback is usually along the lines of "I loved it!" - which is great, but not too useful from the standpoint of improving my soap.

On the other hand, I had a relative who tried a bar of my soap only once and said their skin was very sensitive and my soap was not mild enough with no other explanation, then went back to using detergent based soap. (?!) Again, I couldn't try to change anything based on this feedback because he was not interested in using handmade soap - years of trial and error had told him that his preferred brand of grocery store soap was the only thing that would work for his skin.

The only person I get useful feedback on my soaps from is my husband. I used to think that he was just less afraid to hurt my feelings, but I think a big part of it is that he also just hears me talking about making soap all the time, so he has the knowledge of the process and qualities that are important to intelligently assess my soap (though I sometimes have to defend my extra scrubby bars like the coffee soap - I love them, he hates them!). Well meaning friends & family might know that they enjoyed your soap but not know exactly what they liked about it, just like I could tell you if I enjoyed a good meal but I'd make a poor food critic.

 

[Lin]

Anyone willing to share the questionnaire they use? Thats the method I'm wanting to use to get feedback but haven't put together one yet. Seeing someones would help me get it done!

 

[neeners]

I'm finding this too. I've gotten "great bubbles" or "not drying" and of course "I love it!", but I have heard someone didn't enjoy the scent on one (which I didn't particularly like either so my feelings weren't hurt), but the other told me they had a sticky residue (I posted a thread on this). oh well. I'm just going to stick with a recipe of oils and butters I can easily get, and just make it. I think, unless you educate people really well on soap making, I think they will think they're all good. I mean, I didn't know about the nuances before making it.....

 

[Susie]

Having a form is a brilliant idea. Hence why I did not think of it either. If someone is unwilling to give up their form to the potential competition, I can understand that. However, I am sure we can come up with a good list of questions if we put our heads together.

1. What type of skin do you have? Oily, Normal, Dry
2. Any allergies?_____________________________
3. Any rashes right now? Yes/No
If yes, from what?_______________________
4. Do you like the scent? Yes/No
5. Why or why not?___________________________
6. ?

 

[fuzz-juzz]

So far, I haven't got any negative feedback only positive. Mainly about how nice skin feels and how my soaps are not drying but clean well. Regarding fragrance, general feedback is that it's all good. Husband and few other male family members don't mind flowery or girly fragrances.
My brother is a big fan of my soaps, I've sent him few including few bars from batch that got DOS. Apparently he won't be throwing them away as long as they serve the purpose of cleaning. He doesn't mind rancid fragrance.
Kids are fans of my charcoal soap as their acne is reducing especially in our teenage daughter. She gets really great feedback from her friends about how clean her skin is.
But all in all, no I don't get much of a detailed feedback it's all good, fragrances, different recipes that I've tried, milks, etc. it's all same to everyone.
I only get requests from my 6 year old. She requested rose soap which I made. Next in the line is strawberry FO soap. And maybe rainbow coloured if I get courage to mess with 6-7 colors.