Surely I am not the only one?

[Ruthie]

I absolutely LOVE looking at the photos of the beautiful soaps some of you talented people make. But personally I do not have the desire to get so fancy. Now I love making beautiful things (quilts, crafts and clothing), but if a friend or customer were to buy one of my soaps and say "this is too pretty to use," it would break my heart! I want them to be enjoyed for how they feel on one's skin. I want them to say "that is the best my skin has ever felt after a shower." I'm thinking I would not be much better off if they used it for a sachet, though hopefully after the scent faded they might go ahead and use it for its intended purpose....

I know my over-practical side is showing. But I can't help being who I am.

 

[melstan775]

No I get it. I love pretty soap but I like the less fancy ones too. A good smelling solid bar of soap is more likely to make it to the shower then a cupcake. I'm also more attracted to those ones. Clean designs emphasize the idea of clean handmade soap, at less to me. But I do love the pretty ones for their beauty and artistic value.

 

[deb8907]

I agree with Melstan. I think there is a place for both, the fancy soaps and the more practical soaps that make it into the shower. You know, different strokes. The fancy soaps make nice gifts and are also nice for the powder room. My boys definitely prefer a great smelling rustic bar that makes it into the shower.

 

[ruby61]

Definitely agree. I like fancy soaps too and get great ideas from all the soap blogs but some are just too nice to use and afraid would sit in my bathroom and gather dust. I love the cupcakes i see people making, but do people really use them?

 

[2lilboots]

I have a different take on this. Growing up my mother always had fancy soaps in all the bathrooms and in the guest rooms. We were not allowed to touch them. I always wanted to use them because they were so pretty and smelled so nice. That is why I make fancy cupcakes and rose embellished soaps so I would actually get the chance to use a pretty soap.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Here's my take on it:
You should make the kind of soap you like and everyone else be damned...of course.

However, if you're selling, you have to consider what type of consumer you are trying to attract, and go in that direction.
Some people are very aesthetic and love to just look at "purty things"...it can be unscented soap, but if its shaped into a neon pink rose bouquet...they want it.
Some people want function...they could care less that it took you 6 months to do that cool hanger swirl correctly. They want soap that cleans and leaves their skin soft. If it smells good, then, bonus!
Some people want a bit of all of it...soap that is pleasing to the eye and smells good that will leave their skin feeling glorious.
If you don't fit into a "niche" market, and you want to reach the most people...then make a little of all of it.

I personally appreciate scent over looks where soap is concerned. All soaps start to look the same wet in the shower...and it seems that people don't want to pay for the extra hard work that goes into those beautiful highly artistic soaps. If I piped roses and leaves and made cupcakes and the like the way 2lilboots does (I am envious! :-D:mrgreen: ) I would want $100 per soap...that's a lot of work! Ok, maybe not $100, but you get my point. And while I think my soaps look good, my soaps are probably more for scent and function than looks. I don't do hanger swirls, peacock swirls, mantra swirls, piped roses, cupcakes, neon colors...but I do have fluffy tops...and they smell awesome and are great for your skin...and that's how I like it

 

[S_S]

I absolutely love looking at the photos of the fancy soaps and I can appreciate the effort, creativity and most of all patience that it takes to make them. Personally I make what I would use and I use color free scented soap so that's the direction my soap making is headed. My mom does buy and use fancy soap, her bathroom is full of them.

Edited to say that I do feel a slight pang of sadness when I see a suds up fancy soap in mom's bathroom. I know how long it took to make that beautiful soap and how quickly it was destroyed.

 

[green soap]

For me scent is what makes a sale, the soap properties keeps them coming back for more. I do not have 'decorated' soaps, but inevitably some are prettier than others. The pretty ones get more attention, but they do not get bought that much, unless they also have a great scent. People are not willing to pay more for pretty or decorated soaps unless it is for a present. Also, I have a lot of male customers, they appreciate swirls, but most prefer plain and simple.

Some of my fuglys sell well if they have a great scent. Before Christmas I made a batch with a scent of my own design, that was inspired by spending Christmas in my town. It has some spice EOs, I stupidly added dark chocolate which takes a high T to melt, long story short, it separated and I had to stick blend it right in the mold. It was brown all over with a little orange on the bottom edges (I intended a brown and orange swirl) and of course gaps and voids..... It was so fugly I was embarrassed to put it out there, but it sold out way before Christmas, while some of my pretty ones sat there...

I understand the OP was about what soap we like to make to use ourselves. I would not buy decorated soaps because I am a tomboy, so it is not my thing. I do like looking at the pictures though. I also like ergonomic soap and I think the cupcakes would have to be cut in half for them to be ergonomic.

This is one difference between making soap as a hobby or as a business. If it is a hobby it is for you, if you are making soap for a special person, a special occasion, why not? it is your time, your resources, do what you want! Just beware that outside some special niches, people are not willing to pay more for the artistry.

 

[christinak]

I love plain, rectangular bars of soap! I think they look very homespun. I don't care for any fancy shapes. The scent is what makes it the most special and I'm really drawn to earthy colors with flecks like seeds, herbs, or vanilla beans.

 

[jcandleattic]

I get that, but what works for me with friends when I hear them say that (and they say it about my candles too) is - I can always make more and you don't get any more until I know you've used what I've already given you!
If they protest or still say that, then I got into my speel about how I work hard to make products people will USE, not just set on a shelf. LOL That usually gets them and they start using them. ..

I personally like using the fancy looking bars - as long as they are well made and have the properties my skin craves. So that's what I make. I do pretty well with it too.

 

[Seifenblasen]

This is one difference between making soap as a hobby or as a business. If it is a hobby it is for you, if you are making soap for a special person, a special occasion, why not? it is your time, your resources, do what you want! Just beware that outside some special niches, people are not willing to pay more for the artistry.

I don't sell but similar principles still apply. When I am making soap for myself and friends and family, I have a set budget that can either be spent on fancy molds and colorants, or top quality essential oils and butters. And since my users are more into the scent and skin nourishing quality of soap than fancy designs and colors, I choose to focus on the former. Like Ruthie, I would rather be complimented on how good their skin feels after using the soap as supposed to how pretty it looks.

However, I am very, very grateful for those who take the time to work on beautiful, stunning designs and provide us with the occasional soap porn. I dated a fireman on one of those calendars but I married a normal looking guy. Once in a while it is still fun to flip through a fireman calendar even though I don't necessarily want one at home! :twisted:

 

[Genny]

I like both personally. Although I find that it's the colorful & swirly ones that draw the customers in initially.
Using colorants doesn't have to be expensive & you can go all natural with colorants if that's your thing. Ruth Esteves of Sirona Springs soap has some classes at Nova Studio on natural colorants & a book on natural colorants. I saw some of the swirly soaps she made with natural colorants & I was in awe. They were gorgeous.

 

[Smee]

What Shawnee said: +100!

I am so totally in awe and envy of the beauty and craftsmanship that goes into the soaps
so many of you post. They are works of art!
I would proudly put them on display on the vanity, or give them as treasured gifts to
friends & family. I don't think I could ever USE them tho. They're too pretty!

I just make plain ol' bars of unscented, unswirled, unwhipped boringness that get used up
and then I make some more.

 

[Badger]

I can see many different points on this and I think when it comes down to it, each person makes what they are drawn to make and if they sell, what they think sells best for what they are willing to put the time and effort into. I know for myself, that I am just getting into soaping and I have always liked nice scents in my soaps. The appearance of the soaps is secondary to me in using soaps, but I do like the idea of making soaps that are also visually appealing. I doubt I will ever get as fancy and creative as some of the soaps I have seen here on the forum, but I do enjoy playing with colors and seeing if I can get the soap to look at least vaguely like what I picture it in my mind as. This is something fun for me, and playing with the colors is fun jm2c

 

[Hazel]

Great answers from everyone! I teeter between the two sides. I love stylized bars, gorgeous colors and swirls and would like to be able to achieve some "purty" ones, too. However, I also find myself attracted to great smelling, simple and rustic looking soaps with flecks, etc. I'm just inconsistent this way.

 

[lizflowers42]

When I buy....it has to have ingredients I like and a soft scent...my soaps aren't pretty...but they clean and soften!

 

[Ruthie]

Here's my take on it:
You should make the kind of soap you like and everyone else be damned...of course.

However, if you're selling, you have to consider what type of consumer you are trying to attract, and go in that direction.

Shawnee, I guess that is why I started this thread. I want to WANT TO make the fancy-schmansy soaps, but just can't muster that "want to." I think it would be great for business, but still can't manage to want to. Maybe its just as well. I'm not looking to make a great deal of money. If I can support my soaping "habit" I'll be happy. I just may have to limit my "habit" to what the little bucks bring in.

 

[Miz Jenny]

I have "display" soaps from all over the eastern seaboard & Canada. They have their own special shelf in the guest bath. Now, however, since I've become a "soaper," I want to use, and my customers to use, my fancy soaps. I make utilitarian unscented soaps: almond oil; coconut milk; oatmeal; that sell-out pretty quickly. But I'd have to say, my scented soaps are bigger sellers, even for men. I'm doing some coloring & swirls, with mica & clays; confetti with shredded soap; "rocky" layers; swoopy tops. Today, I'm making chocolate brownie with buttercreme frosting. So, IMO, you have to appeal to your customers: some have allergies; eczema is the #1 skin problem in our dry, cold northern ontario climate; some have sensitive skin or very dry skin; some love the girly-girl or manly-man scented soaps. It keeps my interest alive to make the different kinds of soaps. Ohmygollygosh, I cannot wait until market/festival season.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Shawnee, I guess that is why I started this thread. I want to WANT TO make the fancy-schmansy soaps, but just can't muster that "want to." I think it would be great for business, but still can't manage to want to. Maybe its just as well. I'm not looking to make a great deal of money. If I can support my soaping "habit" I'll be happy. I just may have to limit my "habit" to what the little bucks bring in.

Don't underestimate the market for "practical" soap!
In my experience, most buyers of handmade soap are purchasing for the skin benefits over commercial bars...looks are maybe 4th in priority:
1. Skin benefit
2. Scent
3. Price
4. Looks
As Genny said, the swirls and pretties attract the eye...but I always have people drawn by their noses to my booth, and comment so. And as I stated, people like the pretties, but they don't always wanna pay for the pretties. The ones that buy pretties usually do so for display (and air freshener!) purposes. Absolutely nothing wrong with that...but I want them to come back for more, and if its just sitting on a shelf looking pretty (my mom does this!), they don't need to repurchase for quite a while.

By the way, many people associate the more "rustic" looking bars with authentically "handmade" ...

 

[Miz Jenny]

I agree about the look of rustic looking bars. My bars are handcut, so they don't look perfect. I don't make fancy embeds, sculptures, etc., for the simple reason that it takes too much time. I charge what the market will bear, in an area of Northern Ontario (10 hrs north of Toronto), and too much time spent on "doilies" means I have to charge more. I don't want to do that.