Tallow and selling appeal

[lionprincess00]

I am experimenting and have fallen in love with tallow. I don't use lard, and have decided to remain palm free. My first soaps were free of all three, and I do have to say using a oil/fat with the qualities of these three bring something to the soap I just didn't see when I wasn't using any.

So I have searched online and see most tallow soaps are either sold as shaving soap, or they're a farm fresh with GM and tallow soap and marketed as such. I just don't see many soaps other than these two specifics that are sold with tallow/animal fats.

So those that sell, do you sell the same soaps animal free as well as with lard and or tallow thus making two of each batch, or do you steer clear of animal fats altogether? Do you have trouble selling animal based fat soaps or find no one really cares much?

So many rave on lard and tallow, and I love it. *disclaimer* I am not selling nor starting a business any time soon*

 

[Dorymae]

I make soaps with tallow and lard and I also make vegan soaps. Most people who are not vegan do not care, I've even had people request to know which did use tallow and/or lard.

It is like everything else - you can not nor will you satisfy all people with one product. My advice is to avoid what YOU want to avoid and use what you like. Just because you make some vegan products does not mean you need to have all your products vegan. Trust me most vegans do not expect that all your products are vegan but they do appreciate that you have a section of products that they can use.

 

[Obsidian]

I've only sold a few bars so I don't have a ton of experience but I do give a lot away and only one person ever questioned the lard I use. She was ok with some lard, she just didn't want a 100% lard bar.
I choose lard over tallow just because I can buy lard where I have to render my own tallow so I save my tallow for shave soap.

 

[Meganmischke]

I don't sell buy I have been thinking about it more in the last year. A lot of people want to buy my soaps. Most of my recipes use lard, tallow or both. I think it is best to sell a product that you love and are passionate about. I know my skin loves lard and because of that I feel that if I am passionate about the great soap I make people may want to buy it. If and when I sell I can't see myself catering to vegans. I like silk in my soap with the lard too. If business isn't good I want to be left with products that I love and want to use.

 

[cmzaha]

I sell as many or more non-vegan as vegan soaps. I just tell my customers if they are not labeled "Vegan" they are really really not vegan, but have all the good stuff such as tallow, lard, goat's milk, etc. They usually laugh when I tell them that. For tallow I use a 100% beef fat shortening for Smart & Final and it works wonderfully. I just use the sap value for beef tallow since was unable to get the actual sap of the tallow shortening.

 

[reinbeau]

I make soaps with all sorts of fats, the animal fat soaps sell the best for me. I never would market anything as vegan as I use silk, honey and beeswax as well as the animal fats. My soaps are labeled, they can read and decide

 

[lionprincess00]

Wonderful! Thank you thank you for the advice! I'm coming to my favorite recipes (not yet, but almost!!!) and then I'm in the wait and see game for what works.

I have decided to do business, and want to choose a path on my learning curve. My business shall be up and running in a yr plus, or two....plus more haha....but to get where I need to be in a yr+ or two +, I have to make DECISIONS lol.....I fell in love with the couple tallow soaps I made, and began to question whether or not #1 it sells, #2 it limits, and #1A if it sells do I need an alternative recipe, or #2A it limits so much I have to settle for a recipe I don't love (necessarily) that's palm, lard and tallow free.

Honestly, I'm not at a full time, immersed, selling point in my life (like in the next 2-5 yrs), so my learning is based on a part time sell (in a yr to two plus), and eventually in 10+ yrs, if I choose, full time.

Being practical, and attempting to play smart...all the while experimenting for tomorrow's future ;-)

Thx for the advice. It is truly appreciated!!!

 

[coffeetime]

I sell, and live in a smaller town surrounded by farms, so no one is really bothered by the lard, honey, etc. I do label my vegan soaps in a different colour than my animal product ones. I've only had one woman put a bar back because her family does not use/eat pork products. I assume it's a religious reason.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

This is why tallow could well be a better option than lard in some cases. For me, lard is easier to get but then there are a lot of people in this country who would have an issue with lard in a product

 

[pamielynn]

The two or three people who have ever mentioned lard/tallow to me get the same response - that they are amazing fats in soaps, and as long as the people in this country continue to eat meat, we might as well utilize the whole animal. Haven't had one person complain. I haven't yet had anyone ask me because of religious reasons - but I would just point them to a soap without animal fats.

You'll be amazed at how few people actually read the ingredients and actually know what they are looking for. Except maybe in really "crunchy" areas.

 

[lionprincess00]

Thx again! I love it! It's free, increases lather without a drying effect, and did I mention I get it for free ;-) sure I have to render it, and sure it stinks the first cleaning to the tummy turning point, but the fourth render brings about this perfect addition to my soaps. I'd hate to get to a point I feel comfortable selling one day, only to find no one wants tallow soaps lol...So that's why I asked. Side note, why does tallow bring my conditioning numbers down? If I replace a soft oil with it, the conditioning number decreases from 60-62 to anywhere 52-56 or so, depending on the recipe. The number decrease doesn't really match, imo, the feel.

 

[Susie]

I really do think that your area of the country affects what people want to buy. I live in the deep south in an area that is largely rural with lots of farming and hunting. One of the local communities has a yearly festival centered around roasting pigs(Cochon de Lait). Using every last part of an animal is an intrinsic part of our culture, so lard and/or tallow on a soap label would be a HUGE selling point.

 

[sagehill]

I have never understood why soapers worry about whether vegans will buy their soaps... they are a tiny TINY minority compared to the general public, and their dollars are comparatively far fewer. Let vegan soapers cater to vegan buyers... both would probably be happier that way, anyway.

For me, the all-natural market is growing, so I cater to them with a number of bars with EOs and herbal colorants, as well a couple of versions of castile soaps including unscented and uncolored. I do charge more for the all-natural and castiles, as ingredients are more expensive and I make smaller batches.

But 95% of my customers don't care if my soaps are all-natural or all-veggie... they want gorgeous scent and pretty colors, and lots of both.

As for tallow, I used it when I first started, but now prefer lard as it is more conditioning. But whatever oils you use, make soap to satisfy YOU. If you aren't 100% satisfied with your soap and convinced it's excellent, or at least better than your competitors, it will be more difficult to sell... customers will sense it.

If you love tallow, use it! Develop a recipe that you love and use yourself, and you'll sell it BECAUSE you love it.

Experiment with all kinds of oils, develop one or two recipes you love best and use them as your product base, and branch out from there with specialty soaps, etc.

Good luck!
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[lionprincess00]

Since I'm really new, I was unsure as to the primary buyers. Since online is marketed heavily to vegans, I assumed it was a huge selling point to buyers. Susie, "I'm a next door neighbor" so we probably have a lot of the same buyer types.
Thx what a huge learning experience this is! I can't imagine people making a batch or two and starting up shop immediately... I don't know if I'll ever be able to get that point lol!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Since I'm really new, I was unsure as to the primary buyers.............

If you are even thinking about considering looking in to selling, you need to get this part of it sorted before anything else. Your name, branding and whole 'feel' depends on who your market is. It all needs to tie together.

"Gammy's old time soap company" with glitter and day-glo colours is not going to go together. Nor will "super funky in-yer-face soap factory" with light-toned natural colours.

 

[Susie]

Since I'm really new, I was unsure as to the primary buyers. Since online is marketed heavily to vegans, I assumed it was a huge selling point to buyers. Susie, "I'm a next door neighbor" so we probably have a lot of the same buyer types.
Thx what a huge learning experience this is! I can't imagine people making a batch or two and starting up shop immediately... I don't know if I'll ever be able to get that point lol!

Well, hey there neighbor! Yes, I would be willing to venture that we have much the same types of folks in our areas. I am going to strongly suggest what sagehill said to do is the best idea.

Make what you love and what you can find available at the best price, whether it is locally obtained or not. Don't bother buying ingredients that you don't like until you are ready to start selling(if ever). Life is too short to force yourself to make soap that you don't like.

 

[lionprincess00]

I agree. I have an idea as to the types of soaps I want to make and sell as well as a name picked out, but I am working on recipes and learning how to make an awesome product (which will take a looong time haha). I want tallow, and just didn't know how well people could sell it. I am going to use it in my bases after these awesome responses, and I will come up with a descent tallow lard palm free recipe too and make a small vegan friendly product in the line up I think. Need more experimenting to find the perfect recipe first!!!!
Thx all!

 

[wetshavingproducts]

It's like cable v. network tv. Cable is edgier because they don't have to appeal to as large an audience. Network tv has to appeal to as many people as possible.

Vegan soap doesn't turn off non-vegans; but tallow would. Therefore, reformulate to vegan.

We're not network tv, we can do whatever we want. And as a hobby business, you can really do whatever you want since volume isn't the main driving force.