Weak Frangrace in Soap

[Moody Glenn]

To answer all questions, yes I just started making soap and am working on selling it. It is a nice fun hobby, but will not be sustainable if I cannot sell a bit to recoup for all of the expensive ingredients.

Hi Michael! From one guy to another please don't feel you are bullied. You have an interest and a plan and I say go for it. The responses from the wonderful people on this forum comes from their hearts - this is a passion, an art, a calling, an addictive hobby, a business, a whatever - that everyone tries to perfect. We are all learning and that's what makes it fun. Part of that learning is sharing collective mistakes and giving warning to people new to soap making and also a reminder to the pros.

I re-read your postings. You are now making soap so you must know what you are doing. Your concern is about the economics of making and then selling your soap. EO and FO are probably the most expensive of all ingredients. There is no way around this; better quality scented oils result in a better product. To cut back on expenses you need to find your recipe soaping oils and fats that are easy to obtain. Your local grocery store is one. Later, when concerned with making bigger batches (which lowers the overall price), try Sam's Club. Avoid using oils and fats you have to have shipped to you. The shipping charges greatly raises your expenses. You also do not have to use those exotic oils. They are expensive as well and more common oils offer the same benefits. Please remember that some common oils are problematic in soapmaking. If we know which oils you use or are thinking about using we can advise you what to use. By saving on less expensive oils and fats (which can make an excellent soap) you can then obtain those expensive scented oils and still have room for a good profit.

You would have to make quite a bit of soap for other expenses come into play such as business needs, license, insurance, packaging, etc. But even here you can find less expensive ways to do things - with the exception of license and insurance rates.

I think you probably know all this. If so - I apologize for any preaching. I thought I would try to help.

 

[Lion Of Judah]

Please don't feel bullied. ........................................... etc, etc, etc, ................................. Researching and getting feedback will also help reduce the expenses for you and hopefully prevent costly mistakes.

" AMEN "

all throughout this post has been nothing but invaluable information that you just can not buy nor can you ever read it too much . patience patience patience, is the same in soap making as it is in soap selling , the difference between a good product and a great product rest solely in product preparation, which equals time spent learning and testing , knowing your oils, butters , additives , your EO & FO , knowing your product fully and knowing your perspective customers.
i whole heartedly know your situation for i am there as well , in that i have to find a way to monetarily supply my soap making addiction which leads me to eventually at some point start selling soap , but not before me knowing the in & out of my soap and soap making on the whole ..... because i would be proud to represent much more than myself but the whole soap making community world wide.

 

[dagmar88]

You are now making soap so you must know what you are doing.

I'd wish I had a clue of what I was doing within a month.

 

[Stinkydancer]

You do have to use as much as the above posts recommend or your scent will get lost over time. I have at times done things like premix the EOs or FO with a bit of clay and let that soak while doing all other prep work. That does seem to help. But even if you use that much of just plain orange EO, especially if its a low quality one......it just won't be a strong scent.

Just my opinion, but soaping should be practiced and perfected for a long time (or many, many repeats of the same recipe) before selling. There really are so many details like this one that will come up. Maybe you could trade oils for soap with friends or family that could test your soaps for you. That might help with cost for your experimenting. In addition most states have various laws that may require you to have insurance and or license to sell soap. Some states require site inspection for where the product is being made also.

Off topic- but what states require site inspection? I have never heard this about the USA- I know they do it in Europe and Canada though.

 

[AngelMomma]

I don't remember which one it was. I read in online. It was through a link that had info for each state. I will see if I can find it again. Funny enough, the links for my state were invalid. I was interested because sometimes I see soapers products around here that don't even have basic info.......like how much the bar weighs, or an address. I will post if I find it.

 

[AngelMomma]

At least 3 are listed on this page for inspections of facilities. Now this may or may now apply depending on the state and depending where they draw the line between soap and cosmetic. Every state varies. If I ever did decide to market my soap in the future I would make REAL sure that it was JUST SOAP! I would now make any claims whatsoever. At least that's my opinion right now.