What soap mold do you use?

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Thank you, Craig! That's a great thing to think about. I've been making soap for several months now and gotten good reviews from everyone who's tried it, and yes, by the time my company opens, I'll some one-year-old soap (or very close). So why do you want to have one-year-old soap?

Because regardless of how long someone has been making soap (or even running a soaping company) you need to know each product and how it lasts/holds up over time.

So lets say that I have been making soap for a little over a year now. If I then make a totally new recipe tomorrow, I can't be totally sure what it will be like in 2, 3, 6, 12 months and so on. It might be very prone to DOS, or the additive might be too big and turn mouldy. In other words, how would you feel if you made a new recipe, sold all but one bar and then saw 2 months later that your bar had gone bad? Knowing that there might well be more out there sitting with customers who had a nice mouldy/rancid bar of soap?

By the way, would you mind sharing what soap mold you use?
Thanks.
Steven.

I use some home made ones - left over wood, so far from ideal, but work well enough for now.

I'm putting together plans to make some like the forcraftssake.com high cap moulds, with two cutters - one to turn the large block in to loaves, one to cut the loaves in to bars.

One thing with those 18" moulds is that, if you want to prevent gel or cpop, you might struggle to fit it in.

 

[NewAtThis]

Thank you, Shunt and Craig. Wow, that's good information. Thank you again and again! So once you're established as a soap business, how do you introduce new products? Do you make them and then wait a year before introducing them to the market? I totally understand the reasoning behind observing a bar for a long period of time. That makes total sense.

Thanks also for sharing specifics about the molds you use! Sounds like you both have plenty of experience in that arena.

Thank you again!
Steven.

 

[NewAtThis]

Ok, thank you everyone for your help here. I made the decision and bought the two 18" molds I mentioned above. It just seems exactly like what I'm looking for, and I contacted the seller regarding the return policy. I won't be able to return them if I simply have buyer's remorse after receiving them, and I'm fine with that. The seller did, however, say that she will stand buy her product if it appears that there is a manufacturing defect or something missing from the package. In that case, they'd exchange it. I'm happy with that, and I think these will be excellent molds. So I ordered them today and receive them the day after tomorrow. Can't wait!

Thanks again to everyone!

Steven.

 

[NewAtThis]

shunt2011 and Craig, thank you again for your advice. I talked to my wife, and we've decided to change our plans regarding the opening of the company. We will sell to family and friends that we trust for the remainder of this year, and then, provided all my old soaps still look and smell decent, we can open to the wider public at the start of 2016. The more I thought about what you two said, the more convinced I became that it could be a big mistake to go to the general market too soon. I would hate to have a quick success and then start seeing complaints roll in six months from now. Also, this gives time for me to bring in another crop of luffas, which will also be a focal point of my company. Not to mention that it gives me more time to get my business affairs in order (licensing, insurance, and such). It's not the happiest decision ever, but it's an easy decision.

Thanks again.
Steven.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I can understand it's a hard one to make - in the meantime soap is still being made and that costs, of course.

I am in an interesting position as we won't be in competition, which removes the possibility of me trying to keep others down for my own gain (not saying anyone here does, but we have been accused in the past)

Happy soaping

 

[NewAtThis]

Yes, Craig. I heard the handmade soap scene is pretty cut-throat. Just kidding. I trust you all as experts, and I figure the advice you share is genuine. Thanks again.

 

[NewAtThis]

I am still curious, though. While it makes sense to give my soap a year of observation before putting it up for sale, do you all really do this with each new recipe you try? You make it and then wait a year before introducing it to your customers?

Thanks.
Steven.

 

[shunt2011]

shunt2011 and Craig, thank you again for your advice. I talked to my wife, and we've decided to change our plans regarding the opening of the company. We will sell to family and friends that we trust for the remainder of this year, and then, provided all my old soaps still look and smell decent, we can open to the wider public at the start of 2016. The more I thought about what you two said, the more convinced I became that it could be a big mistake to go to the general market too soon. I would hate to have a quick success and then start seeing complaints roll in six months from now. Also, this gives time for me to bring in another crop of luffas, which will also be a focal point of my company. Not to mention that it gives me more time to get my business affairs in order (licensing, insurance, and such). It's not the happiest decision ever, but it's an easy decision.

Thanks again.
Steven.

it's difficult when you find a passion and want to jump in both feet into it. However, you'll be amazed at how much you learn over the year. Once you find your recipes (most of us have several) then you can test and know how they are. You can also work on other products if that is what you plan to do. I myself do lip balm, body butter, sugar scrub. I think you get the idea. Work on your business plan, your website domain, license, tax id, insurance etc...there is so much involved in starting up the business. Even if you start small and build from there. It's so worth it. Good Luck to you and keep asking questions and participating in the forum. You will learn so much from all these folks. I certainly have learned and still learn from them.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I am still curious, though. While it makes sense to give my soap a year of observation before putting it up for sale, do you all really do this with each new recipe you try? You make it and then wait a year before introducing it to your customers?

Thanks.
Steven.

Depending on the change - if I change the co from 17 to 16% and put the rest in lard (change 50 to 51%) , I would only need to see how the cured soap feels as it is not a . I've i add rbo as a major ingredient, I might well want to hold on to it to see how it behaves before unleashing it.

 

[Dorymae]

I am still curious, though. While it makes sense to give my soap a year of observation before putting it up for sale, do you all really do this with each new recipe you try? You make it and then wait a year before introducing it to your customers?

Thanks.
Steven.

It depends on the recipe but for the most part I wait a minimum of 8 months. For example thanks to the awesome shaving dudes on the forum I have been making shaving soaps. It is a new area for me and my first one was made in July of last year. I have tweaked that recipe several times and have come to a recipe I am happy with in October. That batch is currently being tested by my circle of testers. (I have supplied them all with shaving brushes. )So far so good but it is still early days. If I don't do anymore tweaking I will probably begin offering it in my line in August. Understand this is a shaving soap, I don't expect DOS to be a problem, nor is there any reason this should "go bad". However I need to know long term how this soap will behave on a man's face using it on a regular basis. Will it start to dry their face out? Will any other problems arise like irritation? Better safe than sorry.

 

[NewAtThis]

Craig and Dorymae, thank you much for the good explanations and examples! It will be interesting to see what happens to my soap over the next several months. Thanks again for all your help.

Steven.