Why won't people actually use my soap!

[Saponista]

I made pretty looking soap to give as gifts to my relatives this year. Just gave two bars to my aunty who was delighted. However she said 'I won't actually use them, just put them on the side to look pretty in my bathroom'. I wanted to grab my poor unloved soap bars back from her. What's the point of soap if you aren't going to even try to wash with it?!?! Maybe next year I will make really plain bars, they would probably just go straight in the bin though, without sitting uselessly on the side for a couple of months. How do I get people to actually give them a go? Sigh. Sorry rant over now.

 

[Susie]

Make them less pretty?

 

[lionprincess00]

My dad just said the same thing! I sent him my blog link, and he emails me this:
It's beautiful (too much a work of art to ever use as soap)!

I wrote back you HAVE to use it, or it's all for naught!!!

Seriously, I don't do soaps to look at, that's for paintings and such. Use the darn things for Pete's sake!!

 

[Susie]

Maybe you can make plain soaps that they will understand are for using, then the pretty "side of the sink" ones for special occasions?

 

[navigator9]

If you make them too pretty, many people think they're too pretty to use, and if you make them smell too good, they will put them in their drawers to make their clothes smell nice. I suppose they think it's a compliment, but I try to explain how I worked a really long time on my recipe to make sure it was kind to their skin. Try some uncolored, unscented soap to get them to actually try it, and hopefully they'll be hooked and tempted to use the pretty ones too.

 

[JustBeachy]

I made pretty looking soap to give as gifts to my relatives this year. Just gave two bars to my aunty who was delighted. However she said 'I won't actually use them, just put them on the side to look pretty in my bathroom'. I wanted to grab my poor unloved soap bars back from her. What's the point of soap if you aren't going to even try to wash with it?!?! Maybe next year I will make really plain bars, they would probably just go straight in the bin though, without sitting uselessly on the side for a couple of months. How do I get people to actually give them a go? Sigh. Sorry rant over now.

I'm sure she's trying to be complimentary, thinking it would be "rude" to just melt your wonderful creation away in the shower. Maybe try giving her two of the same batch. Then you could tell her that she can use one and display the other.

I agree it can be frustrating. You spend the time to develop a recipe that produces a wonderful feeling bar of soap, and it's destined to become a dust collector on a counter.

 

[girlishcharm2004]

I get the idea of not using it. Once it's gone, it's gone for good. If someone gave me something pretty, I would feel the same -- I would want to hold onto it and save it. Yet, at the same time I feel the urgency to make sure people are trying my soap. Ha.

 

[MarisaJensen]

I completely understand. I was asked by family if they where getting soap for christmas... my answer was yessssNOooo! No soap for anyone unless they use it. If I see a soap I've gifted to anyone a year later sitting in the sink with dust I die a little inside. I get the "it's too pretty to use" response. The same goes for selling when people love the look and smell of the soap but don't use it. If I find something visually pleasing I just buy two so I can at least experience what it feels like.


Every soap maker I know works hard on their soap. From creating their own recipe to designing the soap and producing soap. I think it's nice when people use it and get the WHOLE experience. :-D

 

[DeeAnna]

I gave my mom a bar of my soap last Christmas. I'd made a recipe with her in mind that I hoped would be gentle on her dry skin.

She puts it out next to the downstairs sink when I visit. I'm pretty sure it goes back into the cupboard when I leave.

She's always got a bar of Dove in her shower.

I love my mom dearly. She's so very thoughtful and considerate. I won't burden her with more soap this Christmas.

<sigh>

 

[DWinMadison]

To some extent it's a generational thing, at least in America. For folks from the depression era to the 50's soaps there were three types of soap: hillbilly "lard" soap that poor folks made, store-bought Ivory or Dial...the stuff of the good ol' blue collar working class, or fine, fancy "French-milled" soaps. Fine soaps were usually imported, molded, fairly unique, beautiful expensive--something to be displayed and a great way to dress up a powder room.

Interestingly, the back to nature movement of the 60s and 70s brought about a rebirth of hand-made soap from Grenwich Village, NY to San Francisco, CA. It also introduced new woodsy and herbal scents into soap-making taking us from your grandma's rose, geranium and lavender to patchouli and cedar wood.

When I gift soaps, I've started placing a card in the box or package that says "I'm for Using. There's more where I came from!" That seems to release people to use it without feeling unappreciative. I also ask the next few times I see them if they have tried it and encourage them to do so.

 

[OliveOil2]

I understand when someone purchases a bar of soap to match their bathroom, but it is so different than the way I think. It the soap is nice to use I don't really care what color it is. I gave my sister a Hugh box of soap that was wrapped for Christmas, so she could give some as gifts. One of her friends said it was too pretty to use, and that kinda makes me sad. I really don't want to think of my soap as a dust collector.
Daryl that card is a great idea, and you are so right about the generational thing, the Seniors where I volunteer want melt & pour roses and cup cakes to display.

 

[boyago]

Make them less pretty?

Just stamp them with something unappealing like the Valtrex (sp?) logo. Then they will at least use them enough to wear off the stamp and get hooked.

 

[cmzaha]

I find that to be pretty common with family members especially elders, whom were pretty much raised with manufactured soaps. Some older folks remember when grandma made lye soap that was harsh. Others do not like to think they are taking advantage by running out of their soap and asking for more, then there are some that just like to look and smell it. It took me several yrs to get my mom to use her soaps and she still only uses them as hand soap, and manufactured in her tub. At 88 she can do whatever she wants...

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I guess they all have different reasons. My grandma lives in Europe, and last time, it's been 11 years since the last time she saw me. I left her some of my soaps last year when we finally saw each other after such a long time and she just left them in her china cupboard. She said, she won't use them, she'll just let them sit there as her memory of me.
It was also interesting for her to see how far homemade soaps came. What I make now is quite fancy compared to her 1kg slabs of soaps made from rancid lard lol.

 

[Earthen_Step]

I'm always tweaking and working on new things, and feedback helps lead me to some extent. When I give soap I always ask for feedback now and then to see what they like and dislike. I think that might help in getting people to use the soap.

*
"Ugly Soap" might be a great company name! "Beautiful soap, ugly enough to use!"

Someone has it hehe -- http://uglysoapcompany.tripod.com/

 

[Jstar]

I've stopped giving my soap to family. After giving my sister a couple bars, and then her returning it to me after a few months..unused.. with the reason being that she kept it sitting on a shelf for the smell, and once it stopped smelling so strong, she had no use for it. {she also didn't listen when I told her it smells better when it gets 'used'..otherwise it will continue to cure. :crazy:}

Then my mom..she swears up and down she has been using it, that it keeps her from itching and clears her dry skin...well after I moved over here with her while I work on my house, I keep several bars in the shower..that she claims she's using..however they never move from their spots unless I move them myself..and she has a bar of some commercial soap in its box that she keeps in the cabinet..which I can always smell when she gets out of the shower....*sigh*

My thoughts are, I would rather be told that someone doesn't want to use my soap instead of being lied to...it hurts my feelings worse to be lied to.

 

[Ellacho]

I have a friend who store all my soaps on her bathroom shelf. Some of them are literally 7 years old. I've threatened her that unless she uses all of them, I won't give her any more soap. She simply replied saying, it's too pretty to use! What can I do? Once they leave my house, they are not mine anymore. I can't force her to use them. At least she thinks they are beautiful .

 

[Jstar]

Well I look at it this way {I console myself I should say} When SHTF, at least "I'll" be clean..good luck with the fam when they can't go buy soap

 

[DWinMadison]

I've stopped giving my soap to family. After giving my sister a couple bars, and then her returning it to me after a few months..unused.. with the reason being that she kept it sitting on a shelf for the smell, and once it stopped smelling so strong, she had no use for it. {she also didn't listen when I told her it smells better when it gets 'used'..otherwise it will continue to cure. :crazy:}

Then my mom..she swears up and down she has been using it, that it keeps her from itching and clears her dry skin...well after I moved over here with her while I work on my house, I keep several bars in the shower..that she claims she's using..however they never move from their spots unless I move them myself..and she has a bar of some commercial soap in its box that she keeps in the cabinet..which I can always smell when she gets out of the shower....*sigh*

My thoughts are, I would rather be told that someone doesn't want to use my soap instead of being lied to...it hurts my feelings worse to be lied to.

Hilarious! I cannot understand the not-using-it mentality, but I figure it's a gift like any other--They can do with it whatever they want. In same weird way I'm honored/honoured that they think so highly of my gift that they do t want to use it.

 

[Jstar]

I dont get it either..but I can tell you for sure, if I ever get a 'usable' gift, its def gonna get used..pretty or not