Letting your customers do the curing - thoughts?

I have a specific group that I would trust to follow my directions or use by label. They are either family, or my regular customers, who buy by the batch and are familiar with my "rules"
I've seen a few others sell early, but not many, and I've seen and heard negative feedback about at least 2 of the vendors that do.

I think its people like this seller who risk creating customers who will never buy handmade soap again because its too harsh, or just not very good.

Before I was a soaper, my friend Renae gave me her homemade soap which she always let cure before she shared it with me. When she got too busy to make much soap, I started buying from another soaper -- a stranger to me -- I forget now how I came across her website. I would buy her soap as an uncut log because it was cheaper.

Although her hot process soap was skin safe, it was very, very soft -- dent-easily-with-your-finger soft -- and I knew just enough about soap to know I needed to cut it into bars and let it cure. Did she disclose this? No. Did I feel taken advantage of? No, not particularly. But I'm sure if I'd not learned a few things about hand crafted soap from Renae, I would have been disappointed in this gal's soap.

Would I give someone my freshly made soap? Only if the soap was absolutely skin safe AND it went to someone like Renae who I know understands the rules of the game. I wouldn't sell young soap to a random stranger on the street if for no other reason that I want to protect my reputation as a decent soap maker. I don't want to give or sell any product to someone if the product is not ready for immediate, satisfactory use.

I've sold some to a friend's friend who really wanted the soap like immediately because she's returning to her country soon. I was so worried I kept reminding my friend to remind her friend to let those soaps cure properly. wrote a date on the label too. It's a relief when the curing period is over and the soaps are still in good shape, unused. I actually asked for photos of those soaps from time to time lol! In case there's soda ash and they thought it's moldy instead.

I'll never do that again.. stressful!

I made a few rules when I started soaping that I continue to adhere to . One of them was that no bar of soap should leave the house before an 8 week cure. I made a batch recently for a gal who was wanting them to felt and sell. Those I let go at 6 weeks still telling her some possible shrinkage may occur even after this point. if she wan't so impatient I would've preferred waiting my usual 8 weeks.
I tell friends that soap is like wine and it improves with age. I used a 2 year old bar(well really a scrap) today and was amazed how nice it was. Can't say the scent was there but, boy oh boy, nice soap!

redhead1226 said:

And let me add that I consider an "aged" soap to be better and better the longer I wait. Ill use a bar thats 6 months to a year old befoe a newer one anyday. My salt bars are now almost 16 months old and Im hiding them! lmao!

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Lol, I hear ya...I'm on my second-to-last bar of a salt batch I made back in early 2015, and no-one is allowed to use it but me :twisted:

I wouldn't have a problem with buying soap that hasn't reached a full cure, but I've always stored soap for months prior to use, even when I bought store-bought soap. I still have store-bought soap (purchased before I ever started making soap) continuing it's overlong cure in the bathroom cabinet. One of these days, I should donate it to a homeless shelter or something, but it still sits there in the cabinet being ignored.

However, I do know that if I were traveling and didn't have my own soap with me, and bought uncured soap, I would very much want to use it right away. Thankfully I never travel without my own soap anymore.

A couple of times I have given family young soap (not yet cured as long as I like) but at the same time, I gave them well-cured soap with instructions to use it first and that the younger soap needed a longer cure. However, even in my family there are a couple of folks, I would not do that with because listening and retaining such information is not there forte. But I would never do that with an unknown person. Not all people listen well, retain what they hear/read, or even follow safety instructions. And I do know how harsh young soap can be on my hands, so would not want to risk that with another person's body.

The one exception, I suppose is MP soap?

I think it's one thing if you're giving soap to family or friends, and you've explained to them, but if you're selling, I think it's just bad business practice. :smallno:

BrewerGeorge said:

IG = Instagram?

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I am so glad I am not the only one that had to guess that.

Whenever we go on vacation, I like to seek out gift shops that sell handmade soaps so that I can buy a bar to try out while still on vacation and then go back and buy a few more bars to bring home if I like it enough. If I had to wait a few weeks to use it because it's not completely cured yet- forget it- you have just lost me as a potential customer. As WeaversPort so aptly said: "People buying things that resemble a complete product tend to have the instant gratification button already pushed. No one generally buys wine expecting to age it just for it to be drinkable." That there says it all for me.

Although I do bring my own handmade soap with me on vacation to use, I still enjoy trying out other's handmade creations while on vacation, in order to enjoy the flavor of that whole "vacation experience"- even vacation from using my own soap, if possible

Re: well-aged soap: These past few weeks I've been enjoying a lovely 50% OO soap of 2009 vintage that I scented with Blooming Violets from Daystar, and believe it or not- the scent is still there! It's not nearly as strong as it was back in 2009, but the scent is definitely present and accounted for! I would call that a 'sticker'!


IrishLass

I never sell any soap before 6 weeks is over, I want my customers to be satisfied with it

Nobody but me is allowed to use soap I have made before the (minimum) 12 week curing time is over.

I know first hand the difference between a 6 week cure and a 12 week cure, and the wait is totally worth it..
Yes, 3 months is a long time to wait but I compensate by making a batch of soap every week (so many FOs to sample)

6 weeks here as well or longer. Have had to go 4 weeks a time or two due to time crunch, big sales etc.

When I was homebrewing I used to give out bottles to people telling them to wait until it was fully carbed (usually 2-3 weeks). The bottles had written labels stating the fact and with a date and even then, without fail, they would open it after 3 days and waste perfectly good beer. That was with a product that was given so I would never trust someone who has paid for a product to not try it out as soon as they buy it.

beardguy said:

When I was homebrewing I used to give out bottles to people telling them to wait until it was fully carbed (usually 2-3 weeks) and A WRITTEN LABEL and without fail, they would open it after 3 days and waste perfectly good beer. That was with a product that was given so I would never trust someone who has paid for a product to not try it out as soon as they buy it.

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LOL, I was going to tell almost that exact story yesterday, but got distracted by a work problem.

BrewerGeorge said:

LOL, I was going to tell almost that exact story yesterday, but got distracted by a work problem.

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You also caught my ninja edit :mrgreen:

The worst was when I made a 12% barleywine for the birth of one of my friends kid and bottled them in small bottles to be consumed in at least a year and got an angry phone call from a friend about the fact that it was flat two weeks after giving it.

That batch costs about 80$ for 4 gallons and I was pissed.

beardguy said:

The worst was when I made a 12% barleywine for the birth of one of my friends kid and bottled them in small bottles to be consumed in at least a year and got an angry phone call from a friend about the fact that it was flat two weeks after giving it.



That batch costs about 80$ for 4 gallons and I was pissed.

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Are you guys still friends? :headbanging:

I am curing my soaps for 6 months but I would give them away at about 3 to 4 months with the message to wait a couple of months. I would never give my soaps away before they are cured enough. People will certainly be impatient and if it melts away it only looks bad on your product. Giving it to family may be different but not when you are selling it.

I was thinking the same thing, Cherrycoke.

DeeAnna said:

I was thinking the same thing, Cherrycoke.

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They said patience is a virtue. I'm impatient and soap making is teaching me a lot. It's like zen of some sort. You have to be calm and endured. Can't reach for the bars on the curing rack before its done. Though I have a thicker hide than other gals.
This is why I age my soap for family and friends. Unless I won't be seeing them soon, then I make sure they know when is the best start using date.