Letting your customers do the curing - thoughts?

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I thought this might be an interesting (and maybe hot-button) topic I'm curious about it.

I follow a lot of soapers on IG for inspiration, and I noticed one of them mentioned a certain soap was out of stock but she'd have more ready next week when she made more batches.

Out of curiosity, I asked her how long she cures her bars for.

She said that "her bars are available as soon as they are out of the mold, and it's up to her customers to let them cure - and that fact is clearly stated on her website".

I've never heard of anyone doing that, and I have a feeling it's probably frowned upon by most. I wouldn't trust customers to wait 4-6 weeks to use the soap, even with a written note or big red letters on a website.

What are your thoughts on it?
 
I would guess that most people wouldn't pay attention to that either. If I didn't know better, as a non soap making consumer ordering soap, I would probably use it right away if I was excited to try it out, not understanding there is really a difference. I've seen a local soap maker state on their website "no soap sold before it's time", and then seen them at a market selling soap marked "ready to use on (date)".

I don't sell, but I have given soap to family members and friends that still needed a week or two to cure, because their supply is getting low or I won't be seeing them for awhile. I am giving it to them in person, with instructions on how to store it until it is ready for use, and marked with a label with the 'ready' date. I am also usually giving them well cured bars at the same time so they have something to use first if they are completely out of soap. I have to say that I do this very rarely since I am almost never out of soap that is ready to go, and only to people I trust to pay attention to what I am telling them.
 
I find that thought revolting! This frankly is what has happened to newbies that want to make one batch and start a business! I dont even sell one soap until its fully cured. And I wait 5-6 weeks sometimes more. I make custom orders for 2 clients I have in Jamaica and St. Johns and I take 50% deposit and I let them know when its ready. They are fine with waiting and they buy the entire 5lb loaf. I would not dream of trusting or even asking for anyone to do my job for me. This is my responsibility frankly. This kind of shenanigans really pisses me off!
 
I'll give my two oldest daughters their soaps as soon as they're firm enough to handle. That's so they take up storage space a their houses instead of at mine. ;) But I always tell them how long to let it cure before using. If they use it early, well they're only depriving themselves of the best product. Daughter #2 picked up some today, actually, that I'm sure she'll use early because she was late in placing her re-order and I know she's out. But she was also late in picking it up, so it's a month old, anyway. About two weeks earlier than I prefer, but what can you do? :D

If I were selling, I would not want to risk return business on soaps sold before they're at their best.
 
I find that thought revolting! This frankly is what has happened to newbies that want to make one batch and start a business! I dont even sell one soap until its fully cured. And I wait 5-6 weeks sometimes more. I make custom orders for 2 clients I have in Jamaica and St. Johns and I take 50% deposit and I let them know when its ready. They are fine with waiting and they buy the entire 5lb loaf. I would not dream of trusting or even asking for anyone to do my job for me. This is my responsibility frankly. This kind of shenanigans really pisses me off!

I agree, I find it quite irresponsible. Customers don't understand the benefits of curing, so 99% of them will use it as soon as they receive it and wonder why it's so stripping and melting away in their shower.
 
If I hadn't found the forum, I don't think I'd understand how important it was to cure soaps. It wasn't until I made my own first batch and started using it early - and could start seeing the difference as it aged that I "got it".

Considering how impatient and impulsive I am - even when I suspect I'm jumping the gun - I wouldn't trust my customers to know what they're being asked to do, and I'd prepare for negative feedback because they didn't get what the cure would do for the product.

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's a great analogy!

I was trying to come up with a good aged-steak analogy but the wine one is much better! :lol:

Thank you! I like wine... Hehehe.

If I had to age it myself I'd be in trouble; because where would I put it in a tiny apartment?? It was hard enough to find space for my soap box. I only buy wine when I'm planning to bring it somewhere, drink it, or cook with it. I bought soap from the grocery store when I needed to replenish the shower stash.

Cure it?? I'd have thrown it under the sink, promptly forgotten about it, and 10 years later come back to an orange spotted mess.
 
There was a soap maker that sold at the farmers market in Okemos MI. They told you when you bought from them that the soap was about 2 weeks old and still needed 2 weeks to finish curing, and if you did not do this the soap would not last as long. They only sold at markets, so they at least knew they had told everyone
 
Its funny I follow a few on IG and I noticed its a bit of a 'thing'. There are quite a few who sell when its only a day or so old with the argument "customers like to have the soap around early so it makes their room smell nice!".

I agree, most people if they buy sopa will use soap today or tomorrow. Not in 2-4-6 weeks time.
 
Its funny I follow a few on IG and I noticed its a bit of a 'thing'. There are quite a few who sell when its only a day or so old with the argument "customers like to have the soap around early so it makes their room smell nice!".

I agree, most people if they buy sopa will use soap today or tomorrow. Not in 2-4-6 weeks time.

I mean... the only reason they could be doing this is because they're impatient, right? There's nothing to stop them from making their beautiful batch of soap, letting it cure for 4-6 weeks, THEN posting the photos on IG for all their customers to ogle over and order right away. The soapers wouldn't be losing anything if they just exercised a bit more patience - just delaying their paycheque a few weeks.
 
I am with BrewerG - those who I know will wait for a cure can get a soap early, especially if I have to post it to them and it makes sense to do so (eg, I have some early soap which I know they would love and we are sending them a package anyway) - but if I was selling to someone I would only sell cured soap.

One "benefit" of the EU laws is that I can only sell certain soaps, so if I posted an IG picture of a batch of soap, there would most likely be cured and/or curing soaps with that colour/scent combo already around, as long as I had my production process in hand.

As it is, my IG feed is mostly cigars and alcohol at the moment................
 
I mean... the only reason they could be doing this is because they're impatient, right? There's nothing to stop them from making their beautiful batch of soap, letting it cure for 4-6 weeks, THEN posting the photos on IG for all their customers to ogle over and order right away. The soapers wouldn't be losing anything if they just exercised a bit more patience - just delaying their paycheque a few weeks.

Possibly lack of storage? If I was going to start selling soap today (a frightening thought for everyone), and I only had my current soap box.. I could theoretically start making my first 64 bars; hold them just long enough to pass the zap test; and then immediately start selling them off. Then as I clear shelf space through sales, start producing more batches and continue. I wouldn't have to have enough shelf space for both production AND the 4-6 weeks of curing for every single soap line I made.

The only phase of production I'd need space for, is holding soap through gel and zap testing. Once the soap is solid enough to ship, let that be the customer's storage space.
 
Possibly lack of storage? If I was going to start selling soap today (a frightening thought for everyone), and I only had my current soap box.. I could theoretically start making my first 64 bars; hold them just long enough to pass the zap test; and then immediately start selling them off. Then as I clear shelf space through sales, start producing more batches and continue. I wouldn't have to have enough shelf space for both production AND the 4-6 weeks of curing for every single soap line I made.

The only phase of production I'd need space for, is holding soap through gel and zap testing. Once the soap is solid enough to ship, let that be the customer's storage space.

That's a good point I didn't think of. I have trouble enough finding spots to put 10 batches to cure, let alone dozens/hundreds.
 
If I could effectively explain the necessity of curing the soap, what happens during cure and require those that buy early sign a waiver stating that they any reaction they have is their own fault for not waiting, I'd consider selling baby soaps. But who am I kidding? People can be impatient.
 
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