I see most soaps sold by online retailers have the same ingredients for their soaps then add a different superfat here and there (of course with various scents). That would appear more productive but I was just wondering what the general opinion is.
Same Recipe or Change it ?
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Chefmom
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I've been making soap now for about 13 years. In those years I have made a LOT of different recipes, some with as few as three oils, some as many as 8 or 9.
More and more when I pull a test bar out and shower and go....hmmmm.....I like this one. I then look up the recipe in my log book and guess what....it is a simple recipe that was pretty plain or had a superfat of a more luxury oil added to it in the end.
Go ahead and make lots of different recipes, test them and keep notes..in the end that is the only way you can really determine which recipe is right for you.
My go to recipe is the classic olive oil, palm, coconut with a touch of castor and superfatted with cocoa butter. There is a reason that the 50/30/20 ratio of olive oil/palm/coconut is considered a classic. I lean towards 40/30/20/10 (other oils being the 10).
More and more when I pull a test bar out and shower and go....hmmmm.....I like this one. I then look up the recipe in my log book and guess what....it is a simple recipe that was pretty plain or had a superfat of a more luxury oil added to it in the end.
Go ahead and make lots of different recipes, test them and keep notes..in the end that is the only way you can really determine which recipe is right for you.
My go to recipe is the classic olive oil, palm, coconut with a touch of castor and superfatted with cocoa butter. There is a reason that the 50/30/20 ratio of olive oil/palm/coconut is considered a classic. I lean towards 40/30/20/10 (other oils being the 10).
I think there would have to be a good reason to change it. Castile and salt bars etc will need to be different, but once you have found a great body bar, you might not need too many variations on that recipe other than colours and scents. You would need the differences to be worth a different bar but still making a great bar.
LazyUmbrella
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I think it would also depend on how your customers feel about your soap and why they are buying it and what their perception is about the ingredients... For example:
- Are they buying it for the scent and the look?
- Are they attracted to the fact that your soap is made with oil ABC instead of oil XYZ?
- Do the ingredients of your soap match the "story" you want to tell? For example, I've always wanted to make a tropical soap with more exotic oils such as Coconut oil, Mango butter, Palm oil, as opposed to beef tallow, sunflower oil, castor oil (I still associate castor oil with how they were presented in Saturday Morning Cartoons - not good!)
If I were to launch a business, my strategy would probably be to make different combinations available, and see what's popular with my particular audience.
- Are they buying it for the scent and the look?
- Are they attracted to the fact that your soap is made with oil ABC instead of oil XYZ?
- Do the ingredients of your soap match the "story" you want to tell? For example, I've always wanted to make a tropical soap with more exotic oils such as Coconut oil, Mango butter, Palm oil, as opposed to beef tallow, sunflower oil, castor oil (I still associate castor oil with how they were presented in Saturday Morning Cartoons - not good!)
If I were to launch a business, my strategy would probably be to make different combinations available, and see what's popular with my particular audience.
I actually have many different recipes depending on what I want as the end result. Plus I would get very bored if I had to make the same all the time and how would I ever come up with a new better. My bars that I have to have in stock at all times stay the same and it is mainly for labeling purposes.
Ruthie
Well-Known Member
I have a few recipes, but for the most part depend on the tried and true one I've perfected over the years.
coffeetime
Well-Known Member
I have adhd, so I tend to get bored making the same thing without variation. Therefore I have recipes with lard, ones with palm, ones with no Palm, some with shea butter, some without. (I have a friend with a latex allergy so I like to have a few she can use safely.) Its definitely more time-consuming and not terribly efficient from a production point of view, but it keeps me interested and that has more value to me at this point.
I will probably whittle down my recipes as I decide on my favourites and top sellers.
I will probably whittle down my recipes as I decide on my favourites and top sellers.
:-D maybe ADHD is my problem too...No way do I stick with the same recipe with all soaps. I would simply become so bored I would just quit. Been doing this for 5 yrs and I guess I will not change any time soon. I make and sell a lot of soap and I admit the labeling can get pesky but it is a trade off I will put up with to offset boredom. Besides I have come up with some pretty awesome soaps this way. Kinda of the point of handcrafted small production versus full manufacturing
JustBeachy
Well-Known Member
Been lurking around here for a while and decided to join today. 
I have two base recipes I use pretty consistently. One is a great moisturizing, nourishing soap, the other is more of a cleaning soap. That said, I tend to take my base recipe and sub out a percentage of the OO for a different oil. Such as Hemp, Avocado, etc. Change out the butters occasionally. I do like to run "experiments", though and have tried some off the wall recipes, haha. Sort of keeps it fun for me.
Also, since I started experimenting with EO blends, it gives me a whole new area to play with.
I have two base recipes I use pretty consistently. One is a great moisturizing, nourishing soap, the other is more of a cleaning soap. That said, I tend to take my base recipe and sub out a percentage of the OO for a different oil. Such as Hemp, Avocado, etc. Change out the butters occasionally. I do like to run "experiments", though and have tried some off the wall recipes, haha. Sort of keeps it fun for me.Also, since I started experimenting with EO blends, it gives me a whole new area to play with.
Been lurking around here for a while and decided to join today.
Welcome, Beachy! Good on you for not only joining, but supporting. I hope you find you get your money worth -- I sure do. BTW, I encourage you to come out in the Introduction Forum so that others can give you a proper hello!
I am constantly trying new recipes, whether it be subtle tweaks or completely new approaches. Lately I wondered if I have inadvertently duplicated recipes, so went back through my old sheets to see. I've been pretty close! I think it's time to pick a few out that I really liked and settle in to some patterns. Maybe! But I like the spontaneity so maybe not!
girlishcharm2004
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I guess I'm not so ADHD in the sense I want to find the One. Perfect. Bar. And stick with it forever! Ha.
JustBeachy
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Thanks Carabou. I like that name by the way. ha. I try to help where i can, and I'm sure the money was and will be well spent. I'll take your advice on the Intro Forum.
user 12568
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Three recipes - that's all I need. My standard recipe, a vegan alternative, and a true Castile. Other than that, I just play with scents. Fun, effective, reproducible results without the fuss of reformulating.
