Went to a Festival This Weekend

[DunbarDesigned]

Amen!

It may behoove those that know to help guide those who don't, as every crafter benefits when the standards elevate the same way all are suspect when inferior product is sold to the unwitting. Perhaps it would be more beneficial to help address the labeling or characteristic issues of their product and site the responsibility and personal consequences, rather than to simply prove one's nescience of the craft. Lincoln said, “He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.”

For a newbie soaper like me....this is so nice to read. Its always frustrating when you're working on getting better at something and people just talk badly without helping. I feel like when you don't give a friendly word of advice/criticism its almost a cosign. Not to mention, if I were out shopping for these products and didn't know what I do now about soap, I would be susceptible to buying. I'm already praying to the heavens that I never leave a bad taste with anyone who experiences my work but I know perfection is nowhere near my middle name so I would want someone to just let me know straight up, soaper to soaper. Sometimes you can think you're doing well and that may not exactly be the case.

 

[soapmaker]

Just do your best Dunbar. I always try to help very gently when I see that it looks like these people perhaps just haven't learned a certain thing yet. Mostly accepted with gratitude...on the other hand when gently chiding about not following the rules I have gotten, "I'm just not doin' it!

 

[BrewerGeorge]

For a newbie soaper like me....this is so nice to read. Its always frustrating when you're working on getting better at something and people just talk badly without helping. I feel like when you don't give a friendly word of advice/criticism its almost a cosign. Not to mention, if I were out shopping for these products and didn't know what I do now about soap, I would be susceptible to buying. I'm already praying to the heavens that I never leave a bad taste with anyone who experiences my work but I know perfection is nowhere near my middle name so I would want someone to just let me know straight up, soaper to soaper. Sometimes you can think you're doing well and that may not exactly be the case.

As you spend more time here, you'll find that there is a very firm line between hobby soapers and "professionals" - or rather that we expect there to be such. The assumption - really the insistence - is that those who are ready to sell should know what they're doing. And choosing to sell is like a declaration to the world that the soaper DOES know what he or she is doing. When someone demonstrably does not know the basics, much less the advanced stuff, there is a certain amount of scorn.

So, no, I didn't say something to the people selling that soap. In the first place, I don't think the guy I was talking to was actually a soaper because he didn't know the difference between cold and hot process. Secondly, because I don't have any desire to be confrontational on a festival afternoon with my family. And, yes, third because I guess I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to the expectations I have for somebody trying to sell soap. If you're putting out trash - and soft, newborn soap is simply trash - I'm not going to respect you as a crafts person.

That may sound harsh, and if that person came here with descriptions and pictures and asked for help we would be falling all over ourselves to help them. But instead they say, effectively, "This is the best soap there is! It's worth $6 for a 3 oz bar." when they clearly don't have the knowledge or experience to make even decent soap, much less great soap. With the resources that are available now, there's really no excuse for that.

And as I proofread and re-read your post I'm quoting, I see you mention perfection. This was not a case of me nit picking perfection. These were not choices I didn't like about which oils to use or which colors, or whether to cut "rustic" or not. These were huge, glaring mistakes in the basics of making soap that were either ignorantly missed or callously ignored.

 

[jcandleattic]

I follow a lot of soapers on Instagram and I always wonder this! Why put a paper straw in a shower product? I find it baffling. I like to decorate my soap with soap clay, but I don't like using big lavender buds or other non-soapy stuff on my tops since they'd be a pain to use in the shower.

I'm with you. I HATE having botanical's or anything I have to 'take off' the soap in order to use it (other than packaging).
I always (almost always) have embeds on my soaps, they they are always made with either CP soap from a different batch embedded on the soap, or M&P toppers.
As for frosting on cupcakes, I use CP soap for that also, but I know some people use a meringue type topping and I just cringe at that, but that's just me. A lot of people use the meringue type topping on top of bath fizzie cupcakes too.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

My nescience is tight 8)

GAH! :mrgreen:

 

[shunt2011]

I'm with Brewer George. If someone is selling they should have the knowledge and experience to know what's a good soap and what shouldn't be sold. I see more and more brand new soapmakers selling their first few batches and they have no idea how that soap will be in 3 months little lone 6 months. I'm another one who hates botanicals, or non soap items on my soaps. I'm not even a fan of high top soaps, though I've been tempted to try making a couple to see if they would sell and I think they look so awesome. I make cupcake soaps but use CP soap and a small MP or CP ball or design for the top. I do use glitter but that washes right off with a little water and a quick rub.

 

[CTAnton]

early in my soap making obsession I went locally to a shop and the owner's favorite was one of those soaps with all the berries and twigs on top. The bar was wrapped so you couldn't see what you were buying. I got the corner bar which looked like a kitty litter tray was used as the mold. Same owner that tried to tell me Green irish tweed was an essential oil. 'Nuff said.