What to do with soaps

[Savvyssoaps]

Since I am new and experimenting with cp, I was told I shouldn't sells soaps for at least a year to the public. But what do I do with all the soaps made? Soap making isn't a cheap hobby so would it be terrible to sell them to family and friends if they want to buy them? Everyone asks me to sell to them.

 

[Dorymae]

If your family and friends want to contribute to help you fund your hobby that would be fine, and if you happen to give them soaps to try that is fine also. However if you "sell" your soaps to them you would still need to set up a business, collect sales tax, get a business license etc. better not to use the word sell, but rather a loose barter. Be very sure these are good friends and family as you won't have insurance if something should happen. ( allergies, they develop dermatitis, etc and blame your soap. )

Other options are to simply use your soap and take good notes on how it changes through the months. ( you should always hold back at least one bar for this anyway. )

 

[IrishLass]

Ditto what Dory said.

Also- how big are your batches? You may want to stick to making only 1 lb. to 2 lb. batches for now while you are in the trial phase so things don't get too badly out of hand. And as Dory said, remember to hold back at least 1 bar from each batch to observe how it behaves over the course of the year (and take lots of notes!).

If you've done all of the above and you still find that you have soap coming out your ears, you can always donate your soap (assuming that it's not lye-heavy) to the Clean The World foundation. They sanitize, grate up, and recycle used and/or unwanted soap from hotels and soap-makers, etc... into new bars that will be shipped to disaster areas to provide relief. They are based in Florida, USA.

IrishLass

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

It's not a cheap hobby? No, it isn't. But many hobbies cost money and people either do it because they want to do it, or not.

I look at the soaps as handy gifts, which saves money it itself - my wife (The Admirable Lady) is always raiding my stock of soaps when a friend has a birthday or something.

Plus, I don't buy soap any more, not even for washing clothes.

When you look at it from that angle, it's not an overly expensive hobby at all

 

[JBot]

What he said. I haven't had to purchase many gifts lately, at least for adults. Little kids don't have much appreciation for good soap, except the toddler who took a few bites out of her grandmother's bar.

And I DID purchase insurance, because you can never be too careful, even with friends and family. Just because your soap is correctly-made doesn't mean nobody can hurt themselves with it. For example: I gave a bar to the mother of one of my daughter's friends, and when I asked her some weeks later how she liked it, she said "Oh. . .I broke out in hives when I tried it. I forgot to mention that I'm allergic to mango" (and papaya and banana, apparently). And it's not like I didn't put "mango butter" on the label; not only do I list all the ingredients on the wrapper, but in that particular soap, mango butter was the highlighted ingredient, and was featured prominently of the front of the label!

I also print "do not use if you are allergic to any of the ingredients" on the wrapper, but people don't always read the label (obviously), and a disclaimer may not necessarily protect you in the event of a lawsuit.

Insurance is cheap when you consider the protection you're getting.

 

[misfities]

I've read somewhere that homeowners insurance may cover you. You'll have to research the company that carries you.

I am in the same position as you. I'm churning out a lot of batches of soap, but suddenly I'm going to have a ton of soaps and nowhere to go. I think I will let them cure and get comfortable with my craft and then eek my way into a festival or fair. I may begin selling them as $2 soaps to coworkers while I continue cutting my teeth and honing my technique. $2 is not making me a profit, but it's not a total loss either. Who can turn down a well-made $2 soap?

Baby steps.
Then...
World domination!

 

[jnl]

i say spend your first year giving your soaps to family and friends to try and get as much feed back as possible. everyone has different skin, so you need to know how your soap works with all kinds of people.
and make 1lb batches so you dont have crazy amounts of soap piling up.

making soap is not cheap, so i say if you can, get your family/friends to buy them off you for cost (or a slight profit to cover your time).
hopefully over time they will buy more and more and you will have requests for soap come in from friends of friends and that will grow into a business

 

[shunt2011]

I just gave a lot of soap away during my first 1-1/2 years. Then I started donating it to homeless shelters which I still do with batches that maybe the sent isn't as planned or the color is off and I don't want to sell it even though its still really good soap. I only made 2 lb batches but at one time had at least 300 bars of soap . My husband told me I needed to do something or stop making soap as we had enough to last a century. So, I started selling it once I got all my business stuff together and insurance. The rest as they say is history. Still love making it and selling it.

 

[Savvyssoaps]

i say spend your first year giving your soaps to family and friends to try and get as much feed back as possible. everyone has different skin, so you need to know how your soap works with all kinds of people.
and make 1lb batches so you dont have crazy amounts of soap piling up.

making soap is not cheap, so i say if you can, get your family/friends to buy them off you for cost (or a slight profit to cover your time).
hopefully over time they will buy more and more and you will have requests for soap come in from friends of friends and that will grow into a business

That's what I'm doing. I made some forms for my friends and family to fill out so I can have a record. I also keep my recipes in a binder and take notes. My batches yield about 44 ounces. And I get about 9-10 bars out of it. I think it's a pretty good size because I have a lot of people wanting to try them. My family pays me $5 a bar obviously because they are my family.

 

[dixiedragon]

It's funny how people say soaping's not a cheap hobby. My mom quilts and just go into wood turning. So, comparatively, it IS a pretty cheap hobby.

I think when people here say 'don't sell', they mean don't solicit strangers to be your customers. If a friend or family loves you soap and wants to buy it, sure, sell it to them.

 

[biarine]

It's not a cheap hobby? No, it isn't. But many hobbies cost money and people either do it because they want to do it, or not.

I look at the soaps as handy gifts, which saves money it itself - my wife (The Admirable Lady) is always raiding my stock of soaps when a friend has a birthday or something.

Plus, I don't buy soap any more, not even for washing clothes.

When you look at it from that angle, it's not an overly expensive hobby at all

That's true TEG even though I am not yet a good soaper still learning. I don't buy soap for washing clothes, washing dishes, bath soap and shampoo bar. I save a lot. Yes any crafting cost money, when I do my crochet it cost hundred of £ the same as my natural perfume and creams.

 

[Savvyssoaps]

It's funny how people say soaping's not a cheap hobby. My mom quilts and just go into wood turning. So, comparatively, it IS a pretty cheap hobby.

I think when people here say 'don't sell', they mean don't solicit strangers to be your customers. If a friend or family loves you soap and wants to buy it, sure, sell it to them.

As a woman paying my way through college nothing is cheap. 100$ to me is like 1000$ lol.

 

[jnl]

I think when people here say 'don't sell', they mean don't solicit strangers to be your customers. If a friend or family loves you soap and wants to buy it, sure, sell it to them.

yes....friends and family (and if you can get money for it, great) because they are much less likely to sue you, and will understand that you are new and will forgive less than perfect and give you another chance.

once you start spreading your products to people you dont fully trust, you need insurance and/or to be a corporation to protect your assets.

soaping CAN be very cheap if you use olive pomace and lard and low cost fragrance oils and lab colors and use dollar store containers for molds and cut with a knife.

if you use lots of cocoa butter and argan oil and EO and beautiful additives and get a nice wire cutter and fancy molds, it can get very expensive.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

And, soap when you can afford it/need to do so.

Either you soap a lot because you enjoy it, in which case the cost should not be a consideration. If you don't enjoy it enough to justify the costs, then soap less often.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with the others. You can make soap at a reasonable cost by using 4 (lard/palm, CO, OO, Castor) oils and small batches.

You don't have to use cheap EO's/FO's as it doesn't take much to scent a small batch.

As for colorants try some natural colors. Cocoa Powder, Tumeric, paprika, clays.

My theory is, if there's a will there's a way. It all depends on how much you enjoy doing it. Take donations from family and friends in exchange for some soap. I still choose to give it to my close family. I also love to give my products as gifts.

 

[kchaystack]

I so love making soap. I make all veggie soap using palm oil from sustainable resources.

I bought 4 1lb loaf molds from WSP, so I can make small batches and send them to my family.

You can buy FO's or EO's usually in 1 or 2 oz amounts fairly cheaply. The sample pack of mica's from nurture I bought has colored all my soap fine, I have not run out of any of them - and it was not that expensive.

Small batches are the way to go if you are not selling and you just want to play and make art that gets you and yours clean while learning about all the ins and outs of the craft

 

[Susie]

As a woman paying my way through college nothing is cheap. 100$ to me is like 1000$ lol.

If you have family that want to know what to get you for birthdays and Christmas, give them a list of EOs, FOs, NaOH, or oils you would like. Especially if they are going to get the soap you make.

 

[Savvyssoaps]

If you have family that want to know what to get you for birthdays and Christmas, give them a list of EOs, FOs, NaOH, or oils you would like. Especially if they are going to get the soap you make.

That's what I've been doing for about 2 years now. Since I'm in school I make soaps during my summer and winter break I make soap and that's perfect because my birthday is 6/25 and Christmas is 12/25

 

[Cypress]

savvysoaps first I am glad to see you took the advise the more knowledgeable folks here gave. I know it's not easy to hear something you don't want. I'm really glad you stayed with us. I too am a newbie and I thought getting together all the oils I needed would be super expensive, but if you stick to the basics and don't get the really fancy stuff it's not too bad. I found coconut oil at a bulk food store, I found olive oil at a restaurant supply store, and my local butcher will sell me beef suet to render. For me looking around my area and not just the local megamart or bulk online has made a big difference in the affordability of my new addiction.

 

[McSpin]

Like many things, cheap or expensive is relative. I consider it dirt cheap. I can get fat from some sources quite inexpensively. I don't use fancy colorants, expensive molds, or commercial cutters. I actually like the smell of soap more than most fragrances, so I don't usually scent it. Not a single person I've given it to, has complained and they have all asked for more. It's quite possible to make a 5 oz bar of soap for less than 30 cents, just like it's easy to have $5 or more into it, if you use exotic ingredients. By the way, some of my nicest soaps so far, have been closer to the 30 cent cost, rather than the upper range. What else can you give away as a gift that costs so little and yet is so well liked by so many people?