Bad Soap Base Decision Huh?

[DeeDee]

Hi, I am new to this forum. Here's my quandary, maybe
you can help me?

I decided I wanted to try my hand at melt and pour soap. So I purchased from the same supplier I buy my soy candle supplies from, seeing as I have been really happy with their service and products.

I've made several batches of soap, with different fragrances and colors. I have tried all of them and have been so very pleased with the results. I also have given tons of soap to my family to try and they are all pleased (and totally impressed that I can make deviled eggs AND soap!)

The bars hold scent wonderful and lathers excellent and does not sweat at all. Contrary to the stories I have read, my bars don't seem to melt as fast as I get the impression that some do. Also, I have bought m&p soap bars online that have melted with in 3 or 4 days. So I am familiar with fast melting soap, and mine aren't, which is a great thing to me!

Bottom line, I have been very happy with my base. I thought after awhile, if I keep up with all these great results that I might try selling soap.

Now the bad news, I never actually read what my ingredients were. I just knew I wanted Goats milk soap base and purchased it. Today I went and read the ingredients and heres what I have.

"Coconut oil, sodium cocoate, sodium palmitate, sodium laurate, sodium stearate, glycerin, sodium laureth sulfate, propylene glycol, sorbitol, triethanolamine, titanium dioxide, DMDM hydantoin, goats milk, water."

This is not good huh? My chances of ever selling my soap on etsy with this base doesn't look very promising does it?

Thanks!

 

[Tabitha]

The vast majority of the population does not care what is in their soap/detergent. There are target markets that will not buy detergent based soap, but there is a market and a customer base for everything. As long as you were not wanting to target the all natural customer base you should be fine. I can sell 100 bars of M&P soap at a craft show or in a B&M and maybe 2 people will look at the ingredients list "maybe". Now, if I was sitting at a card table in front of Whole Foods Market or Sprouts, etc I am goinfg to bet 90 of those 100 would look at the ingredients. It all depends on your customer base.

 

[carolynp]

You should look up what those ingrdients are before you panic and compare them with other supplies ingredients . Titanium dioxide is in every base that is not clear as far as I can tell,and the other stuff is for thickening and lathering. But as you go you can compare at the many suppliers for the purest ingredients. Sodium cocoate is a generic name for the mixture of fatty acid salts of coconut . Check out this site http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cg ... em&id=1268

 

[Harlow]

Where did you purchase the base? If you told us that, we might could help a bit more.

 

[DeeDee]

I bought the soap from Natures Garden. I have to run now but will be back to check in, thank you all for your help!

 

[Mandarin]

The vast majority of the population does not care what is in their soap/detergent. There are target markets that will not buy detergent based soap, but there is a market and a customer base for everything.

Yup! What she said.

I cater to both types of customers. I sell far more to people who just want nice soap. Is Nature's Garden base better than commercial soap? I think so.

 

[DeeDee]

Ok, I am feeling alittle better! I also have some natural shea soap base and crystal clear that I bought from wholesalesupplies. I just haven't worked with it because I have been so happy with the GM. I will have to start working with the natural now and get something going with that. This way I will being able to offer to both types of customers.
I hope they work out as great!!

 

[Tabitha]

If you google each of those ingredients, you will find they are not nearly as scary as they look.

 

[carillon]

My advice is not to let all the hype about ingredients in m&p scare you away from it. It makes me sad to think that you are making a soap that you are very pleased with, then you read the ingredients and decide it's no good or that other people won't like it.

It's sort of like eating a yummy slice of cake and then learning it's made with artificial ingredients, so you decide you don't like it anymore. Sure you can opt to make cake from scratch in the future if you wanted to, but what's the reason for using a cake mix in the first place--it's quick, it's convenient, and you discovered it was yummy! You could make the same comparison for m&p.

If you're worried about the list of ingredients turning your customers off, take the time to learn what each ingredient does and list its function beside it, so that your customer can relate to it. You can also state what the chemical is derived from and its purpose, like "sodium laureth sulfate is derived from coconuts and used to create lots of lather."

 

[DeeDee]

Thank you everyone who has responded and those who have messaged me.
I really do feel alot better.

Thank you Carillon! I love the soap and how it feels and so I will continue to use it. I know my family is loving it too.

My only concern was what other people thought. If I ever get to the point of feeling confortable enough to start selling, I would be selling on line. Don't know if I would be able to do craft shows for awhile. I don't do well face to face (kind of timid I guess, lol)

Anyways, I know there are several soapers on etsy that really come down on, and point blank bash certain kinds of soap. Some have issues with M&P and others have issues with SLS/SLES etc.

Like I said earlier, I will continue doing what I am doing with what I have and will also start working with the other soap bases that I have.
That way, people would have options.

Again, thank you!

 

[Tabitha]

[quote:32demcov]Anyways, I know there are several soapers on etsy that really come down on, and point blank bash certain kinds of soap. Some have issues with M&P and others have issues with SLS/SLES etc.

[/quote:32demcov]

There will ALWAYS be people like that. I had a gal at etsy write me & tell me some of the ladies had a problem w/ the way I worded an item. I sent har a real nice message back to say I was in compliancy w/ FDA regulations & sent her FDA links for her own personal research... but thanks for her concern :roll: :roll: :roll: .

When those ladies lobby the FDA (which will be NEVER) & the laws in the US are changed, then we can talk. Like they say... the ones that are talking about it the most are doing it (in this case selling it) the least :wink: . Don't let "them" get you down. They need to get lives. For the most part, they can't sell their soaps so they don't want anyone else to either.

 

[candice19]

There will ALWAYS be people like that. I had a gal at etsy write me & tell me some of the ladies had a problem w/ the way I worded an item. I sent har a real nice message back to say I was in compliancy w/ FDA regulations & sent her FDA links for her own personal research... but thanks for her concern :roll: :roll: :roll: .

When those ladies lobby the FDA (which will be NEVER) & the laws in the US are changed, then we can talk. Like they say... the ones that are talking about it the most are doing it (in this case selling it) the least :wink: . Don't let "them" get you down. They need to get lives. For the most part, they can't sell their soaps so they don't want anyone else to either.

I used to get take this type of stuff personally, and sometimes I still do. But when you are in business, you always have to remember one thing: You can't please everybody!