Brand-new to cold process soap-making

[Candy Myers]

Hello All,
I am brand-new to cold process soap-making with a handful of successful batches of soap. I am planning on vending at a local event and would greatly welcome any advice/tips on current labeling requirements.

Has anyone used their Etsy URL as contact information on the soap label in lieu of a street address? Etsy said I would be able to add my street address in the "About" section.

Also, is using one or two of the ingredients as the soap name considered "misbranding"? There is so much information out there, it makes my head spin! Thank you!

 

[jcandleattic]

I am brand-new to cold process soap-making with a handful of successful batches of soap. I am planning on vending at a local event and would greatly welcome any advice/tips on current labeling requirements.

My advice - regardless of how well you think your soaps are, you are not ready to sell.
Do you know whether your soaps are going to develop DOS? Do you know how well your soaps are going to cure in say 6 months time? Do you know what your soaps are going to be like in conditions other than your own environment, e.g., humid climates, dry climates, cold/dry hot/wet climates? etc.,

If you don't know the answers to those questions 100% you are not ready, and with only a handful of successful batches, and being (in your words) brand new, then you just are not ready to vend.

Has anyone used their Etsy URL as contact information on the soap label in lieu of a street address? Etsy said I would be able to add my street address in the "About" section.

If you were ready to sell, you would probably know this or at least you should.

There is so much information out there, it makes my head spin!

Again, that is because you are too new to be selling.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but there is just so much to learn, do, make and prepare for before you start selling.

 

[Candy Myers]

Wow.....I posted on here looking for friendly advice. Not be shot down. thanks anyway.....

 

[amd]

You will get this advice from many of us regardless. A handful of batches is not enough to start selling. Do you have insurance? Do you know what to do if someone has a reaction to your soap? It's more than just making something and selling it and going home at the end of the day.

 

[jcandleattic]

Wow.....I posted on here looking for friendly advice. Not be shot down. thanks anyway.....

Trust me when I say this is friendly advice. I'm sorry you feel shot down, as that certainly was not my intention.

It's the same advice we give to anyone we feel is not ready to sell their product. If you end up selling an inferior product (and I'm not saying yours is, but since you are so new, how would you know if 6 months down the line the soap is going to be a good bar of soap?) then you not only are hurting your own business, but that of every handmade crafter.
This is a community and we want your product to be as good as it can be.

Do a search on new soapers and selling, and you will see this is very common advice.

 

[Arimara]

I highly doubt anyone would think to buy this. That's fine by me as this is just an experiment gone, well, bad. It is lightly scented with Nurture's New Beginnings FO and is almost 2 weeks old. I tried to use Green Vibrance mica, also by Nurture but, the more experienced can clearly and better see and offer suggestions (please PM me if you do have suggestions and comments since this is not my thread).

The point of me posting this pic? To illustrate that there is much to learn about soaping, especially before selling. I'm not opposed to people selling soaps as long as they are putting forth products that are worth my shelling out $20 plus shipping. If I was to find that a person was selling me soap or anything else and they had only started soaping less than a year ago, I won't waste my time. That shows me that they are a vendor that does not truly love what they are distributing to consumers.

Many of the vendors here are veteran soap makers and have took years to hone their craft. If I had the funds, I would have patronized a few more of them out of respect and thanks (for both the information they have shared and the products they sold me). Am I a quack soaper who places way too much value in items meant to be sold? Probably but I'm fine with that.

If you were to sell me a soap, how would you describe it? How long would it last? Is it gentle on my skin? On a more personal level, how do you feel about soap with castor oil vs soaps without? What is you favorite oil(s) to soap with? Do you prefer HP or CP? Do you know the difference between saponification and cure? If you can answer these questions without hesitation then maybe you are ready to consider selling. But if you just started out that journey on a whim, why are you shortchanging potential customers and yourself?

 

[Relle]

Wow.....I posted on here looking for friendly advice. Not be shot down. thanks anyway.....

Nobody shot you down, you wanted advice and you got it, it might not have been what you wanted to hear. Your posting questions in the beginners section and say that there's so much info out there it's making your head spin, all the more reason you should do your research, so your head won't spin before selling. Selling as a newbie is frowned upon here, people are willing to help, but not if your going out there after a handful of successful batches ( your words ). My question to you, is how do you know they are successful and why ?

I suggest you read this, as your NOT ready to sell. https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/are-you-ready-to-sell-your-soap.16002/