Hiya

[daisymay]

Hey Daisy here, really new to making soap, and I would like to create some sort of business from it and sell it on a local market I run, which just sells homemade jams and candles.

So yeah here to gain some knowledge from the pros

Thanks
x

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum. It is best to get several months of soap making under your belt before selling.

 

[toxikon]

Welcome! Make sure to familiarize yourself with the local laws of selling cosmetics, it can be very strictly regulated. And do some research on insurance as well, you don't want someone suing you because they had a reaction to your soap! There's a lot that goes into creating a home business, and doing it right will ensure fewer headaches down the road.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome Daisy!


I must agree with lsg and toxicon. Where lye-based soap is concerned, an R & D testing period of 1 year is highly recommended before deciding to sell. That's because so many things can go wrong with lye-based soap- things such as rancidity, scent or color morphing/fading, etc...

I know that seems like a long time of R & D, but lye-based soap can be quite the tricky beast indeed. Problems like those I just mentioned above usually don't show up in lye-based soap until a few weeks or a few months after cure have gone by (if they do decide to show up). It's definitely best to take the time to make sure your formulas/colorants/scents all work together to produce a stable soap that can stand up over time and/or under different conditions. It would be a shame to sell a fully cured soap that looks great at the point of sale, but then have it come down with DOS ('dreaded orange spots', i.e., rancidity) or have the scent or color morph or fade before the customer has a chance to use it.


IrishLass

 

[earlene]

Are you making lye soap from scratch, or are you using melt and pour base? I am sure that makes a huge difference on how soon you should add your product to your already existing market. I agree that if you are making lye soap from scratch you need a longer period of time to assure your product and recipe is safe and reliable.

But with MP, you can introduce the product sooner because the base is already safe.

One thing to be aware of if you do MP is that if you add imbeds you'll also want to test the soap to make sure the soap holds together. I once bought some MP with embeds from a soapmaker that fell apart the first time I got it wet. That was very disappointing! It made me decide never to purchase from her again and you don't want that, I am sure.

 

[ibct1969]

Hi Daisy- welcome!
:wave:

 

[Susie]

Hey and welcome!

 

[Relle]

Welcome Daisy

I agree with all the above posts. Here is a link from the forum you might like to read - http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=33144

 

[Kamahido]

Greetings and welcome to the addiction.