wanalearn2soap said:
I've read everything I can find on soap making. I do have the basics or at least I feel certain I have the knowledge to create a quality safe bar of basic soap without EO's which is what i have done until the request. For some reason you felt the need to tell me I'm not qualified to have a small business without knowing who I am or where my background.
The link you provided I have read multiple times. But, thank you anyway. BTW, Back when I was young I made soap the old fashion way with my granny and I do remember that well.
Let's take a step back. It is true that we don't know your background, but one of the things mentioned in the thread "Are you ready to sell?" has to do with shelf life. Unless you are using the exact formula your grandmother did, you don't know what your soap is going to be like 12, 18, 24 months down the road. And since we now have all those wonderful ingredients like shea butter, mango butter, silk, clays, etc. which were not readily available in your grandmother's days, we use them. I noticed that you tried to make a luffa soap.
It is good to experiment with new formulae and new ingredients, but simply because the soap looks like a success when you are done with curing, doesn't mean it will remain good later. I have been making soap for a little over a year now, most of the time I come up with my own formulation. I have given some to family and friends but are hesitant to sell. Once my castile went rancid after 4 months. Fortunately I was able to do a quick "re-call" as I know who had them. (And fortunately my friends are very forgiving). Since then I would always keep at least a bar of every soap I make and check it from time to time for rancidity and DOS. I also put a few cured soaps in the bathroom cabinet - the warmest, most humid place, with the idea that if they would survive in that environment without going bad, I can then use that same formulae again.
If you feel like you are ready to sell, nobody here could really stop you. And it is not like we are in competition. Shawnee is pretty established in somewhat of a niche market (using EOs, and historical/folklores as inspiration) and I am sure she has a steady client base. I don't sell, but my friends whom I barter with are very loyal "customers". So whether you sell or not doesn't really matter to us - we have nothing to gain, nothing to lose.
We are trying to tell you to hold off a bit because we don't want you to have angry customers with rancid soap they bought from you, and we don't want you or anyone to get sun burnt or skin rash because of some ingredients you use. That's all.