What type of scent do you think sells best?

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teresa

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Hello,
Just wondering what kind of soap scents sell fo you at craft/flea markets.
Is it a clean scent, lavender, masculine etc.. just curious.
thanks.
 
Best sellers vary by demographics, regions, etc. I think variety is the best way to go. I would do something like this:

2 florals
2 fruits
2 herbals
2 spa scents
2 wood/spice scents
2 novelty or dessert scents
2 outdoor fresh scents (ocean, laundry,e etc)

That way you don't leave anyone out.
 
I just double checked my permanent line & this is how it's broken down:

3 florals
rose blend
violet blend
jasmin blend

3 fruits
apple blend
coconut blend
citrus blend

3 herbals/spa
lem/lav
green tea blend
olive blossom

3 wood/spice scents
coffee/wood blend
patchouli blend
amber blend

4 sweet/dessert scents
vanilla blend
pink sugar
cake blend
chocolate blend
 
My number one seller is straight up spearmint essential oil--always.

My number two seller is also consistent. It's a blend of Lavender, Lime and Patchouli Essential Oil. I put a whole calendula blossom on the top corner of this otherwise green clay and nettle speckled bar and I have a hunch that people like the calendula and that's a big reason they buy it.

I also sell a lot of stuff (scrubs, soap, etc.)scented with Bitter Almond Fragrance Oil no matter what I make it look like.

There's pretty much somebody out there who likes just about any scent, frankly. You got your lavender lovers, your lavender haters, your anise lovers, anise haters and so on, people who like their soap to smell like some kind of food and people who don't.

The following blends do well for me too: Tangerine/Cedarwood/Clove and one with Cedarwood/Tea Tree/Peppermint/Eucalyptus and a Coconut FO/Lemongrass EO

I've had bad luck with things that smell too strongly of Cloves (even though I like it) and Basil Essential Oil, which sounds nice b/c basil smells so great but it's just kind of wonky in soap, to me at least.
 
Thanks-some great ideas.... sounds like a lot to make though...
variety is best. i guess.
 
Well, I haven't done a show in a while, but my best sellers were always the dupes, like BBW stuff. And OMH always is a big hit too. I don't have much experience with selling EO soaps as I have just started with them in the past couple years, but i agree it is always good to have a couple from every category. That way you can please most people.
 
It's different for me a every show, this past weekend it was unscented, and lavender castile, and these two haven't been movers for me for over a year. Lavender, is always a winner and berries/sweet scents.
 
Variety is definately best. My two top sellers are peppermint/spearmint scrubby soap and of course the OMH. I personally think every seller should have OMH. It's a very popular scent. I try to keep a few unisex scents (the mint mix I mentioned is one, plus I just got the Eucalyptus/spearmint BBW knock-off, an orange clove and some other unisex scents). Also have lavender, lilac, coconut (though I personally hate coconut, lots of people love it), a chocolate (personally again I think it's silly in soap, but hey, I'll give a shot at selling it!), vanilla, etc. Start small, buy a variety of 1oz oils and make a batch of each, then see what sells best. Absolutely keep track of what sells. Then you'll know what to buy in larger quantities and what to possibly take off your list for your next scent order.
 
Demographics definitely play a large part in what sells. I sell mostly body butter, sugar scrubs, heel balm, lip balm, lotion, shower gel etc...and my most popular fragrances are Pomegranate, Creme Brulee, Green Tea & White Pear and Tahitian Vanilla.
 
I have found that smell preferences change with the seasons, I sell more citrus in the summer and more spicy warm blends in the winter. The one thing that is a constant is our lavender and lemongrass blend. We sell lots of natural aromatic products and lavender is by far the most universal...folks like that relaxing smell. Ironically the smell of lavender now makes me think of work. :lol:
 
My 2 bestsellers have been lavender/peppermint and kumquat.
 
Re:

opalgirl said:
I sell a ton of Oatmeal Milk and Honey as well as any "oceany" scents like sea moss.

I believe that (above). Oh, and, people seemed to love, love my Stress Relief bar :wink: .
 
Where can I find a site that tells me what percentages to use with EO to make a nice scent. I have no idea how to mix them and some alone smell BAD. thank you all in advance for your help.
 
wanalearn2soap said:
Where can I find a site that tells me what percentages to use with EO to make a nice scent. I have no idea how to mix them and some alone smell BAD. thank you all in advance for your help.
I cannot stress this enough: EOs ARE NOT JUST FRAGRANCE. THEY ARE THE CONCENTRATED CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF THE PLANTS FROM WHICH THEY DERIVE. Just knowing what smells good together may work with FOs, but it isn't good enough with EOs. Please do your best to educate yourself on their proper usage. Some can cause serious health issues if misused.

Here are a few websites to explore:
Aromaweb.com
Essentialoilsuniversity.com
Roberttisserand.com

Here are some authors to look for:
Robert Tisserand
Kurt Schnaubelt
Valerie Ann Worwood
Julia Lawless

Feel free to ask questions here on the forum (though I suggest you post them in the Aromatherapy, Herbs, and Essential Oils board) and we'll do our best to answer them :)
 
My number one seller is straight up spearmint essential oil--always.

My number two seller is also consistent. It's a blend of Lavender, Lime and Patchouli Essential Oil. I put a whole calendula blossom on the top corner of this otherwise green clay and nettle speckled bar and I have a hunch that people like the calendula and that's a big reason they buy it.

I also sell a lot of stuff (scrubs, soap, etc.)scented with Bitter Almond Fragrance Oil no matter what I make it look like.

There's pretty much somebody out there who likes just about any scent, frankly. You got your lavender lovers, your lavender haters, your anise lovers, anise haters and so on, people who like their soap to smell like some kind of food and people who don't.

The following blends do well for me too: Tangerine/Cedarwood/Clove and one with Cedarwood/Tea Tree/Peppermint/Eucalyptus and a Coconut FO/Lemongrass EO

I've had bad luck with things that smell too strongly of Cloves (even though I like it) and Basil Essential Oil, which sounds nice b/c basil smells so great but it's just kind of wonky in soap, to me at least.

Funny how that works. I just bought cedar, orange and clove essential oil. I mixed them together and it smells wonderful.
 
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