Why won't people actually use my soap!

[Saponista]

It seems that my problem is suffered by lots of other people, which at least makes me feel a bit better that it's not me! Perhaps I will try giving out more plain bars of soap next time and hope they don't just get tossed!

 

[dixiedragon]

When you find a solution, let me know! I just give it in large quantities so it's too much soap to just sit around looking pretty!

 

[hud]

I gave my mom a bar of my soap last Christmas. I'd made a recipe with her in mind that I hoped would be gentle on her dry skin.

She puts it out next to the downstairs sink when I visit. I'm pretty sure it goes back into the cupboard when I leave.

She's always got a bar of Dove in her shower.

I love my mom dearly. She's so very thoughtful and considerate. I won't burden her with more soap this Christmas.

<sigh>

Very sweet mom.

 

[samirish]

My mother in law still has the soap sitting by the side of her sink that I gave her 5 years ago. I refuse to give her more if she is not even going to use it. I understand its hers and she can do what she wants with it but I've explained to her that it for USING, and its great for your skin... .yet she just lets it sit out for decoration.

 

[eclecticsprint]

Who cares as long as it sells.

 

[JustBeachy]

My mother in law still has the soap sitting by the side of her sink that I gave her 5 years ago. I refuse to give her more if she is not even going to use it. I understand its hers and she can do what she wants with it but I've explained to her that it for USING, and its great for your skin... .yet she just lets it sit out for decoration.

Just a thought, but maybe you should take the opposite approach. Flood her with soaps. Give her so many she finally thinks she has to start using them because they're taking up too much room in her bathroom.

 

[Logansama]

My daughter's boyfriend trained her to use my soap. LOL! I think she was afraid of it and when I sent some bars over, he fell in love with a berrywine fragrance, so now she uses it.

When I gift to friends, I give them and "Ugly" bar to actually use. Something flawed or a sample. That sometimes gets them used to it.

 

[LBussy]

Add a small card to the gift, saying "If you like the gift, the best compliment is to use it for that which it was made. If you come back for more when it's gone I will be doubly pleased."

 

[TVivian]

Just hide all of the soaps from their bathrooms and leave yours. They'll have no choice

 

[Shoshi]

I totally understand people not wanting to use the lovely soaps we make for presents - they treasure them because they look beautiful, and the fact that we made them for them. You can always promise to make them some more, so they don't feel bad about using it!

I bought some home-made marmalade from a B&B we stayed in once, and it was soooo delicious that I kept it for ages without using it, because I didn't want to use it all up and have none left! In the end I thought that was silly so I ate it and enjoyed it. It's all about not having your cake and eating it, I suppose!

Shoshi

 

[eclecticsprint]

I made pretty looking soap to give as gifts to my relatives this year. Just gave two bars to my aunty who was delighted. However she said 'I won't actually use them, just put them on the side to look pretty in my bathroom'. I wanted to grab my poor unloved soap bars back from her. What's the point of soap if you aren't going to even try to wash with it?!?! Maybe next year I will make really plain bars, they would probably just go straight in the bin though, without sitting uselessly on the side for a couple of months. How do I get people to actually give them a go? Sigh. Sorry rant over now.

Would you mind posting several pictures of your soaps, I may want to purchase as I am not ready to make them myself. What state are you from?

 

[Saponista]

I don't sell I'm afraid, soaping is just a hobby at the moment for me. I am also based in the UK so overseas shipping would be extortionate. I'm sure there are a whole host of professionals on this forum who would be happy to PM you with their details though.

 

[Consuela]

It's the soapmakers curse.

"Um...why do you have 9 bars of soap that I gave you like five years ago, still hanging out in your bathroom, now all covered with dust?"

"They're too pretty to use! Plus I don't want to waste them."

"Waste them...? I suppose I can see how you might worry about that - because it's not like I don't send you soap every flipping Christmas!!"


I have relatives like that too.... My mother in law who is "stuck" on bodywash, has a ton of my first-soaps, that I really wish she would just chuck out now because there's nothing left for scent and they're not so pretty anymore sitting in her pretty bathroom. Some of our friends who use them to "Scent" the bathroom. OR my Aunt who calls me years later to say "Remember that Body Lotion you made me?" (What, like 4 years ago??!) "I finally used it - and it's TO DIE FOR." (Really, four years later? I don't know about that...)

But there's always the diehards...the loyals....somewhere in the family and friends unit.

My one Uncle refuses to let me gift him bars anymore though, so every year he buys all my "scraps" or "unpretty" or "crooked" or whatever soaps; that way I can buy more materials. Which is nice, I mean I told him he can just have them...and he said "Fine you can just have my money then to buy some more materials." And he does use them - because everytime he cracks a new bar in the shower - he lets me know all the things he loves or doesn't love about it. And he's always on the lookout for soap things for me.

And my parents - my parents use everything I make for them - which is nice, because it makes me feel less like Hubby and I are the only ones who really do....

 

[AMyers]

Consuela, I think I love your Uncle! I want my friends and family to be like that! I have one friend who has given me feedback, but it was all "your soap is awesome" rather than specifics. Another friend (the one who trades me her goats milk for soap made with said milk) also just has generic praise. I guess that's good, in that there's nothing negative.

 

[JustBeachy]

I've always known my family, and I guess by default that includes me, are a different lot.

I've had two calls from family already today, asking if I was giving them some soap for Christmas, cause they're just about out. Nothing like getting a wish list of , "we could use at least one Pine Tar, a couple of those salt bars, Sarah want's another of those weird scented facial bars, and can you throw in a couple of shave pucks. I love that stuff."

 

[Jstar]

I've had two calls from family already today, asking if I was giving them some soap for Christmas, cause they're just about out. Nothing like getting a wish list of , "we could use at least one Pine Tar, a couple of those salt bars, Sarah want's another of those weird scented facial bars, and can you throw in a couple of shave pucks. I love that stuff."

That would be soooo nice..I have one daughter who loves all the soaps and body butters I make, but doesn't request them..another daughter who is just ok with the soaps, but loves the body butters..two other younguns who take the soaps but make no deal out of it or give any feedback...and then just the other fam already mentioned

 

[Cynthia]

It happens to me, too.

I have been told countless times that my soap is just "too pretty to use". I am new to soap making and did my first craft fair just last month- I heard that comment so many times. I mentioned this to a friend and described the objection to being too pretty to use. She said maybe say something to the effect that "we should pamper ourselves just a little more"..meaning use the pretty soap.

 

[lpstephy85]

I have heard this issue when at craft shows and farmers markets that the soaps are too pretty to use. I try to sell them on the fact they get even prettier when they use them :/

My grandma asked for a lavender soap earlier this year and it was a simple light purple bar, no swirls or anything. My mom went to see them as they live out of state and told me she found the bar under the couch as she was using it to scent the living room!? My mom has no issue using the soaps I make regardless of how pretty they are so she took it right to the bathroom to be used while she was down there.

 

[Cynthia]

@ lpstephy85-

I hadn't thought of using the soaps to scent my drawers or house- thats a good selling point and possibly another way around the "it's too pretty to use". If it's decorative, position the soap as an artful centerpiece for the guest room and such...

All the best!

 

[DeeAnna]

Okay, I confess ... I like to put a bar with a favorite fragrance into a cabinet I keep bath towels in. But when the scent from the bar becomes faint -- off with its head!!! ... oh, wrong story -- into the shower it goes! There's still enough fragrance to smell nice when bathing.