Caroline

From everything I have read oxides are the most natural, than micas, than FD&C colorants. Yes, I did know that micas are coated with the FD&C....

I'm into the organic lifestyle, organic food, no sls, chemicals, etc. FD&C colorants just fall under my no-no list. I can't give you the exact reason for it, I just have read enough that I try and do the most natural options possible, then go synthetic if I have to.

I don't like the FD&C colorants. I would love a liquid, but I would like to avoid that. Any ideas on where to find a liquid without the FD&C?

I have a question for all of you melt and pour people! What do you normally use to color your soap? I had bought some oxides, but I had a really hard time getting it mixed up, and when I talked to someone at Brambleberry, they said that oxides are for cp and that micas are for m&p. Do most of you use the FD&C colorants? I would rather not...I can't seem to find micas that are not glittery. Are all micas glittery? I have read some info on colorants, I just can't seem to figure it out still! HELP!! Caroline

Thanks for the reply! It gives me some ideas. Anyone else have anything to add?

Anyone?

I see so many different scents, and I have a couple that friends have raved about. I just have a couple of questions, since this is my first time to go to market! For those of you who bring m&p soap, how many different types of soap do you bring? I keep reading that you need to bring 15 to 20 different types of soap, is that how many you bring? Also, what has been the request of customers, mostly scented and colored, some uncolored and unscented? And I know this is a silly question, but do you sell a lot of soap that is simply colored and scented? Nothing special added to it? It just seems so easy to make those!! I am going to bring some loofah soaps, goats milk soap, shea butter, low sweat white. Any other types you would suggest, or is that a good enough variety? Give me all the tips you can! Thanks! Caroline

Since I'm bringing Lip Balm to Farmer's Market, I'm trying to settle on a price. I was suprised when I added it up how cheap it is to make, but I don't want to put to low of a price tag on it! I was thinking of $2.00 or $2.25. I guess I feel like I am competing against Burt's Bee's who sells it at places around here for $2.00 a tube. And if you do lip gloss, do you charge more or less for that than regular lip balm? I would just be doing a clear lip gloss, I'm not adding mica's to color them. Thanks for any advice! Caroline

I was planning on going to Farmer's Market with soap (melt and pour) lip balm, bath salts, milk bath, crack salve, etc. A whole line of bath and body products. They called me back today and said that I can come, but only with soap and lip balm. They want more people with produce. I don't understand if they are letting soap and lip balm come, why they aren't letting the other stuff, but that's what they said. The fee is $100 for the season for Saturday morning, and it is a nice town with some $$$ in it. But should I go with just soap and lip balm? How many of you go to market with just soap? I really want to go, just trying to decide if it's worth it! Caroline

This might be a really silly question, but what do you do with salt tubes? The long, plastic tubes with the lid on top. Is that what you all package your bath salts in? Can you put Bath Bombs in them? I am a visual person, and it is really hard for me to imagine what to do with empty containers! Thanks! Caroline

I shop at Costco, so I will check the next time I'm there. I was just at Costco last night, to bad I didn't know to check then! Caroline

Where do you all buy your powdered milk from? I'm thinking that it would be cheaper just buying it at the store instead of paying shipping prices. What have you all found? Caroline

I have never posted a picture before, so I'm not quite sure how. One thing I would do is to add some stearic acid (I think that's what I read you all add) or beeswax to it somehow. They have sat out for 2 days now, and they are still a little to soft for my liking. HTH! Caroline

Thanks so much for testing it out for me! I take it from all of the replies that no one leaves their soap unwrapped. I just might be the odd duck and try. We will see. Any more input would be great! Thanks! Caroline

I made soap balls yesterday with the SFIC Castile base and they turned out really good! The recipe is: Lavender Soap Balls 1/3 cup boiling water 1 TBSP dried lavender buds 31/4 cups grated castile soap Make a lavender tea by steeping the lavender buds in the boiling water for 15 minutes (don't let the water boil that long, bring the water to a boil, then put buds in, turn heat down on low and simmer). Add 4 drops of lavender fo/es after the 15 minutes. Pour lavender "tea" over grated castile soap, and knead together well. Form the mixture into balls, place them on a piece of wax paper and all to air dry for about a week. Store them unwrapped. The recipe doesn't call for melt and pour castile soap, but I went ahead and tried it, and it worked! Has anyone else tried soap balls out the castile soap base and had it work for them? I'd love some other recipes. I'm going to try and sell these at farmer's market. They smell so pretty! Caroline

I saw a display picture on another board, where the lady had a wooden display for her soap, and had a sample of each bar to pick up and smell. All of the soap was unwrapped...it was not M&P though. I just loved the look of it. She had the descriptions of each soap at the end of each aisle of soap display. I thought it looked nice...I really need to decide what to do. Where do you all get your shrink wrap at? Is it hard to learn how to do it? Caroline

That would be awesome if you would leave a few unwrapped! I would really appreciate you testing it out for me! My market does not start until May, so I'm in the planning stage of how I'm going to wrap them. What is a EZup? I'm trying to figure out what covering I'm going to have on over my table, and I assume this is a covering. Thanks! Caroline

I posted this in the Soap board, and then realized I should probably have put it here. I am going to farmer's market for the first time this year, and trying to figure out my display look. For those of you who make and sell M&P soaps, do you wrap it or not? If you do wrap it, how? I am using the SFIC base, and have left it unwrapped in the sun for the past several days, and I really haven't seen a difference. I would love to sell it at Farmer's market unwrapped. Has anyone done this? Caroline

I have a question for you all. For those of you who make and sell M&P soaps, do you wrap it or not? If you do wrap it, how? I am using the SFIC base, and have left it unwrapped in the sun for the past several days, and I really haven't seen a difference. I would love to sell it at Farmer's market unwrapped. Has anyone done this? Caroline

Thanks so much for your replies! One more question...Do you all wrap and label each bar of soap, or do you just put up one sign and leave your soap unwrapped for selling? I'm leaning towards leaving it unwrapped, and having a sign for each type of soap saying what is in it. Do you think that would be good? I love the bare soap look. I think that the SFIC base is good enough that I could leave it unwrapped in the heat. Any thoughts on this? Caroline

Thanks for all of the responses! Yes, I am looking to making it myself. I hope that it goes over well! I'm in Missouri, and it will be a nice town that I'm selling, so we will see. "use a goats milk base add ground oatmeal, honey and powdered goats milk everyone loves it" That sounds wonderful! So you take oatmeal, and just blend in the blender, then add? Should I just add ingred. till it looks right? Also, do you all take supplies, then x by 3 to get your price? That is what I have read to do. I guess I'm just nervous to be asking people to pay 3-5 dollars per bar of soap for melt and pour. If people would pay that, great! Is that the price you all normally charge? Thank you so much for your replies, it helps me out a lot! Caroline

I hope it's ok to post it here instead of the business one, I wasn't sure which one I should do. I am just wondering who here sells their melt and pour soap, and is good at it? I am wanting to sell m&p soap at our local farmers market this year, but I'm just wondering at the response since it is not the cp soap. Thanks! Caroline

Hello! I am new here, having just found this forum. I have a question for you all. I want to make my melt and pour soap harder, and I have read how to do it, but I can't find it now. What do I add to make it feel more firm and last longer? I am using the SFIC base. Thanks! Caroline