classiccandle

Thanks Candybee! Do you use Candle Science's version of coconut lime?

I've tried cutting my M&P soap logs using a knife and also a miter box with a joint knife but still can't seem to get a straight cut on my soap. Even with the miter box some of my bars are a little over an inch at the top and almost an inch and a half at the bottom of the bar. I was seriously considering buying a soap cutter such as the Tank or one of the loaf cutters at soapcutters.com until I read this at the soapcutters.com website. "The Loaf Cutter™ was not designed to cut M&P. By and large, wire cutters do not work well for M&P (Glycerin Soap). It is possible in some cases, if using a softer formula and the soap is fairly new. No guarantees for M&P Soap." Does anyone that makes M&P soap currently use a cutter like one of the ones I mentioned? If so have you had any problems with it? Thanks!

Can anyone advise me on some nice smelling fragrances for soap and where you get yours? I've tried a few but since I'm new to selling soaps I have no idea what customers like. Thanks!

Have you tried toenail clippers?

It's much more than we normally pay too but she thought, for the sake of research, it was justified. I tend to disagree but she is the wife so.....

I was wondering what type of M & P soap sells better for you: 1) An exfoliating soap? 2) Plain soap (no exfoliants). Thanks!

Perfect! Thanks Candybee! Do you know a good wholesaler for poppy seeds?

I'm assuming it's safe to add poppy seeds to M & P soap? If so what kind of poppy seeds do you add and is there a good wholesale source for them? How much do you add per pound of base? Sorry about all the questions and thanks for your answers!

I've been contemplating packaging ideas for my soap (shrink wrapped, boxed, shrink wrapped and boxed, cigar bands, etc.) so my wife thought it would be a good idea, while she was gittin' her hair did at the Aveda salon, to pick up a bar of Aveda soap so I could see how they did it (never mind the fact that they're a multi-million dollar operation). She wanted me to guess how much it cost so I guessed eight dollars but man was I off. It was sixteen dollars (it was at this point that I had to check my underwear)!! For a bar of soap! It was larger than normal, 6.3 oz's, and it was packaged real nice. It was in a heat sealed bag inside of a nice looking box made of 100% recycled fiber and soy ink for printing. It also had a catchy little name, Caribbean Therapy. I guess they thought that would be a fitting name 'cause I now need me some therapy alright and/or a trip to the Caribbean to get over the price of that soap! Ooooooooh wee!!

Found a lady in my town that is willing to sell me 10 of the 4 lb pots, used, for $20 so I'll have enough of them now to have one for each of my fragrances. Now, where am I going to store them all?

That's another issue I have; wasting paper towels. Like you I go through what I consider too many paper towels cleaning each pot and stirring spoon. Another savings I could have along with the time and hassle of not cleaning every time.

I haven't had an issue with fragrance transfer either but I do find that, since I use soy and have to pour cool to get smoother tops, that I end up wasting a lot of wax that could be used for another batch. It isn't a lot at one time but over time, having to clean the pour pots out after every pour to pour another fragrance, a lot of wax gets thrown away. I'm going to try having one for each fragrance and if it doesn't work out then you'll see some pour pots for sale in the classies! LOL.

I currently make about 14 fragrances in my candles and 15 in my melts. I have four pour pots and am constantly having to clean them out to get ready for the next fragrance. My question is does anyone have multiple pour pots each designated for one fragrance only? If I had 15 pour pots, each designated for one fragrance, then it would cut down considerably on my having to clean each pour pot out. Is this feasible or, if you have a set up like this, is it more trouble than it's worth? Thank you!

Thanks everyone for the replies. Most of my sales are made at a micro-boutique marketplace. I'm not physically at the location at the time of sale so I can't talk to the customers about the soap and if I shrink wrap it with the bags that I have now (not the cling type plastic wrap) you can't smell the soap that's why I was wondering if you thought it would have a negative impact on sales. I've tried to wrap them in parchment paper as shown on this website, http://jenorasoaps.blogspot.com/2011/10/pictorial-soap-story-continued.html but can't find tape strong enough to stick to the paper. That would be my preferred method of packaging so if anyone knows of any tape that will stick, and stay stuck, to parchment paper I'd be excited to know what it is and where to find it. If not I guess my only other option will be to shrink wrap the soap in the bags I have and see how it goes. Again, thanks for the input!

I'm starting to make M&P soap (haven't tried CP yet but would like to give it a shot in the future) and from what I understand if you don't wrap M&P over time it will sweat. I recently purchased some shrink wrap bags (the kind that shrink around the soap when heat is applied) and was wondering for those of you who wrap your soap if it makes a difference in sales? Does it matter to the customer if they can smell the soap because with these particular bags they seal the soap completely and you can't smell it through the plastic (unless I intentionally melt a hole in the plastic exposing the soap). I really, really don't want to leave any of the soap exposed where people can touch it. For me I wouldn't buy any soap that was handled by who knows how many people. I just couldn't do it....lol. I keep thinking about all of the soap that's sold at a supermarket or warehouse store; the customers can't smell that soap either but they buy it anyway. Any guidance you can provide would be appreciated!

Okay, I'll bite. What was the additional charge for?

LOL! You would probably grow to not even hear it, much like people do when the battery in their smoke detector runs low and it starts beeping. Someone will come into your house and ask about the beeping noise and you'll say, "What beeping noise?", same with the DING! ...........DING! ............DING! "What ding?" LOL!

BTA, that is a brilliant idea! The reason I questioned the method shown on the video is because it appeared they had one guy holding a ruler and another guy pouring the wax on EVERY candle. I wouldn't say that's brilliant nor economical.

There are two ways to have the tallest building in town; 1) Build yours to be the tallest or, 2) Tear everyone else's down. The only question I would have is why they have someone holding a ruler next to the container and another pouring? Wouldn't putting the container on a scale be a more accurate, economical way of measuring?

I'd refuse to sell to them and inform them that you're reporting them to ebay for blackmail. I'd also keep all correspondence between you two.

I think this part would apply to all of us as it relates to cosmetics: (1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall by regulation require that any facility engaged in manufacturing, packing, or holding a cosmetic product or a cosmetic formulation be registered annually with the Secretary. To be so registered, any such facility shall pay the registration fee required under section 744. SEC. 744. FACILITY REGISTRATION FEE. `(a) In General- `(1) ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION- Beginning in fiscal year 2013, the Secretary shall assess and collect an annual fee for the registration of a facility under section 604(a). `(2) PAYABLE DATE- A fee under this section shall be payable– `(A) for a facility that was not registered under section 604 for the preceding fiscal year, on the date of registration; and `( for any other facility– `(i) for fiscal year 2013, not later than the sooner of– `(I) 90 days after the date of the enactment of this part; or `(II) the date of re-registration; and `(ii) for a subsequent fiscal year, on the date of re-registration. `( Fee Amounts- `(1) IN GENERAL- The registration fee under subsection (a) shall be– `(A) for fiscal year 2013, $500; and `( for fiscal year 2014 and each subsequent fiscal year, the fee for fiscal year 2013 as adjusted under subsection ©. So, if I understand that correctly it will cost us at least $500 a year if we wish to sell cosmetics. Is this how everyone else sees it?

I have about 35-40 lbs of GW444 I'll sell you. I have no idea how much shipping would cost from 76018 though.

Nice! What fragrance is it? Is that on a different label? Whoops! Never mind. We were posting at the same time!

What do you consider, "not much going on"? I just got my products, candles and melts, in one store starting in February and made about $500 after fees. Is that considered not much, 'cause I'm not sure if I should be happy or disappointed?

Do the numbers at the bottom of a barcode have to show on your product or can it just be the bars? If I understand correctly the numbers are used more as an internal assignment for a given product than anything else and I'm assuming a retailer would use those numbers to coincide with yours. I noticed on Scentsy melts they don't include the numbers on the barcode, it's just the bars. However, Scentsy also doesn't sell retail so it's more for their own internal inventory control. Does anyone that uses barcodes on their products and sells those wholesale to retailers have only the bars? Aaaaanyway, I hope that isn't too convoluted. Thank you!