latch Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 is there a market for soaps? before i ventured to this part of the board, soaps didnt intrique me, but the more i read the more interesting it is becoming. do people actually prefer homemade soaps/ what are the differences and benefits? you can tell i have no idea.. i know it has something to do with chemicals? sorry for the stupidity... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBrat Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 I personally don't know people that are that interested in homemade soaps but I love them and so I use what I make. I sell to a few message board friends but nobody I know personally is interested. I know lots of others here sell quite a bit of soap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latch Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 bumping this up for more info.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnyeg Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 You might want to start reading more on this part of the board to find out why some people prefer handmade. I dont know if you're talking about m&p soap or cp/hp. I like making cp because i get to pick exactly what ingredients go into it and I can formulate it so that it's just the way I want it. There's definitely a market for soaps. I find that my soaps do very well in spring/summer shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinInOR Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 A lot of us sell quite a bit of soap. Yes, there's a market, as long as you know what you're selling and how to sell. People like it for the skin benefits, or the scent and looks, because they like to support local products, because they feel they're more 'natural'.... the reasons are as unlimited as your marketing ability. It takes a bit of work to sell soap well. You need to understand the chemistry behind it, a bit of math, why you use certain ingredients. Selling melt and pour is a little different, since you don't have as much control over your product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latch Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 i want to try cp. i like the control with cp, i can do many different things..i hve been reading and reading and reading... i printed out a lot of things to take on the go with me. after i learn a little more i will take the plunge. The first thing i will try is an acne soap for my teen. i need to order a few things, found some locally. the math thing is really going to complicate things for me. but i like a good challenge. one thing thats a bummer... do you really have to let cure 4 WEEKS... :shocked2: really?? I have really been praying for patience in my life, its funny how things work..in the mean time i am trying a few bath salt recipe, and maybe will try to tackle bunnys bath melts one day. I never thought i would come over to this side!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnyeg Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 For personal use I dont normally let my bars cure for 4 weeks. My first batch I ever made I used a bar 3 days later from it. I do a water discount so that helps them firm up a bit. For selling I would reccommend a good cure though, it does make them last longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slow-burn Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Not sure how to answer your question, but I sure hope there is, lol! I have been making a ton of it, and while I am NO WHERE ready to sell, I would like to one day add it to my line. I am making a bunch trying to find a recipe that I like, so that way eventually I may be able to sell some. And if I am never able to sell then I will be in a world of hurt, cuz I am having so much fun making it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugenia Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 i want to try cp. i like the control with cp, i can do many different things..ido you really have to let cure 4 WEEKS... :shocked2: really?? It takes that long for the lye to fully dissipate with CP. When you add heat with CPOP (cold process/oven procecc-cook at 175-200 for 2 hours) or HP (hot process, oven or crockpot) it speeds the process and you can use them right away. They will harden more over time.e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinInOR Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 As far as the curing time for CP - it will vary with your recipe. While most of the reaction can be done in 3-4 days unless you push it some like E said... (some people have checked pH and it seems to stop changing, mostly, in that time frame), you want a bar that will be hard and last as long as it can, giving a good value to you and your customers. That means driving out all the excess water you can. That's why people discount water after they know what they're doing - it helps to harden the bar up faster. But as far as using it yourself, unless you've used a lot of water or a lot of olive oil, it's hard enough for you to use it in 3-4 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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