Paper Street Guy Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Hey All,I have been buying from WSP for about 3 years now and am outraged by their new "free shipping" scheme. I have yet to find one positive aspect that really helps me. So I was in the process of price shopping and noticed something.Regarding the M & P soap bases, I noticed that they changed the formulas. Did you know that the "Extra Clear Soap Base" no longer has any glycerin listed in the ingredients? Neither does the "Shea Butter Soap Base". The Shea Butter soap base doesn't have silk amino acids in it any longer either. And they made a point of saying on that page that while they changed the name, they didn't change the recipe. But it appears to me as though they have. Can anyone confirm this?Also, before glycerin was the third ingredient on the list. Now it is second to last. The third ingredient is now "water," which used to be second to last on the list. So either they really screwed up their ingredients list or they are adding less glycerin and more water to their base.Anyone have the inside scoop?As far as the new "free shipping" pricing goes, I think they just priced me out of their market. I used to drive 3 1/2 hours to get there to save on shipping but now it doesn't make any sense, as I will have to "pay for shipping" anyway. I am thinking on changing base suppliers to either SFIC or Stephenson. I like lots of lather, need a base firm enough to suspend some fine powder color additives (mica, lavender powder, etc), and am looking for something that is low water content, high glycerin content, and creates a relaitively hard bar of soap. Would anyone who has used either (or both) of these two care to offer a recommendation? I have to scramble for a new supplier now that WSP appears to be offering a much lower quality base.Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deisel Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 i have used shea base from bcn & cw. check their sites for the base ingredients.hth-kris BCN: http://cart.candlesupply.com/product.php?productid=20247&cat=382&page=1Candlewic:http://www.candlewic.com/store/Product.aspx?q=c81,p955 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Welcome to Craftserver!There is alot of concern and a lengthy discussion about WSP on this thread: http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97037I no longer use WSP M&P bases but never really liked them much anyway. There are so many suppliers that carry bases so its just cheaper an easier to buy elsewhere. As far as changing their base I know they added some new ones and reformulated some but since I don't use any I can't respond to ingredient changes. My advice is to call them and ask them for an explanation.The only thing I continue to buy from WSP is their GM & Honey lotion base as my customers love it. The 'free shipping' price turns out to be the same cost wise for me for this one particular product. But they keep changing pricing so I feel they are unreliable. When I find a comparable base I like I won't be buying from them any longer. I've had it with WSP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenny jo Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Hi everyone, I too am new to this group and I also hate the way WSP includes shipping in the price of their products. There are so many great suppliers out there I finally just called it quits with them. Hope that doesn't come back to bite me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going2Adopt Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 They recently posted a blog post about their soap ingredientshttp://blog.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/2011/03/mp-soap-bases-full-disclosure-of.htmlI don't use them for much of anything so I can't give an opinion on them one way or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paper Street Guy Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 I call WSP today and asked about formula changes. Sue was unable to address why glycerin was not listed on the Shea or Suspension bases any more and I was told to contact Debbie. Silk Amino Acids, it appears, have been removed from the Shea base for some unknown period of time, hence the name change from "Silk & Shea" to just "Shea Butter" base. However their site says that the name has changed but the formulas have not. The WSP story just gets stranger and stranger.I was also told by Sue that the company was losing money before the price changes, and this I gathered was the reason for the changes. One has to wonder, however - is the "free shipping" simply a way to hide a huge price increase or is WSP attempting to make even more money on their already excessive shipping costs?Personally, I believe that when one sees a company making radical changes such as this, and making them so often, that this is a sign that the company is failing and is casting about for some change that will set it right. They certainly appear not to care for the small business owner, as none of the changes they have made benefit me in any way. And if it is indeed true that they removed glycerin from the Shea and Suspension bases, this is just utter desperation.I find that I cannot do business with them anymore, perhaps with the exception of their fragrances. I simply have lost faith in the company and their ability to provide me and my customers with a quality product, whatever the price may be. As I have been doing business with them for 3 years now, this is truly unfortinuate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I decided a long time ago that WSP had good product lines but weren't great enough to justify the cost. The protracted recession and the current events around the world have taken a toll on consumer spending habits. Business is just not where it used to be and I don't expect an upturn until people feel comfortable spending money on luxury items. Suppliers have stopped offering price breaks on bulk and this is just a response to lower demand in a demand driven market. Plus, we are entering the slow time for sales. Shipping cost on the front or at the end is still going to be high and drive down orders until the raw products are absolutely needed. There are a lot of suppliers missing in action due to hard times. Good luck and be gentle.Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soaper Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Yep!! Not happy~ they said their formulas didn't change, (right...) they only want to include ALL ingredients on their label.... well take a look at the "natural" bases, they no longer list palm oil, castor oil, etc.. but now lists prop glycol. I'm going elsewhere for my bases, even though they're 45 min's from my home. They're getting a little unpredictable with their products and I don't like offering items that I'm not sure I'll be able to duplicate a month down the road (like my strawberry banana flavor oil...gone!) Also, I hate that they don't post the items they no longer carry!! You only find out whenever you need to reorder and HELLO.. it's no longer offered!! ughh.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodle Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I was also told by Sue that the company was losing money before the price changes, and this I gathered was the reason for the changes.And this was discussed with you on the phone? Sue thought it fitting to tell a customer of WSP's financial burdens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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