Testing, Packaging, Opinions? Hit me! :)

[rachelb5499]

Okay, so I've been testing different M&P bases and continue to do so. I'm also testing new scents, coloring, etc. There's things I've thought of that I WILL try but also curious what others have tried and what their personal conclusions were/are. *****Also, I'm asking a TON of questions/expressing a lot of thoughts. Why? Because I like polling. I find it interesting to see common themes/conclusions, and you can learn some of the most amazing ideas, techniques, etc. on forums when you ASK and READ so this isn't just "for me" or because I'm "lazy." To me, I'm asking for everyone interested in melt & pour at different stages in their experience to have a "discussion" and learn from each other. Answer what you want or just read and don't answer at all. It's all good with me!

1.) Have you just laid out a chunk of each base to see if it sweats on its on before melting, adding things to it, etc.? IF you're in an area where sweating is a problem, did you get accurate results by doing this testing method?

1a.) Did you wash your hands with JUST plain base before playing with colors, fragrances, etc. to see how JUST the base affected your skin/how it felt? (considering FO's could change the drying effects, etc.)

2.) M&P seems more drying than my CP, not matter whose it is, BUT I'm also washing my hands a lot more because I'm so curious. heh heh So......I've had a slight, slight "burning "sensation" on my knuckles throughout the day lately. I used to get this sensation when washing my hands so many times at work (I work with food, etc.) Is this something you've experienced? Did the sensation go away as you skin adjusted to the new kind of soap? Or did you kick "that base" to the curb?

3.) Packaging: I've read a bunch of people use stretch wrap like from Costco. I've tried this, and I like the look. I like that you can still smell the soap too. BUT.......right now (and I want to in the future), I'm doing little 1/2 oz size, fun shaped soaps SO when you pull some wrap out of the roll, of course it wants to stick to itself, it's way too big for the itty bitty soap, etc. This is a PITA. If that's what it is, that's what it is, BUT people with way more experience........have you come up with some great solution to making this easier? I've also seen several people recommend using a heat gun to help the stretch wrap "shrink up" just a bit if it gets loose, etc. I've seen others say heat guns are just for "shrink wrap." What is YOUR experience?

4.) For those of you who go "all out" when packaging soaps, what kind of fun decorative touches do you do? IF you tie bows, etc. around bars, bags the soap is in, etc. What medium do you use? Meaning, what have you found easiest to work with but effective for YOUR look: twine, raffia, twist ties, ribbon, etc.?

5.) Is there anything you learned with packaging that: (if so, what?)

a.) You just HATED

b.) Just did NOT work (became slimy, a mess, fell apart, etc. down the road.)

c.) For those of you who sell at markets, etc., was there a particular packaging that won out for you due to customers handling soaps many times over, that worked for you to display them in a bucket or bin without looking "beat up" later, etc?

d.) Did one kind of packaging (for you) just KILL sales or INCREASE sales?

7.) Did you try packaging in muslin bags? Wrapped in material? Was this just a nightmare due to sweating, etc. (This is what a lot of people do with CP, but that IS a whole different animal!)

If you do small 1/2 oz shaped soaps like I'm mentioning....did you attempt to "label" them with such a small surface area to work with? (Depending on your packaging of course.) If you DID label them......HOW? and what information did YOU feel was most important to include?

Phew, I'm just I have more conversation/topic starters in my head, but most of you will probably think this is WAY too much already. That's me, alright! WAY too much!

I look forward to your responses and opinions!

[Georgia]

Well, I can't say that I washed with plain base, but I do have different bars in my bathroom now that have different additives so I can compare. I'm happy with my base and my "recipe" but I'm testing added glycerin and added liquid soap. (So far, the glycerin is winning.)

I've done small shaped soaps, but I usually wrap them 3 at a time and label. I have contemplated bagging them - candy bags from the hobby store work great for soaps.

My packaging is pretty simple because I found that the less money I put into packaging, the more economically I can price my products.

[rachelb5499]

Thanks for responding, Georgia! I know what you mean. I actually have "special ordered" sized cello bags for some of my bar soaps (to protect them from dust, etc.) that I also use for things like bath salts, AND I HAVE put the little guys in there which works well and is fairly easy to do with a header, etc., BUT you can't smell them so I'm still debating.

Currently, I'm testing out different SFIC bases...once I kind of see which ones I like (without real additives per say), I'll probably start tweaking it here and there with shea butter, goat's milk, etc. As far as lather, (if that's what you were going for with the glycerin and liquid soap) I've heard a lot of people just add a bit of "shaving" base to their regular base to pump up the lather.

When you say you wrap 3 at a time....can you expand on that? I'm having a hard time picturing what you mean.

I agree with inexpensive packaging to price products more economically. Funny, how there's that fine line though between getting more sales based on your packaging too though.

I currently have 3-4 different soaps made of different bases in my bathroom that I'm trying....and about 6 kinds of soaps sitting out exposed to see what happens as time goes. I even have two with some vanilla in them. It's still early, but NO browning after a week so that's curious....I read somewhere though that people said it can happen even MONTHS later so I'm curious.

[cedar_lea]

I'm currently experimenting with packaging other than saran because of the PITA & amount of time issues. I typically like to put labels on the back side of my soaps and I am sticker + saran challenged so what I have been doing in the past is cutting the saran to close to the size of the soap and stretching over then front, than laying my labels (I use vellum) on it and doing the same thing with the saran only going up the sides. I usually have to put a piece of scotch tape in a spot or two to make sure it sticks good because I cut it so much to keep it clear. It's a definate PITA but it looks nice . .

[Candybee]

1.) Have you just laid out a chunk of each base to see if it sweats on its on before melting, adding things to it, etc.? IF you're in an area where sweating is a problem, did you get accurate results by doing this testing method?

Any M&P base will sweat in the heat or humidity because it contains glycerin. The base from which it is made so its prone to sweat and that just means the glycerin is doing what its supposed to do-- retain moisture. You can buy low sweat bases to combat sweating or just make sure you keep your base in a cool, dry, place.

1a.) Did you wash your hands with JUST plain base before playing with colors, fragrances, etc. to see how JUST the base affected your skin/how it felt? (considering FO's could change the drying effects, etc.)

Always. I highly recommend you cut off a chunk of base and wash with it. This will help you learn more about your base as you begin to use additives. Some bases are very soft, others hard, others produce more lather, some are drying, etc. Knowing how your base behaves before you start using additives will help you determine what soap recipe you want to use to produce the kind of soap you want.

2.) M&P seems more drying than my CP, not matter whose it is, BUT I'm also washing my hands a lot more because I'm so curious. heh heh So......I've had a slight, slight "burning "sensation" on my knuckles throughout the day lately. I used to get this sensation when washing my hands so many times at work (I work with food, etc.) Is this something you've experienced? Did the sensation go away as you skin adjusted to the new kind of soap? Or did you kick "that base" to the curb?

I don't think this has anything to do with the base. Overwashing your hands is going to dry out your skin. As far as which soap is more drying, CP or M&P, I have used lots of each and it depends on the finished product. I make very moisturizing M&P and my customers tell me they switched from CP soap to mine because of it. I have used CP that dried my skin and others that were super moisturizing. Same with M&P. Its the quality of the finished soap that determines how drying it may or may not be. If you make a quality moisturizing soap whether your method is CP or M&P it will turn out moisturizing. Make a crappy soap and it could be drying to your skin. Also, the quality of your ingredients highly determines the quality of your finished soap as well. So use quality ingredients and a good recipe and you should have a good soap.

3.) Packaging: I've read a bunch of people use stretch wrap like from Costco. I've tried this, and I like the look. I like that you can still smell the soap too. BUT.......right now (and I want to in the future), I'm doing little 1/2 oz size, fun shaped soaps SO when you pull some wrap out of the roll, of course it wants to stick to itself, it's way too big for the itty bitty soap, etc. This is a PITA. If that's what it is, that's what it is, BUT people with way more experience........have you come up with some great solution to making this easier? I've also seen several people recommend using a heat gun to help the stretch wrap "shrink up" just a bit if it gets loose, etc. I've seen others say heat guns are just for "shrink wrap." What is YOUR experience?

I used to make 1oz size guest soaps and packaged them in Southern Soapers guest size soap boxes. They were adorable and I sold a lot of these to local B&Bs. But I mainly make bath size bars of 4 oz now and package them in cigar labels then shrink wrap around the labels leaving the ends naked so customers can smell the soap. I use a heat gun for the shrink wrap. Occasionally I make different sized 4-5 oz soaps and package in standard soap boxes to sell but the cigar labelled soaps far outsell the boxed soaps about 10-1 anyday. Why fix what works so I continue to use cigar labels and shrink wrap. I also wholesale these as the packaging is perfect for what shops use these days to sell handmade soaps.

4.) For those of you who go "all out" when packaging soaps, what kind of fun decorative touches do you do? IF you tie bows, etc. around bars, bags the soap is in, etc. What medium do you use? Meaning, what have you found easiest to work with but effective for YOUR look: twine, raffia, twist ties, ribbon, etc.?

See above. I stick with what is selling for me. Occasionally, for the holidays I make soap gift packs or baskets with candles and soap then docorate for the holidays. Gift packs can be fancy boxes with ribbons, raffia, or twine. I like boxes with see thru tops or crates with beds of excelsior in natural, green, etc that soaps lay on. If its topless like a crate then I shrink wrap and tie on some ribbon or raffia. For baskets I like to wrap in shrink wrap or use the loose basket wrap tied up with ribbons, or bows, or raffia, or holiday trim, etc as a finishing touch. Holiday time you can find all kinds of trinkets to attach to your gift box or basket that are fun. I just explore the local craft stores for ideas.

5.) Is there anything you learned with packaging that: (if so, what?)

a.) You just HATED

Cello bags. Mostly because the bag itself can get condensation on the inside which looks bad. I have also had them look banged up after doing just one or two shows or the bag tops that I have with the twisty ties get pressed down and start looking ratty real fast from packing and unpacking as shows. So now I only do a few holiday soaps in cello bags and those are very limited.

b.) Just did NOT work (became slimy, a mess, fell apart, etc. down the road.)

See 'a'

c.) For those of you who sell at markets, etc., was there a particular packaging that won out for you due to customers handling soaps many times over, that worked for you to display them in a bucket or bin without looking "beat up" later, etc?

I sell at a ton of markets and craft shows every weekend starting in May and ending in late December. Because I continuously pack and repack plus have customers handle soaps I found that packing them in those plastic 5 quart containers is the way to go. I pack the containers in a large plastic tub to transport from show to show. The tops of the containers just pop off and on so set up and repacking is now a snap. I line the containers with fresh wax paper since its cheap and makes the product appear freshly made and packaged each show. During the holidays I use rewashable fabric holiday placemats to 'dress up' my containers.

d.) Did one kind of packaging (for you) just KILL sales or INCREASE sales?

Handmade soap is pretty much an easy sell. What I have learned is people want to see and smell the soap so finding a way to do that is very important for higher sales. A soap in a soap box won't sell. You must display a 'sample' of that soap so customers know what it is, can touch it and smell it because that is what sells the soap every time. Even with that I still far outsell my half naked cigar labelled wrapped soaps to the boxed ones by a landslide. So the majority of soap I sell is not boxed.

7.) Did you try packaging in muslin bags? Wrapped in material? Was this just a nightmare due to sweating, etc. (This is what a lot of people do with CP, but that IS a whole different animal!)

Never tried muslin or burlap or any materials like that. Mostly because I have a product that sells well and if I switched to a muslin type material it would not be cost effective for me. I would have to sell it as a premium product to make up for the extra cost of the packaging material and don't see my customers wanting to pay the extra for a bar of soap.

If you do small 1/2 oz shaped soaps like I'm mentioning....did you attempt to "label" them with such a small surface area to work with? (Depending on your packaging of course.) If you DID label them......HOW? and what information did YOU feel was most important to include?

Don't see the point of making a 1/2 oz soap. You need at least 1-2 oz for a guest size soap plus you have to consider the smaller a soap the harder its gonna be to get a good lather. Think of when your bath soap dwindles down and after a while you throw it away or buy a new one. A small soap is the same unless you are just making for yourself. I wouldn't bother to make one so small at least not for selling. Maybe as a test sample but personally not.

[rachelb5499]

Candybee, you are SO awesome for taking the time and being SO THOROUGH! Thank you!

Any M&P base will sweat in the heat or humidity because it contains glycerin. The base from which it is made so its prone to sweat and that just means the glycerin is doing what its supposed to do-- retain moisture. You can buy low sweat bases to combat sweating or just make sure you keep your base in a cool, dry, place.

I know what you mean. Sadly, my area/My HOUSE is humid...even if I put things in a closet with a dehumidifier....still humid, just LESS. So for me, the low sweat seems the best option. I'm currently testing SFIC bases & just did an update on another thread about my experiences so far. Oddly, the gm base didn't sweat at all & was stored in the exact same spot, under the same conditions as all of the others so I'm even more curious to see if adding additives or bases (with "additives" already in them...changes the sweating factor too. Their oatmeal base did not sweat as well. In some ways, that doesn't seem to make sense to me, but in others, it does because there would be less glycerin per oz due to there being more of something else like shea butter, goat's milk, etc. in those particular bases.)

I don't think this has anything to do with the base. Overwashing your hands is going to dry out your skin. As far as which soap is more drying, CP or M&P, I have used lots of each and it depends on the finished product. I make very moisturizing M&P and my customers tell me they switched from CP soap to mine because of it. I have used CP that dried my skin and others that were super moisturizing. Same with M&P. Its the quality of the finished soap that determines how drying it may or may not be.

Good point. MY CP is not drying at all, but that doesn't mean all others aren't. I tend to forget things like that and take mine for granted. My goal is to make a great MP soap so I DO believe it can be done just like CP, but wanted to hear from people like you who have more experience with MP. SOME MPers just seem to care about the novelty/creative things you can do with it and not so much how it affects your skin, etc. Which is totally fine. I just really want to make sure mine is a good quality soap that provides good later, moisture, etc.

I used to make 1oz size guest soaps and packaged them in Southern Soapers guest size soap boxes. They were adorable and I sold a lot of these to local B&Bs. But I mainly make bath size bars of 4 oz now and package them in cigar labels then shrink wrap around the labels leaving the ends naked so customers can smell the soap. I use a heat gun for the shrink wrap. Occasionally I make different sized 4-5 oz soaps and package in standard soap boxes to sell but the cigar labeled soaps far outsell the boxed soaps about 10-1 anyday. Why fix what works so I continue to use cigar labels and shrink wrap. I also wholesale these as the packaging is perfect for what shops use these days to sell handmade soaps.

No kidding! Thanks for the #s! I'm not surprised, but "10-1" is a pretty good answer to what works for you as far as packaging! I'd think it would be fun to sell to B&B's. I'm really more interested, personally, in wholesaling more than retail/markets, etc.

See above. I stick with what is selling for me. Occasionally, for the holidays I make soap gift packs or baskets with candles and soap then docorate for the holidays. Gift packs can be fancy boxes with ribbons, raffia, or twine. I like boxes with see thru tops or crates with beds of excelsior in natural, green, etc that soaps lay on. If its topless like a crate then I shrink wrap and tie on some ribbon or raffia. For baskets I like to wrap in shrink wrap or use the loose basket wrap tied up with ribbons, or bows, or raffia, or holiday trim, etc as a finishing touch. Holiday time you can find all kinds of trinkets to attach to your gift box or basket that are fun. I just explore the local craft stores for ideas.

5.) Is there anything you learned with packaging that You just HATED

Cello bags. Mostly because the bag itself can get condensation on the inside which looks bad. I have also had them look banged up after doing just one or two shows or the bag tops that I have with the twisty ties get pressed down and start looking ratty real fast from packing and unpacking as shows. So now I only do a few holiday soaps in cello bags and those are very limited. I've done bags with twist ties for CP and know what you mean. For me, the worst part of them in a retail store is people would undo them all the time to smell the soap AND the twist tie in shipping, etc. would push INTO the soap and dent it, etc. Looked terrible! Condensation with MP would REALLY be a drag!

I sell at a ton of markets and craft shows every weekend starting in May and ending in late December. Because I continuously pack and repack plus have customers handle soaps I found that packing them in those plastic 5 quart containers is the way to go. I pack the containers in a large plastic tub to transport from show to show. The tops of the containers just pop off and on so set up and repacking is now a snap. I line the containers with fresh wax paper since its cheap and makes the product appear freshly made and packaged each show. During the holidays I use rewashable fabric holiday placemats to 'dress up' my containers. The wax paper/placemats sounds like a great idea!

Handmade soap is pretty much an easy sell. What I have learned is people want to see and smell the soap so finding a way to do that is very important for higher sales. A soap in a soap box won't sell. You must display a 'sample' of that soap so customers know what it is, can touch it and smell it because that is what sells the soap every time. Even with that I still far outsell my half naked cigar labelled wrapped soaps to the boxed ones by a landslide. So the majority of soap I sell is not boxed. I can see that. I (& some of my friends) like soap that hasn't been handled by other people a gazillion times, BUT I've observed....most people don't even think about germs, etc. when they pick up that repeatedly touched bar to smell it, etc. Also, in my experience with CP, I went to the cigar band and my sales literally tripled almost overnight. I, however, "sealed" the soaps once they had the cigar band on them so they wouldn't get dusty, smudged, etc. and just put out one unsealed soap out of each type. What the retail store found was....they had to CONSTANTLY take the "sample" bar back over to the display for the customer and swap it out for a sealed bar so now I'm trying out leaving them all "unsealed." Too much work for the employees at the retail store.

Never tried muslin or burlap or any materials like that. Mostly because I have a product that sells well and if I switched to a muslin type material it would not be cost effective for me. I would have to sell it as a premium product to make up for the extra cost of the packaging material and don't see my customers wanting to pay the extra for a bar of soap. That makes sense. Some people say the bag increases sales and helps stand up to packing and unpacking, and customers constantly picking it up, etc. (with cp at least) But I a as a customer would want to see the colors, the uniqueness of each soap, and personally, always want to pay for product, not for fancy packaging.

Don't see the point of making a 1/2 oz soap. You need at least 1-2 oz for a guest size soap plus you have to consider the smaller a soap the harder its gonna be to get a good lather. Think of when your bath soap dwindles down and after a while you throw it away or buy a new one. A small soap is the same unless you are just making for yourself. I wouldn't bother to make one so small at least not for selling. Maybe as a test sample but personally not.

Makes sense. I'm currently making 1/2 oz SFIC soaps as testers. I've gotten a ton of requests for that size too. I sell a lot of 1/2 oz cp soaps...but my cp soaps are bars, where my MP are fun shapes so harder to wrap, etc. Might not be hard to do with shrink wrap (which I haven't tried yet), but since I don't have experience with shrink wrap, I can only "judge" it by how many I've seen where it makes the product look "cheap," kind of "dollar tree" style...and that's just "no good!" I'll have to keep playing with that idea and figure something out. I DO have a heat gun for shrink wrapping lip balms so I'd just need some larger shrink wrap to test. I'm hoping more people will pop on and give their thoughts, experience, advice, etc. on here too. I think it would help a lot of people who are interested in or already work with MP.

[tamtam]

I use the cello bags for packaging, I wrap the soap tightly in saran first, then fold the cello bag over and punch two holes, run a ribbon through it, then put the label on the back. I also punch 2 holes in the cello bag below the fold. This works really well, soap stays clean, you can see it and smell it and it looks pretty if someone buys it for a gift. It's weird, but I sell more since I started bagging them up instead of just a wrapped soap with a label on the back.

[rachelb5499]

Thanks! I know a ton of us would love to SKIP the wrapping step, let alone add MORE "packaging" work to the mix, but your idea sounds QUITE nice. I can see why you've sold more since you changed your packaging. That's a GREAT idea! What size soaps have you done this with?

[Candybee]

Tamtam-- Your packaging sounds nice. I am glad it works for you.

But no matter what I do cello bags get banged up with the constant packing and repacking I need to do. No amount of care can help. Just happens with my full crafting show and market schedule. I like my current packaging and get a lot of compliments so I will keep using it. I also have a lot of repeat customers for doing this over the years so soap is a big seller for me along with the candles.

[rachelb5499]

Candybee, it's so nice that you do so well at the markets and shows!

[Ange647]

Hi, Rachel

I am so glad you started with M&P testing. I started about 8 weeks ago doing some testing as well. Mostly I make bath salts, lotions, and scrubs. I have a friend that talked me into trying M&P soap and I have found it is addictive. My bases so far have been from C&S. I bought the sample pack and am working my way through them. My favorite so far is the hemp. It seems to lather well without many additives. I am now seeing on their website that the are out of stock on alot of M&P bases. May be a problem for me in the future. I think I am going to try the Chemistry Store bases since I have seen them recommended here. I would hate to need bases and the supplier be not able to meet my demand.

Candybee,

Your knowledge is outstanding. It is always a pleasure to read your post. I think you have been through and tried it all! Where is the best place to get cigar bands from? or is it better to make your own. I am currently shrinkwrapping my tested soaps in saran wrap, but when I start selling and going to my shows with them, the cigar band sounds like a nice addition instead of a label.

[Candybee]

Ange

Thanks for the compliment but I am still learning everyday about M&P. I love the bases from C&S and have used and loved their hemp base. I love the light green color and used to make my olive blossom soaps with it that sold like crazy. C&S is always out of base when you need it plus they have really upped their prices so now I buy my bases at the Chemistry Store in bulk. I don't like them as much as the ones from C&S but I got tired of them always being out.

I make my own cigar bands. I use 110 lb card stock to print my labels. I just designed my own labels using free Avery software I got online. The heavy card stock is because I shrink wrap over the labels to make them look polished and waterproof. Been in some shows that rained so learned to hard way to waterproof them. Anyway, when I shrink wrap the heavy card stock keeps the heat off the soap. Another lesson I learned using light card stock that ended up sticking to partially melted soap.

Trying to attach a pic of some cigar label soap I sell. If it works you can see my labels.

[rachelb5499]

Your soaps looks really nice, Candybee. Not that I'm surprised!

Ange, so we can be "new testers" together. LOL So far, I like SFIC bases...but still not at a firm decision yet. I really want to start messing with additives, but not until I know how a soap affects my skin after several days/to a week of use. I already have goat's milk, Shea butter, etc. for my CP soaps so not like I have to order them to play with them which is nice.

I have cigar bands for my cp soap....just a hint for both of you (though I must confess that I don't remember the cardstock weight), I designed mine and then had them printed and cut from moxicopy.com. I've been very pleased and not having to cut them all is GREAT. They usually never take longer than a week to get to me and the pricing as far as I could tell from research is practically unbeatable!

[Ange647]

Love the pic, Candybee. I see what you mean about C&S. Going to have to try the Chemistry Store. What favorite do you have from there?

Rachel, yep "new testers" we. Thanks for the tip on Printing. I will look them up and check it out. Ink lately is so expensive.

On to soaping we go!

[rachelb5499]

My pleasure. It's always nice to have good, recommended sources for things even if it's just "down the road" for later possible use.

I'm still in the process of testing SFIC bases......got some reviews back from a tester.....totally funny. I had one tester test TWO bases side by side. She liked the exact opposite of me. Big surprise...nothing like getting conflicting reviews. LOL Still waiting on more testers' feedback though so we'll see. I'm considering "combining" those two bases for a whole new "animal" anyway. LOL

[Candybee]

Ange I use the white base from The Chemistry Store. They sell the Stephenson bases and call each crystal; crystal white, crystal clear, etc.

But I am really missing the C&S base. The Stephenson bases are just not the best quality and I am looking now to add a foaming agent to make the base sudsier. With the C&S bases you could put a buttload of additives in it and still get the best lather and creamy rich lather at that! The C&S bases have the best lather out of anything I have tried. They are dreamy to work with.

[rachelb5499]

Hey Candybee, do you know who the manufacturer is of C&S bases? Or is it C&S themselves?

[Candybee]

Nope. The only thing I can tell you about them is they are made in Canada.

[rachelb5499]

Bummer! I was just thinking maybe if you knew, you could buy 'em from a different source since you love them so much. Have you ever tried soaper's choice aka Columbus Foods' melt and pour base?

[Candybee]

No. But I have used Crafters Choice bases from WSP and was not impressed. Right now I am using Essentials by Catalina (EBC) white base because when I went to order from The Chemistry Store last they were out of bulk white.

I have used Catalina's bases before so I knew I could work with them. After comparing the two I'd say the ones from Catalina are better quality than the Stephenson bases. But Catalina's are soft so I add 1/2 tsp stearic pp to harden the soap I make. So far I am getting a better soap with more lather than the Stephensons @ Chemistry Store. So I may switch again. Also, EBC has the M&P bulk sale so you get a really good price even thou they ship to me in VA from CA I still save money. I am also eyeballing the 3 milk base. Heard good reviews on that one!

Edited May 1, 2011 by Candybee

[rachelb5499]

That's cool. I tried ONE of the EBC natural bases, and I REALLY didn't like it so set the rest that I'd bought to try aside. LOL I'm liking the SFIC bases, but still a bit drying so I'm still testing and messing with them. I didn't like how "brittle" the EBC base was just when even cutting to melt...and then it was really bendable/rubbery after melted and poured. I'll have to remember that about the 1/2 tsp of stearic pp if I try her base again.

For me, SFIC is even cheaper than EBC if I order directy from SFIC the 250 lbs, and I have several people interested in doing a co-op. I'm not ready just yet to that, but I'm thinking about ordering from them in bulk and then reselling their bases on my site and maybe on Ebay, etc. We'll see. For me, I want to find a base (even with a little tweaking of my own) that everyone..."just loves." But here in CA...people are "natural" freaks (LOL) so I'm always looking at the "natural" bases.

[Candybee]

I use the white base from EBC. Nothing 'brittle' about it. It is soft but thats an easy fix with the stearic. Also coconut oil and cocoa butter help to harden soap and I use all of those in all my soap making.

I've heard that the SFIC bases are very drying. Try adding 1 tsp of castor oil pp of base. That should help out a lot. I would also add some shea butter. Maybe 5-10 grams pp to start.

[rachelb5499]

Thanks, Candybee. I'll check those different additives out. It's really humid here, and I'm looking for natural "label appeal" so couldn't just use the basic white base from EBC, but I'm definitely still messing around with SFIC and may try out some other things with the EBC as well. The natural EBC base was just a nightmare with melting, pouring, etc. (None of SFIC or WSP bases that I tried behaved like the EBC one at all.)--sticky, gloppy, bubbled over in the microwave and made a huge mess, etc. I NEED to use a warmer in the long run but for testing/small amounts, I just wanted to use the micro, and I'll probably never do that with an EBC base again. LOL I use coconut oil in my CP soap...it DOES harden it quite a bit....definitely seems to have a drying effect as well. I was going to try some shea butter today. I'll add castor oil to my tests as well.

You should SEE the natural EBC! It practically crumbles into bits when you try to cut it....it flakes and chips off, etc. which is what I meant by brittle.

[Oceangazer1]

Hey Candybee, do you know who the manufacturer is of C&S bases? Or is it C&S themselves?

May I ask if you are referring to Candles and Supplies in PA? I have purchased their bases and loved them.

[Candybee]

Thats the one. They are in Quakertown, PA. I just ordered some bases so am picking up tomorrow; shea and cocoa butter bases this time. Odd that over the last few months prices & shipping have changed so much that the C&S bases are not that much higher than other suppliers.

Thats because shipping has gone up so high that even ordering from The Chemistry Store or EBC has become quite expensive even with their great M&P bulk prices.