Jeana Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) I'm getting freaked out by the thought of the coconut oil prices continuing to climb. I understand why it is happening but we can only charge so much for a bar of soap to try to make up our price increases. And even if prices were to come down some they most likely won't ever return to where they were.So where does that leave small soap businesses or even large ones for that matter. I've heard of several closing down. Is it just a matter of finding other ways to cut costs to absorb these increases?How do most of you plan to stay in this business when the prices are so high or may even get higher? Are you planning to raise your soap prices? Are you using other oils more than CO?I've recently taken Palm out of my recipes so I was planning to just increase the CO but now that seems like it may be too expensive. Hmmm?? Edited May 23, 2011 by Jeana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasBrat Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Some people buy/share drums of oils. There are coops to cut the cost too. I make soap for personal use so the cost doesn't hurt me to much. You could try less expensive oils like rice bran, safflower, sunflower oils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsaycb Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Its going up? Hmmm, I'm so out of touch. Maybe I need to stock up now for the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbuddy Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I bought two 50 lb. buckets before the prices went up. I hope that lasts me for a while. All my supplies went up; not just coconut oil. Have you seen the prices for a gallon of jojoba? Crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeana Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 (edited) Lindsaycb - in Dec I bought it 50lb for $60, and now it is $80 - $85 for 50lbs. Many suppliers are not carrying it now because it is so high. Soapbuddy - I had a good stock before it went up too but now I am almost out. When you make to sell it doesn't last long. I have begun searching for local people again and I have some leads now so I won't have to pay shipping at least. The more local places take about 3 wks to get it and I have to pay in advance. There is always something. I only use Jojoba for body care not soap. It was too expensive before.Mainly I was just trying to get a feel of what other soap businesses are doing to offset some of these rapidly increasing prices. Edited May 24, 2011 by Jeana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbuddy Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 The only coconut that I can get locally in large buckets is used for popcorn and it's bright yellow. That won't work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitn Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I don't use CO in my recipe, I am allergic to it. I use sustainable PO and PKO . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeana Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 PO and PKO aren't any better in price. At columbus foods PKO is more than CO. I actually dropped palm recently and I've really happy so far. Palm is a very inconsistent oil for me. Even the no stir gives me very inconsistent results. I'm much better without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I bought two 50 lb. buckets before the prices went up. I hope that lasts me for a while. All my supplies went up; not just coconut oil. Have you seen the prices for a gallon of jojoba? Crazy!I'm afraid to look!! I am still working on a 50 lb bucket of coconut. I have yet to soap this year, but I'm told starting in June that will change lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 For small time people like me who buy their CO (and other oils) at Wal Mart - CO went up 10% from what I paid in January and lard (is there a shortage of PIG FAT ferchrissakes?!!!) went up 10%, too! When one considers that these are staple food products in most of the world, it concerns me a lot. I don't care if televisions and iPods go up 10%, but when food staples go up - not chicken because of avian flu or failure of the artichoke crop - STAPLES - that starts getting scary!! Wonder what the price of flour, corn and rice are doing...:tiptoe: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjconner Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 If you want to sub out palm - lard seems to be a good choice. I tinkered with getting rid of the palm in my recipe. I replaced all the palm with lard and had the same results. With prices the way they are, I'll probably switch to lard when I run out of palm. Columbus Foods has lard at $.80/lb for 50 lbs. In the spring, I buy a years worth of my oils and store them in the basement (think refrigerator). I live in Southwest Montana (nearest Wally World is an hour away) and buying in bulk and paying shipping once saves me money. I really can't buy any ingredients locally except canola (olive is cheaper to ship).Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soycrazy Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 All the oils went up it is crazy. I think canola doubled in price since I last bought it. I use crisco to sub palm oil, since there is palm oil in it, works out really well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Most of the rise comes from the gas prices I suspect. Some are going to come from comprised crops because of the wacko weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soycrazy Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Your right scented, when the diesel prices skyrocket so does everything else, truck driving companies then have to raise their prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeana Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 I figured the prices are rising due to fuel and crops. I can't do lard too many vegan customers. Some of the criscos have cottonseed. This is an oil I am eyeing. I saw on wikipedia that cottonseed has higher myristic and stearic levels than most liquid oils. I was going to try columbus foods but their's is winterized. From what I've read this means it is chilled and the solids that fall to the bottom are removed. Since stearic falls to the bottom in palm, I assumed the solids at the bottom of the cottonseed is stearic too. So I am going to try some non winterized to see how it goes. I can get a fairly decent price on cottonseed.Every time I make a batch without palm, I get happier. I didn't realize how much better soap can be without palm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 You're making me think about tinkering with my recipe, which has both lard and palm in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminousBoutique Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I use lots of olive, coconut, shea, some cocoa, and castor.. i cut out canola, soybean, never used palm or lard.. the coconut is hurting I used to get it at MMS, because i wouldnt have to pay shipping... and I'd do 50 lbs. 122.50 right now!!!!! SoapersChoice, 80.50.. shipping $26.34 for just the coconut oil... so I suppose I'll be waiting a bit to order, until I need more supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeana Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 (edited) What are you going to do with your recipe add cottonseed?Funny thing about palm too, it really attracts ants. I have an ant issue at my shop. In the warmer months I would have to pick them out of my palm, yuck. I left a small amount from my last box on a shelf one time and the next day it was covered in ants. I couldn't even use it.wow $122.50 for 50lbs that's crazy. For now I had to suck it up and do columbus foods. I pay about 30 for shipping. Edited May 30, 2011 by Jeana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminousBoutique Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 yeah, columbus foods i hate paying the shipping but they really have the best prices for almsot all of my oils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 What's $122.50? Coconut or palm? You could look into AAA-Chemicals. Their coconut is at $90 something for 50 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuminousBoutique Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Coconut at MMS I'll look at AAA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soycrazy Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Funny thing about palm too, it really attracts ants. I have an ant issue at my shop. In the warmer months I would have to pick them out of my palm, yuck. I left a small amount from my last box on a shelf one time and the next day it was covered in ants. I couldn't even use it.Oh that sucks. I haven't had that problem, but I made a sugar soap I've been testing in the bathroom and I found it the other day in the bathroom covered in ants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeana Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Coconut at MMS I'll look at AAA!I just checked and they are $170 for 50lbs that is insane! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbuddy Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I just checked and they are $170 for 50lbs that is insane!$170 for 50 lbs is crazy insane! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 The AAA-Chem one is? When I looked it was $90 something. I swear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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