? for B&B and candle sellers

[Mnhorsemom]

How "fresh" does stuff need to be? I do soy containers and have started doing cp soap (along with a few other things) How much ahead of time do y'all make product. Do you think you loose quality if things are made like 6 months or so out? I know with the cp soap it needs to cure, but is there a point at which it will start to loose it's scent and just not be as good as it once was? Same with the soy containers, will they loose scent if I keep the lids on the containers? TIA

[Scent Cellar]

The soy containers will be even better with a longer cure.

[cindym]

The longer the soap cures the better it is. As far as scent loss, it all depends what quality e/o's and fo's you are using. Some totally die in 4 weeks. It is hit or miss. I love e/o's but if I could afford to make all my soaps with e/o's I would be a rich woman. One thing I have done that I think helps is to put a couple of q-tips dipped in whatever fragrance I used in the box that I store my cured soaps. I have gone through a ton of soap for the holidays that was made 8 or 9 months ago and the smell is fine and the bars are rock hard and wonderful in the shower.

[RobinInOR]

The only thing you have to be careful of for soaps is that you keep them dry and cool, or you might get a case of "dreaded orange spots DOS", depending on whatever factors causes DOS. No one knows 100% for sure what causes it - recipe, type of oils, fragrance, age of oils, environment stored in.... I've got a few year old bars handing around that are still good - soap usually does improve with age, like Cindy says. I kep them in a covered cardbox storage box, so they don't lose too much of their scent.

I'm still selling container candles I made last year - as long as they're covered...