Soap makers

[stasichick]

Well we are still in the very very early process of everything!!!! I was thinking about getting all my duckies in a row and then opening up an etsy store and selling at the farmers marker / fairs and then see where it goes.

 

[farmchick897]

I have a question. Made a batch of soap using a recipe out of a soap book and instead of water used goat milk. The bars didn't cure right (see pic). Any guesses why?

 

[farmchick897]

Ok, some more info. We used 3 different oils, coconut, olive and organic vegetable shortening (made with palm oil). And 2 essential oils, orange, peppermint. I have made batches before using the goat milk but what was new this time was the essential oils and the vegetable shortening.

 

[Wise Woman]

Hmmm, not sure what that is. I never saw anything like that. You can touch it to your tongue and if you get a little zap it is lye that was not fully incorporated. One warning I will give you about shortening. It isn't one pure oil so it can be hard to calculate lye when using it. Many shortenings have soybean oil in them or other types of oils. If I were you I would try regular palm oil or palm kernal oil.

Peppermint essential oil is very easy to work with. I think orange is too, but I used mostly FO because I have a lot of issues when I use EO. I know lemongrass is easy to work with so I would assume orange is as well. I do have to advise you that it is best to get your recipe down pat before you begin adding fragrance. Once you are pleased with your recipe and know how long it takes to trace and so forth, then go ahead and start adding fragrance or other additives to your soap. Everything effects how your soap will turn out so you need to know how it behaves without any additives. Boring I know, but it makes you a more confident, knowledgeable soaper.

Just make sure your oils are all melted, but not so cool as they start to solidify again. Make sure your milk/lye mixture is thoroughly mixed as well. Keep trying. There is a learning curve and we all go through it.

 

[Wise Woman]

Well we are still in the very very early process of everything!!!! I was thinking about getting all my duckies in a row and then opening up an etsy store and selling at the farmers marker / fairs and then see where it goes.

Etsy is a great place to start, but they too are saturated with soap makers. Be patient. You also have to list frequently or your stuff keeps getting pushed further and further down the list. Framers markets and fairs are great places to start because you can build up a clientele and then they can go to your Etsy shop to buy more! I wish you well in your endeavor. I closed my biz in 2009 and I still have people bothering me for soap! LOL!!!!

 

[stasichick]

HAHAH! well that must mean that you were very successful!!!! Yes etsy is over saturated but my thoughts are that there are people that want to buy it. If the audience is there, its hard to beat! farmers markets are definitely the way to go! )

 

[farmchick897]

Thanks for the input, next time I'm definitely leaving the vegetable shortening out and using Palm oil. I did the lye test and it didn't zap my tongue, so I guess that's ok.

 

[Wise Woman]

HAHAH! well that must mean that you were very successful!!!! Yes etsy is over saturated but my thoughts are that there are people that want to buy it. If the audience is there, its hard to beat! farmers markets are definitely the way to go! )

We were doing very well and were on our way to doing soap full time, however, my health decided I should take a different route. The problem with Etsy isn't that there aren't customers, it's with getting yourself noticed. Some people do very well on Etsy, but with 200 plus pages of handmade soaps on any given day, it is difficult to make yourself stand out. Once you develop a customer base by doing markets, fairs and shows, then I think your Etsy page starts to get sales and then things begin to snowball. Also be aware that what ever you put out there, someone will try to copy, so protect your business name and your photos. I found whole pages of my website on one of my wholesale accounts websites. She decided since she was selling my products that she could help herself to my web content and pictures as well. It is always something.

 

[stasichick]

We were doing very well and were on our way to doing soap full time, however, my health decided I should take a different route. The problem with Etsy isn't that there aren't customers, it's with getting yourself noticed. Some people do very well on Etsy, but with 200 plus pages of handmade soaps on any given day, it is difficult to make yourself stand out. Once you develop a customer base by doing markets, fairs and shows, then I think your Etsy page starts to get sales and then things begin to snowball. Also be aware that what ever you put out there, someone will try to copy, so protect your business name and your photos. I found whole pages of my website on one of my wholesale accounts websites. She decided since she was selling my products that she could help herself to my web content and pictures as well. It is always something.

Oh I am sorry to hear about your health. Our path in life is constantly changing. Yes I hear you about stealing images and content! Luckily I am a photographer and graphic designer so I will make sure to imprint /stamp all images with my logo. Thank you for the heads up! People sure are greedy and lazy!

 

[Wise Woman]

Oh I am sorry to hear about your health. Our path in life is constantly changing. Yes I hear you about stealing images and content! Luckily I am a photographer and graphic designer so I will make sure to imprint /stamp all images with my logo. Thank you for the heads up! People sure are greedy and lazy!

Yes our life path is constantly changing. Leaving the soapmaking business enabled me to take up the harp!!!! I am loving it. So I suppose there is a reason for all things. Lucky you being a photographer. I am trying to learn photography and Lightroom and editing is making me crazy. I hope I can learn to use it soon. Everyone says it is so easy but I don't think so. I am trying to learn to use a 50 mm 1.4 lens and that is proving to be a challenge for me as well. But it is fun trying. Here is a picture I took of my granddaughter the first time I used that lens. I do ok if there is only one person in the pic but when there is 2 or 3, they come out blurry. Arghhh.


Another granddaughter.



I will keep working at it. I have a new granddaughter 12 days old that I am going to go over and take some pics of on Friday. Wish me luck.