Re: How do you compete with these prices.........

September 11, 2004

You can buy in bulk, that would bring your price per item down. My most

expensive soap is $0.68 cents a bar (wrapped) - where are you located, maybe

some of the members can help you with that. Half the fun of soapmaking is

trakcing the suppiers.

About the Aloe, you can really get a jug of Aloe at a supermarket people

drink it, it only has one preservative in it.

I just purchased some aloe online reasonable for what it was. I think it

was Moosecreek Creations. A new vendow. Her website is awesome, by the time I

got through, I wanted to order EVERYTHING (but soap). The Aloe was 4.95 for

16 ounces. Pure but keep it in the fridge (If you have room) - I have a lot

of soaping supplies in the fridge and freezer.

in Cambridge

~~Madness takes its toll, please have the exact change~~

September 11, 2004

That is the bane of our soapmaking existence--cheap retail prices! I don't have

an answer. Unless I can buy my ingredients in huge volume, (which I cannot)

they are expensive and I am not able to sell the soap as cheap. I don't know

how these people make money! I have settled on selling at craft fairs where I

sell retail and do not do wholesale. If any of you have any experience with

making money on our soap, please let us hear from you! Jan in Pismo Beach, CA

September 12, 2004

<<but, for now she has been buying from this very place I called today. And,

I cannot beat those prices! Any ideas/hints/tips, information would be

GREATLY appreciated. >>

Well, you really must launch into sales mode. You must indicate the

perceived value of *your* bar vs. the cheap bar. Why *should* she buy yours?

Yours

is handcrafted, you use *this* ingredient and it will do *that* for her. It's

all about perceived value. Why would someone pay $25 for an 1/8 oz of eye

cream when they can get 8 oz. of k-mart brand for $2.50 (or whatever)? Because

they think it will work better? Does it? Who knows. Only *you* know about

your soap.

As far as the store goes, same thing. ly, if *I* was a shopper there,

I'd be like " Gee, I wonder why this soap is double the price of that one? It

must be higher quality.... "

HTH

Rogue

Exotic Tropics

Bath & Body Products

http://www.exotictropics.com/

Be Kind to Yourself!

Katana Rogue Artistic Creations

Web Design & Artistic Services

http://www.katanarogue.com/

September 12, 2004

Hello everyone!

I wanted to chime in here to say, that YES you can make your soaps at prices

that are competetive.

First, I want to say that if you want to use ALL expensive ingredients, it

will drive the costs up.....

But, if you want to make your soaps with good quality ingredients, you can

use like 49 to 50% soybean oil, which is regular vegetable oil that you can

buy at the supermarket, and purchase it on sale.

Then determine what qualities you want your soap to have and use your more

expensive ingredients from there.

I am able to make a 5 lb batch of CP soap, cut into 20 4oz bars, and I sell

those bars for $3.25 each. I also have some that I sell for $2.50 each. I

also have a promo that I do, that if you buy 4 bars, you get one free, so

that takes the price down further.

I too have the problem of purchasing in large quanities to get price

breaks....that's where you get involved in co-ops and watch for other sales.

There have been many times that I have run low on product, and I will only

purchase one or two oils via co-op or sales, and put them up until I have

all of the ingredients that I am wanting. I rarely spend more than $25.00

per week on anything.....

Then I take my profits from my sales, and purchase more ingredients...... I

know that it will probably be another year before I really start making any

money whatsoever on my soaps and stuff.

My favorite soap, (which also sells better than any other) is made from the

following ingredients.

1) Soybean Oil (50%)

2) Coconut Oil (10%)

3) Castor Oil (4%)

4) Shea Butter (4%)

5) Olive Oil (10%)

6) Grapeseed Oil (5%)

7) Sunflower Oil (10%)

8) Cocoa Butter (2%)

9) Palm Oil (5%)

10) Tussah silk fibers added to lye water

To this I add my FO or EO......(which I also buy on sale or via co-op) I add

my FO at 0.7% per lb of oils. My EO's, are added at different amounts based

on proper dilution for each EO used.

Also, if you don't want to use liquid soybean oil, Crisco....or the store

brand vegetable shortening will work. As a matter of fact, when I use

Crisco, I tend to have a harder bar of soap. You can also add a small

amount of stearic acid or beeswax to the formulation, and it will make the

soap a bit harder. More palm oil will make a harder bar of soap. There are

spreadsheets available that will tell you which oils will produce which

qualities you may want in your soaps. Also, if you want to use an animal

oil, tallow will produce a hard bar of soap as well. I have another formula

that uses tallow, and I have several folks that prefer that soap over the

all veggie bar.

These same principles go to lotions and other items as well. If you want

more info....please email me, and I will give you any help that I can.

HTH,

Candy in AL

Re: How do you compete with these prices.........

>

> That is the bane of our soapmaking existence--cheap retail prices! I

don't have an answer. Unless I can buy my ingredients in huge volume,

(which I cannot) they are expensive and I am not able to sell the soap as

cheap. I don't know how these people make money! I have settled on selling

at craft fairs where I sell retail and do not do wholesale. If any of you

have any experience with making money on our soap, please let us hear from

you! Jan in Pismo Beach, CA

>

September 12, 2004

Alice,

I would be suspicious of these products!

Glycerin soap may not be glycerin soap actually but a detergent melt

and pour which can be purchased in bulk for pretty cheap - not

necessarily a good product though.

A scented bar doesn't mean it has essential oils in it; fragrance

oils can be purchased pretty cheaply - Even s sells scent -

again, doesn't mean they are any good!

> Sorry for the cross-post. I just made a phone call today to

our natural food store in town. This is the ONLY place in town that

sells most of the items needed for the soapmaking. I called to ask

them about their Aloe vera gel and juice and the size and prices of

it. It is 1 qt of each for $8.39, and it says 100% on the label

then says less than 1% of citric acid, potassium sorbate (and the

gel has coregene as a thickening agent). SO, is this the stuff we

would use for our soaps?

What are the ingredients of the face soap? Where are these products

made and what do they contain? If the bar doesn't say, question the

manager. Don't try to compete, handmade products are worth more as

are quality products. Emphasize the uniqueness and the quality of

your products - not the price!

Sagescript Institute, LLC

Microbiology Assays, Health Education

http://www.sagescript.com

> 3 1/2 oz. size bars (almost puck shaped he said) called Glycerin

soaps, aloe-natural-and almond for 1.65 a bar!!!!!!!!!!

> THEN, he said they have the scented bars, same size (3 1/2 oz)

that range from 89 cents up to 3.00 a bar!!!!!!!!

> THEN, he told me about an herbal face soap they have there, that

is 3.35 oz for 11.39!

> NOW, my question is, with prices like these, HOW do I compete

if I were to try selling my soaps (when I can get back to making

them)? They also sell lotions there, but I did not get those prices

or sizes.

> I HAVE seen their soaps there, and they look like the crinkle

cut on the sides, wrapped with currogated cardboard with a label on

them listing NO ingredients (such as any butters or oils in them).

They are skinny (don't look an inch thick to me), but it says they

are 3 1/2 oz!!!!! And, only 1.65 for the unscented, 89 cents to

3.00 for the scented. I am so bummed now. I have a lady who wants

to buy 1 kind of soap from me but, for now she has been buying from

this very place I called today. And, I cannot beat those prices!

> Any ideas/hints/tips, information would be GREATLY

appreciated. Thanks everyone.

> Alice in SD

September 12, 2004

In a message dated 9/12/2004 4:23:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

cdlucas@... writes:

10) Tussah silk fibers added to lye water

You know I haven't heard of this in such a long long time. I just purchased

an ounce of silk fibers to add to an aloe soap I'm making (to pump it up) -

this was a trend awhile back. Silk this and silk that. Then people started

cutting up silk blouses (yuk) to put in the lye water.

Silk fibers can add a lot to soap. You only need a pinch in the lye water

to get wonderful results.

I use a basic 3 oil recipe, everything else is a variation on that. But

just coconut, olive and palm. I tried half canola and half olive, but the

price

per item wasn't all that great, and I found olive oil for 0.11 cents an

ounce. (pomace)

I tried soybean (hard, like crisco) it was ecconomical, but friends didn't

like the mushy qualilty. I make a Hemp Soap, a Neem soap and a Shea Butter

Soap. Everything else is the basic formula. and oh yeh, castor oil at trace

for BIG BUBBLES.

My feelings are thus, if you have a 7 oil soap, there are 7 ways you can

mess up. I have to agree with you, you really don't have to use tons of pricey

oils to get a good bar of soap.

But for first time soapmakers, it's good to experiment, see what you can't

live without. Some folks can't live without Sweet Almond Oil at trace. I

can't live without Castor Oil at trace.

in Cambridge

~~Madness takes its toll, please have the exact change~~

September 12, 2004

That is what I am thinking of doing. Starting out small, doing a craft fair

or 2, then moving up from there. I was just checking this store out due to the

lady buying from there that wants to buy from me. Didn't want to send her into

heart failure over a large price compared to what she is used to.

The one thing I DID do, when I gave these bars of soap to people to try was,

I gave them a FULL list of the items I used to make it. My friends Mother in

law liked that fact! She is allergice to certain things and, from what my

friend told me, any dairy products will make her break out in large welts!!!!!

Good thing she told me that as I was going to give her a bar of the 2nd batch of

soap I made that I used goat's milk in! But, with giving a list of the

ingredients, it helped her to know what she was using and whether she was

allergic to any of it.

Thanks again.

Alice in SD

Re: How do you compete with these prices.........

That is the bane of our soapmaking existence--cheap retail prices! I don't

have an answer.

September 12, 2004

WOW! What size bars do you sell?

I am thinking I am going to start out with a craft fair or 2, and see where

it goes from there. In the meantime, word of mouth through my friends helps

alot, too.

I am thinking that, as I make a batch and it turns out the way I want, or

is liked by the ones testing it for me, I will be sure to keep it in the

notebook and mark it as one to continue with. I was thinking of having maybe 2

or 3 dozen of each kind I make on hand for a craft fair, would that be too few?

Alice in Sd

Re: How do you compete with these prices.........

You can buy in bulk, that would bring your price per item down. My most

expensive soap is $0.68 cents a bar (wrapped) - where are you located, maybe

some of the members can help you with that. Half the fun of soapmaking is

trakcing the suppiers.

About the Aloe, you can really get a jug of Aloe at a supermarket people

drink it, it only has one preservative in it.

I just purchased some aloe online reasonable for what it was. I think it

was Moosecreek Creations. A new vendow. Her website is awesome, by the time

I

got through, I wanted to order EVERYTHING (but soap). The Aloe was 4.95 for

16 ounces. Pure but keep it in the fridge (If you have room) - I have a lot

of soaping supplies in the fridge and freezer.

in Cambridge

~~Madness takes its toll, please have the exact change~~

September 12, 2004

WOW! Thanks for all the info Candy!!! Believe me, I can use all the help I

can get! I want to make an inventory type list of what I have, with columns,

but do not have excel, so am looking for something along those lines in a WORD

document I can use.

I am looking to make soaps that are good in lather, moisturizing, hard bars,

and good looking bars. FO's that hold up well are nice to know the names of,

also. And, which processes each scent works in and doesn't. I have been trying

to keep track of that stuff in a little notebook, but that is when my kids

aren't snagging my notebook!!

I would appreciate any and all help! I am hoping to be able to make lotions

and lotion bars also! I also wish to make candles eventually! Along, of

course, with potpourri, incense, bath salts, bath fizzies, body and facial

scrubs, sea salt scrubs, etc. So many things, but I want to do it 1 at a time.

May have to forego that for a bit as I have this lady wanting soap, lotion, and

bath salts!!!!!

Alice in SD

Re: How do you compete with these prices.........

>

> That is the bane of our soapmaking existence--cheap retail prices! I

don't have an answer. Unless I can buy my ingredients in huge volume,

(which I cannot) they are expensive and I am not able to sell the soap as

cheap. I don't know how these people make money! I have settled on selling

at craft fairs where I sell retail and do not do wholesale. If any of you

have any experience with making money on our soap, please let us hear from

you! Jan in Pismo Beach, CA

>

September 12, 2004

Thanks . That is why, when he read off those prices to me, I raised my

eyebrow! Sounded WAY too cheap to be decent soap. I have yet to meet my

friends mother in law that wants to buy from me. BUT, from what I have been

told, she has dry skin STILL, even after using that soap from this store for

over 4 months!!!! With being still new to all of this, I am not sure if that

says anything or not as to what it might be made with.