How to Make and Sell Homemade Soap

Suzanne A. Young
Copyright 2012
 Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
What Are You Going to Do With It?
Different Kinds of Soap
Novelty Soaps
Perfumed Soaps
Miniature Soaps
Medicinal Soaps
Laundry Soaps
Kitchen Soaps
Botanical Soaps
Unscented Soaps
Soap for the “Man Cave”
The Language of Soap-Making
Ingredients
Getting Started
A Simple Cold Process Recipe
A Simple Hot Process Recipe
A Simple Melt and Pour Recipe
Mistakes to Avoid
Storage
Getting Down to Business
Stock Up On Your Supplies
Where Will You Sell?
Pursuing Retail Sales
Going Wholesale
So Just How Will You Sell?
For How Much Will You Sell?
Conclusion
Copyright © 2012 Suzanne A. Young - All rights reserved.

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Introduction
Making homemade soap is a technical process that requires more than just desire and creativity. It can
be argued in fact that without a solid grasp of the technique of soap-making, one cannot fully explore
the creative aspect of this hobby that is fast becoming a viable business for many.

So why go to all of the trouble of making your own? There are several good reasons.

1. It's healthier. Store-bought soap contains many things that were not originally included in the soap
making process centuries ago. Back then, soap consisted of only essential ingredients- period. Today,
chemicals are added to soap in order to boost its cleaning ability. These chemicals often irritate the
skin of those who are sensitive to them.

Fragrance is another issue. We all like the fresh, clean smell than soap has. In fact, some people buy
particular brands of soap simply based on how they smell because that aroma is transferred to the
individual when they are finished bathing. The problem is that these fragrances are also harmful to the
skin, creating harmful reactions. How harmful? Some studies blame these fragrances with causing
reproductive problems in animals, as well as humans.

Why are some of these fragrances so dangerous? Because of their origin. Many contain a petroleum-
base. No one would voluntarily rub their skin down every day with oil or gasoline, yet we take the
risk of doing so each time we use soap with fragrance.

Research shows that well over half of the chemicals that come into contact with our skin are
immediately absorbed into our bloodstream. Why voluntarily add to that number by purchasing soap
that is supposed to be designed to clean our bodies?

2. It's easy. Once you get the hang of it, soap making is pretty easy. Unlike something as complex as
making your own wine, soap making is relatively simple and doesn't require a lot of steps.

3. It's inexpensive. Although soap making does require certain ingredients, they are inexpensive and
easy to obtain. This keeps the cost of the finished product down, which increases your level of
satisfaction.

4. It's fun. Many people get into soap making because they can be creative. You are in total control of
the colors, fragrances and shapes of what you produce. You can even design your own unique style
that can be marketed, if you so desire.

For those who like to express their creative side, save some money in the process and do whatever
they can to improve their health, soap making is a fun way to do it!

Let's get started!

What Are You Going to Do With It?
People make soap for one of two reasons: either for their own personal use or to distribute to others.
This may take the form of a profit making business or simply a method to supply family and friends
with unique homemade items.

In either case, the idea is to bring your own product out from the shadows of your own home and
sharing it with the people you wish to share it with or to sell it to. Perhaps it is because we live in a
busy and often frantic world where everything we touch can be bought ready-made, makes us want to
venture into living a more back to nature sort of life. Making your own soap, for example, means that
you have full control of what is in your products. This will ultimately give you great piece of mind.
Your very first soap-making attempt may be a failure, but you have to keep at it until you master your
own techniques and may even develop your own recipes.

Soap making will be a rewarding experience and each time you make a batch of soap something new
will come to your mind. Whether it is a new additive, a new scent, or a new shape, you will know no
limits to your creations! The good news is that even though it can be frustrating at times, you will
always learn to improve on your abilities the next time around. Anytime we begin a new hobby or a
new project there is a learning curve associated with the subject matter.

Soap making is the same thing, you will have to work at it a little to understand the process and then
understand that you may have initial failures. These failures can be overcome – just don’t give up.
The rewards at the end of the day are more than worth it! What follows here are a few ideas as to
where you might market your own handmade soaps.

Once you have decided that selling soaps, your very own exquisite products, is what you want to do,
be daring and explore the online possibilities. This will keep you up late at night because you will be
perusing and off into various directions and ideas forever. There are more practical methods that will
bring results much more quickly. Look into the tried and true methods that have worked for others
who are as creative as you are. Review eBay sellers of handcrafted soaps. Looking at others as a
model may give you some new and better soap bars to come up with. There is not much that has not
been invented and the good news is that you do not have to re-invent the wheel to create your own
charming soaps. In our modern times, there are many easier and more contemporary methods to use.

Visions of laboratories and steam rising from a workshop of a soap maker laboring over boiling vats
of soap are images of the past. There are many books, magazines and articles that have been written
on soap making techniques as well as seminars at local community centers and crafts shows where
you can pick up tips and information on your new found interest. Don’t be shy about going out and
pursuing your new hobby.

Secondly, look at the new crafter sites on line such as Etsy, an e-commerce site that is similar in
design, but not in scope, as eBay. Everything sold on Etsy is of the handcrafted or vintage genre in
order to be offered for sale on this worldwide marketplace site. Etsy has grown tremendously in
popularity as has its handmade bath and beauty products.

After you have compared online sites, you may want to consider creating your Web site in your own
way, and with your own touch or theme. There are plenty of people in the technology realm that
would be happy to help you out for a relatively small fee. Perhaps you even have a good sense for it
yourself. There are tutorials on the Internet that you can log onto to help create your Web site. Think
of all the tweets and Twitters and other social media sites that you may be able to use to spread the
word about your new venture!

If high technology is not your cup of tea and you like to experiment on your own, there are many
places that you may want to take your product to sell. One of the more popular places all of the
country are those ubiquitous weekly farmers markets that are keeping town and country folks healthier
and exposing all of us to alternatives that are natural and organic. Not only will you find fruits and
vegetables, but an array of natural beauty products from lipsticks, body oils, perfumes, to body scrubs
and scrubbers as well. Set up your own stall and try your hand at promoting your product. Give out
little sample chips to entice interest. Teach consumers about your specialty soaps and let them know
about the ingredients. Let them smell, touch, and feel the quality of your soaps.

For those of us in the know and who have lived through the era of preservatives, shelf life extenders,
and poly-vinyl chlorides, the farmers market regulars will support new sellers if you bring a product
to market that meets the parameters of wholesomeness and value for the money. Try a theme for your
market soaps. Perhaps the name of your town can be used on the wrapping. Tourists and out of town
visitors are always wishing to buy something small and relatively inexpensive to take home to show
where they have been. How many different body lotions and miniature soaps have you taken home
from a hotel? It is for a reason that hotels promote their places with these small tokens of your visit.
Of course they all have the hotel logo on them!

The soaps you may wish to sell at the farmers market will have your touch, color and scent on them!
Don’t be shy about touting your talents once you become good at soap making. Be excited about your
product, especially if you are in the selling end of the process also. Your friends and family will look
forward to receiving baskets of lovely soaps for their use. In fact, sometimes they will even tell you
that they do not want to use the soaps you have given them because they are “too pretty” to use up!
Yes, many comments such as these have been heard by a number of soap makers who make soap as a
hobby rather than a business. Encourage them to go ahead and use them up in guest baths and kitchens
also – there will be more!

How about taking a chance on another kind of market? An option for those of us who wish to sell our
hand-produced soaps is to build a little niche and an umbrella stand emulating the wonderful
European idea of the traditional flea market. Another choice is to find a small business such as a
beauty salon, health spa, gym, bed and breakfast, antique shop or mall, or boutique hotel to sell your
soaps to. Or better yet, ask them if they would carry your items. Many businessmen and women like
the notion of one of a kind products that promote their unique and one of a kind bed and breakfast or
hotel or business. Find out what their logo is and tailor your wrapping to their names. You may wish
to give out a few samples of your handiwork at first, until you develop your own reputation for
delivering a quality product at reasonable prices. You may want to take advantage of delivering a few
samples at first, along with your business card or simple flyers that have a creative name and email
and phone number, along with a short price list of your products.

The places to promote your soap line are as limitless as your enthusiasm and creativity. For example,
be thinking in terms of wedding guests receiving something as a courtesy gift for attending the happy
event. Attendees may not get pummeled with rice but they may receive a miniature soap favor in the
same theme as the wedding – a favor that you have put together. Use the favor idea, go ahead and be
creative and stick a small business card in the wrapping.

Continue with these ideas as you look to other venues for your product such as baby showers, bridal
showers, retirement parties, graduations, anniversaries, and grand openings for businesses, gift
baskets, and family reunions. Think themes for children such as ponies, zoos, teddy bears, and cartoon
characters for your wrappings as well as your soaps. One of the neatest ideas is to provide a family
member who is graduating from high school or college with personalized soap with their initials or
school initial embedded into the bar!

Now, let’s take a look at making soaps for your own personal use. You have worked at your own
businesses and jobs and now you’re ready for some fun hobby and craft that would keep you
interested and occupied. I would imagine that you should first and foremost, have an area where you
can work that is free of clutter and other debris of daily living; an area that is large enough to hold the
tools of your new endeavor without infringing on the other areas of your home. If you have a basement
or a spare room that you could dedicate to soap making that would be great especially if it is draft
fee! But we’ll talk about that a little later. Have your objective in mind when you begin your work.
Remember to think “presentation” of the final product. What is it going to look like? What size will it
take? At this point, packaging should be high on your list of end results.

If your labors are geared to personal use, packaging can take on a whole new meaning. With modern
technology, you can make color copies of family photos on printing copier paper that is 24-pound
weight; thin enough to wrap soap in, and thick enough to be pliable but sturdy. There are endless
varieties of uses of photos. For example: wedding photos, baby showers, grandparent photos, vintage
photos from long ago. The list is miles long as to packaging. These adorable packages of soap can
then be tied with raffia, string, yarn, and any kind of way to wrap the paper around the lovely soaps
you have created. If you don’t like the idea photocopier paper, try the cartoon section, or classified
sections of the newspaper to wrap your soaps in. Black and white paper work well and is less
expensive.

Packaging is not just for sissies any more. Soap can be wrapped in fabric! Think of all the scraps of
fabric that you have at your fingertips. Hosting a bachelor party? No problem. You can wrap some
manly soap in a baby sock, or place some special soap in a baseball cap for the special man in your
life. If you happen to live in an area where large, pliable leaves shed in October, you might think of
wrapping miniature lavender scented soap in a beautiful orange or purple oak leaf and tie it up with
string or raffia.

It’s all about presentation after all, isn’t it? Just like “location” is everything for the Realtor.
Try foraging at resale shops and rummage sales for dishes, bowls and baskets in which you can
arrange your soaps. It is amazing how inexpensive a cute little glass salad dish or plate can be. Some
people will be thrilled with a plain old wooden bowl, pottery dish, or basket while others will
appreciate teacups and fine china plates filled with your miniature marvels. You may think about
gearing your containers to the recipient and experiment with your own presentation ideas.
Different Kinds of Soap
Soap is not just soap! You probably had no idea that there were such varieties of soaps. The small
and non-industrial types of handmade soaps are exceedingly varied and come in just about any size
and shape one wishes. The producers of these soaps are always working hard to think up new soap
recipes that they can bring to the marketplace in order to please their customers.

Imagine soaps for men, women, teens, toddlers even in shapes and scents that are unimaginable in
variety – take goat milk soap and apple scented soap for instance! How about soap embedded in a
scrubber known as a loofa. There are soaps for personal use i.e., face only soaps, hand only soaps,
body soaps and yes, even soaps for the feet. Then there is also soap for laundry use, dishwashing, and
even for washing the family pet! Dermatologists get into the act as well by plugging their own
hypoallergenic face wash soaps. Here is a look at some of these different kinds of soaps that you may
find intriguing:
Novelty Soaps
These are soaps that are formed and molded into shapes that we find amusing such as the small
yellow ducks we played with in the tubs as kids; they were plastic back then. Today children find that
it is much more useful: they float, clean, and can be played with. Other forms such as seashells, fruits,
and various animal shapes, can grace soap dishes for our guests and ourselves. Their purpose is not
only as a cleansing soap, but also as a means to create whimsy and amusement. Don’t forget the odor
and pleasant smells either.
Perfumed Soaps
Add a bit of scent and your soaps can instantly be transformed into something that will delight the
visual as well as olfactory senses! There are hundreds of optional ingredients that can be added to
your soap making creativity. Many scents today are the results of smells that are all around us in
nature. Called notes, these odors are immediately perceived by the nose such as orange blossom,
grapefruit, lemon, peppermint, lavender and sage. Some scents can be mixed and matched as well, to
create individual and unique one-of-a-kind soaps. Ladies love the perfumed scents of roses mixed
with lemon and orange blossom on their skin.
Miniature Soaps
Another variety of soap is the miniature kind that is molded artistically and shaped into unique forms
designed mainly for guests, hotel bathrooms and guest baths. Here again, the creativity of the soap
maker takes center stage. Flowers, initials, animal and mineral shapes abound in the marketplace and
are available in all natural and perfumed scents. There are even soap chips that can be used right after
it “melts” on a washcloth or the palms of your hands.
Medicinal Soaps
Medicinal soaps are similar to soaps in general but have the additional description of being botanical
based for antiseptic or disinfectant use. Nature provides many medicinal plants that soap makers have
found useful such as jojoba oil, ginger, aloe, chamomile, and rosemary. These soaps have a wonderful
aroma, making you feel that Mother Nature herself is healing you.
Laundry Soaps
One special area of soaps is called laundry soaps. These are designed to rid the items being washed
of staining agents such as oil and grease. Many outfitters and outdoor equipment stores offer these
biodegradable laundry soaps to their customers since they are in keeping with the ecological
sensitivity of today’s campers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Kitchen Soaps
Kitchen soaps generally come in three kinds such as liquids, cleansers and detergents. Cleansers often
are prepared with milder abrasives. On the other hand, dish detergents fight the tough grease and do
the job without abrasive use. Dish detergents are sold for dishwashers as well as for hand washing
purposes. Liquid soap making without preservative use has some very specific requirements because
of the moisture content that may lead to rancidity. If you intend to make liquid soap, follow guidelines
carefully.
Botanical Soaps
The key to these sorts of soaps is that they are plant derived essential oil soaps loaded with natural
glycerin. Many soap makers use seasonal herbs in their process of producing botanical soap products
and many farmers markets have soap sellers that cater to those of us who enjoy these organic
products. The soap makers who specialize in natural botanical soaps can also deliver many varietals
soaps that are hypoallergenic, that is, soaps that are non-allergy causing soaps.

Because of the natural and mostly organic ingredients, these botanical and organic soaps are made
with the purest of ingredients for very sensitive skin types. Pet owners, who have pets with very
sensitive skin and allergies to the chemical products in manufactured pet soaps, may wish to look into
different kinds of botanical soaps that help pets with troublesome itchy skin caused by allergies and
other skin irritants. There are many testimonials of happy pets and ecstatic pet owners who are free of
the high cost of veterinary bills for their pets with dermatological issues.
Unscented Soaps
We are not all created the same and some of us have allergies and sensitivities to cosmetics, soaps
and perfumes. There are others of us who simply don’t like fragrances, including the smell of soaps.
Unfortunately, some skin types are also prone to conditions that will not allow for any contact with
fragrance soaps and lotions of any kind. There is a solution however. Unscented soaps can be
produced without any scent at all because the processor has not put any in when processing the batch.
They are fragrance free. Those who have been helped by this kind of soap are extremely happy with
the option available to them. Mass produced soaps that are unscented are very expensive since the
producers have to make smaller batches that cost them more money.
Soap for the “Man Cave”
Of course, women are not the only bodies that use soap, and handmade soap for men is just as
important a product. There are some great smelling soaps that use specialty oils with masculine
names for the discriminating male of the species. For example, bay rum, sandalwood, oak moss, birch
and eucalyptus strikes a more masculine note. No, these are not camouflage pattern names (although
that might not be a bad idea either). As long as your soap lathers up and doesn’t smell like carnations
and roses you’ll be in good standing with these fellas! Remember that fishermen, campers, trekkers,
and hunters need to wash up also.
The Language of Soap-Making
Homemade soaps are easy enough to make that anyone can try their hand at it. With instructions and
easy-to-follow recipes, it’s very unlikely that you’ll botch soap-making, even on the first try. But to
ensure you are able to carry out all instructions as needed, you need to make sure that you understand
all terms involved in soap-making first. Some of the terms you might encounter in soap-making
include:

Absolute. The highly aromatic and concentrated oily mixture that is derived from plants
through solvent extraction.
Alkali. A compound with pH levels higher than 7. Such as potassium hydroxide and lye
(sodium hydroxide).
Anhydrous. A substance not containing water.
Antiseptic. A substance that reduces the possibility of skin infections.
Aromatherapy. Fragrant substances that can alter a person’s behavior or mood.
Attar. Essential oil derived from flowers. Also called otto.
Base. Alkali for making soaps.
Bleaching. Removing or neutralizing the color of fats or oils.
Biopein. An all-natural stabilizing ingredient made out of botanical extracts.
Carrier oil. Plant-based oil for diluting essential oils to be used on the skin.
Castile soap. A kind of soap made with olive oil named after a region in Spain where it was
from. Any kind of soap then that uses a lot of olive oil is called as such.
Caustic soda. Also known as sodium hydroxide or lye.
Cold pressed. A process of extracting oils using mechanical pressure at temperatures typically
lower than 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cold process. A soap-making method that does not require heat except to melt oil solids.
Cosmetic grade. This means an ingredient has received approval for use on cosmetics and
body products. Cosmetic-grade ingredients have better quality so they are also more expensive.
CPHP. Crock Pot Hot Process. Soap is made using a crock pot.
CPOP. Cold Process/Oven Process. Essentially the cold process method is used for making
soap but an oven is used after molding to achieve the gel stage faster.
Cruelty Free. Has not been tested on animals.
Cure. Refers to a period of time wherein soap is made to “sit” so pH levels can drop and
make soaps milder. The usual curing period for soaps lasts four to six weeks. After the curing
period, soap is ready for use.
D&C. Drug and Cosmetic. Means an ingredient is approved for use with drug and cosmetic
items, signifying that is safe.
Decoction. Botanical matter is boiled in watery fluid to obtain extracts.
Deodorize. Remove scents from the soap. Oils typically have their own odor so these are
eliminated first before soap is used to allow fragrances to remain true.
DHHP. Direct Heat Hot Process. Refers to hot process soap-making that utilizes external heat
for processing.
Discount. To use less than what is required, like a water discount means less water is used
than the standard.
DOS. Dreaded Orange Spot. Appearing as small beige-orange spots, these occur in soaps
with high levels of oil that are highly likely to go rancid.
Embeds. Pieces of soap shaped and embedded in a lighter soap trace.
Emollient. A substance for smoothing and softening skin.
Emulsion. A mix of substances that normally don’t blend together, such as an oil and water
emulsion with emulsifying wax.
Essential oils. Oils derived from plants for their flavor, scent, or therapeutic properties.
Exfoliant. Abrasive ingredient added to soap to help in sloughing off dead skin cells to reveal
smoother skin. Oatmeal is a common exfoliant used in soaps.
F.D&C. Food, Drug, and Cosmetics. Means an ingredient can be used in making food, drug,
and cosmetic items.
Fatty acids. Gives soap richer lather, hardness, conditioning, and cleansing properties.
Common fatty acids include lauric acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid,
myristic acid, and linolenic acid.
Fixatives. A substance that anchors fragrances or essential oils in order to slow down
evaporation. This means using fixatives will make your soaps retain their scents longer.
Fragrance oil. A synthetic imitation of an essential oil as well as other scents.
Gel stage. The point in soap-making when soap turns gel-like and translucent looking like
petroleum jelly. However, the gel stage is a preference. Undergoing the gel stage or not will not
affect the quality of your soap, just its appearance.
Glycerin. A natural humectant and emollient.
Handcrafted/handmade soap. Made with the melt and pour soap-making process.
Hot process. External heat is utilized to accelerate the soap-making process. Typically, crock
pots, ovens, and double boilers are used.
Humectant. A substance that attracts moisture and helps in its absorption into the skin.
Hypoallergenic. Not likely to cause allergic reactions.
INCI name. International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. A naming system that
ingredients for soaps and cosmetics use. Handmade soaps in the US and Canada are mandated to
follow the INCI names of the ingredients they use.
Layering. Usually done with melt and pour soap, it involves creating several soap layers of
varying colors.
Lye. A base. Also known as sodium hydroxide.
M & P. A reference to melt and pour bases. Melt and pour bases are pre-made soaps that are
cut up and then melted for use in more decorative soaps.
Milling. Colorants, fragrance, and other colors are mixed in with the soap with mechanical
rollers during commercial manufacturing.
Mineral oil. Synthetic oil that is petroleum-based. Not a good choice for making skin care
products because it creates a barrier over the skin, interfering with normal skin functions.
Natural soap. Contains only natural ingredients. Free from anything synthetic.
Organic. Natural and does not contain synthetic materials or chemicals.
Photosensitizers. Ingredients that lead to sensitivity to sun exposure, increasing risks of
sunburn.
Rebatching. Also known as hand milling. Soap is grated and added with some water over heat
until gel stage is achieved before additives are added and it is molded.
 RTCP. Room Temperature Cold Process. Lye solution and oil mixture are at room temperature
when combined.
RBD. Refined, bleached, and deodorized.
Saponification. A chemical reaction that happens between the lye solution and oil mixture that
results to soap.
Seize. Soap rapidly solidifies because of high levels of fatty acids.
Soda ash. White powder that forms on soap surfaces. Can cause skin dryness but can easily be
wiped off the soap’s surface using a damp cloth.
Surfactant. A substance that dissolves in water to lower surface tension and increase organic
compound solubility. Lifts dirt from the skin and brings it up to the surface for easy cleansing.
Tallow. Fatty tissue from animals.
Tocopherols. Types of vitamin E.
Trace. Achieved when your lye solution and oil mixture have properly combined to produce a
pudding-like substance.
Unsaponifiables. Doesn’t react to lye, but still contributes moisturizing and nourishing
characteristics to the soap.
Volatile oils. Oils that more easily evaporate than essential oils.
Water soluble. Dissolves in water.
Ingredients
Soap making traditionally was done at home since the turn of the century. It is interesting to note that
every bit of fat from cooking and butchering was saved until there was enough for making soap
batches that were crude in form but nevertheless effective in results. Some of us recall that our
grandmothers used to save the last bit of soap to be tossed into a bucket to be melted down into new
bars another day. Nothing went to waste. Today we have a huge variety of ingredients at our
fingertips; ingredients that are plentiful and relatively inexpensive and for those of us concerned about
the environment and our own health, there are lots of choices for the non-synthetic soap varieties.

The wide array of ingredients available has simplified the process of making soap as well. The
availability of vegetable and plant based oils gives the variety of handmade soaps its appeal.
Remembering your high school chemistry classes will prompt you to understand that soap is
essentially a salt of a fatty acid. An acid base, the lye (sodium hydroxide), and a fatty acid ingredient,
the oil, react with one another and are neutralized to form a salt or soap. The entire process is called
saponification. Glycerol, also known as glycerin, is freed in the saponification process and becomes
a useful by-product of the process known to soften the skin naturally. From this is derived the clear
glycerin soaps that are popular and which work to attract moisture to the skin.

Understanding not only the equipment and different kinds of soaps that can be created is vital, but
without knowing what the ingredients are that you will need, and how they react with each other to
make an effective batch of soap, will leave you wondering what went wrong in your attempt if the
chemistry basics are not adhered to properly. As you know, one cannot go headlong into soap making
without a few principles that will guide you. Thus, the correct temperatures and which combinations
of compounds and when to add them to what, is critical to your first lessons. Each endeavor we
choose has after all got its own language! The ingredients you will use have their own identifications
and serve a specific purpose, as you will see.

The following fatty acid ingredients are the most common types used to combine with the acid base to
make soap:

Rendered beef fat - also known as tallow or sodium tallowate

Vegetable oils – palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, laurel oil, olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil
Various butters – such as cocoa butter, and shea butter
Beeswax
Vegetable shortening in the form of canola oil that balances the harder oils such as coconut and
palm oils

Other handy ingredients:

Phenolphthalein – liquid that tests the pH alkaline levels of your base ingredients during the
process of making soap (they also come in strips)
Once you have the basics down pat you can add scents and herbs to your batch. You will branch out
once you become more adept and your experience kicks in. Soap making will become second nature
to you and you will want to branch out and explore new options. Here are a few basic ingredients for
now that you might consider:

Essentials oils – extracted from plants such as lavender, rose, lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange,
and other herbs such as bergamot, peppermint, sage, anise, cinnamon, clove, sandalwood,
patchouli and the wonderful scents of cedarwood and sandalwood.
Coloring additives – ingredients such as clay for pinks and terracotta colors. For purple use
ratanjot, for yellow use annatto seeds, for green use spirulina or alfalfa powder, for peach and
orange tones, a sprinkling of paprika works well.
Herbs, flowers, and seeds in their natural state for desired visual or scrubbing effect.
Getting Started
Once you have your equipment gathered and ready and the ingredients at hand, you will most likely be
primed to begin by using the traditional batch process method to make your premier batch of
handmade soap. There are three popular methods of soap making which are cold, hot (semi-boiled)
and fully boiled. There is also a short cut method known and melt and pour. You will wind your way
through the choices as you gain skill. Suffice it to say that the least complicated methods are the cold
and hot process and melt and pour. You will find that most home soap makers, and those making soaps
for small business purposes, use either one of these processes.
A Simple Cold Process Recipe
Cold-process soap-making gives you complete control because you’re making your soap from
scratch. It also makes for a truly unique experience because you get to combine art and science.
Fortunately, cold process recipes are very easy to follow so nearly everyone can do it. Whatever
recipe you wish to use though, don’t forget to take safety precautions and wear goggles and rubber
gloves throughout the process. Don’t take them off until you are done!

Ready to make some soap? You will need the following: 26.5 oz of olive oil, 16.5 oz of coconut oil,
10 oz of palm oil, 209 grams of lye, 20 oz of distilled water, and 2.7 oz of your preferred essential
oils.

Here are the steps:

1. Prepare your lye solution. Typically, you need to follow a 1:3 lye-water ratio. So if you are using 1
oz of lye, for instance, you’re going to need 3 oz of water. However, for this simple cold process
recipe, you will be mixing 209 grams of lye with 20 oz of distilled water. Aside from carefully
measuring your lye and water, you also have to take note that you cannot use hard water because
certain substances in the water may interfere with the reaction you need to make soap. If you don’t
want to use a water softener, you can choose to use distilled water instead. Remember to pour your
lye into the water and NEVER WATER INTO LYE. Mix continuously until you see that all of the lye
has dissolved into the solution. The lye solution will heat up and reach temperatures of over 200
degrees Fahrenheit, so make sure you are using a container that is able to withstand that and that you
keep it away from children. Set aside your lye solution.

2. Prepare your acids by pouring together liquid oils and fats into your soap-making pot. If you have
solids, melt them first under low heat before adding to the other liquids. Remember that you measure
fats and oils by their weight, not their volume, to ensure exact measurements. You may also add
natural preservatives such as rosemary oleoresin extract to your pot of fats and oils, if you want. Set
aside.

3. Using separate thermometers, check the temperature for your base (lye solution) and acid (fats and
oils). If you are using vegetable oils, your solutions should be fine at about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. If
you are using animal fats, such as lard and tallow, you have aim for temperatures of about 110
degrees Fahrenheit. You can heat up either your base or acid solution by putting their pots in some hot
water until you reach your desired temperature. To cool them down, just put the pots in some cold
water.

4. When you reach your desired temperatures, slowly pour your lye solution into the acid mixture,
stirring vigorously as you do so. Stirring vigorously is important because this ensures that all the
molecules interact as they should. You might find it easier to stir by following a figure-eight pattern or
using an electric stick blender. You’ll know you’re done when your soap has started to saponify.
Saponification is present when you drizzle some of the mixture on top of the rest in your pot and the
drizzled soap stays on top for a bit before it sinks back with the rest. Total stirring period should be
about 45 minutes to an hour when done by hand. Using a stick blender can help you achieve
saponification in just two minutes! This stage is also known as trace.

5. When you reach trace, add in all your other ingredients, like essential oils, nutrients, and dye. Mix
thoroughly.

6. Pour the result into any mold of your choice. Just make sure that your mold has a lid. If it doesn’t,
you can use a piece of cardboard to cover it up. Wrap the mold in some towels, using as many as
eight towels to provide insulation for your soap to ensure no heat escapes for proper curing. Leave
for 18 to 36 hours.

7. When the soap has solidified, you can now take it out of the mold. You can cut it up into bars or
carve it—it’s all up to you. Once you have your soap into the pieces you want, lay them out on a rack
to air them out. Flip them over once every week. The curing process may take anywhere between
three to eight weeks. It’s important to allow your soap to cure because this gives its pH levels enough
time to drop so you end up with mild and gentle homemade soap.
A Simple Hot Process Recipe
The main difference between hot process and cold process soap-making is that you have to “cook”
your soap with the former. The addition of heat is required so you can reach trace faster, evaporate
more water, and produce harder soap faster, compared to what cold process soap-making can do.
Other than that, a simple hot process recipe generally follows the same steps as a cold process
recipe. You do have to be more cautious with hot process soap-making because the addition of heat
opens up other ways by which you can hurt yourself.

Getting started with hot process soap-making, a simple recipe you can follow calls for the following
ingredients, tools, and equipment:

20 oz of palm oil
16 oz of safflower oil
17 oz of coconut oil
3 oz of sweet almond oil
8 oz of olive oil
9 oz of sodium hydroxide (lye)
24 oz of cold distilled water
A wooden spoon
Glass measuring cup (can accommodate at least two cups of ingredients)
A digital scale
Soap mold of your choosing (baking molds would work)
Face mask
Hand blender (if you have one)
Ceramic or plastic bowl
Crock pot (with low and high settings)

Aside from preparing all the materials you will need for hot process soap-making, you should also
find yourself a place without any distractions and a large and flat surface you can work on. Don’t
forget to cover your work area. A vinyl table cloth would work great for this purpose because it’s
cheap to buy, easy to clean, and won’t leak oil in the event of a spill. If you want to make sure your
floor is protected too, you can use rubber-backed carpeting in your work area as well.

The steps to make soap using a hot process recipe are as follows:

1. Combine all oils. Turn on your crock pot and set it on high. Throw in all oils together, both soft and
hard. Soft oils are those that remain liquid while hard oils are those that solidify easily. Wait until
everything melts and combines together. This should take around 10 minutes to finish but you may be
able to speed up the process by covering your crock pot. Set aside.

2. Make your lye. Before going any further, please make sure that you have your rubber gloves on.
Pour in your lye slowly into the cold water and keep stirring. TAKE NOTE TO NEVER ADD
WATER INTO LYE. It’s always lye into water. Stir until the lye has dissolved into the water. The
solution may be a bit cloudy but that’s fine. You just have to make sure that all the lye has been
dissolved before moving on.

3. Add lye solution to oil mixture. Unlike in cold process soap-making, your lye solution and oils
don’t have to be at a certain temperature before they can be combined. With hot process soap-making,
just pour your lye solution into your crock pot of oil. If you have a hand blender, now would be the
time to take it out. Keep blending for around 5 to 10 minutes until trace is achieved. You’ll know you
have trace when the lye solution has been completely mixed in with the oil and your lye and oil
mixture starts thickening. If you don’t have a hand blender, you can manually stir your soap but it will
take you about 45 minutes of vigorous stirring to achieve the same effect.

4. Cook soap. After you reach trace, cover your crock pot and set it on low. No need to keep stirring
at this point although you may need to give it a stir or two every now and then just to prevent your
soap from bubbling over. It’s done when your soap mixture looks like clear petroleum jelly and it
feels waxy to the touch.

5. Add additives. Additives are the colors and fragrances you want your soap to have. Let the soap
cool for a bit and add the colorants and fragrances you want. You will have to work fast in
incorporating the colors and fragrances you want because your soap mixture might get too cool,
solidifying to a certain extent that it won’t follow the shape of your mold.

6. Mold soap. Once your soap has everything you want in it, you are now ready for molding. Unlike
cold process soap, hot process soap cannot be poured into a mold. Rather, you have to spoon it into
the mold because the mixture is quite thick and goopy. To ensure that your soap doesn’t have air
pockets, tap your soap mold on the counter. Leave soap to cool to room temperature.

7. Cut soap. To make it easier for you to remove your soap from your mold, make sure you line your
mold with some wax paper. If you’re using baking molds, you can use a non-stick spray before
scooping your soap in. If you weren’t able to line your mold or use a non-stick spray, you can put your
mold in the freezer to make it easier to get your soap out. Once your soap is out of the mold, you can
cut it right away to whatever size you want.

8. Cure soap. Soap is cured to allow its pH levels to drop. As such, the longer soap is cured, the
gentler it will turn out. Typical curing time lasts anywhere between four and eight weeks, much like
how long it would take to cure soap made with a cold process recipe. How long you should leave
your soap to cure will depend on what you prefer though and how impatient you are, but do try to
leave it be for at least four weeks. To cure soap, leave the pieces on a rack. Turn them at least once a
week to ensure all sides are aired out. Once you’re done curing, your soap is ready for use.

With all the essential oils and ingredients you can use, there’s an endless number of soaps you can
create. There are a range of recipes you can follow but you are also free to create your own when you
have more experience in soap-making. Soap-making is easy to do, after all, and it becomes even
easier and simpler the more you do it.
A Simple Melt and Pour Recipe
The melt and pour process involves a melt and pour base, which you can easily get your hands on
from wherever soap-making supplies are available. Think of the melt and pour base as the equivalent
of all the steps involved in hot and cold process soap-making until trace is achieved. Melt and pour
soap-making essentially takes away the part where you have to handle lye so it’s a generally safer
method of making soap. Some people don’t like melt and pour soap-making though because you don’t
have complete control over what sort of ingredients are used, most especially the oils and fats. But
there are others who prefer it because it takes away a lot of the hard work involved in soap-making,
making the process more convenient and letting them focus more on the aesthetics of creating soaps.

If you’re just starting out, it would be best if you tried out the simpler melt and pour recipes first.
Milk and honey soaps are particularly popular because they can make your skin feel luxuriously soft.
If you’re looking to make some of your own, you’ll be glad to see that a basic melt and pour recipe
for milk and honey soap calls for few ingredients, all easy to find.

A melt and pour milk and honey soap needs the following ingredients:

1lb of opaque melt and pour soap base

1 tbsp of honey
½ cup of goat milk or whole milk
1 tbsp of melted beeswax
20 drops of vitamin E (250IU)
1 tsp of vanilla fragrance oil

As for other materials, like tools and equipment, basic melt and pour soap-making will require an
appliance for melting the melt and pour base (double boiler, microwave, etc.), your soap mold, a
mixing bowl that can withstand the heat of melted melt and pour base, cling wrap, and rubbing
alcohol in a spray bottle.

Again, melt and pour soap-making is considerably simpler than hot or cold process soap-making
because you take away the parts where you have to create a lye solution, add oils, and achieve trace.
As such, the soap-making process is faster, involving just:
1. Melting the soap base. Melt and pour soap bases are available in big bars so you will have to cut
them up to make them easier to melt. Chopping the base into small and even pieces is best because
this speeds up the melting process. Depending on what you have available, you can melt the soap
base using a double boiler or a microwave oven. Just make sure to continuously stir while you’re
melting the soap base. If you’re using a microwave oven, heat the soap base in a microwave-safe
bowl for 15 to 30 seconds and stir afterwards. If further melting is needed, just pop the bowl back in
the microwave over for another 15 to 30 seconds. If just a few chunks remain to be melted, just keep
stirring. No need to heat the soap base further as it will have retained enough heat to melt the
remaining chunks. Splitting melting into intervals will help you avoid overheating and destroying your
melt and pour base as you do not need to go beyond melting. If your base is boiling, you’ve overdone
it.

2. Adding additives. Additives can be anything you want to add to your melt and pour soap, such as
dyes, fragrances, and exfoliants. In the case of this recipe, the additives would be honey, milk,
beeswax, and vitamin E. Just add these when your melt and pour soap base is ready. As for the
vanilla fragrance oil, let the base cool a little more before you add it in.

3. Molding the soap. Once your soap is complete, you can move on to pouring it into your molds.
Your soap mixture will be pretty fluid so it’ll be easy to pour into the molds. However, you still have
to be careful so you don’t spill some on yourself. The soap mixture may have cooled but it will still
definitely sting. Spray with rubbing alcohol on top and let your mold sit for at least two to three hours
at room temperature. If you can leave the soap overnight to set, that would be better. Once you pour
the soap into the mold, a film will form on top so it’s best that you don’t move your mold once you
pour soap in as this will cause the film to become uneven, giving you an uneven surface for your soap.

4. Wrapping the soap. When your soap hardens, remove them from the mold and wrap with cling
wrap. You don’t have to wrap your soap immediately but it is recommended that you do so within one
to two days of removing your soap from the mold. A lot of people believe this helps prevent
fragrances from fading but this is also an excellent way to ensure your soap stays clean.

Soap-making is simple enough as it is but it has become even simpler with the help of the melt and
pour process. Not to mention that you don’t have to go through a curing stage so your soaps are ready
when they harden. Whether you want to make soaps for yourself or as gifts for friends and family,
soap-making opens up so many opportunities for you to explore that will help you not just improve
your well-being but exercise your creativity as well, making it a truly worthy hobby to try out. As
with anything, soap-making will become easier for you as you make more soaps, providing you with
experience to create your own melt and pour recipes you can share with others.
Mistakes to Avoid
Just like anything else, trial and error attempts have to be made so you can pinpoint exact
temperatures to get the soap to set or harden correctly. Many other factors can play into deciding if
your batches will be something you can be happy and proud about. Sometimes comedians have a good
time poking fun at the many top five or top ten lists - you know, the stupid pet tricks and so on. Having
said this, the following is a summary of top five mistakes to most definitely avoid:

1. Too much or too little of a good thing primarily in regard to scent. Goldilocks learned the hard way
about too much of a good thing! Essential oils are essential indeed, but too much of a dose can spoil
the batch by making it too thin and not having enough wonderful scents can make your batch a real
dud.

2. Not sticking to the recipe. Consistency is the basis of good soap making. If your batch of soap
turned lumpy due to the fragrance that wasn’t conducive to a cold process soap making formula, you
could very well be using soap scraps forever!

3. Making batches the first few times that are too big for the novice home soap maker. You may have
the ingredients and want to get the job done and may even have the desire, but one little error in
measuring or a sudden drop in temperature can ruin a whole lot of labor on your part. Save yourself a
headache and frustration and experiment with the concept of “less is more.” As you become more
adept at the process, you can increase the size of your output.

4. Make really sure that your recipes are from a credible source. Too often the seizing process of
soap making can get out of hand and turn your visualized dream bars into something that looks a little
more like cement nightmare perhaps. Yes, you may be able to melt it down again, but that is just not a
fun thing to have to do! Stick to recipes that work!

5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for help. There are a myriad of resources on the Web and with
today’s ease of contacting experts you should not be discouraged and stop the wonderful and creative
outlet that you have latched onto. Sometimes you can throw yourself into a mild panic when you hear
about a product you have been using that is no longer available, or that bleach was added to a product
you had been using with great success. Get onto the World Wide Web and start looking around at
chemist stores and suppliers that will ship to your area. For example sodium hydroxide is considered
a hazardous material and many companies will not ship. Find out, ask questions, and call the phone
numbers for other sources as well. Regardless of what kind of products and ingredients you need,
there will be someone that will supply it for you. One soap maker even gets her beef suet from a local
butcher!

As a follow up to the main mistakes to avoid section above, here is a short list of “must do” for safety
purposes items:

1. Always use safety precautions and even have them posted to remind yourself of the dangers to
yourself and others when working around lye.

2. Carefully and often read the labels of all dangerous substances such as lye or caustic soda.

3. Make sure the lids on the lye you are using are always on tight.

4. Have your workspace where there is ventilation.

5. Keep a bottle of vinegar handy since vinegar helps to make lye mixtures neutral should they
inadvertently contact skin.

6. Keep your surfaces including walls covered in plastic or have your work surfaces far enough
removed from painted areas of your house since lye can remove paint easily.

7. Always keep rubber gloves handy, especially when touching your fresh soap.

8. There are certain metals that lye will react with in a negative way. Tin, aluminum and zinc
containers should not be used.

9. When mixing or working with caustic materials, be sure to use heatproof stoneware, stainless steel
glass and enamel.

10. Use hot water and dish soap to remove any residue from equipment while wearing gloves.
Storage
Storage – the name conjures up images of attics, walk-in closets or cramped spaces full of boxes one
on top of another. But we are talking here of soap storage after you have spent a lot of time and effort
in a process that is fun and rewarding. You are just waiting for a little cure time for your soaps before
the creative wrapping begins for the holidays or before sending a nice package off to Aunt Susan.
Storage; the one little detail of soap making that is often overlooked and makes the hobby or small
business you have started so much more rewarding! As with all parts of making handmade soaps, a
dry, cool, and dark place is essential to “cure” your soap. For long-term storage, try plain old brown
paper lunch bags or wax paper, they allow for little evaporation and make the soap harder. The
harder the soap, the longer it will last. Saran wrap tends to “sweat” the soap and you will find it
soggy and even shrink in some cases, especially if it is also humid where you are located. The color
and scent will also be affected if you do not store the soap correctly from the get go.

At times, your batch of soap will develop a thin white powdery substance on the surface of the bar.
Don’t worry about this; it is perfectly OK and is called soda ash and is due to the fact that air has
reached the bar within the first day after processing of the soap. It simply rinses off after you use the
bar. Sealing your soaps immediately after pouring into molds and forms will prevent this from
happening.

When your cutting and unmolding work is over, you might want to be thinking about some large
Rubbermaid type containers – each big enough to hold three or four five-pound batches of soap. You
can assign a fragrance to each container with a note taped on the top, telling what oils you used to
achieve the fragrance. For example: one container could be marked “Rose/Patchouli” and another
labeled “Grandma’s Geranium/Coffee.”

After airing the soaps for a few weeks, you can place them into their designated container and keep
the container covered with the lid on. Try rubbing a small amount of the specified fragrance oil on the
inside of each storage container. We all know how plastic holds a scent! Who can forget mothballs
smells after a season in plastic, or sauerkraut in a plastic container in the back of the fridge! Your
soap will continue smelling like a rose, or like coffee, or whatever you wish it to smell like if stored
in the proper manner with this method of storage.

Regardless you what you have learned about soaps, soaps can keep for years. The one thing that time
can affect with soaps is their smell. For the freshest fragrances, it is best to use soap within six
months. Soaps may also be stored in zip lock bags for some period of time after it has gone through
the curing process. In some extreme cases, people have been known to place their homemade soaps in
the freezer. The only problem with that is if they are not securely closed, your other foodstuff may
develop a slight taste of roses or grapefruit that will not please anyone! Be sure and label your bags
and keep them separated from other items should you be interested in going the freezer route.

For storing soap that you are using in the bath or shower, make sure that you have a soap dish that
drains off any water. Your soap will last longer if it is not sitting in its own little soapy puddle.
Now that you know everything you have ever wanted to know about soaps, and how to make the most
out of storing the adorable shapes and forms, you need to know one final thing…soap needs air to dry
itself out and if your shower water is forever spraying the special bar made with all that elbow
grease, it will disappear too quickly. The best advice to you and your potential customers and friends
is to invest in a soap container with draining holes or slats that allow the air to circulate from
beneath.
Getting Down to Business
Now that you’ve invested your time, talent and money in making soap, you need to start getting
serious about the business side of it. We know that not everybody is a natural businessman or woman,
but we also know that the skills can be learned. A logical first step is to determine whether you have
what it takes to be an entrepreneur. It will take up a lot of your time and probably more of your money
to set up your business, so you need to make an honest assessment of your willingness to commit both.

In your role as business owner, you will don many hats. You will be expected to show creativity and
vision, as well as drive, confidence and passion. All of which will help you steer the business in the
right direction. You will need to become obsessed about your business, constantly on the lookout for
ways to improve your product and service.

Any business owner will tell you that you will do well to find your niche. This is the best way to
differentiate your product from others on the market. So in order for your soap not to get lost among
the thousands of others like you also peddling their wares, you need to ask yourself some vital
questions, not the least of which are:

- What do the customers really want?

- Is there room for a new entry in the particular niche you are interested in or is that particular market
saturated?

You will need to do as much research as possible to make sure that you are not flooding the market
with products that nobody wants or needs. You will need to develop specific soaps to meet the needs
of your particular market segment. Be sure to get as much feedback as possible from the customers.
This can be done through participation in trade and retail shows, craft fairs and craft or farmer’s
markets.

The next step is to formalize your business. This is the fun part. You get to choose a name and build a
brand. You get to design an image that resonates with who you are. Some might find this a bit
daunting, but the following breakdown should make it easier.

The first step to creating your brand is to choose a name for your company. You need to choose
something that conjures up the images and emotions that you feel embody you and your product.
Before you think this is starting to get complicated think of this: You have a much better chance of
selling a batch of soaps called ‘Mystic Mists’ than you are to sell one tagged ‘Jill’s soaps’. Avoid the
temptation to add ‘soaps’ as a suffix to your company name. You can always do this in the tagline, i.e.
Mystic Mists, Delightful Soaps For Every Skin (not very inspiring, but you get the picture right?)

Now before you run out and have your labels and packaging printed, you need to consider the
following:
1. Firstly, you will need to register your name and trademark. You will be very disappointed to spend
money on branding only to find that the name, logo and slogan you have chosen already belong to
somebody else. It will be cheaper to go through the legal registration process as required by your
state instead of expensive litigation later. Cease and Desist orders are no fun. So confirm that the
trademark is available, and then purchase it immediately.

2. You will also need to get business product liability insurance for your product.

3. As far as getting your business license, consult with your local town office as requirements can
vary greatly from locale to locale.

4. Open up a bank account for your business. You will need to start practicing incredible discipline
here and make sure that you keep your business and personal spending separate.

Be sure to invest in bookkeeping software such as QuickBooks to keep up to speed on your income.
Stock Up On Your Supplies
You will need to have adequate supplies to be able to meet the demands of your customers. So you
will have to stock up on ingredients and supplies so that you can keep up with your orders. The best
thing is to go straight to the manufacturers where you can. This is especially helpful with essential
oils and fragrances, which can be quite expensive. Online suppliers can also be located on Google.

You will also need to stock up on molds, as well as a good quality cutter now that you will be in the
actual business of soap-making. When you are trying to keep up with orders there really won’t be
time to make sure that all your soap is cut to the same size. Be sure to buy high-quality molds as well.
You know how many soaps you will need to make at a go so you need to plan ahead and design a
workable production flow. You need to become an efficiency machine and choose molds that will
speed up the process since your time really is money.
Where Will You Sell?
Once you have sold to your family and friends, you need to expand your sales platform. Some people
even start by giving product away as a way of creating and testing the market. You can invite people
to test your products, garner feedback and then make adjustments to recipes if this will secure a client
base.
Pursuing Retail Sales
Once you have established the demand and perfected the product, you can pursue other channels.
These can be art and craft shows, farmer’s markets, home parties, and the internet. You can also use
corporate venues, hospitals and airports as venues to get your product sold. It is imperative to create
attractive displays, be competitively priced and also have business cards and flyers with information
about you and your product. You need to be ready with information on why your product is superior,
and be sure to educate your customers on the benefits of handmade soap.

You have to be passionate about your product and you need to communicate this passion when you
engage with your customers. You really need to be genuinely concerned with the skincare needs of
your customers. Let them know just how your products can benefit them.

Be clever about pricing by offering discounts for increased quantities. Sell one bar for $7, but a set of
four for $20, for example. Be sure to have a variety of products on hand that you can put forward to
your customer. This will increase you sales volumes.

Although you are a new business, be sure to get up to speed with credit card sales. Ask your bank to
help you. Many people find it easier to make larger purchases using their credit cards. Just be sure to
use a reputable credit card processor. You can get advice on this from your bank and also from other
business owners.

Be sure to collect the tax as required by your state.

Going Wholesale
When it comes to wholesaling, preparation is the key. You need to be sure that the product will be a
fit for the store you wish to sell it in. Take a walk through the store and see if you can envisage your
product on the shelves.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the store owner/buyer is just waiting for you and your
product to come in and make them the offer of a lifetime. You need to show that you are serious and
that you are a professional by calling ahead and making an appointment. You need to put yourself in
their shoes and treat them with the same patience and courtesy that you would expect in their position.

Get up to speed on the terms of wholesaling, including pricing. Be sure to have the terms and prices
neatly printed and ready for distribution to your potential wholesale customers. Include the following:

The minimum opening order. This helps you identify serious buyers. Also, making sure that
you have a decent opening amount means that you can ensure that there will be enough stock in
the store for it t visible and therefore have a better chance of being sold.
Include quality pictures of the products with the price next to each item. As a general rule,
wholesale prices are half that of retail. So where a bar of soap would retail at $8, it would be
sold wholesale at $4. Also be sure to indicate the minimum quantities applicable. Most
companies sell by the dozen.

Now you have an idea of where you can sell your soaps. You can see that the market is open and there
are enough options for you to carve out a decent business. But it is not just enough to know where you
are going to sell your product. You need to have a clear idea of how you are going to do this.
So Just How Will You Sell?
It is not possible to make sales without marketing. You need to therefore take this aspect of your
business very seriously indeed. The more soap you sell, the more soap you can make, the more soap
you can sell. You get the picture.

There are several marketing efforts that you can make, and they don’t need to cost an arm and a leg.

For example:

You can print business cards rather inexpensively from your home computer. There are several
programs that allow you to do this and also you can get creative by using custom paper to create
a distinct look.
Make full use of the social networks. The platforms such as Facebook and Twitter offer great
opportunities for businesses to create a presence and also to reach potential customers. There
are many books available that help you with internet marketing.
Blogging has become very popular as well and it can go a long way in establishing a
relationship with your customers.
You might consider investing in a website. You will need one that has a shopping cart and also
a credit card processing system. You will need to invest in a website that meets the standard
market requirements today. It needs to be easy to find, and it needs to rank highly among search
engines. Don’t be shy about asking a professional for help.
Be sure to attend business networking events. This is a great way to promote not just you, but
also your business.
Industry associations are another way to meet people in your business or industry. Not only
will you make friends, but you can also find that you get a lot of referral business from friends
who send customers your way who might want what you have.
Newsletters are another great way for keeping your current customers updated. Keep your
customer lists updated and then keep them abreast of all your company news, specials, and any
events through an email marketing campaign.
For How Much Will You Sell?
Pricing and Profit Margins are imperative concerns. You definitely don’t want to undersell yourself.
If anything, you need to know how much you are worth. Remember that the perception of a low priced
bar of handmade soap will generally be that it is not worth buying. So take into consideration your
time and effort, as well as the ingredients and packaging and shipment. After you have done this, price
your soap so that you make a decent profit. Remember the convention that wholesale is half of retail.
What this means is simply that if you sell your soap at $6 retail, it will be sold at $3 direct to
wholesalers.

But all of these need to come together in such a way that you have a solid plan that guides you and
your business forward. Location, marketing, packaging, pricing, etc. all need to come together so that
you know exactly what you and your business are doing at any point. The best way to do this is with a
business plan.
Conclusion
So there you have it! Everything that you need to know to get started making your own personal soap.
The best thing about making your own soap is that there is really no such thing as a wasted batch. It
might not be exactly what you were hoping your finished product would turn out like, but it will still
be usable soap nonetheless. Chalk it up as a learning experience and you can still use it up as you
figure out the changes that need to be made in your next batch. Lastly, don’t be scared to share your
experiences with others. Soap making is not a secretive practice. When you become a pro at it, help
out the novice by sharing your ups and downs. Soap making is a joyful business because there is
always something new around the corner. There are new products, new ideas, and always something
new to learn. If you have never made soap before and have had a great first experience, share it with
someone else.

So go out there and have fun learning the many tricks that can be applied to soap-making. Some of
them have been presented here, and with the basics that you should have mastered by this stage, you
will be in a good position to develop and create your own unique recipes. You will soon find
yourself bringing fresh offerings to the market that will become the ace up your sleeve if you bring
them to market properly.

Taking up a new hobby is exciting, and even more exciting is the process of turning your hobby into a
profitable business. It cannot be stressed enough that the whole process should be fun and that there
should never really be any ‘work’ in the traditional sense. After all, if you wanted to work you would
get job right? This should be a passion. And we all know the old adage that your heart is where your
treasure lies. So put your heart into your soap, thoroughly enjoy making them. Enjoy finding new
creative ways of presenting these soaps to the market. Fall in love with your product, and your
customers will too.

It won’t be long before your passion turns into a positive bank balance. And because you will be
doing something that you enjoy, you will probably not even mind the legwork involved. After all, this
is a project that you take on to satisfy your creativity. Fortunately, it is also one that can translate
creativity into dollars. Who knew that you could pop your bubbles in the bank?!
 Table of Contents
Copyright
Table of Contents
Introduction
What Are You Going to Do With It?
Different Kinds of Soap
The Language of Soap-Making
Ingredients
Getting Started
Mistakes to Avoid
Storage
Getting Down to Business
Conclusion
 Table of Contents
Copyright
Table of Contents
Introduction
What Are You Going to Do With It?
Different Kinds of Soap
The Language of Soap-Making
Ingredients
Getting Started
Mistakes to Avoid
Storage
Getting Down to Business
Conclusion