All Handmade Soaps are created Equal

All Handmade soaps are not created equal! The bar in the picture, I took at a local store. I did not stop to read what was used in making this soap.(It is just a picture of "Handmade Soap" being sold at stores.) ** Picture removed because it might cause me some legal issues!
 I love trying out Handmade soaps. I pick up a couple of bars at the farmer's market or store every month.
One thing that I noticed about most of these bars, is the lack of ingredients. I try not to read what was used in making the soaps, until after I showered with them a few times. I am getting good at guessing what is in the bars, by smell, and how my skin feels after showering.
Most, if not all of the Handmade Soaps I have bought over the last couple of years have really been a let down. 
I think most make soap for only one reason. The reason is to make $$$!
Call me a romantic, but I make soap because I care about what I put on my skin, because I care about how it makes my skin feel. Most of all because I take pride in making a bar of Soap, that people will tell others about.
A few years ago, when making soaps I would always think about the day, my bars would be sold in the chain stores, or selling hundreds of bars a week over the internet. Those days are gone.
I am happy making 30, 50, or 100 bars a week if I have the time. 
On some of the "soap making forums" people are always asking about using a cheaper oil, or "instead of using so much olive oil, can they replace some of it with canola oil." It all comes down to cutting cost.
On one of the forums a lady said she stop using jojoba oil, because the price went up. When I decide on making soap, I use a software program, that adds up the cost of making a 5 ounce bar. On average a bar using several luxury oils and butters, cost between $1.50-$2.00 per bar. If I were to make soap like the "Handmade Soaps" being sold in the chain stores I could cut down the price to about $.50-$1.20 per bar. I am sure most of the companies that make a 1,000 bars of Handmade Soap a week (small batches), can make them cheaper since they buy their oils in 50 gal. drums.
So let me say that All Handmade Soaps are not created Equal!
I have not seen a bar of handmade soap in a store that uses Silk proteins. (Which I use in every bar.) They might have one, maybe two luxury oils or butters in them, but use just enough so they can put it on the labels.
I might be funny when it comes to Handmade Soaps, but I like how they make my skin soft! 
Now some tips on buying Handmade Soaps.
Look for soaps, that contain some nice oils and butters, such as olive, almond, coconut, shea, coco, mango, and jojoba. These oils and butters contain properties that benefit the skin.
Don't fall for the "heals so and so" If it heals, it is a drug! A good soap will help clear up the skin, because it cleans the pores, helping Prevent acne. There is a science in making a good bar of soap. Each oil and  butter contributes to an over all cleansing process.
I am not saying that all Handmade Soaps sold in the big box or chain stores are bad, I am just saying READ the label.
Come the New Year, I will get back to making some more soaps, using mango, coco, and shea butters. A couple of shaving bars, and a skin balm. If time permits, I will make some lip balm.
For me it is not about making 1,000 of bars each month. It is about making bars that are the best.
If you have any questions about the benefits of certain oils or butters, drop me a line. If you have any request about a certain fragrance or balm let me know. 
An artist creates a painting with passion, I guess I am a artist when it comes to making Handmade Soaps!
Paul
 

A Male Addiction

I have a addiction. Some might call it a sickness.
A lot of men have it. Most keep it hidden from their friends and families.
When I am out at the mall, I wonder if that man walking with his wife is like me.
I am glad I am not alone with this addiction.
The internet feeds my cravings, I can spend hours looking at all the pictures. Lusting for a touch. I guess by now you are thinking it is Porn. Well you are correct. Not the Porn you are thinking about, but never the less it is an addiction. Those of us who have it, call it SOAP Porn. 
People who spend hours looking at beautiful naked soap bars.
Maybe it might be hard to understand how one could have such an addiction, unless you have made soap from scratch you may never know. I spend hours on end formulating a batch of soap. Making what I would call the prefect soap. All of us who make soap strive for perfection. The perfect soap for dry, or oily skin. A bar that will leave your skin soft and smooth. A bar that will make you look forward to taking a nice long bath. It is a sickness. Something that gives you pleasure.
I dare you to google "soap porn" and click on "Images". I warn you once you start, there is no turning back. You will find yourself glancing over your back, making sure no one is in the room as you view all the pictures. Go ahead, it will be our little secrect!

 Eros Soaps

It seems that everything has a trend. Fashion, hairstyles, food, and yes even soap!

I am a member of several soap making forums.

Every season change there will always be questions on what is every ones  best seller, what will be the next "big" Scent in bath and beauty products. Are salt baths in? Scrubs? I really like the questions that go around asking something with out trying to just come out and ask .  Such as " What is your favorite scent in soaps?" Which means " What do you sell the most of?"

In most of the forums soap makers will tell you what  their best sellers are, with out batting an eye.

Because we all have our different markets, or as in my case I make soap because I like creating different types and scents.

A few months ago I made a really nice soap, combining several fragrance oils. I was trying to create a signature men's line.  A day after I cut the soap loaf into bars, I noticed a funky smell. I could make out one of the fragrance oils, but the other or the combination of the two had a off funky smell.

After about 6 weeks it had mellow out, well the funky smell did.  As always I took a few bars to work and laid some out on the kitchen counter. A week later a guy I work for, said the soap had a fishy smell to it. I told him that I thought the scents were still morphing. ( Which they were) Now 4 months later the funky smell is completely gone, and I have a great manly smelling soap that leave a fresh clean scent! Yes I do hold some soaps for months, smelling and testing them. When I make soap I always make  an Oatmeal Honey all natural soap. Then  I put my Dr. Jekyll coat on and do some creating.

I break even on my soap making, most of the time.

I don't charge much more than a bar cost to make, I use several "luxury oils and butters" in my soaps.

As any soap maker will tell you " I don't do it for the money" (Well most of us.) 

So for me I always have the same soap trending. Which is Oatmeal Honey, made with Olive, grape seed, palm, coconut, jojoba and castor oils. With a nice amount of Shea, mango and coco butters.

Yes they do cost more to make. I do cut corners to keep the price down, such as no labels, no packaging, no fancy pictures or booths. Just your plan luxury soap. If someone has a special request, I will do my best to make it. What they don't buy I will sell or give the rest away. I am not in it for the money. ( Well not at this point.) I do it because I love doing it! When I get that signature men's line down, then I might start working on the packaging, with the fancy labels! This week I will be working on that signature line, along with some Oatmeal Honey, an All Natural unscented lard soap (Just like my granny taught me over 40 yrs ago!) and some Organic Rosemary  green tea soap. If I don't drink all the beer, I just may make some beer soap!

Certified Soap Makers?

I am starting to see a lot of people adding to their websites that they are "Certified Soapmakers"
It would seem that their are different levels of the certification process.
In searching the web I have only found one site that offers certification for soap making.
While their intentions are good I think that it is unfair to those that have been making handcrafted soaps for years now.
Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild has developed the program, which is offered to their members.
The certification program seems very well covered.
I think even this soap maker of over 40 years, might learn a thing or two!
The only drawback would be that only people that make handcrafted soaps and follow the handcrafted soap industry would know what the certification process covers.
As it is stated on their website "to encourage and promote the highest professional standards among HSMG members."
Does that give HSMG members an unfair advanage ? Being able to add to their websites that they are certified soapmakers, without adding that it is for HSMG members only, it would make people assumed that there is a standard when it comes to making handcrafted soaps.
I agree that there should be a national standard for soap making, along with shampoo, sugar scrubs, body lotions, and all the other bath products.
I think the FDA covers most of it. I would much rather see a government certification program, if there are to be any.
I now have the choice of joining HSMG and pay to take their certification test, which if I passed would give me the right to say I am a "certified soapmaker" on my websites, blogs, facebook and twitter.
I did email the president of HSMG voicing my concern that "certified soapmaker" might give the general public a false impression that there is a set standard for soapmakers. She was kind enough to reply."As the only non-profit trade association for handcrafted soapmakers, we have developed the Certification Program to help the industry as a whole by creating a set of standards. Our logo as well as the HSMG Certification logos clearly have the HSMG symbol in them and are very similar to each other making it very clear where the program originated."
HSMG has even hired a DC Advocate to help be a voice for handcrafted soapmakers and setting standards for soapmakers.
Should there be a national standard for soapmakers?
From the handcrafted soapmakers that I know, we all take pride in creating our handcrafted soaps. We know that selling our soaps, we have to be consistent with all of our products. I am sure that there are some soapmakers that take shortcuts just like any other industry. They will be the ones that will not get repeat sales, or they will stop taking shorcuts.
Now I could join and become a " Certified Soapmaker", or I can choose not to and say "I am not a certified soapmaker", with over 40 years experience in making handcrafted soaps. Who knows one day I might, but until then I will still take pride in the way I make my soaps, knowing that only the best will be given to family and friends, because If my soaps are not good enough for my family to use then I know they are not good enough to be sold.
To all my fellow soapmakers that take pride in crafting the best handcrafted soaps I give you the title " Master Soapmaker!"

Why do so many soapers mislead with their ads? I know it really comes down to getting people to buy their products.
Over the last few months we have seen a lot of people and companies trying to regulate our industry. We are not helping ourselves by misleading the consumers.
Two or three times a week, I check out other handmade soap web sites. I would have to say well over 50% cross the line on making false claims.
We need to take responsibility and police our own industry. From reading some of these medical claiming ads "Scented with sweet orange, rosemary, and ylang-ylang essential oils, which work to refresh and soften the skin as well as generate new skin cells"
Generate new skin cells? Just wait a minute and skin cells will regenerate on their own. Dead skin cells are replaced every minute by new skin cells, which are again replaced by new cells when they die because each skin cells lifetime is not more than a minute. I guess the point I want to get across is that a natural handmade soap will not cure your skin problems, even if they have exotic ingredients. Handmade soaps don't have added chemicals such as petroleum products.
A few years ago there was a caffeine soap fad, where pure caffeine was used in handmade soaps.
The claim was that it would help in waking you up.
That was until a study was done. Caffeine Soap http://scienceforums.com/topic/1320-does-caffinated-soap-really-work

Now we are seeing handmade soaps that list the benefits of using tree tea oil, lavender, vitamins along with a ton of other exotic plants and oils.
The truth is, there are no studies indicating that using handmade soaps with exotic ingredients benefit the skin. (Think about it, soap is put on and rinsed off in a matter of minutes.)
So why buy handmade soaps?

A good handmade bar of soap can help moisturize your skin. It smell good!
A person makes the soaps, not a machine in some factory. Soap makers put their heart and soul into making a batch of soap. We get more satisfaction knowing that someone uses our soaps to feel good and refresh, than making a living from selling our soaps. Creating a soap that will help you to relax, and indulge for a few minute of luxury. Most handmade soaps are a cottage industry business, that help provides jobs, So next time you get ready for a bath, grab that handmade bar of soap, lather up, relax, and escape to your own little world!
Here at Eros Soaps we are not going to get rich, but we will get the satisfaction of knowing that our soaps are bought because you love them!

Organic Soap?

I had a request from a spa to make some organic soaps for them.
Now we do make a 100% natural soap. Made with the finest oils and botanicals that can be found.
So I made a quick order from my suppliers for everything I needed to make my first batch of 100% Organic Soap. There was one problem! Finding an organic sodium hydroxide, better known as Lye, seems that Lye can not be organic, even if organic wood ash was used in making it. Now I did do some reseach about labeling soap organic.
Being a soap making, I am always looking at other soap maker's products.
I was amazed at how many "Organic" soaps that are being sold.
The FDA does not oversee the labeling of soap.
If a soap does not make a claim such as "moisterizing, healing, or "contains vitamins" then it is not consider a cosmetic.
Now there are some organic police, that have come up with recommendations on what soap can be called "Organic", such as if the soap has at lease 70% organic ingredients, it can be label as organic.
Plain and simple, there is no such thing as 100% organic soap, since soap is made by a process known as saponification. When oils are hydrolyzed by the addition of an alkali, yielding soap, glycerin, water and other by products. Glycerin is not organic, lye is not organic.
So Eros Soaps will not be labeling our soaps as Organic, since it contains glycerin, a by product of saponification of oils and an alkali.
Sure we could call it organic like a lot of handmade soapers do, but we don't jump on bandwagons to try and make a buck. We take pride in our soaps!
I am glad that I was asked to make 100% organic soap, other wise we might have been like "those other soapmakers" It's nice to be green and all, but not going to try and pull the wool over anyone's eyes. We do make an "All natural" soap. Guess I will have to use all those organic oils in a salad!