Category Archives: Uncategorized

Take Control of Your Skin(On The Cheap)

Two everyday  items that work as super affordable skin exfoliants are  baking soda and sugar. The really nice thing about both(besides price) is that they can be bought just about anywhere.

greensugarscrub

That $16.00 sugar scrub that you bought at your local apothecary is 80% sugar which costs you pennies per lb.If you do a few experiments with oils you have in your pantry(coconut oil etc) you can find a combo that is perfect for your skin. Also you can adjust the sugar and or baking soda content to make best exfoliant level for your application depending if you want to take off a lot of surface skin or just want a  a gentle scrub.|| One girls experience.

Blackest of the Black Bath Bombs

Why did it take LUSH so long to release their own black bath bomb? After all they are the inventors of the original bath bomb and were given a patent for doing so.

BlackBathBomb2

I believe the answer is the staining issue. Early reviews of their bath bombs saw one consistent issue. Customers complaining about staining of the bath tub. This was before black bath bombs where even considered. You may notice that many black bath bombs are actually grey in color as some manufacturers try to avoid the issue altogether.
If you make deep dark black bath bomb be sure and warn your customers of this problem. Most of them will purchase anyway. Super secret bath bomb ingredient for black, black bath bombs? Powdered bamboo charcoal combined with black dye. Super secret ingredient to alleviate most staining, polysorbate 80. Follow all of the manufacturers directions with your ingredients. Lush announcement here.

Bath Bomb Insanity

Is it just me or is it insane that single largest ingredient by weight in a bath bomb is baking soda which usually runs about .50 cents per lb and many retailers are asking over $6.00 for each individual bomb.

GrapeSoda

Yes there are other ingredients, come on now, I haven’t observed any bath bombs made from gold dust. Now that I have said that someone will find one on the internet and send me a link to it. I have provided a link to another bath bomb maker complete with recipe so you can make yours at home for a nominal cost||make bath bombs at home.

Acne is Horriblle! Documenting a DIY Method for Acne Control

Sufferers of acne are always on the lookout for any and all methods that will help them control their acne. This Reddit article is helpful as it amplifies the one of the main problems when experimenting with topical solutions to help with acne control.

WakameScrub2

That main issue is that there are too many variables which contribute to outbreaks of acne that are independent of soap and lotion use. Hormones, stress, diet, lack of sleep can all be contributing factors in acne control. While we believe that a natural salt soap would be a net plus for acne control it would almost be impossible to tease out all of the other factors and prove this hypothesis. Read about a sufferers quest here ::Acne Sucks

Lie, Lies, Lies and more Lies about Handmade Soap.

A few years ago I was doing a demonstration at an upscale boutique in Chicago that carried our soap along with five other soap makers products. As we passed one shelf of colorful soap the owner remarked to me, “Oh this is our organic line of soap”. Glancing at the shelf it was clear to me that this was melt and pour base combined with some type of fragrance. I said back to my host “generally melt and pour soap is not considered organic” She replied that her supplier had assured her it was organic and that she trusted her completely. I left it at that.

BlackForest2

Over the years we have had hundreds of calls from customers and potential customers confused about claims from competing soap makers. I have never found an instance where a competitor changed their claims after being given correct information about their product. I also have not found it a productive use of my time to engage in a dispute with said soap maker. I have however kept a short list of resources that provide great information for my customers to stay informed and in turn be able to share with their customer accurate information.
The Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild is a reliable source of accurate information. i also love
Miller’s Homemade Soap Pages
Information Compiled by Kathy Miller.
This site is, to the point, and from a very experienced soap maker. Thank you Kathy Miller for all of the work you have done for us.
Start keeping your own resource web page list to pass along to your customers so they feel sound about their info. Your best weapon against inaccurate competitors is keeping your information accurate and succinct. Engaging them in debate is a monumental waste of time and emotion.

Hidden Bath Bomb Making Secrets Revealed.

We have several crews here at thesoapguy that make thousands of bath bombs a day. I asked them if they would share some tips for other bath bomb makers. We get many questions a month and the occaisional visitor looking for the secret sauce to bath bomb making.

unnamed

There are many factors that contribute to the making of a quality bath bomb and our generous staff agreed to share some tips.

Part 1  Ingredients

1. Ingredients make a difference. Over the years we have tried just about every brand of baking soda and the best performing brand is Arm & Hammer. It seems to make a significant difference in the bombs cohesiveness. Getting your bath bombs to stick together and stay stuck together is a real treat. Arm & Hammer will do the job.

2. We use two different types of citric acid. Fine powder and ground are mixed 50/50 for the citric acid portion of the recipe. We are not sure why this makes a difference but it consistently does. The fine powder also helps with the appearance of the bomb as it gives a smoother feel and look. The ground citric acid can be harder to find than the fine, though most candy making suppliers will have some.

3. After trying many recipes we have found two ingredients that do not help your bath bomb stay together. Both ingredients are found in many recipes. Salt(Epsom salt or sea salt) and corn starch. Both ingredients inhibit the chemical reaction that occurs when you add water which in turn binds the bomb together. We add a small amount of sea salt to our recipe as our customers prefer to have it in the ingredient deck, but we do not recommend it. If you must add it, add it sparingly.

Part 2.  Procedural bath bomb making tips coming soon.

Please share these tips so other crafters can have bath bomb making success in there future.

Learn Soap Marketing From the Leader.

Newer bath and body companies typically must be more innovative and creative when trying to spread awareness of their new offerings in a mature market. They often hire young cutting edge marketers who give them an edge. Lush is a great example of marketing gone right. In the following article they find a great way to help a tragedy and make a name for themselves as well. click here::
Lush Helps Out!