ferox-soaps

[ferox-soaps]

How is your business doing? Would you be willing to share some advice for those looking to start a soap (or other craft) business?

So 2020 was... what it was. Between world events, my pregnancy, car crash, other personal expenses and death of my cat it has been a memorable year for assorted reasons.

It also forced a change on my lifestyle and how I manage both space and time, so there are definitely lessons learned. For one, I could not handle the soap fragrances when I was pregnant because it just set my nausea off something shocking, and then the fatigue later on meant I was not churning out 1 or 2 batches a week like I’d been able to at my peak, and now that I’m fairly well the time constraints of Baby mean I’m still not able to make soap as often as I used to. Firstly one, the fragrances are not good for her, and secondly she doesn’t allow a long enough block of uninterrupted time to make the bars before they set.

Making cold process soap takes a couple of hours from start to finish, including cleanup, and you can’t really stop after you’ve added the lye or it will thicken and set before you’re ready. And finding those chunks of uninterrupted time with Baby has been increasingly impossible, so I’ve had to branch out into similar projects that have different time requirements.

Namely, that has been lip balms and bath/shower bombs. Lip balms take much less time to make, and can be interrupted at any stage and gently re-melted, plus the suppliers are the same and some of the oils are the same. The colorants would be the same if I used them. Bath & Shower bombs use the same fragrances as soap, which is one of the more expensive ingredients, so I am expanding my range based on what I already have in stick. My ultimate plan was to have little gift bundles that included a soap, bath/shower bomb and lip lamp all in complementary flavors/fragrances. Bath and shower bombs don’t ship that well though, so there is my new problem.

So, the business is basically dead in the water unless I can find a regular chunk of time to have the baby minded somewhere away from where I make soap.

But from when I was still going, one of the biggest logistical issues was storage. The cold process soap takes 6 weeks to cure before it should be used, so I have to store it in such a manner that it can continue to dry for that time, and that turned out to be stacks of shelves all up the wall. You need less storage space for things that don’t take as long to make, but you still need to store them somewhere unless you only work on commission.

It’s also important to consider where you are going to sell your product. The pandemic meant I didn’t have the face-to-face markets that I enjoyed most, and frankly going to the post office was a bit of a pain with a newborn around so it became not really worth the effort to ship everything out. Selling niche and gimicky things works better with internet sales but the postage needs some consideration, especially with the exchange rates I was pricing fairly low.

I know it’s taken ages to reply to this, but please let me emphasize just how time-poor I’ve been.

#gumbo677 #soapmaking #craft business #tips #cold process soap

[ferox-soaps]

Hi! I ordered like 7-8 soaps to Germany a while ago - probably a fairly distinct order %) I forgot to write earlier, but the package arrived shortly before Christmas, providing me with very nice emergency gifts since the shops were closed. They are all delighful, both gorgeous looking and smelling great. My favorite scent is the lemongrass (although the texture is a bit rough on my hands) and the jasmine, and the moon shape is super pretty. Your soaps make every day a tiny bit brighter, ty <3

You’re welcome!

Yes the lemongrass is a bit rougher than the others, but great for garden dirt, not so much the human face.

#Anonymous

[ferox-soaps]

Hmm. You could try adding flavour oils used in lip balms to flavour it, or flavour oils meant for use in chocolate.

You could also try mixing in some powdered sugar, but probably not more than 1/4 cup if you want the texture the same. Or sherbet might work.

it’s like that time i bit into soap all over again psa do not lick bath bombs that is not their intended use

#technically edible #but do not inhale

[ferox-soaps]

You can make an eddible one yourself with ingredients from the baking isle but it wont taste good.

3/4 of bicarb soda (baking soda)

1/4 cup citric acid

Food dye

A little bit of liquid oil of your choice (eg olive oil, sunflower oil, etc. pick one you don’t mid the taste of), about a teaspoon should do.

Mix the dry ingredients first, then mix in the oil and dye.

Pack into a shape or mould.

Lick.

it’s like that time i bit into soap all over again psa do not lick bath bombs that is not their intended use

[ferox-soaps]

Your car was written off? What does that mean?

I mean I got quotes to repair it and the mechanics said “haha no.”

It’s an Australian slang term meaning it was irrepairable, wrecked, gone to the big car yard in the sky.

#Anonymous

[ferox-soaps]

I got your Whiskey Angel soap today! You're right, it's got an interesting scent profile. The cherry blossom moon one I ordered is going to be a Christmas gift :)

I’m very glad it arrived! Now you can puzzle over what it’s supposed to smell like too.

I’m probably not going to get any other soaps made before Xmas though, or shipped at this point. Life it challenging this year and my car has just been written off, so you got one of the last packages to go out for the year.

#kenta-rin

[ferox-soaps]

Toasted Marshmallow Cupcake Soap

Finally made some time for another batch (to fill a pre-order) and this lot is really interesting.

When they were made they were actually gold and white.

But the high vanillin content has stained them brown where they touch the air. The little white stripe in the big ones is the same batch as the white on top, but it hadn’t been exposed to air these last few days so I expect it will brown up too.

It’s more that I was expecting, but not a disaster for a ‘toasted’ fragrance.

It’s also well illustrated on these spares below.

#soap #soapmaking #toasted marshmallow #cupcake soap #vanilla #vanillin staining

[ferox-soaps]

Having posted a bunch of soaps out now I find I’ve run out of shredded paper and the packing peanuts. I should get more, but as I never actually bought them in the first place, they’re reused from all the soap ingredient packaging I get, I’m tempted to just acquire more the same way I got the last lot.

#soap making #crafting

[ferox-soaps]

I got my soaps today and immediately had to try the glitched matrix--the baked apple pie smells so good, and it arrived just in time for Halloween week! Thank you 😁

Excellent! International post has been slower with covid but glad some are arriving!

I was told yesterday that the red in the glitched soap can look a little like blood in the bath. It’s the red mica line and the iron oxide that does it. Oh well, if I have made a soap that looks like it’s bleeding, at least it’s a Halloween soap.

[ferox-soaps]

Not an ask, Our order arrived and thank you!! Amazing work once again. ^^ look forward to using them and keeping an eye out for more dragons and dice soaps!

Do you have a mailing list?

Glad to hear they arrived safe! It’s always a delight to know people are enjoying my odder little creations.

I dont currently have a mailing list. Just this little blog for now. Inreally should set up an instagram I suppose.

[ferox-soaps]

The desire to poke them is so strong. They’re so glossy.

Baked apple pie cupcake... soaps.

#soap #cold process soap #soapmaking #handmade #cupcake

[ferox-soaps]

Today my soaps arrived and I had to test The Devil is a Gentleman immediately because I never had this one before. I'm so happy - this is the best soap! Thank you very much!

I’m so glad you like it! It’s quite an unusual fragrance blend, I’m not sure they make it like that any more.

I often wonder what it is that appeals to the people who actually buy the soap I’m making for mostly my own amusement, especially when they buy multiple bars of a type I’ve never sold before. If they buy something they’ve had before I understand, they obviously liked it, but getting multiple bars of something like the Devil is a Gentleman, when it both looks and smells non-traditional... I just want to know what it was that appealed so I can do it again.

[ferox-soaps]

Koi resin mold for soap a partial success. The tail is really too thin so it broke at the color change as I was more or less expecting it too... but it might stil be salvageable suspended in transparent soap like it’s swimming through water.

#experiment #cold process soap #koi

[ferox-soaps]

It starts again.

#dragon eyes #top pair are for Xmas

[ferox-soaps]

So these are about hald sold already.

I will not get time or fragrance to make more if these befoe Xmas, so if you were on the fence grab them while they still exist.

Get them here

Un-moulded the Mermaid Treasure Soaps again today. Had to freeze them to get them out, they’re a bit bigger than my standard cut so take a little longer to set. The ‘sunset’ style and ‘whale’ style tails are new to this batch (did black and koi last time), so I hope people like them!

The scent is persisting well, they frosted on top as they basically always do, but I think it just adds a seafoam look while the rest of the bar looks like deeper water.

Speaking of, on some of the bars you can see just the fairest hint of the goldfish or dolphins that lurk within, waiting to be revealed as the bar gets used up.

And of course, these bars contain three actual treasures to keep (stainless steel charms)! They still need time to cure but will be ready and on sale probably late September or early October.

#mermaid #help fund my cat’s chemo

[ferox-soaps]

Hey just wanting to double check, is Whiskey Angel soap suitable for someone who is allergic to Lavender?

I would expect so.

The description for that fragrance is:

Top notes Coconut, Aged Rum, Sparkling Wine Middle notes: Whiskey, Tonka Bean, Raw Honey Base notes: White Oak Barrel, Toasted Vanilla, Maple Sugar

While fragrances don’t list all their ingredients, I purchased that fragrance from the Fragrance Shed and they may be able to help you with a material safety data sheet to know for certain that there’s no lavender or anything close to it in there.

#azdomiel

[ferox-soaps]

Hiya!! I was just wondering when(if at all) your dragon dice soap will be back in stock? I wanted to buy some but had to save up, I LOVE your soaps btw!!

Hi! I absolutely intend to do another twelve, but my life is not exactly predictable right now. I’m hoping to have more available by Xmas.

When exactly though I don’t know, but I will post progress shots as I make the eyes so you will have a few weeks notice that way.

I just got the last of them posted today so have some room to play with again.