Since I’ve started selling soap at the coffee mornings here, I’ve realised I’ve started to become a bit of a soap snob, and where originally some comments people would write in soap forums would annoy me, and I would wonder what on earth they are so bothered about, now, I find I’m actually agreeing to them.
The problem is, selling handmade soap doesn’t seem to come with any restrictions over here, unlike the EU. There are no guidelines with regards to selling it, no rules you must follow.
Also, every article I have read in many newspapers over here promoting women making handmade soap as a way to support their families makes out that soap is made with olive oil, and that’s it, absolutely nothing else. There never appears to be any mention of sodium hydroxide whatsoever, it’s as though they are keeping that bit quiet. But because I label my soaps with all the ingredients I use, I find I have to explain why that word is in my ingredient list.
In addition, I’m of the train of thought that if synthetically made colourants and fragrances are used, then I won’t call it natural. My base recipe is, and all my soaps start off with pretty much the same recipe, I just then add different colours/scents etc. However, so many soaps I’ve seen sold here, are being classed as natural when they include synthetic colourants and/or fragrances, so when people come up to my table they immediately assume every single one of my soaps is natural, and when I correct them, and explain that the one they are looking at is not natural, they pretty much drop it straight away and I have to explain that the base is all natural, it’s just got a fragrance oil in it that isn’t. I also explain that I order all my essential oils and fragrance oils from reputable soap suppliers in both the UK and US so that I have all the data on what is in each of the fragrances. Once I’ve explained that, they don’t seem to mind at all and seem quite pleased that my scents are ordered from elsewhere, but when I first say it’s not natural, I get a really bad reaction.
Due to this reaction, I think I need to change my wording so instead of telling them it’s not natural, I need to say ‘this ones are 100% natural, this one is 96% natural’ etc and see if that helps.
It’s just getting quite frustrating. I don’t want to, and I won’t, turn around and start claiming everything is natural, as I want my customers to trust me and come to me because they like my products and trust what I use in them.
I’ll have to see how it goes at the next craft fair! :)
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Karen x
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