Teach Soap

If I remelt melt and pour soap do I need to add more scent and color? I have new molds and recently poured soap, so I wanted to reuse it. Is it possible?

Also, when (if you) go to a show how many bars of each scent do you try to have on hand? I'm just starting out. I went to a flea market this weekend for my first "show" and didn't sell a thing. I have 2-4 bars per scent. I had 2-6 bottles of my bath salts, 10-29 each of my lip balms, and 2-3 each of my perfume oils. I had a handful of "I'll come back laters" and no shows. Any advice is welcome. My sisters and mom said head to the farmer's market and try that.

I don't think my prices were unreasonable either? $5.50 for each bar of soap, $3.50 lip balm, $10 for perfume oil (0.3oz) and $8 for each bath salt (8 oz).


Any advice is welcome!

Thank you,

Jennyflower

If you added the correct/safe amount of a fragrance, I would not add more. Adding more fragrance then is safe could be irritating. MP soap can be remelted if you like. Some markets are better advertised and better attended. So it depends. I think you had enough products.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Like soapbuddy said, it is possible to remelt soap. The problem is, the more times you remelt, the more damage is done to the soap base. After remelting more than a time or two, the soap will start to lose water and moisture, get thick, turn yellow-ish, and have a foul smell to it. Try remelting no more than 1 or 2 times. If your remelted soap base does start to lose water, you can add a little liquid glycerin to it to "hydrate" the base again.

I've never heard of having to add more fragrance or colorant when you remelt. I never have.

If you're selling, it's probably a good idea to remelt as little as possible. That way, you have the best quality soap to offer your customers.

I don't know personally about shows, because I've never done one. But I have heard that it's a good idea to hand out business cards to any interested customers, and to put your booth number on the cards. Sometimes, the "I'll come back laters" really do mean to come back, but then later, they can't find your booth again, and can't remember your number.

Hope that helps, and hope you get some business at the farmer's market!

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Olivia :)

Thank you both for helping! I really don't want to remelt them (I haven't yet), but I would like all my soaps the same shape for uniformity. So I can take pictures and put them up on my etsy shop rather than the containers I had on hand to begin with. (I think it might be more visually appealing).

*Clarification: I had 17 scents for salts and 2-6 bottles for each, soaps I had about 34 scents and 2-4 bars each, 15 perfume oil scents and 2-3 each, and 17 lip balm flavored with 5-29 each. Probably had too much of each. I was using the "show" as a tester to see decide which scents to keep and which to not reinvest in.

I appreciate your help!

It was "Cajun Days" at a flea market/market village where I live and I wanted to try my hand at selling.

I might try again somewhere else.

Thank you!

Jennyflower

Some shows can be like that. It sounds like you had plenty of product. I have done 4 craft shows, so I am by no means an expert, but each show I try to take pictures of all angles of my booth. Later when I go back and look at them I identify areas to improve on. My first craft fair I had too many things out, it looked too busy, and it was too horizontal - everything was on or close to the same level. Each show I have improved the looks of my booth, and I think having a visually appealing booth helps draw people in.

I know it's flat, but it was my first show. I had everything laid out so it could be seen at least.

Can't get my picture to load. Boo

If I remelted m&p soap once and want to do it again (it didn't turnout how I wanted) how much glycerin should I add to it? For example, I melted soap (goat's milk base) to see what the fragrance would be like (1st) , and then remelted it when I got a new mold (2nd), and I want to remelt for a second/third time. How much glycerin should I add or should I do it at all? Would the scent still be there?


I probably shouldn't do it a third time.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

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Olivia :)

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

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Olivia :)

Thanks! Everyone who responded! I remelted low and slow like soapbuddy suggested and it worked. I was able to make my wedding favors reusing my already had bars instead I just making new ones. I reused some of the soaps I had on hand because I had enough for that scent already made up. It just had to be reshaped. A few I had to make from scratch.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Nice! Glad it worked!

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Olivia :)

Hey guys!!! Still waiting on the colorants for my bath bombs and bubble bars, so I decided to try melt and pour!! It's a bit strange what happened..I wanted to make something body clearing for my hubby, so I used the BB clear m&p base, fine sea salt, tea tree, lavender, clary sage, and rosemary eo's....I also added rhassoul clay...this is literally my first time and I didnt want to waste, but I was wondering on the ratios...I used about half a pound of the soap base, and then about 1/4 cup of the clay, 2 tbs sea salt and a few drops of each eo (even a dsah of rose absolute) I just did this, and the bars are hardening fine, but what was left over seemed like a mud mask...I guess I'm wondering about temps as well...if anyone has any input please let me know!! Thanks a bunch!! Jaime