Teach Soap

Still haven't decided on a brand or a concept or a niche. I want to make cp soap to sell (still in major beta testing), but in the mean time I'm trying to figure out a brand, and etc.

Did you have a hard time figuring this out? How did you overcome this hurdle? Are you still working on it? I'm just curious. Not looking for your ideas just wondering about how you came up with it. Someday. I'll have it figured out.

Right now. I'm leading toward using skin safe fragrance oil with good for you clays. Not using much on design just basically it will make you smell pretty and be good for your skin. Yes, I know that synthetic fragrances aren't great, but every person I question says smell good over pretty. Yet, I want it to do both if possible. Although, I'm leaning very heavily over to the it's great for your skin "use this." Mentality and not use fragrance-- essential oil or fragrance. (I really like how there are so many natural colorants that are good for your skin/body. I would love to just promote that without the fragrance, but my "focus groups" want scent over good for you. (Focus group: co-workers, family, friends and sometimes people I don't even know).

Ok rant over.

I am a total hedonist. Whether I go to a farmer's market, a plant nursery, or a bakery the more of my senses that are engaged, the more likely I am to put a crowbar in my wallet. Either sight or smell draws me over but put both together and I will definitely want to touch - and, in the case of say a honeysuckle blossom or a mint leaf, taste.

When I was first considering starting my business, I chose my business name and was thinking along the lines of "classic elegance" for my logo/branding. However...As I progressed with my soapmaking, I realized that my style of soapmaking didn't fit with the image I had in my head, so I totally redesigned my brand to fit with the type of soap I make.

It's great to pick your name, etc. but don't lock yourself into anything until you know what type of product you're comfortable making all the time.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I think it's a good idea to figure out what kind of soap you enjoy making the most. What kind of fragrances, colorants, and ingredients do you like, and what patterns, designs, and textures of soap do you like? Then fit your business around your soapmaking instead of fitting the soapmaking to the business. You're doing this because you love making soap, after all, and you don't want other people's preferences to take the joy out of it.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll find your niche!

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Olivia :)

What target market are you trying to reach? Kids? Moms with disposable income, older people that have money to spend, or people that are on a budget? What is your area like? Is it mostly working people that don't have a lot of extra money to spend or a retired community with people that buy gifts for their children or grandchildren?

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

I have a design conundrum. I like the following shops, and where I don't want to copy them I admire their hardwork.
Rockytopsoapshop, longwinterfarm co, outlaw soaps and a couple others. I just don't know which way to go. I would like to play up the good for you side of the soap and clay additives, but also have it smell good. I'm still figuring out designs for the soap itself.

My intended target audience I think those with a little bit of extra income with the hard working in mind too. I'm trying to create a face mask that correlates with a bath salt/tea line. I know enough that I won't have everything tested and vetted this year and that's fine. I'm shooting for mid 2015 for the masks and bath teas/salts. My perfume "line" is established and everyone loves them.

So while doing other things and since my last post I had an epiphany of sorts. I am thinking of taking my themes for my face masks and carrying them over into the soaps, salts, and teas. So for example, I have a detox face mask there will be a detox bath salt and soap. I won't recommend using them all at once, but it ties it all together.

Comments? Good idea?

Be careful calling any products detox. In the US, according to the FDA, that makes it a medical claim and it's a big no no.

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

Hadn't thought about that and I didn't know that. Thank you!

"Ablution" then. It's a great old word whose usage has fallen by the wayside. The single digit IQ's of FedGov probably wouldn't get the equalization of terms and you'd have your tie-in.

"Detox" (name of) bath soak (with no stated claims or descriptive blurbs) = this powder/salt/whatever is going to remove all the poisons from your system! SMH

ok i realize i cant say detox. and that not one thing can ever truly detox the body. the "detox" i got is from website regarding bentonite clay, fullers earth clay they "detox" the face....so i was thinking that i would state that the clays in this are good for... so to tie everything together it would have the same clays in each item or a few of them at least.

i really like the word ablution @abch

and if it is not good to say detox then how to websites get away with this? i mean there is a website i like to look at because of the general "togetherness" is plant eating animals and scientific flowers. how do popular sites get away with this and not get into trouble with the fda?

They're getting away with it because they haven't been caught yet. A soaper in a group I belong to had the FDA show up at her home while she was still in her pajamas - she used the word "medicinal" on her website to describe a scent. They told her that was the red flag and why they checked into her business.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!