Teach Soap

I only make cp for now . It takes a real artist to make a great bar of either kind . Melt and pour has so many gorgeous looks you can achieve . I want to try it soon . Don't worry about it , do what you love to do

Kitn

Gah! I was the victim of soap snobbery from a customer today!!!!

From a newbie soapmaker and a professional soap buyer, I have to say I like both. I don't like using the same thing all the time and both have qualities that I love. What I wouldn't like is a misleading description.

So as long as the seller is honest from either process, its all good.

I honestly don't care...again, as long as people are honest. I've made melt and pour for years, and am just now finishing up the round-up of supplies for CP. I've bought CP before though, and love both types for different reasons. The only thing that annoys me to NO end (and I'm a really easygoing person normally lol) is when you see a soap wrapped in plastic wrap, obviously sweating, and the crafter tells you (with nose up in the air, mind you) that her soap is made from scratch by herself.

I mean...honestly. YOU made it, take pride in it. Don't lie and act like it's dishonorable because it's M&P and you have to cover it up. I tell anyone who asks that mine was a M&P base, and the creativity it took to make it look the way I did. *shrug* I just get so aggravated over people who are so snobbish that they can't even take pride in what they've done, and feel they have to lie about it or talk it up.

*climbs off the soap box* sorry lol:)
Mandi

What they said!! I haven't checked out any other soap forums - haven't felt the need, with being able to get so much from this one. As everyone else said, all the posters on this forum are kind, friendly, and helpful. After only a few months, I feel like I know you all.
Honey, I hope you're doing well with your business, and have forgotten any negative remarks from ignorant people.

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Suzanne
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 1135479737
http://stuffandnonsense-essebee.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much everyone for your comments. I've really learnt a lot from this thread and it's great to get such positive feedback. The business started in earnet on 1 November when my website opened and I have to say, I had an excellent Christmas business wise. January is quiet but I would guess that it's the same for everyone, pretty much.

I am proud to make my soaps, I've gotten nothing but compliments for it and repeat customers and that's the real proof of a good product.

Thank you all again.. I hope that this thread may be of some use to other people who experience this themselves one day.

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Well nobody can tell me that my M&P soap isn't handmade! I have established recipes, techniques, and done umteen testing on my soapmaking and nobody is going to tell me a 4 yr old can make my soap.

I have been making M&P soap for years now and love it. I also love CP soap. And I have also found that just because a soap is made by one process doesn't make it better that the other. I have used CP soap that was wonderful and made my skin feel moisturised and soft. I have also used CP soap that was scratchy, irratating, and left my skin feeling dry and filmy. I have tried MP that was drying to my skin and lacked any lather whatsoever.

As far as I am concerned it is the soapmaker themselves that makes the superior or inferior product. Whatever process you use doesn't matter. Its the finished product and the love and skill that went into it that matters.

I market my M&P soaps as glycerin soaps. Other soapers that come over at shows to look at my soap know exactly what it is. I make a great soap and am proud of it. I have customers that tell me mine is better than the 'other' soap they buy. It just goes to show you that its all about how well made your product is that matters. So make soap that you are proud of and quit worrying about it.

Worrying well quitted!

I sell mine as glycerine soaps too and I've also used CP that's not been great, same with M&P. I agree, either someone makes good soap or bad soap, doesn't matter what kind of soap it is really.

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I just looked at your website Honey. I love your soap! Very pretty and I love the packaging too.

Honey,

I also checked your website and the soaps are fantastic... something I would aspire to! I did melt and pour as an Easter project once... nothing like you have. Now I am doing CP (my chemistry teacher would be amazed). I agree with everyone else... be honest with your labels (also a wise idea for legal reasons) and you will build a good reputation. I only give my soaps away but try to stick to that as well. As for what I purchase.... I tend to buy cp only because of its "earthy" appearance... your M&P has that as well. As a consumer I don't usually choose something that looks too fancy to use. Get this... the M&P I did 10 years ago, my mother is still hanging on to the bar as decoration!
Keep up the great work.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

Honey, you know I love your soaps - they are gorgeous!! And I totally know where you're comming from. It is annoying - we want to be recognised as skilled - no matter what craft we're doing. For example, when I was making jewellery, I was weaving tiny seed beads. I was looked down on by those doing stringing. So I started to string beads. Then I was looked down on by those doing chainmaille, so I started to do chainmaille ....... then I was looked down on by those doing soldering ...... and you guessed it, I started to do soldering. There will ALWAYS be someone who doesn't appreciate what we do. (And the snobbery certainly didn't stop there, but I did stop caring about what everyone else was saying.)

I do call my M&P soaps glycerine soaps - and when asked (and sometimes even when I'm not LOL!) I tell the customer that I use a soap base to make my soaps. I don't sell CP soaps .... yet!, but when I do, they will sit very proudly next to my M&P soaps. The reason I call them glycerine soaps - is that customers who don't know what I've done, equate it to the kids kits seen in the shops. I don't want to be lumped in that same catagory. But I NEVER lie about making it from scratch. Heck, I wish I could make it myself, but I can't. Besides, I'm a rubbish lyer.

Sadly we cannot always change the perceptions of other crafters - but we can be the best at what we do. So accept that that's their opinion, they're entitled to it (even if they're wrong ), but it doesn't affect you in any way - unless you let it. So set thier pettiness aside, grab a cuppa, and go make some of that AWSOME soap of yours. MMMWAH!

You girls are just fabulous! Thank you so much!! I really appreciate all your comments and your opinions, I thank you all!!!

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feeling a bit this way myself Honey, I havnt been making M& P for very long but i have given it away to friends and family and feedback has been encouraging so im looking at setting up an online store through one of those artsy places - like etsy or artfire.
Today i have been researching the competition hehehe and one of the soapers had posted some real negative comments in there post about M&P soap saying that glycerine based soap is not as good as 'handmade' soap.

the reason i have desided to make M&P soap is actually due to cost - in Oz you have to register with the govt if you manufacture soap because of the use of lye, however if you make M&P soap you dont have to register as the chemicals have been already used in the manufacturing of the base. the registration cost is quite steep for someone like me who is just doing this for a bit of fun. i would like to make some CP soap for my personal use but i just dont have time at the moment.

when it all comes down to it i dont think its much to worry about as it seems that the only people who care to make these snotty little comments are other soapers and if it looks nice, smells nice and does the job - uh, clean - then who cares HOW it was made!


also, checked out your site - wow-wee, awesome web site, good luck with it

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Watch out! I have discovered the magical world of CP

"Founding member of Facebook's "Australia & New Zealand Melt & Pour Soapers"

goddessbec, what's the story on registering in Oz if you make CP soap? Is that just making, or selling? I sell M&P at the moment, but was thinking about selling CP at local craft outlets and fairs. Who do I need to contact to register? Glad you posted, I could have been in trouble

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Suzanne
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 1135479737
http://stuffandnonsense-essebee.blogspot.com/

i will pm you SueBre.... though im no expert myself, this is hard trying to work out all the legalities of this hobby!

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Watch out! I have discovered the magical world of CP

"Founding member of Facebook's "Australia & New Zealand Melt & Pour Soapers"