Special purpose soaps

Some of the special soaps I have made over the years have become a standard.  We would often test market certain scents or types, sometimes a few times, and then either add to our must-have list or have to discontinue.   Some of these soaps are ones that people often requested, yet when it came to buying it, it wasn't very popular.   Here are some of the soaps types, and why:

Unscented:  we heard over and over again that people wanted unscented soaps.  Yet when we made them, with no scent, it was never a good seller.  It didn't smell bad either, it had no scent.  But when these plain bars were looked at and smelled, the scented ones always won.   We even changed the name of them too, just in case that was the cause, niether Unscented, Plain and Simple, or Uncomplicated ever sold well.

Shaving soap:  This was a good seller, and really, it was a great alternative to brand name shaving creams.  We made a men's, women's and unisex versions.   The men's version had a Lime and Cilantro scent (fragrance), perfect for a morning shave.  The women's version had rose (fragrance) and/or rose geranium (essential oil).  And the scent great for both men and women was sandalwood (fragrance).  To make a regular soap base become a shaving soap, we added Bentonite Clay for the microscopic barrier between skin and razor, and cocoa butter for extra moisturizing due to the shaving action. 

Bug Repellent:  Definately popular in the spring and summer time, when those mosquitos first come out.  We used a mixture of essential oils for an all natural repelling bar, with Citronella being the majority essential oil.  There was also some peppermint, black pepper, lemongrass, and geranium, all for their repelling actions against specific insects.  This bar was great for people and pets. 

Valentines Day soaps:  Not a big seller.  I think because woman were our main customer base, and men didn't like coming into a soap shop.  I was easier for men to buy chocolate at the corner store.   Yes, we certainly did have confident men everyday in our store, but there wasn't a big enough jump in sales to warrant a special heart shaped soap.  Although the strawberry soap would fit the theme.