Natural Soap Labels

I've tried a lot of different versions of making soap labels.  And there are pros and cons to almost every type.  I always made my own labels on a computer and printer, and liked the 5 to a horizontal sheet, the best.  A sheet of tinted paper is 5 - 10 cents, making each paper label 1 - 2 cents plus the ink and the tape.  Making labels yourself allows for you to make special labels quick and easy, like for a special occasion.  The downside to this particular label is getting your cuts straight with scissors, to give it a professional look, and not like one of the kids labeled it.  Then you need two pieces of tape, a 2 sided tape for the inside and a one sided tape for the outside.  The inside tape will hold your label affixed after the soap shrinks a little bit more, then the label won't fall off. 

At the Artisan Store where I sell soap, I had to bag every bar to cut down on the escaping fragrances.  So instead of my traditional paper labels that people weren't seeing very well, I bagged the soap, tied it with a ribbon, and made sticky labels that I stuck to the front of each bag. 

But take a look at this soap label making page at natural-soap-making.com and at the variety of labels, and get some great ideas on how you could label your soaps.

Eczema and other skin conditions

Skin Conditions:  this includes rashes, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, itching, fungus, scales, red patches, and hives.  And because I have had a few of these, I started seeking solutions, from the medicinal to the natural.  I too, have had to take steroid pharmaceuticals and creams, only to have nothing really work.  I've used tar shampoos and dandruff shampoos, and I'm sure that those actually made my scalp worse (I know that famous dandruff shampoo made it worse!).  

So take a look at the natural-soap-making.com's webpages for information that may be able to help you.  The Itchy Skin page will link to other skin condition pages, all worth reading.

Soap is getting competitive!

When I first started making soap and attending events, I would be the only soapmaker there.  I have since stopped going to these events since selling the store, but a friend who has started making and selling soap, has been finding some competition.  She has been refused at two events because they already had their quota of soapmakers.  These are two events that I have attended in the past, with no competition. 

So I have been telling her to come up with some crazy marketing idea to promote her soap.  I recall a few years ago about a soapmaker that added caffeine to her soap, and this proved to give her tons of free advertising.  Although I would not have done this, as high doses of caffiene can be fatal and you would have to be very careful when making it and washing the pots afterwards.  Besides that fact that you would not want any kids to use it either. 

Try to find something that is unique to your area.  Locals and tourists alike will want something that is special to the area.  If you live near the ocean, try ocean water or add seaweed (be careful testing and pick the seaweed yourself).  Perhaps using ocean sand for a scrubby bar.  Live near the mountains?  Tap into a glacier stream for your water. 

Think about anything that is unusual to your area or totally out there.  To throw some ideas out there, how about:  mineral or hot spring water, wild rose hips, using local wines or beer, clays, organic chocolate, rain water, detoxifying bentonite clay, vitamins, omega 3-6-9 oils, etc. 

Selling essential oils too

Besides making and selling soap, I also sell all the supplies that are used in making soap and lotions.  Having sold essential oils for years from my store, I've noticed something that is interesting about people's perception of size.  When people see little bottles, they just see a little bottle, be it 2 oz or 1/6th an oz (30 ml or 5 ml).   So, for example, if you were to sell a 2 oz bottle of Lavender essential oil at $20, people will think that you are overcharging because they will remember seeing a 'little bottle' of same essential oil for approximately $10 at the health food store.  Yet, that health food store bottle is 1/3 oz (10 ml), measuring one sixth of that 2 oz bottle.  Math wise, this means that to get the equal amount of Lavender essential oil from the health food store, it would cost you $60. 

Those little 1/6 oz bottles are very small, but the 1/3 oz and 1/2 oz bottles don't look too different is size, and those are almost as tall as the 1 oz.  So I have started selling 1/6th oz bottles of essential oils, and these sell very well at the $4.50 - $5.50 price range. 

Beeswax vs. Paraffin

Beeswax vs. Paraffin:

Beeswax is a 100% natural fuel created by bees;

- burns cleaner than any other,
- burns longer than others and do not drip,
- emits a bright light that has the same light spectrum as the sun,
- emits negative ions that actually clean the air and invigorate the body,
- are naturally scented by the honey and nectar of flowers packed into the honeycomb within the beehive.
- come from a renewable resource.

Paraffin candles come from a nonrenewable resource: petroleum, a.k.a. crude oil;

- give off many of the same toxic fumes as are found in auto exhaust,
- are relatively short burning and drip excessively,
- is a toxic byproduct of the oil industry.
- produce a disorganized light spectrum very similar to old-fashioned incandescent bulbs,
- produce toxic petrol-soot that eventually stains all interior surfaces,
- typically contain artificial fragrances and colors which also produce toxins and stains when burned.

The wick is just as important as the type of wax. When you burn a chemically processed or metallically reinforced wick, it can release large amounts of soot into the air you breathe, possibly causing harmful health side effects. The metals and chemicals in these wicks are bleach, petroleum products, lead and zinc, which are released into the air for you to inhale.

Also look for 100% unbleached cotton wicks. One way to test the wick is to drag it or rub it on a piece of white paper, any metals will leave a mark on the paper.

Bees Wax is often used in soapmaking as well. Put the wax in with the oils at the beginning as this natural wax has a high melting point and may not fully melt if added at trace. Usually this amazing wax is added to soap for the added hardness of the final bars. The scent of honey is an added bonus!

Add only 1.5 percent of wax to your total of oils and fats. Too much wax could make a sticky and gummy bar.

Beeswax, a natural and therapuetic wax

Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees. It is the worker bees, the females, that create this wax, to build honeycomb cells for three purposes; raising their young, storing honey, and pollen. It takes eight times the consumption in honey to create the wax. It is estimated that bees fly 150,000 miles to create one pound of bees wax.  It is the type of flowers gathered by the bees that determines the color of the wax, from a white to brown, most often a shade of yellow.

The color of beeswax is at first white and then darkens with age and use. This is especially true if it is used to raise the young bees. The color has no significance as to the quality of the wax (other than its esthetic appeal). Formerly, bees wax was bleached using ozonisation, sulphuric acid, or hydrogen peroxide which resulted in the addition of chemicals into the wax. Bleaching has now been stopped by reputable candle manufacturers and other suppliers of this natural wax.

60% of total beeswax is used to make candles, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It is also used in polishing materials for shoes, furniture, models, pool table filler, and as a protective coating for aging cheese. Bees wax can be softened with vegetable oil to make it softer and more workable.

The most important aspect of bees wax, besides the naturalness, is that they burn brighter, longer, and cleaner than any other candle! The flame virtually emits the same light spectrum as the sun and in the process of burning, negative ions (which is a positive thing) are released to clean the air and invigorate the body. The negative ions is what the air smells like after a storm.

This 100% natural fuel created by bees is naturally scented by the honey and nectar of flowers packed into the honeycombs and gives off a subtle fragrance as it burns. If the bees wax has a medicinal smell, chances are that it has been chemically altered or bleached. Always check for 100% beeswax, for the legalities on labeling these candles states that a mere 55% content can be called 'beeswax', and for soy candles, a minimum amount of 20% soy wax can allow for those type of candles to be called soy.

Natural with chemical scents?

Now, this is just what I'm talking about.  They will lie straight to your face. 


Description
Sweet, light, and warm -

Move over Warm Vanilla, this scent is far richer and finer. Notes of rich dark brown sugar, light drizzled honey, and nutty oats.

This soothing bar of soap is packed with good stuff: saponified vegetable oils, lathery and antioxidant rich hemp seed oil, organic honey to retain the skins natural moisture; brown sugar to create a creamy lather and act as a natural colorant, and ground oatmeal to gently exfoliate while soothing the skin. Tested and true, this bar is a family favorite because of it's light scent and soothing qualities.

No additives, no detergents, no micas, pigments or dyes, no sulfates, parabens, or preservatives!

The soaps you will receive may not look exactly like the ones pictured, they all have their own unique goodness! They each are approximately 4 ounces of lathery goodness!

O Bella only carries natural, handcrafted goods. They are renewable, sustainable or organic when possible.

Due to the handmade nature of soaps, please place soap in a dry area between uses to allow soap to dry. If left in a wet shower or soap dish, soap will become sticky. This will give you a longer lasting bar of soap.

Materials
coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, organic honey, oatmeal, brown sugar, fragrance oil, water, sodium hydroxide.

Did you catch the last sentence with the materials list, it has A FRAGRANCE OIL!!  A fragrance oil is not natural.  It is a chemical.  I first looked at this because it said natural yet was a Brown Sugar and Honey Oatmeal bar.  Yes, there is brown sugar and honey, but I assure you that those small amounts would be unable to leave a scent.  So they added a chemical and said it was natural.