How to distinguish a conditioning soap?

by Randy
(Manila, Philippines)

I'd like to know how you can simply identify a soap without its packaging if its a conditioning soap or not assuming that the bubble and lather is not a factor?

Your answer will help me sell my soaps to customers who wanted to know and are expecting a great difference of a conditioning soap from an ordinary commercial soap before they actually try it.

I am in the stage of, after learning the art and getting hooked up to soap making, wanting to open a soap business.

Answer:

I'm not exactly sure but from your question I think you want to know how to tell if a soap is conditioning or not by looking at the naked bar?

You can't tell that by looking at a bar of soap. A soap high in cleansing oils and one high in conditioning oils will look the same.

A conditioning soap will have a higher percentage of conditioning oils, a lower percentage of cleansing oils and have around 5% - 10% super-fat.

Check out my page on Soap Making Oils and scroll down to the heading 'Formulating a Recipe'. There you will find information about the oils used in soap making and what functions they fill in the final bars.

If you plan on selling your soaps in the future, you will need to label them with the ingredients.

Researching your ingredients, understanding how they work and sharing that knowledge with your customers is how you will be able to sell your soaps over commercially produced soap.

Letting your customers know about the saponification process that occurs when combining a lye solution with oil not only produces soap but it also produces glycerin. Glycerin is a humectant that draws moisture to the skin and helps to moisturise it.

Typically, commercial soap has had the glycerin removed so it can be sold as an additional by-product. This alone is a good reason to use handmade soaps.

Likely, your soap will not contain chemical preservatives like commercial soap does. Another plus for buying and using handmade soap.

The first time a customer buys from you, they are taking a leap of faith. If you are knowledgeable about your product, if it is attractive to them and reasonably priced, they will likely buy it.

To keep them buying, your product will have to perform to their liking as well. That will be the true test of whether or not they come back.

Good luck and happy soaping,
Cathy