Hathor's Bath

[Masquerade]

Luxury palm-and-SLS free soaps, bath and body products, felted soaps, and gift boxes! I am also going to be added a ritual-range for the more pagan-inclined!

www.hathorsbath.co.uk

[Masquerade]

Shipping charges change (now that Royal Mail has stopped striking and whatever other rubbish they were doing) so now you can spend less on packaging and handling and more on things that matter - like soap! Also, exclusive new salt bars in time for summer! I won't be making any more of these this year, so grab 'em if you want 'em!

[PurpleAbsinthe]

*Purpleabsinthe runs off to look at more lovelys and count pennies for whether there is enough at the moment!*

[Masquerade]

Just a nudge to let folks know I am now back with more soap (I sold out over the summer!) and I've added a few new ones for winter, with more on the way for X-mess

[PurpleAbsinthe]

Off to have a look - though Im still working through the stock Ive got!

[Opalline]

Sept 7, 2009 11:56:58 GMT Masquerade said:

Just a nudge to let folks know I am now back with more soap (I sold out over the summer!) and I've added a few new ones for winter, with more on the way for X-mess

Yay! My one soap is STILL going. I swear you hybridised it with the magic porridge pot... I use that thing most days but it just. doesn't. go.
However, it is at last starting to look a bit thin... time to check out your site again

How are you, anyway? Long time no speak. Glad to hear you sold out of soaps, hurrah for friends actually selling their produce!!

[Masquerade]

I'm not doing too badly, however I am hearing from people that my soap is great because it never runs out! Which is cool....I suppose....but it does mean they don't buy soap quite so often; friends of mine I gave Xmas soap to last year are still using their stocks! Granted, this summer I had several orders which saw my stocks disappear so I thankful I had done some more soaps up.

I'm doing okay though money is very tight and I'm just hoping that the Yuletide season will be kind to me. Sprog turns six (!!!!) in a few weeks as well, so have a birthday to plan.

[Opalline]

Maybe you should alter the recipe to make them run out faster! I;m sure the megacorps wouldn't hesitate to do the same...
Can't believe he's six already. Doesn't time fly! I can't believe Mini A (should that be Mini G now??) is in his second year of school. I swear it was only last week that he first started! Makes me feel old...
I'm chuffed though as their school topic for this term is "take one world" which more or less translates into as many nature walks, bug hunts, leaf collages and bird seed cake making sessions as I can shake a stick at. Yesssssss!!!

Sept 9, 2009 7:54:31 GMT Masquerade said:

I'm not doing too badly, however I am hearing from people that my soap is great because it never runs out! Which is cool....I suppose....but it does mean they don't buy soap quite so often; friends of mine I gave Xmas soap to last year are still using their stocks! Granted, this summer I had several orders which saw my stocks disappear so I thankful I had done some more soaps up.

I'm doing okay though money is very tight and I'm just hoping that the Yuletide season will be kind to me. Sprog turns six (!!!!) in a few weeks as well, so have a birthday to plan.

[PurpleAbsinthe]

I agree with Glitterbat here, I love your soap but it does last such a long time (I dont use bars of soap much anyway so Im learning to get out of that too).
If its do-able maybe it would be good to make it shorter lasting, as much as anything this means people can try your other lovelies sooner if they are like me and try to prevent themselves from having too many smellies in one go
BTW - I think the apples will soon be ready on my tree, M - would you like fallen too for either the dog, cider making etc? Many have fallen off in the last month or more because of the wind before they were anywhere near ready but I still have quite alot left

[Masquerade]

I can't really add anything to soap to make it last less long - the reason it lasts so long is everyone is used to melt and pour! I have considered doing melt and pour as well but I just don't think it makes as nice a product. I would be hardpressed to find a soap base that doesn't use SLS or Palm Oil either.

However Bed and Breakfasts in the area are expressing an interest in soap so we'll see. I also have some stuff planned with pamper nights and christmas fairs so hopefully all will go well.

[PurpleAbsinthe]

ohh the B&Bs sound a promising idea - good advertising to new people that way too
Good luck with doing fairs etc, love christmas fairs

[Opalline]

Sept 19, 2009 12:38:00 GMT Masquerade said:

I can't really add anything to soap to make it last less long - the reason it lasts so long is everyone is used to melt and pour! I have considered doing melt and pour as well but I just don't think it makes as nice a product. I would be hardpressed to find a soap base that doesn't use SLS or Palm Oil either.

However Bed and Breakfasts in the area are expressing an interest in soap so we'll see. I also have some stuff planned with pamper nights and christmas fairs so hopefully all will go well.

Melt and pour... is that like taking ready made basic soap, melting it, mixing in whatever ingredients you're using and then letting it go hard again? As opposed to making the soap from scratch the hard way?

B & B's is a good idea... I used to work in one and we used to give them these tiny bars of (actually quite nasty) wrapped soap which got chucked after they left (assuming they didn't take it with them). So quite a high turnover; if you can get that deal you'll be selling plenty! And if you make the labelling really clear then the guests'll know where to get bigger bars if they like them!

And soap parties and christmas fairs are bound to help... everyone likes those

[Masquerade]

Yep, that's melt and pour.

Again, my problem is that my soaps last FOREVER. So either I have to cut these bars into slivers or find another way to do presentation. I've debated "soap curls" actually...will have to have a play.

[PurpleAbsinthe]

Soap curls sound lovely. I saw some soap petals once in a nice little handbag size. That type of thing would be great for using your soap on the go

[Opalline]

Sept 22, 2009 16:55:52 GMT Masquerade said:

Yep, that's melt and pour.

Again, my problem is that my soaps last FOREVER. So either I have to cut these bars into slivers or find another way to do presentation. I've debated "soap curls" actually...will have to have a play.

OK then, brainstorm time... how to make things dissolve faster without changing the formulation... chemist hat on here

You need to think of ways to alter the surface area. Something with a large surface area to volume ratio (ie there is more of the outside exposed than there is inside) will dissolve faster than a big sturdy chunk where most of the soap is on the inside of the chunk untouched by water.

If you take the same amount of soap as you have in a standard bar, but change the shape so that more of it is exposed to the water when it's used, it'll dissolve faster. This can be done by breaking it up into smaller pieces (like with soap curls, soap pearls, etc). Or, if you want to keep the soap bar the same volume, you have to change the shape. Make the bars taller/wider, but thinner. Same amount of soap overall, but it won't last so long. Though you may risk it looking like a giant wafer that you can see your hand through, as the existing super long lasting bars aren't that thick anyway.

Alternatively, give it more than just the standard 6 faces that a rectangular bar would have. Mould the soap into more complex shapes (for instance, a soap shaped like a 5 pointed star would have greater surface area than a cuboid shape like a standard bar because a 3D flat 5 sided star has 12 faces).
This also offers novelty because people often like unusual shaped soaps.
I'm assuming, of course, that non melt and pour soap can be moulded in this sort of way... or that it's up to being made into a thinnish sheet and being cookie cuttered into shape?