Do you think it's cost effective to make your own bar soap?

[Marianne]

I mean, is it cheaper to make your own bar soap than to buy it? My DH is a big time Lever soap fan, so I don't know if he'd make the change willingly. I unwrap soap immediately so it will start to dry out and last longer.

But..

I came across my soap making supplies from playing around years ago. And after reading the posts from BBH's thread on crock pot soap, I'm wondering if it's cheaper to make it or pick up some 4 packs (6 packs????) at the store. Would the lye still be good? One bottle has never been opened.

I'm not interested in selling it but if it had a nice scent, maybe DH would use it.

 

[SSDreamin]

I was wondering the same thing. I would like to learn how to make my own soap, for necessities sake, and understand the SS aspect of it, but am not sure it is 'worth' it. DH & I just discussed this yesterday. He picked up a 10 pack of Ivory soap, which we have been told (elsewhere) can be used for bathing, laundry, shampoo, you name it, for $3.23. I am certain I can't make my own for 33 cents per bar. So, buy the Ivory (nobody here care's what brand we have, just so we have it) for now and experiment with making soap for later? I think that will be the path I take.

 

[okiegirl1]

well, it might be like comparing apples to oranges tho'

when I make soap I use oils that are very moisturizing for skin and add essential oils. I don't know what goes into Ivory, but I know I don't like how it makes my skin feel. If your family doesn't care what kind of soap they use then it's probably not worth it. We have really hard water so better soap is essential.

jmho

 

[Marianne]

I don't buy Ivory as I can not tolerate the scent. I used to use Pure and Natural, but it's not at the local market. I didn't see it at wally world either, so maybe it's discontinued. But I used to think that I'd save some money if I used the cheaper soap, and DH used what he liked. Got to be kind of a hassle, so I just went with what he likes. It's kind of pricey, though.

Sometimes I'd melt the Pure and Natural soap, add some cooked oatmeal and vit E, put into molds. I really liked that, but DH thought I was trying to kill him. *sigh* He was pretty resistant to change way back then. I haven't found another cheapo soap that I can do that with now.

 

[Lady Henevere]

When I first started buying handmade soap from the farmer's market I thought it was expensive, but then I discovered that the bars lasted forever -- far longer than a bar of Ivory or Dove. So it may not make sense to compare bar-by-bar, but rather by time, or how many showers, or something like that.

 

[BirdBrain]

So, for us it is not about price or what I am saving. It has a whole lot more to do with what I am not putting on my skin. And yes, properly cured handmade soap lasts forever. I got into soaping because my SIL is very allergic to the antibacterial ingredient in most soaps. We both started soaping and found out what fun it was to design our own recipes so that we could get certain results. I have one recipe that is fantastic as an all around bar. Another is more of a shampoo bar. Another is an exfoliating bar while yet another has certain clays that create "slip" and is used as a shaving soap. My family members are not having the skin dryness and rashes they used to have. By using mostly animal fats combined with a few specific vegetable fats, I can do way more for the price than buying an equivalent bar. So, yes, I guess my soaping has a lot to do with price but it is more about quality.

 

[calendula]

Yes! I always figure my cost per bar because I sell some of the soap that I make. Depending on the types of oils you use, it can be as cheap as 17 cents a bar. You will have the initial costs of equipment (bowls, scale, molds, etc...) but a lot of that can be purchased cheaply second-hand or made for free. I don't ever add fragrances or anything to my soaps, but if you did that I suppose it would cost more per bar as well.

You can also use your homemade soap for other things. I grate a basic olive oil bar for laundry detergent for instance. You could make your own shampoo too. So you would be saving that way also.

 

[k15n1]

When I first started buying handmade soap from the farmer's market I thought it was expensive, but then I discovered that the bars lasted forever -- far longer than a bar of Ivory or Dove. So it may not make sense to compare bar-by-bar, but rather by time, or how many showers, or something like that.

Come to think of it, it does last longer. How do you compare soaps? It's not like you can count the plys and squares. Can you compare by weight? Or maybe you should weigh it, wash your hands 10 times, then weigh it again. Do that for a couple of types of soaps, and you'd be able to predict how long it would last.

 

[me&thegals]

Yes! I always figure my cost per bar because I sell some of the soap that I make. Depending on the types of oils you use, it can be as cheap as 17 cents a bar. You will have the initial costs of equipment (bowls, scale, molds, etc...) but a lot of that can be purchased cheaply second-hand or made for free. I don't ever add fragrances or anything to my soaps, but if you did that I suppose it would cost more per bar as well.

You can also use your homemade soap for other things. I grate a basic olive oil bar for laundry detergent for instance. You could make your own shampoo too. So you would be saving that way also.

Wow--17 cents?!?

I also figure out my costs, as I sell. My cheapest fat ever would be lard at around 5 cents/oz. My bars are all at least 5 oz. Plus, there's lye in each bar. Essential oils start adding to the cost significantly.

Then, I've also made bars with our own deer tallow (free) and pears (free), which cut the cost significantly. It's true that the bars seem to last a very long time when drained well, and my skin is much happier with homemade soap, so that has a value to me also.

Start-up costs are significant with soap-designated containers and definitely a very good scale ($20 or more). A stick blender ($20 or more) is also very nice but not necessary.

 

[k15n1]

Start-up costs are significant with soap-designated containers and definitely a very good scale ($20 or more). A stick blender ($20 or more) is also very nice but not necessary.

My first thought was that 20-50 $ is NOT significant start-up costs. But I guess that depends on income and other stuff.

I always compare the startup cost to the product that I'll make. So for brewing, I made 2 batches of wine, which is almost 50 bottles. 50 bottles of table-quality wine from the store would be 7 $/bottle, or 350 $ total. Not bad for a 200-$ investment.

How much soap do you have to make to break even on the initial costs? If you're paying retail prices for equivalent products, I'm guessing it would be only a few batches.