EntrePinoys Atbp.

Why waste big bucks on fancy specialty soap, when it’s so simple to make your own. This business will click because you can supply soaps not just to friends and family, but also to spas, bed and bath retailers, and gift shops.

Start-up capital is P4,000 – P5,000 to make 3 bars of soaps using the cold process (which is easier to make as it doesn’t require cooking). Time to finish: 1 hour (although you will also need to cure it overnight).

Materials Needed

• Lye solution, P40/liter
• Coconut oil, P62/liter
• Sodium silicate, P175/liter
• CDEA, P120/liter
• Castor oil, P185/liter
• Anti-bacterial agent, P175/liter
• Preservatives, P175/liter
• Colorants (orange costs P105 per 100 grams and may be mixed with a liter of any oil)
• Fragrance, P250 per 120 ml
• Around P200 for the unripe fruits that you’d like to juice. For this project we’ll use papaya, tomato, and carrots.
• Measuring cup
• Beaker
• Juicer
• Mixer

You’ll also need gloves and goggles, mold, and a ladle for stirring the mixture.

You may buy your own materials from Spices & Food Mix House on E. Rodriguez Sr. Blvd., Q.C. and your utensils from Divisoria or your local market.

Getting Started

1. Slice the fruits into small bits (no need to peel the skin, but remove any seeds) before placing then in electric juicer for extraction that will take less than 5 minutes. Separate the pulp from the extract by using a strainer, and then set the juice aside.
2. Prepare the following: coconut oil (250g), lye solution (100ml), sodium silicate (5ml), CDEA (5ml), castor oil or moisturizer (5ml), fruit or herbal extract (5ml), anti bacterial agent (2ml), preservatives (2ml), and fragrance (5ml) Measure before mixing because the mixture will solidify quickly.
3. Mix the coconut oil and the lye solution in a plastic container and then add the colorant. Using a ladle, stir the mixture to spread the color evenly, and then add the following: sodium silicate, CDEA, castor oil or moisturizer, fruit or herbal extract, anti bacterial agent, preservatives and fragrance. Keep on stirring the mixture until you achieve a consistency similar to condensed milk.
4. Now pour the mixture into a molder (you may buy one or improvised using kitchenware) and wait for it to solidify in about 3 or 4 hours, when it turns opaque.
5. Cut the materials into your preferred size using a guitar string or a kitchen knife.
6. Now, smooth the edges of the herbal soap using a metal scraper (this costs about P10 in Divisoria) and then cure them for at least 24 hours to lessen their pH balance or make them milder.

Tips:

Be creative, try mixing different fruits, herbs, oils, and fragrances, but do some research first to make sure the combination is harmless. You may try using lavender for sweet fragrance oil or add mint to soothe irritated skin.

How Much Will You Make

It will cost you about P17 to make a bar of soap, which you can markup by at least 60%, and you get your selling price of about 35 per soap.

See also: The Soap-Making Business

source: Judy Rose Mendoza, www.entrepreneur.com.ph

Related posts:

1. How to Make Herbal Soap Mixed With Glutathione
2. Making Herbal Bath Soap and Aloe Vera Shampoo
3. How to Make Bath Soap / Toilet Soap
4. Starting a Business in Herbal Bath Soap Making