# What color soap sells?



## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

What color soap do yall think people tend to buy more?

For me personally, I shy away from colored soap. I like browns, white, yellow/goldish soaps. I feel like pink, green, blue, etc would make me break out or leave a funny residue, break easy, or overall cheap soap. 
Might not be necessarily true, but that is just my thought process. 


So what color do yall find sells best?


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

I'd say it depends on your target market...the all-natural crowd is "generally" drawn to the choices you prefer (browns/tans, yellows, white, etc) while the "general public" likes it pretty and highly scented.

Also, if you do color, perhaps make sure the color doesn't clash with the scent (a brown/tan milk& honey or patchouli is great, but not so much if it's rose scented, for example).

We "see" it first, so color, shape, and packaging do matter, IMHO.


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

hippygirl said:


> I'd say it depends on your target market...the all-natural crowd is "generally" drawn to the choices you prefer (browns/tans, yellows, white, etc) while the "general public" likes it pretty and highly scented.
> 
> Also, if you do color, perhaps make sure the color doesn't clash with the scent (a brown/tan milk& honey or patchouli is great, but not so much if it's rose scented, for example).
> 
> We "see" it first, so color, shape, and packaging do matter, IMHO.


Good point.. 
If I get a good recipe down, I plan on selling it at a "rural" farmers market, so I would naturally lean towards a more "natural" crowd.


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## tentance (Aug 16, 2012)

not blue/purple? i think the swirls in handmade soaps are beautiful, but i wouldn't be interested if it were at the expense of having added processed stuff. maybe i am one of those hippie-types.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

I was leery of those neon soaps when I started making soap, and I didn't want to buy some freakish neon dyes. I finally tried the powdered oxide pigments. They're what's used in mineral makeups. I really like them, and I have to say I love how my colored soaps are turning out. 

It all depends on your market though. If you think your target market would prefer a certain type of color, then stick with what you think will sell.


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

For those of you that add color.... Do you use dry pigments or liquid? Where do you get your supplies?


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## BlueberryChick (May 12, 2008)

As a customer, I like the natural, light colors. I don't think I'll ever buy a dark pink or red soap again-- the last one stained my washcloth. Actually, I shy away from any dark colored soaps, for that same reason.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Colored cosmetic clays give soaps a nice subdued hue. French green clay, rose clay, Moroccan red. You can also use iron oxides which are naturally occuring.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

AverageJo said:


> For those of you that add color.... Do you use dry pigments or liquid? Where do you get your supplies?


I use the natural oxide powders from Wholesalesuppliesplus.com. A little goes a long way, so they're cost effective for me.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I like using Ultra-Marines and Oxides.

Disperse the Oxides with oil and Ultramarines with water. Glycerin works for both.

If using powder, you will want to disperse it in liquid, then add to a little bit of soap, then add that to your soap batch.

I rarely color a whole soap but do a lot of swirls.


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

Speaking purely as a consumer - for many years I was highly allergic to any soap that was blue or green colored, and occasionally some white colored soaps. <some white soaps are made to appear whiter by the use of small amounts of blue. Eventually I outgrew it, but I have met other people who had the same problem.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

When I started soapin back in 1999 I found out quickly that I can't use Ultramarine Blue...it makes me break out in hives. So, I quit with the colorant except for clays & herbs. Color choice depends on your niche' customers. Mine is the "crunchy granola's" (said with fondness!) So, the majority of my soaps don't have any colorant added at all. They are all variations of tans to browns unless clay has been added. 

A friend of mine sells at a farmer's market, but her soaps are all highly colored. She does very well sales wise.


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## Jade1096 (Jan 2, 2008)

Like others have said, it is really going to depend on your target consumers.

When I was selling soap 15 years ago, I sold to several chi-chi boutique stores. I used lots of color and fancy fragrances, especially a lot of the chain store duplicates. If I had made any of the more earthy smelling, natural colored soap that I make now, I don't think I would have sold a single bar.

As I've gotten older, I've definitely moved away from that crowd and into more natural colors/scents.
I use mostly EOs for scenting now and rarely color anything.
Maybe I'm embracing my hippie nature. Or maybe I'm just lazy...who knows.


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## Bettacreek (May 19, 2012)

Do both. I have some that have EO's with natural textures/colorants, some uncolored FO's and some colored FO's. Something for everyone.


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

I agree it depends on your market. A lot of folks like the natural brown, tans whites. 

I think the color/look of the soap draws your attention 1st, but it is the scent that sells. Beautiful soaps will get picked up 1st, but the plain ones may sell faster if the scent is more popular. I don't usually color my soap with EO's (Patchouli, Lemongrass, rosemary/sage), cause those are the scents that more attract the "natural people". I will use pigments & oxides if I do FO's, cause usually if you don't care if the scent is natural, you don't care about the coloring either.


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## mrs D (Jul 24, 2013)

I sell more of the natural colored soaps. I find my customers like the soap to be cut instead of molded. However I do make sets that are more formed, such as my honey and milk soaps I use bubble wrap to line my soap mold box and it gives it a honey comb look. My clear soaps are popular as are the 2 toned soaps. Having a good soap is the key but clever packing draws them in.


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## homemaid (Apr 26, 2011)

How do you know what price to put on things? I made soap, lotion bar, lip balm tubes & tins. I am not sure how to price these items..


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

I doubt if the dark green/mica colorant I got as a free gift would sell. Looked good the first 5 seconds then turned to a pukey lime green/orange. Next time I'll add more!


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