Goats Milk Soap Archives - Whit & Wick, part of Wobbly Pins Ltd

New Year – New Opportunities

ocin3t Soap January 31, 2020January 31, 2020Artisan Soap, assessment, cosmetic, Goats Milk Soap, handmade soap, sustainable 0 Comment

Can you believe it is the end of January so how is the new year and new opportunities treating you so far?.

I tend to try and plan a little break in January and this year it was enforced by ill health meaning I did not attend any fairs or markets or make any soap and candles. I would normally by now have completed a full stock check and worked out which soaps I need to make whilst also planning for Mother’s Day and Easter and the rest of 2020.

There has been a definite interest in handmade products over the last year and I have been asked if I will make or supply various creams and cleaning products.

So although there would be lots of opportunity to develop new products what a customer may not be aware of is the process and time it takes to develop and test a product and then get regulatory approval.

To give an example I have 2 soap ranges, one consisting of 12 scents and another range of 6 soaps made with Goats Milk. It took 6 months on each range to design the recipe, make, test, retest, refine and decide that the recipe was ready to be submitted for a Cosmetic Safety Assessment.

After a few tweaks and suggestions on percentages of the essential oils in use the certificate was granted. The next steps is then to upload the approval to the Eurpoean Portal – although with Brexit happening today I am not sure what the process will be going forward .

Once you have your assessment you cannot change the recipe and add additional ingredients, I have been asked many time if I can blend bars together as trends change but it is not possible.

So as you can see it is a lengthy process and at the moment I am not planning to add another range of soap but I will be exploring additional products in respects of reusable wipes, flannels, and complimentary scrubs.

If you have any thoughts abut products you would like me to stock please get in touch.

This is a Slush Goat

ocin3t Soap August 30, 2019goats, goats milk, Goats Milk Soap, handmade soap, soap 0 Comment

Most of you will have heard of a Slush Puppy – the ice cold drink loved by children around the world. An ice bed with some coloured flavouring. Here at Whit & Wick we have a SLUSH GOAT and it is definitely not for drinking.

Last year we introduced our creamy goats milk soap to our range and it has proven to be a best seller. The Goats Milk Soap takes a little longer to make than our Cold Processed range. There are a few extra preparation steps that are key to keep giving the soap that lovely creamy texture whilst retaining bright white colour, we do not add any chemical additives to our soap for colour.

The lowdown on the SLUSH

The slush comes in the form of the goats milk before it is mixed with the oils. We freeze the fresh goats milk in ice cube trays, when ready to make the lye we add it cube at a time and keep stirring and about 40 ice cubes later we have a mixture that resembles the slush. If it is a hot day we also keep the mixture on an ice bed. All of this preparation ensures that the milk does not scorch and it results in the pale loveliness of the soap.

So once it is combined with the oils and left in the mould for 48 hours it is removed, cut and left to cure for approx. 10 week. Finally we hand wrap our soap in recyclable paper ready for you to stock up on your favourite bar.

So have you tried our Goat’s Milk Soap yet?

Do you know what is in your Soap?

ocin3t Soap December 29, 2018Goats Milk Soap, LUSH, Natural Soap, Palm Oil, Shampoo Bars, Shea Butter, soap, Unicors, Vegan 0 Comment

What is in it?

Over the last few months I have noticed a change in customers habits when stopping to admire and smell my soaps and candles. I have had some great conversations with customers on topics such as: bar soap vs liquid soap, the use of Palm Oil, various skin conditions and can you use it in the shower……

It has been noticeable that people are beginning to take more of an interest into what goes into a product and if I actually make the soap myself.

Some of the comments have been: ”they smell lovely but I only use liquid soap”, “Do you have some of the Shampoo Bars they sell in LUSH”, “Are you’re soaps suitable for Vegans”, “How long will the soap last”, and lastly – “Do you have any Unicorn Soap”.

The Truth IS….

I know exactly what goes into my soaps as I buy all the ingredient’s from a few key suppliers that I have been trading with for the last 3 years. I make the soap myself, I do not have any little helpers and do not outsource it, I also make soap for a few customers and label it under their own branding but I still remain the ‘Responsible Person for the soap as listed on the CPNP (Cosmetic Product Notification Portal). My soap has been cosmetically certified and not tested on animals.

Palm Oil – yes I use it in my core range – palm oil is used in thousands of everyday products that maybe some people are not aware of, I am looking at replacing it but I do have an alternative range that does not contain palm oil but does contain Goats milk so it is not suitable for the Vegan customer. As much as I would like to make soap to cater for everybody’s preferences it is not possible to do so but do thank all the customers who have bought from and supported me over the last few years.

So what next?

I have been trialling recipes for a Shampoo bar but not yet happy with the results so will continue testing with a view to having the product ready in the summer. To answer the question of how long the soap will last will depend on how often you wash and if you keep it out of water on a soap dish in between use.

I will never have the same soap sold in LUSH……

I do not have any Unicorn Soap but 2019 may be the year…..