Save Money with Soapmaking

Soapmaking and cosmetic crafting are two wonderful hobbies that can cost you a fortune if you are not careful. With many suppliers offering wonderful scents, oils, accessories, it is easy to spend a lot of money. However, there are ways to save money and still enjoy making handmade soaps and cosmetics.

Here are six suggestions:

1)Be creative with your soap molds. Recycle old containers and cardboard boxes and use them instead of the expensive soap molds that suppliers sell. Or, better yet, make your own soap molds using liquid latex.

2)Buy some of your soapmaking supplies at grocery warehouses. Places like Costco are excellent sources for vegetable oils, cornstarch, powdered milk, zipper top bags, and other items you might need. (I buy all of my olive oil at Costco. I can get a 169 oz. bottle at Costco for around $20. I have not seen olive oil this price anywhere else).

3)Mix and match your fragrance and essential oils to get different scents. Instead of buying a new scent every time you want something different, try creating a new one with the scents you already have.

4)Visit liquidators and dollar stores for inexpensive packaging components and accessories like bath scrubbies, baskets, washcloths, bottles, etc.

5)Substitute inexpensive ingredients for more expensive ones (when you are able). Probably the most expensive ingredient in soapmaking are the essential oils. Use inexpensive fragrance oils as substitutes if it will not affect your recipe.

6)Make some of your soap and cosmetic packaging components if you can. If you know how to knit or sew, consider creating your own fabric bags or knit washcloths to use as accessories with your products.