Wholesale? Of Course!

One of the increasingly popular questions we get asked here at The Soapy Cauldron is 'Do you offer wholesale?'. In a word, Yes!

We launched our Wholesale website one rainy October day back in 2009 on the idea that if we build it, they will come. And you did. It's transformed the way we do things here at the Cauldron and all for the better. We still hand make all of our Soaps, Bath Bombs and other bath and body products, but we do it on a grand scale. Last month our head Truffle Maker, John, made more than 4,000 Cocoa Butter Bath Truffles. Good man!

We still make everything to order, so once you've made your selection we need time to create it and cure it to perfection, usually about 10 working days (excluding weekends and bank holidays. Even we need a rest! Plus, the couriers don't work...) though we will always try to work quicker if you have a particular deadline. Within reason ;)

We choose the volumes we sell with care, usually it's to help you create a vibrant display with a good stock level to keep the masses fragrantly happy. We've also put together some retail packages to take the stress out of ordering. Feel free to choose your fragrances, or you can leave it up to use to create a package. This option is great as a starter, then ordering after that will be refills. We offer a low minimum order of just £50 too, great for small businesses just wanting to dip a toe in the water. All of our products come with full INCI Ingredient labels, Batch Codes (creation dates) and manufacturers information along with the reassurance that we comply fully with the EU Cosmetic Regulations as demanded in Law.

Our door is always open, if you are local or fancy a day in Sussex, why not pop in and see us in action? We have an open door policy though it may be advisable to call ahead in case we have a workshop or birthday party in session. It can get noisy!

We love to hear from you as well, please do send in stories, compliments from your customers and above all, pictures. We want to show you off!

Is there a product you'd like to see that we don't currently offer at wholesale, please drop us a line at admin@thesoapycauldron.co.uk with your suggestions and we'll see what we can do.

Choconana Buried Treasure Bath Bomb

Choconana Milkshake Soap Slice

Strawberry Milkshake Buried Treasure Bath Bomb

Strawberry Milkshake Soap Slice

Sam @ TSC
Visit The Soapy Cauldron Wholesale!

New Year, New Site

Hi everyone! 

So, after a brief hiatus while we 'did Christmas', we're back with a quick update for you all.

Things here were *manic*, so much so that we decided to close for 2 weeks between Christmas and New Year to give all of us a chance to recover from the 9am-11pm days we were working. One thing we did notice this year was that people were leaving Wholesale ordering very late indeed! We only started turning people away mid December so we did our level best to help everyone that came to us.


Once again, Christmas Spice (or Arkle Sparkle as you may know it!) was the biggest selling fragrance which isn't a surprise as it's such a marvellous scent! Snow Queen was the surprise as it was a new scent for us, we weren't sure how it would fare but it did amazingly well so we think we will keep it on for 2014. Yes, we really do plan that far ahead!

So now we are looking forward to Easter with some gorgeous new soap cakes. Valentines Day is almost upon us and the special Love-Duck soaps are already sold out. Wowzers! Don't forget ladies, hints don't work. Just tell them you want Soapy Cauldron goodies ;)

So, the big news- our Brand New Website is now live and fully operative, only 3 months overdue! BNW is smoother, slicker and easier to use with a gorgeously clear layout. We're all in love with it, even if the backend is taking a bit of getting used to for us. We've got a few pictures to update and buckets of SEO to do but it's a great step forward for us. Why not take a look and tell us what you think? www.thesoapycauldron.com

Anyway, that's all from us for the time being, we will be back with more snippets from TSC soon :)

Sam & The Team

And so it begins...

Hi everyone!

I know it's been a while, but things have gone a bit crazy over here! Where to begin...

First and foremost, we have a lovely young man on work experience with us for 6 weeks, his name is Jack and he is shaping to up be a real help. He is trying out work in different industries to see where his strengths lay and ultimately, to find out what he really wants to do! Welcome to the madhouse Jack :D

We are well into the Christmas rush. Yep, that word. Every year we say we are ready, every year we know that we will be busier than the last, and every year we are bowled over by the popularity and demand. We are all truly humbled at the love out there and we are working our little socks off to keep up with demand!

Spiced Fruits Soap Cake

Of course, before Christmas we have Halloween- have you seen our range this year? We love Halloween here and even though we don't have a traditional shop, we will still be embracing everything suited to the season including decorating our little retail area. Pics to follow... 

Ducks of DOOOOOM!

Our party plan side has never been busier and we are blessed with a great bunch of ladies all over the UK that are having a great time selling Soapy Cauldron products! It's simple- you get the starter kit- £35- and you start selling! The majority of our ladies have a Facebook page to keep their customers up to date and to spread the word, and we are always looking for new people to sign up. When we say it's at your own convenience, we truly do mean it. Though we run little competitions, it's completely pressure free. No area organiser harassing you to make sales, no awkward unit meetings to attend, no recruitment drives or downlines, no suspension of your account if you haven't placed an order in a few weeks. Simple! Click here if you would like more info on becoming a Soapy Cauldron Consultant...

Well, I think that's all for now. Better get back to work...

Sam @ The Soapy Cauldron
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The Great Palm Oil Debate

Palm oil is something of a buzz subject at the moment, and we are regularly contacted by members of the public asking why on earth we are still using Palm Oil.

The simple answer is that Palm Oil is a great ingredient. It's the production and farming methods that are not. Most of us know about the plight of the Sumatran Orang-utans in the face of slash-and-burn deforestation to name just one environmental crisis. So, when we choose products and ingredients with Palm oil or one of it's derivatives, we actively seek out and exclusively use suppliers that are using 100% RSPO Certified Segregated Sustainable Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oils. RSPO is a not-for-profit association that unites stakeholders from seven sectors of the palm oil industry – oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation NGOs and social or developmental NGOs – to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable palm oil.


We also choose surfactants (bubbling agents) that are made from organic Coconut oil- SLSA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine and even our Polysorbate 20!

Palm oil is everywhere. Literally. Even when you think it isn't, it is. Palm oil is found mostly in foods such as ice cream, biscuits and cookies, instant noodles, most pre-packed ready meals, chocolate, margarine and bakery fat, and also in most cosmetics that contain SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate), SLES, or Stearic Acid. Also plastics, lubricants, textiles, animal feed and in pharmaceutical products. Even an innocent Vitamin E capsule could have traces of Palm.

So what is the answer? Give in to it? Boycott it totally? We think the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Choose products that are farmed in accordance with RSPO. Research for yourself. Know that Palm oil itself is a superior ingredient both as a foodstuff and in the cosmetics, plastics, metalworks and pharmaceutical industries, not to mention and amazing resource for the farmers that produce it. As the saying goes- don't throw the baby out with the bath water...

How Can I Make A Natural Face Pack?

'How Can I Make A Natural Face Pack?'
It's easier than you may think! Using the simple ingredients you can find in your kitchen, you can make your very own natural face packs. You can even make them for your own skin type!

First, a couple of ground rules.
1- Always avoid your eyes. It hurts, it can cause damage, just avoid!
2- NEVER store unused face pack for use later. It will go off and it can harbour some seriously scary bacteria, one of which can cause blindness. Just make enough for one use and put the rest on the compost heap!

Okay, scary stuff aside, lets look at some great base recipes. The method is the same throughout unless stated- mix to the right consistency and slap it on for 5-10 minutes, rinse off well and pat your face dry.

Porridge Chops. Probably the simplest and gentlest is Oats and Milk. Yep. Porridge. Oatmeal is a long-held natural wonder for skin, and when you use it on your face you'll see why. Milk is fabulous to mush it all up and bind it. If you like, you can add Honey and/or brown sugar as well. One heaped tablespoon of dry porridge oats is enough for one face, add the rest of the ingredients until you have a paste. Perfect for sensitive and over-dry skin.

Banana (Wo)Man. As above- start with Porridge Oats, but this time mash half a banana into it along with a squeeze of lemon juice and then your milk etc. Over-ripe banana's are perfect for this! Great for Oily Skin.

Avocado Mash-up. Over-ripe Avocado? No Problem. Mash that bad-boy up, add some natural yogurt and a squeeze of lemon and slather it on. This is good for Combination skin!

Kiwi Ap-Peel. If you want a chemical peel at home, simply take one ripe Kiwi, remove the skin and blitz it in a blender. Spread the resulting runny pulp onto your skin (avoiding the eyes ;) ) and leave for a maximum of 5 minutes. The acids in the Kiwi give you a chemical peel without the scary chemicals. We would not advise this for sensitive skin!

Scrub me Sugar! Need a quick but effective sugar scrub? Simply mix one teaspoon of brown sugar (Demerara works best) with a drizzle of regular Olive Oil and use as a gentle scrub on your face for amazing results. Best done last thing at night to really see the effects the following morning! Perfect for those of us blessed with flaky patches...

I hope you enjoy trying these out! Let us know how you get on...

How Can I Treat Eczema Naturally?

'How Can I Treat Eczema Naturally?' is one of the most common questions I get asked here at TSC. Often it's an exasperated parent that has exhausted the knowledge of the NHS and their child is no better than when they started. Now, I would never advise anyone to go against a Doctor or prescription, so these anecdotal tips are all things that work perfectly well alongside conventional medicine.

First- eliminate unnecessary chemicals from your child's skincare and bathing routine. This may sound obvious to some, but does your 3 year old really need chemically packed commercial shampoo's, conditioners and bubble baths? The level of SLS in some products is on a par with washing up liquid, and will do nothing positive for anyone's skin. If you really must use a bath additive, seek out something with far gentler ingredients. Avoid SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate), SLES (Sodum Laureth Sulphate) and both Cocamide DEA and Cocamide MEA all of which are surfactants (SURFace ACTiveAgeNTS- clever ;) ). Also Monopropylene Glycols and Parabens used as preservatives are harsh on the skin. Good and gentle alternatives are Cocamidoproyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (sounds the same as SLS huh? This is actually derived from coconuts and is incredibly gentle), Disodium Lauryl Sulfoccinate. There are many gentle alternatives to regular soaps, look for an SLS-Free alternative!

Second- find an excellent moisturiser that doesn't contain Mineral Oils. Mineral oils-AKA Paraffin oil- is a by-product of the petroleum industry, it is made from Crude Oil and it incredibly cheap to buy. Cheaper than disposing of it even. This is, of course, a finite resource: when it's gone, it's gone. Many people have reported to me and others in the cosmetics industry that Mineral Oil is marvellous in the short term for moisturising, but after a while it simply stops working. I have never heard this about natural oils and butters such as Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Coconut oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Vitamin E oil, to name a few. From my own personal experience I can report much better results from using Shea Butter on my childrens skin than mineral oil-based creams and emollients. Try it- smooth on some regular Olive Oil after a bath and see how much nicer your skin feels in the morning. Best of all, natural plant-based oils wash out of fabrics easily. Mineral oil takes a lot of work and a LOT of chemicals to remove!

Third- Keep an eye on foods and flare-ups. Sometimes a food will cause a flare up. Now, this isn't always the case but it really can be as simple as that, especially if you are mystified by the cause. Eczema can be part of the body's response to a sensitivity. I'm not talking food allergies, these are something else entirely and you will KNOW when your child is allergic; it's an immuno-response and while Eczema can also be a result of a food allergy, you'll see the allergy before you see the eczema!

We at The Soapy Cauldron specialise in sensitive skin care with the emphasis on bringing fun back to boring bath times. Why not give us a call on 01273 416479 or visit our website at www.thesoapycauldron.co.uk for more information, advice, or a good old nosey.

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Workshop Saturdays (and Wednesdays!)

So its saturday again which means 1 thing- its a workshop day! We love holding workshops, not only is it great meeting new people, its a brilliant way to teach people a wide range of skills and impart useful information. Today is a big workshop day, that is, 3 hour Soap, Bath Bombs and Salts. We offer participants a staggering range of fragrances to choose from, usually about 75 to 100, so they can make their perfect product. The first hour is usuallytaken up just sniffing all of the scents to the soundtrack of 'ooh' 'aah and 'ewwww':D

Once they have made their selections, we introduce them to the soap colours, dried flowers and botanics, and most importantly, GLITTER! Even the men go gaga for our glitter range.

The first soap we make is a traditionally moulded soap in one of our fantastic Milky Way Soap Moulds. We love MW, their moulds are out of this word (geddit? See what we did there?!) With the added bonus of durability and toughness.Believe me, we really do punish our moulds. Poor things.

Second soap we make is a mini loaf usuing a technique we call the Marble Swirl. Want to know how to do it? Come to a workshop ;) This is a technique that baffles and dismays almost everyone that tries it. They pour the soap and then regard it with a puzzled, slightly disadisappointed expression, and they convince themselves it hasn't worked. Have faith! I say...

After that, wr move on to the bath bombs. Now, this is the point we get slightly nervous at. You never really know how this will turn out. The simple fact is, Bath Bombs are unpredictable, temperamental, but utterly glorious when they work! Luckily, we know the fragrance oils that are most likely to produce the best bath bombs so we steer our participants in the right direction to avoid heartbreak.

After a clean up (as Sam says, you've not had fun if you haven't made a mess) and a tea break, we crack on with the Bath Salts. By far the easiest of the 4 assignments, these are probably the most instantly gratifying. The colours are always stunning, no matter what. Joy!

Then we move on to the packaging. I'll let you in on a secret- Sam has a serious ribbon addiction. She can't just order 1 colour, she has to have 2 or 3 and of course they arrive in packs of 5 rolls with 500 meters on each... so when she says she has miles of ribbon, take it literally.

The most common comment we get from the workshop is 'wow, look at all the stuff we made! I had no idea we would make so much!' Swiftly followed by 'I had such a good time'. Its wonderful to be able toshare our passion with the public in such a hands on way, and to bring out the child like joy of discovering something totally new and previously mystical to so many people. Once we get into the new premises we will be able to do it so much better.

Have a great weekend Cauldronites! Xx
Www.thesoapycauldron.co.uk

Catchup and news!

Well! It's been absolutely ages since I last posted so, here is the news...

Its been almost 3 years since we opened the shop in Hove, and it has been an amazing period of tranformation for us. We are now running workshops and kids birthday parties, the wholesale site has kicked off massively. We've just taken delivery of 1.3 tonnes of dry ingredients for bath bombs which is an astonishing amount.

Probably the biggest change for us is that we are moving to larger premises at the end of April. We will be moving in to Bizspace in Hove which is ideal for our needs. The lady that runs it is an absolute sweetheart which is also a bonus! Best bit? More workshops, more birthdays, more new products!

Massive massive news for the cosmetics industry is that there is now, as of yesterday, a complete and total ban on Animal Testing within the EU. At last!! Its only taken 20 years... So what does it mean? Well, it means that any NEW product that has been tested on animals, or any ingredient or combination of ingredients that has been tested on animals since the 11th March 2013 is banned within the EU. They wont even be allowed to advertise it. Lets not forget that there will always be a heritage of animal testing within the cosmetics industry, and even the most innocent of products and ingredients will probably have been tested in the distant past, but the important thing is that it has stopped. Of course, one hopes that the rest of the world will follow suit, but only time will tell. So hooray to all of the people that campaigned, fought and begged for this to happen, and we pay tribute to all the poor animals that suffered and died so that we could look a little less rough and smell a little sweeter. Seems so pointless in comparison :(

More news soon, and pictures of the new home of The Cauldron xx
Www.thesoapycauldron.co.uk
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Good Morning! Happy sunday everyone. I have an interesting tale to tell you...

Lavender. You either love it or hate it, but one thing is clear- it's healing powers are hugely underestimated. Not only does it help you sleep, it is also an excellent remedy for sunburn (cool bath with a few drops of well-dispersed Lavender essential oil- a bath bomb is ideal), Insect stings (maximum 3:20 ratio or 15% mix of essential oil to base oil applied directly), cuts and grazes (try our Boo-Boo Balm!) and all manner of first aid. Not just a pretty scent, and with so many varieties the choice can be somewhat bewilering! We use Lavandula angustifolia in our Soapy preparations and it is the most common essential oil you can find. however if you want to encourage bees and butterflies into the garden, Lavandula Stoechas is King purely for the flowers. Personally for my garden as well as Stoechas I grow Lavandula angustifolia Hidcote for the scent, and if I can ever get a decent price on it I'll be planting Imperial Gem. The colour is astonishing. However, I digress....

I'll tell you a story. My daughter (9) was stung by a brown tailed moth caterpillar yesterday. I've never seen the like. Within a few minutes a bumpy, nettle-like rash had appeared and I could tell it was very painful and hot. The moment we got home I gave her an antihisthamine and some paracetamol. An hour later- when nothing had touched it- I ran her a lukewarm bath into which I put a Laa-Di-Lavendaaar bath bomb (I knew there was a reason I'd had it a week and not used it! Not like me at all...). I helped her bathe the rash on her face, neck and hands and slowly the redness abated and the heat went out of the rash. It also helped her nod off at bedtime.

This morning it looks like she fell into stinging nettles, poor love. She's asking for another Lavender bath though!

I hope you all manage to avoid these little nasties, they really are amazingly toxic. If you see them, please don't touch them unless your whole body is covered, and you are wearing a face mask (yes really- the hairs break off and become airborne meaning you can breathe them in instantly!). Good news is they are only a worry for another 4-5 weeks!

We're offering 20% off of our Lavender Shop today as a thank you to this humble herb, just click here for our range- Lavender Shop

Have a great sunday,

Saturday, 7 May 2011

Happy Birthday Little Shop!

Yes, a whole year old. One can hardly believe we've been trading from Portland Road for a whole year! It's seen so much in that year. 3 employees, an NVQ2 in Retail for Ben (AKA Butterman- long story), a leaky loo, scary shelving, snow chaos and unutterable stress, soap making at gone 3am, 3 complete shop changearounds and 2 new printers. We're not so good with those...



Since we've opened one thing is clear- shoppers (especially internet shoppers) love it. Funny that it's made the internet site busier than it's ever been, one customer commented that 'it gives you credibility, I feel safer knowing that you have a proper shop'. I'll be honest and say that if the shop was the sole source of income, we wouldn't still be trading today as the traffic past the shop is low (we've seen 3 competitors close down because if this), but with the strength of our well established website we're doing great things.

One of our biggest stumbling blocks has been our despatch times, something recently we've improved on and I personally am very proud of that. A combination of different working patterns and practice, more raw materials in stock at any given time, a slimmed down product range (though no-one has really noticed!) and better stocked shelves in the shop have made this happen. One cannot ignore either the massive improvement Fedex has made to our shipping times either! Of course, mistakes do happen when picking and packing, but we always like to think that we recify mistakes promptly. We're only human after all :)



One thing we do know- our customers make us fantastic. Just the other day I was sat on the bus and I overheard a lady literally hopping about telling her friend about our little shop. She was shouting our praises from the top of her lungs bless her, that sort of praise really does mean the world and it spurs me on to make bigger, better and funkier products.

Lets be honest, we're in a recession, we're all sick of hearing about coalition cuts, austerity measures blah blah blah, so lets make one thing better. Lets have a truly awesome bath time with fabulous scent, maybe some petals, glitter, a few bubbles (yes, I know, I need to make a wider variety of bubbly bath bombs- eyes peeled!) but ultimately lets do it without paying ridiculous prices! Handmade shouldn't mean rip-off, but it should mean great service, top quality and brilliant creativity and individuality.



We're celebrating a whole year of shop trading with a week of competitions, prizes and special offers for the most important people to us- YOU. And we're starting today. So, any orders placed today will go into a draw to win the cost of their order back, no minimum, no maximum. We'll refund it straight back the way you paid, and we'll pick the winner using random.org, a random number generator (it's very clever I must say!). Of course, T&C's apply, we'll add those at the end of our post, so the only thing left to say is Be Lucky!

Thanks for your support, at the end of it all I'm just a mum, raising her kids and making soap as a way to make ends meet and to satisfy my creative impulses. I had dreamed I would have a shop and a huge customer base, but like most dreams it can seem out of reach. Guts, imagination and a little craziness all helped the cause!

Sam x

Competition rules-
1-Valid for individual purchases on the 8th May 2011 (00:01am-23.59pm) only.
2-The winner will be generated randomly on the 9th May using the Sequence Generator at random.org. The first number in that sequence is the winner.
3-The winner will receive the cost of their order in full (including P+P) back via the way they paid.
4-There is no minimum or maximum order amount to qualify.
5-Not valid for Consultants, family or employees of The Soapy Cauldron.
6-Only one purchase will receive the refund, we cannot combine several orders from one customer.
7-A list of customer names and website order numbers (format A. Smith 715) and entry numbers will be added to the blog and our facebook page, winners will be published in the same manner.
I think thats it. Have fun!!

Party Planning?

Hello again! I recently hosted one of my Soapy Cauldron soap parties, and I was reminded just why I love doing them. I get to speak to people that have a specific interest in buying my products, and they genuinely want to know what the Cauldron is all about.

Of course, there are down sides. Lugging the kit about isn't fun- the consultants I have usually have a small kit unless they choose to top up of their own accord, but my kit? One at least of everything in the shop!! Remembering all the other bits to bring, catalogues, order forms, a calculator (or indeed remembering to buy a new one because you smashed the last one after dropping the cash box on it), a change float (see previous!), pens, bags, testers, plus bits for party games. But you know? It all adds to the build-up. I get incredibly nervous before I do a party. You'd think after 3 years of hosting them I'd have that bit beaten but no, it seems selling soap face to face in that environment still gets my nerves jangling. These are, of course, small downsides to what is essentially a very satisfying evening. Thankfully the products sell themselves, there is something about handmade soap and general pampering that appeals to women- and men for that matter! Bath bombs are always a fascination as well, and the touch test afterwards is popular as the water is so soft and silky.

I have this one consultant who is a veritable powerhouse of enthusiasm and ideas. We love her :D At 25% of party sales kept for herself (thats what our consultants earn) she's on a pretty penny there. To illustrate- the soap party I just did took £130. Thats with only 6 guests including the hostess. At 25% a consultant would have earned £32.50, we also got 2 more party bookings. The biggest single soap party I've hosted? 17 people and we took £315! Hard work but worth every moment.

We know that one of our biggest issues previously was our turnaround time, sometimes it would take 3+ weeks to get orders out which I knew wasn't good enough. We've worked so hard to change that now that we have the shop and now the maximum we'd expect anyone to wait is 10 working days. Obviously sometimes this isn't achievable but we'll always keep people in the loop as much as possible.

Do you fancy trying consultancy? This time of year is ideal, as the build up for Christmas is approaching. Not just family and friend gifts either, don't forget teachers, the milkman (they love the detox bath bombs, helps ward off their colds!), postie... Take a look here- http://www.thesoapycauldron.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=4

Wow, it's been ages... ♥

Yep, absolutely ages since we last updated our Blog. So much has happened that it's hard to know where to begin really! So I'll take up where we left off...

So I signed the lease on the 24th April, and things really kicked off. I had a date for opening- 8th of May- and nothing was going to stand in my way! Not the electricity people ('Yes madam, we'll be along on the 11th May to put the fuse in'), not BT ('Ooh, this might actually shatter the whole window...'), not even Ikea selling us the wrong size doors for the cabinets!

I've never put so much flat-pack furniture together in one go either. Ye gods, my hands were a mess! If it wasn't for our newly-made Whipped Shea Butter I'd have been sunk. I did everything, I even wired lights up. The only thing that was beyond my remit was plumbing in a new sink and re-routing an electric socket, so a million thanks go to Tor.

The moment the fascia went up I wept like a baby. It is stunning. More than I wanted to pay but then the 'handy' man that took the letting agents sign down absolutely ruined the existing fascia boards, so it was unavoidable. Who cares though, it's bright, clean, eye-catching and 100% what we were supposed to have!

After that it was a race to get ready, stock into the shop, gaps to be filled, and plenty to make pretty. We opened and the first person through the door was a charming gentleman that wanted an organic soap. He then proceeded to tell us all about saponification, did we realise that that is what makes soap (ya think he he)? Yes, and he's been in 4 times since then and said the exact same thing each time. We love local colour :)

The first day was brilliant, exhausting but absolutely wonderful. Since then we've gone from strength to strength. Even the news of soap shops in the neighbouring town hasn't worried us as we sell completely different products, plus customers love to see the open work area where we make it, it's fascinating for them. Our 2 websites, www.thesoapycauldron.co.uk and www.wholesale.thesoapycauldron.co.uk have increased in traffic as well, we think it's because customers can see the shop.

Our latest additions are soap cakes- they've made a massive comeback! Also Lip Balms and a fabulous product called Pout Polish which is a sugar and Shea scrub for your lips.

Well, I think that's all for now, we'll be sure to update you more often from now on!

Good shop news at last...

Hooray! On friday I signed the lease on my new shop (pictured left). I'm so excited I can't sleep properly, well, excitement and a good dose of what Lily Allen terms 'The Fear'. The to do list is seemingly endless, thankfully I already have some pretty big stuff sorted such as customers, products etc (LOL). Also sorted is the PDQ machine for taking cards (this also means being able to take payments over the phone, something we're increasingly asked if we can facilitate), shop fittings- just gotta fit it together which could be easier said than done, staff, insurance...

Still to do? Fascia, cleaning and decorating, populating the shop, advertising (though my gob alone would probably do it he he), fitting a stainless steel sink to replace the miniscule hand basin that currently resides, shifting the 4 draw steel filing cabinet... Thats a job in itself!

All while keeping up with orders. We're getting through them much faster now that the storage unit is housing the shop fittings- previously it was sat in the middle of my workroom taking up valuable space, hence the long delays getting stuff out. Nightmare!

Well! Next job in the shop is cleaning and painting. The latter doesn't really need doing but I feel a splash of colour will really lift the whole place (again, not that it needs it but I love colour and can't live and work in Kansas, Toto, take me to the Emerald City ;) ). The unit has been empty for a whopping 2 years which I find hard to understand, it's a lovely unit, good decorative state, beautiful lighting with recessed spotlights in the ceiling and floor! Laminate wood floor, heck it even has a fitting in the bay window that I've got a lovely light for...

Advertising and SEO on the two websites continues with a lot of focus being put back on the retail site, www.thesoapycauldron.co.uk , as our wholesale cosmetics site now is quiet and we anticipate it being so until about july/august when our stockists start thinking about Christmas. There, I said it! Yes, we are planning that far ahead. As my Nan used to say, fail to plan, plan to fail :) We'll be pushing our gift baskets heavily this year within the shop, and we'll have a gift wrap service available all year round for a nominal fee. We offer 2 types of basket finish- shrink-wrapped (top pic, Rhubarb and Custard Gift Basket) and cellophane fronds (middle pic, Bath Bomb Selection Basket). The latter is stunning and great for dressing up an otherwise uninspiring basket (mostly this doesn't happen, but occasionally you'll get a basket request and feel it needs jazzing up a bit). The former lets the baskets beauty shine through and is fantastic for baskets with a good assortment of items and colours, and for smaller baskets. At Christmas we'll be adding metallic wire edged ribbon for extra pizzazz among other things for a lovely festive feel.

Back to today, I can't do anything about the shop (probably a good thing) so I'll be doing mundane housework, lovely playing with kids and a spot of shea butter whipping with soap making and a wholesale order to finish on the agenda for this evening...

Busy, just as I like it :)

Frustrations of a Soap Maker...

...this Blog should be called! We are STILL waiting on the shop lease to be ready to sign, the Landlord is taking their sweet time about things so all I can do is sit tight and wait. Incidentally, I'm a Gemini Monkey, waiting is as alien to me as fidelity is to highly-paid football stars... (controversial!). Still, we wait. Maybe it's good for the soul... or something.

On a more positive note, I put in for further EU certification today! Soon you'll be seeing handmade massage bars, whipped body butters, lotion bars, lip balms and more, as well as a spiffingly fantastic Baby Range. We get so many requests for this here at the Soapy Cauldron that we thought it only right. Soon the littlest member of the family will be pampered to perfection :)

Well, this evening I've been making our famous bath bombs, I think I'm up to the 120 mark but there is still more to be made, I'm just waiting for them to set enough to turn out and then back to it! I've got a long list of Bath Truffles to get made as well, that'll have to wait until morning though as early this morning my adorable 11 month old son decided that 3am was a great time to show off his singing voice and I'm hanging. Bless his cotton socks...

Drowning in Paperwork...

As some of you will no doubt know, us soapers have mountains of paperwork to complete each time we think up a new handmade cosmetic recipie or indeed, just make a batch of bathing products. With the fast approaching shop opening I thought it would be a good idea to streamline my operations a bit. Which I have done! But the changeover is immense. Instead of a traditional Product Information File with a one line entry for each item I make, I'm making a seperate PIF for each recipe. It might sound a longer way round to do things (it certainly is to set up) but once in place it will save so much time. It's just getting it done... 6 down, 200+ to do. *sigh*

Amongst all of this I have products to make, not least my Bath Truffles. I never anticipated them being so popular but I'm pleased they are cos they are just so darned gorgeous :) Best seller of the lot? Flower Power Bath Truffle. Pretty and divinely scented! (pictured). Close second is the Pink Bling Bath Truffle which isn't surprising, it's a glitter-ball of loveliness! They are absolutely flying out of or wholesale site, www.wholesale.thesoapycauldron.co.uk

Right, enough wittering from me, the bicarb is calling me...
The Soapy Cauldronx

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Busy Bee...

Flower Power Bath Truffles

Busy Busy Busy as always! Kids, house, soap... Just taking a few moments to centre myself so I thought I'd write a new entry :)

Well, plans for the shop are moving on, the original one was one problem after another so I decided to bail before it got too far down the line. I've found a new one, smaller but of course, cheaper! If I have my way we'll be in a bigger place in a year! New staff too, so lots of training and new stuff for me to learn as well. Sometimes I think I need 1,000 arms like the great goddess Kali. Though maybe not as bloodthirsty.

The Wholesale site is going from strength to strength, and considering it's only been going 5 months it's showing great promise. I've recently uploaded the Bath Truffles and boy are they a hit! I'm trying to slot in some time to make new varieties, but as always, it's proving a challenge. www.wholesale.thesoapycauldron.co.uk

Well, that's my tea drank and toast eaten, back to it!

Have a great weekend everyone xx

Wholesale, Retail and Multi-tasking...

It's no big secret, I'm a WAHM! As I sit here writing this I have a baby on my lap determined to get the keyboard, my trusty bath bomb maker working away in the background (gods bless you Karen, you're a star!) and a to-do list that would make Anneka Rice weep. But it's all fun really and thats why I love my job!

Since we re-opened on new years day the orders have been rolling in steadily which is encouraging as I am now seriously looking in to opening up a shop. Yes, thats right, The Soapy Cauldron is hitting the high street sometime soon. How exciting! I shall omit the nerves and worry... Anyway, orders. Our wholesale site, www.wholesale.thesoapycauldron.co.uk is going great guns, and considering it's only been running since october (so Google, Yahoo etc are barely registering it) it's doing very well. With enquiries from all over europe this could see us really busy and further facilitate the opening of our shop! Happy days.

We've recently taken on Party Plan consultants in Morecambe, Inverness and Motherwell in addition to our Bristol and Sussex coast presence and I am about to reveal the new brochure for Spring/Summer 2010. I'm also busy expanding the range of soap cakes we offer, thy are so popular it seems silly not to, so look out for Bannoffee, raspberry cheesecake and pineapple upside down cake. Theres never a dull moment here...

Anyway, back to it. Have a great day everyone xx

What happened...?

...it's suddenly gone manic here. I've snatched 5 minutes to blog and then it's nose back to the cauldron. Not selling much soap but bath bombs? O.M.Gosh. My supplier must equally be scratching their heads about the amount of Bicarb and Citric Acid I've purchased over the last fortnight too! If anyone came over that didn't know what I did, all they would see is white powder everywhere he he heee...

So what are the big sellers? Laa-di-Lavendaaar is a good'un as always, consistently brilliant! Not surprised really, there's something about unadulterated Lavender that is addictive. Love is in the air- Patchouli and Rose- is also going well mostly because it's so pretty I'd guess, either that or we are in the midst of a silent patchouli revival. Either way I'm happy. Oh, and Big Softie (formerly Honey and Oatmeal) is enjoying a spell of poularity too. Happy days.

Well I guess I should get back to it, only another 250 bath bombs to make and I can go to bed. Who said working for yourself gives you greater freedom?

Bath Salts? You're Not Convinced?

We make Dead Sea Bath Salts here and The Soapy Cauldron and we sell them by the bucketload, quite literally sometimes. But people are often seen peering suspiciously at the jars as if to say 'But it's just Salt'. Well, yes, but it's not just any old salt- it's salt from the Dead Sea in Israel and that makes it very special indeed.

Dead Sea Salt is packed with minerals such as Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Bromine and Zinc to name a few- and these have benefits for your skin. People with psoriasis and excema swear by them, in fact my better half uses them and says much the same- he has psoriasis on his elbows. In fact, University of Kiel's Department of Dermatology in Germany found that Dead Sea Salt even improved the skins barrier functions. That's how good it is.

So we take the raw Salt and we colour it, fragrance it and, if the recipe requires, add botanicals to it. We also add a magickal ingredient- Epsom Salt. This stuff is great! It softens your skin, lends a velvety feel to the water (honestly, you have to try it to believe it) and soothes beautifully. Salt has been used for millenia as an additive to water to make it more gorgeous, and for purely cosmetic reasons- add enough and it takes longer for your skin to go wrinky!

So the moral of this blog? Try some and you won't be disappointed...

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Body Scrubs in winter...?

Yep, especially in winter! We sell them by the bucketload here. Our scrubs are the brilliant Salt and Oil kind, designed to not only scrub and polish your skin so it feels invigorated and tingly, but also to leave you perfectly moisturised all over. We're not kidding, we've been told that our body scrubs are better than many of the well-known luxury brands out there...

I first made a body scrub almost 4 years ago. The recipe hasn't changed much since then except to offer an alternative oil to those that needed it- so we do scrubs with Grapeseed oil and (pomace) Olive Oil in place of our favourite Sweet Almond Oil. Just ask :)

The range of fragrances is staggering. Literally anything you want, I can make! I got asked to make Cherry and Ylang Ylang a few Christmasses ago and I was sceptical that it would work but by Jove, we're still selling the fragrance blend today. So yes, it did work!

I'm working on a new, top-secret addition to the Body Scrub range, and as soom as I've perfected it I'll let you all in on it. But suffice to say, it's flippin' good...