Soap production is one of the promising ideas that allows you to establish a profitable business in both industrial scale, and in “hand-made” mode in your own apartment.

A successful business project for the production of soap products includes several main stages:

1. Purchase of equipment and inventory for the production process.
2. Purchase of high-quality raw materials and additional ingredients.
3. Establishing an effective and safe technology for producing soap, its packaging and storage.
4. Organization of product sales.

Industrial soap production

To organize a soap workshop, an entrepreneur needs to equip the premises with special equipment. At the initial stage of production, it is enough to have a plate, casting molds and several large metal containers. After the enterprise “gets on its feet” and the need arises to modernize production, you need to purchase a specialized production line. Such equipment includes a refrigerator, mixers, stamping machine, grinding, cutting and forming machines. Innovations will help reduce the share manual labor, increase process profitability and production profitability.
To produce industrial soap, they mainly use inexpensive available raw materials - coconut, palm oils, fatty acids made from petroleum products and artificial flavors.

Industrial soap making technology

The process of producing soap on an industrial scale can be divided into two stages:

Chemical stage of soap production. It involves treating fatty acids with aqueous solutions of sodium (potassium) and alkalis. The semi-finished product (“glue soap”) obtained during a chemical reaction is purified with electrolytes, separating into “soap cream” and waste (water, glycerin).

Mechanical stage of soap production. It consists of cooling the resulting “core” soap, drying it and mixing it with various ingredients (fragrances, aromatic oils, dyes, etc.). This is followed by the processes of cutting, pressing and shaping the finished product.

To correctly calculate a business plan for soap production, you should predict all operating expenses. These include:

• rental of workshop premises and utility costs;
• cost of equipment;
• expenses for the purchase of raw materials (to promote products on the market, it is better to launch the production of several types of soap at once);
• costs for wages workers (3-4 workers are enough for the initial stage);
• expenses for product promotion and packaging production (do not forget that branded packaging is the “face” of the enterprise!).

Sales of soap can be established either through outlets, and through pharmacies and online commerce. With proper planning, sales organization and optimal pricing policy economic effect You will be able to see the activity of the enterprise within a month.

Soap "exclusive" at home

To make homemade soap, only high-quality natural vegetable and animal fats, flavors and essential oils. The result of the labor of a private craftsman is a hypoallergenic natural soap that has an original appearance and high cost.

To organize soap production self made You will need large stainless steel pans, a refrigerator, measuring containers, a variety of molds and scales. The components are mixed according to the recipe and saponified with an alkali solution. Next, hot or cold technologies are used to process the resulting semi-finished product.

Hot method (more cost-effective) consists of heating the mass with all the additives in a water bath while stirring. After 3-4 hours (without allowing the product to cool), the product is poured into molds. The frozen soap is removed, cut (if necessary) and left for 2 weeks.

Cold process soap making at home consists of pouring the prepared mass into molds and “ripening” the soap for 3-4 days. After removal from the molds, the product rests until ready for another 1-12 months (depending on the composition of the soap).

The calculation of a business plan for home production is similar to an industrial estimate, taking into account the small scale technological process. When creating natural quality product the organization of product sales comes to the fore. Expensive soap-making “masterpieces” are wonderful gifts for various holidays and optimal choice for people who prefer environmentally friendly products. When selling such soap, it is necessary to cooperate with pharmacies and cosmetic boutiques, as well as send goods via the Internet.

Video about industrial and home production soap

There are many benefits to having a home business. There is about this great amount information. To open your own business you need to have suitable premises. It is also worth considering that the initial investment should not be high. An excellent example of a small home business is the production of useful and beautiful soap, which has a special uniqueness, on its own. All the funds that you initially invest in this business will pay for themselves after six months. The profitability of such production is 50%. But such results can only be achieved through proper organized business, established sales and availability creative potential from a person who makes soap.

In Russia there is very little supply for the sale of homemade soap. People are more accustomed to using soap that is produced in factories for their needs. Handmade soap in the markets costs about 120 rubles, and soap delivered from abroad costs up to 210 rubles. For example, in Moscow such a market has already reached a huge amount - $1 million. It grows annually by 22%. This means that there is demand for these products now, and will only increase in the future. Therefore, opening your own soap factory will justify itself. There is a buyer for beautiful, healthy and unique soap.

Production technology

The process of manufacturing any product necessarily begins with the need to purchase material. What can’t you make fragrant soap without? Of course, without soap base. The main investment will be made for the purchase of this material. 1 ton of soap base costs 160 thousand rubles. Don't think that you won't need that much raw material. If initially this is indeed the case, then it is worth remembering that everything is calculated in proportions. From 1 ton of soap base, as much as 600 kilograms of finished soap are obtained.

A variety of flavorings, as well as essential oils, without which you can make good soap impossible, you need to buy in bulk. 5 kg of such materials have a price of 60 thousand rubles.

Various additives in the form of acids, vitamins, fats will also cost you 60 thousand rubles.

You will spend all this raw material in no less than 4 months permanent job. The soap base will only last you for 2 months.

This cost calculation perfectly coordinates novice entrepreneurs and shows how best to plan their production.

Methods for making soap at home

There are several methods for making soap at home. You can initially use the most popular and proven one.

1. It is necessary to melt the soap base. This is easy to do using regular household appliances. For example, microwave oven. A water bath also works great. 250 grams of soap base can be melted in a microwave oven at 400 W. This will only take 2 minutes. If you need to melt a large number of raw materials, then simply increase the power and operating time.
2. A variety of additives and essential oils must be added to the base heated to a liquid state. To stir thoroughly.
3. Pour the resulting mixture into soap molds and wait until it hardens completely.

Important to remember. It is strictly forbidden to boil soap base. That is why it is not recommended to heat it with an open fire. If it is heated for a long time, the constituent component of the base, namely glycerin, may begin to burn. This will cause the base to become dark in color and have an unpleasant odor. Such soap can only be suitable for household needs.

For 200 grams of soap base you need:

• essential oil – 6 – 8 drops;
• oils – 0.5 teaspoon;
• flavorings – 6 – 14 drops;
• liquid dye – 2 – 14 drops;
• igment – ​​1/3 teaspoon;
• titanium dioxide – 2 – 6 teaspoons;
• cosmetic clay – 2 – 6 teaspoons;
• ground oats – 4 – 8 teaspoons;
• additives, for example honey – 2 – 6 teaspoons

A good master should know about 25 recipes that can be used to make soap. The result should always be beautiful to look at, with beneficial properties and a pleasant aroma of soap.

1. Now the soap can be packaged. This is the last step of the whole process. Handcrafted soap is usually purchased not for daily use, but as an original gift. This is always worth remembering. Soap prepared according to different recipes must have separately designed packaging.

Thus, customers will always be able to recognize it, and it will not get lost on store shelves. Packaging can be either cardboard or plastic. On it you can write the composition of the soap, its original name. If you produce 500 kg of soap per month, then packaging material it will cost you 45 thousand rubles.

How to organize mass production of homemade soap?

To start soap production you will need a room of 45 square meters. meters. In one half of it there should be all the equipment for production, and in the other there should be tables for the soap to harden there. This takes about 3 hours. The room must be equipped with all communications. There are no special requirements for it.

At first, soap making can be done by one person. If sales volumes increase, you need to think about hiring more people. In order to produce and package 500 kg of soap, the work of 5 workers is required. For that. To ensure that the packaging has a unique, beautiful design, you need to use the services of a professional designer. Every holiday should have its own line of designer soap. If you constantly update your product range, then customers will always be interested in purchasing something new.

Soap made from scratch

Organizing sales is no less important work than making soap itself. Sales points are everywhere. These include stores selling cosmetics, gifts, and household goods. You can take part in all kinds of fairs, or offer soap at the market. It wouldn't hurt to create your own online store.

You can sell soap sets during the holidays

If you can produce 500 kg of soap, then the net profit will be 490 thousand rubles monthly. This is the case when the price of one product is about 95 rubles. If you can increase production volumes and sell all goods on time, then your income will only grow.

Manufacturing process toilet soap quite complicated. They usually contain more than 10 different components that must be compatible. Their quantity is strictly balanced, since the finished product must be stable over a wide temperature range during storage.

There are two main stages in the production of toilet soap:

• The first is soap making, which is a chemical process of interaction of triglycerides of fatty acids with alkali (saponification reaction). It ends with the preparation of aqueous solutions of K or Na salts of fatty acids of various concentrations;
• 2nd - giving the soap a marketable appearance by performing the following operations: cooling and hardening of the concentrated soap solution, drying, mechanical processing, molding into pieces, packaging finished products.

Solid soaps are produced by hot, cold, melting and planing.

Figure 4 - Methods for making soap

Hot cooking of toilet soap is carried out by direct or indirect methods.

Direct method. Soaps, obtained by reacting fats with caustic alkalis, are a mixture of sodium or potassium salts of fatty acids, mainly stearic, palmitic and oleic. The interaction of solid fats and their fatty acids with sodium alkali produces solid soaps, and the interaction of liquid fats and their fatty acids with potassium alkali produces ointment-like and liquid soaps.

As a result of saponification of fats with alkaline reagents and neutralization of fatty acids, adhesive soap of 40-60% concentration is formed. To obtain it, two main methods are used: hot saponification of fatty raw materials with caustic alkalis and neutralization of fatty acids with soda ash (carbonate method).

Hot saponification is carried out in open boilers with a molten fat mixture, gradually adding an aqueous solution of caustic alkali. Cooking at a temperature of 100-104 °C with stirring continues for 5-10 hours. In this case, saponification of fats occurs and the resulting fatty acids are neutralized to form soap and glycerol.

The method of hot saponification of fats has significant disadvantages: glycerin, obtained from the breakdown of fats, is not used, and saponification requires expensive caustic alkalis. Therefore, split fats are more often used to make laundry soap.

When heated in the presence of mineral acids, fats are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol, which are separated from each other. Non-reactive breakdown of fats can be carried out under pressure and at elevated temperatures.

Getting soap carbonate method It is carried out in open boilers with the gradual addition of fatty acids to a solution of soda ash. Since the split fats contain a certain amount (5-7%) of undigested fat, which is not saponified by soda ash, a small amount of caustic alkali is added at the end of cooking.

Chilled solid adhesive soap contains 40-47% fatty acids (in the form of sodium salts). It is cut into pieces. To improve the quality of soap, add a certain amount of soda ash, potash, liquid glass and other auxiliary substances that increase the hardness of soap, help soften water, and enhance the cleaning effect.

Indirect method involves treating a hot soap solution with electrolytes (table salt - NaCl). This process, called salting out, causes the soap solution to coagulate.

Salting out is a process necessary to obtain the highest grades of laundry and toilet soap. Add to boiling soap glue a certain amount of electrolyte (table salt), as a result of which it stratifies. The floating concentrated soap mass (core), called core soap, is separated from the saline solution. This process increases the concentration of soap (releases some of the water and glycerin) and cleans it of coloring and protein substances and other contaminants. Fully salted kernel soap contains 60-63% fatty acids. This soap is often called sound soap. Solid toilet soap is most often obtained by the indirect method.

Cold way. The preparation of toilet soaps using the cold method by stirring has many advantages, which mainly boil down to the fact that here coloring and perfumery are carried out simultaneously, constituting, as it were, one operation, after which all that remains is to cut and mold the hardened soap mass.

To prepare soap using the cold method, take coconut oil, previously cleared of random dirt, and saponify it with strong soda lye at low temperature and constant stirring. In order for the resulting soap to be neutral, it is necessary to make several preliminary tests and accurately determine the quantitative ratio of fat and alkali. When the saponification process reaches the point where the contents of the cauldron turn into a homogeneous and difficult to stir mass, then coloring and perfume substances are added to it, which after prolonged stirring are evenly distributed throughout the mass.

Remelting. The preparation of toilet soaps by melting is carried out as follows: ordinary sound soap is cut into pieces and thrown into a cauldron inserted into another cauldron with boiling water (water bath). So much water must be added to the soap so that the sample taken has a good consistency, after which the soap is poured into molds and mixed with coloring and perfume substances. The amount of added water poured for remelting depends on the property of the soap: for hard, strong soap you need to take more water than when using other varieties that already contain a lot of water. In general, enough water is poured so that when it cools, you get a solid soap that foams strongly in the water. If the soap taken for re-melting is heavily contaminated, then it must be melted with a large amount of water (50-60%), and then salted off and boiled down.

Planing. The preparation of toilet soap by planing is carried out as follows: the core soap is turned into shavings using a special machine, collected in a wooden trough, mixed with coloring and odorous substances and then turned into a homogeneous mass on a kneading machine. The machine consists of a horizontal cylindrical drum, on the circumference of which there are 4-8 knives. Above the drum, which is driven into rotation, there is an inclined plane on which layers of soap are placed for planing. The soap with its own weight presses on the drum, the knives of which continuously cut shavings from the soap layer. The knives are installed at a significant slope and therefore can cut chips as thick as writing paper.

Mechanical operations with soap are very important for its quality in that all the raw components of the soap are well mixed, forming a uniform consistency and color. Due to improper mixing of the components, voids may form in the soap. The holes themselves are not dangerous (air bubbles) - the liquid collecting in them is dangerous. It can be a safe essential or liquid oil, but it can also be an alkaline solution that corrodes the skin. If this is a truly alkaline solution, then you should melt the soap and mix the soap mass well. If the liquid is essential or fatty oil, it means that the soap mass was not stirred well during preparation.

Figure 5 - Stages of making soap marketable

Grinding. After the soap making process, excess electrolyte, remaining contaminants and partly glycerin are removed from the soap core. As a result of this operation, grinding, the viscosity of the soap core decreases and its plasticity increases.

Advocacy. After grinding is completed, the soap mass should stand for some time at a temperature of 100 C.

Cooling. During the cooling process, the soap crystallizes and a fairly dense solid mass is formed. The hardness of the soap mass depends on the content of fatty acids, filler, etc.

To dry soap, continuous belt dryers are used, interlocked with cooling rollers, on which thin shavings are obtained from the soap, which are additionally dried in vacuum drying chambers.

Preliminary mechanical processing of chips. Preliminary mechanical processing of the chips is carried out on special roller equipment: they are compacted and ground.

Mixing soap with additives. Solutions of dyes, fragrances, antioxidants, superfatting agents and other useful additives are added to ground soap shavings.

Perfuming toilet soaps. Along with a first-class completely neutral soap base (sound soap), in the manufacture of toilet soaps it is especially big role perfume plays. The fact is that the fragrance should not only be very pleasant, but should also retain its smell for a long time and even, if possible, should improve when the soap lies and dries. When starting to perfume, you need to distinguish which types of soap you want to perfume, and accordingly select the necessary odorous substances. Toilet soaps are usually divided into those that are made by hot method, cold method, melting, and planing. Therefore, when perfuming, it is necessary to resolve three issues: firstly, at what temperature should the soap be perfumed. Secondly, what is the effect of alkalis on the odorous substances used. And finally, thirdly, are these odorous substances well preserved in alkalis? The entire art of perfumery for toilet soaps is based on the solution of these three cardinal issues. Toilet soaps made by hot method or by melting are mostly cheap varieties. You can’t spend a lot on perfumeing them so that these soaps don’t cost too much. Therefore, to perfume such types of soaps, you can choose only cheap odorous substances, but having, nevertheless, a possibly stronger odor, since it is with these types of soaps that it is often necessary to kill some unwanted extraneous odor. For this purpose, they mainly use mirban oil, safrole, citronella oil, and artificial bitter-almond oil.

For cold-process toilet soaps, that is, for good varieties of coconut soaps, you can use more odorous substances. High Quality and there is a wider choice among them. Although coconut soaps, which also include almond soaps, Lately are pushed into the background by planed soaps, but good and pure coconut soaps are bought very well, especially in areas where the water is chalky, since planed soaps do not lather well. Coconut soaps can be perfectly perfumed using numerous natural and artificial fragrances. You can also significantly improve the quality of these soaps by adding lanolin or paraffin to them. Even soaps with the addition of Japanese wax are very popular, as they look exactly like planed soaps. They should not just be left in the mold for a long time, otherwise they become too hard and very difficult to press.

Among odorous substances, we can recommend anise aldehyte, which has a very delicate smell; bornyl acetate, which is good in coconut soaps; citronella oil, which is especially good for honey soaps. Then a good effect can be achieved with coumarin, eugenol and geranyl acetate. You can also recommend nerolin, and especially terpineol. Cinnamon aldehyte is also used with great success. The smell of violet can be achieved with ionone II with the addition of terpineol, and brilliant results are obtained from the use of artificial neroli oil.

Coloring toilet soaps. The dyes used to tint toilet soaps can be different. The main conditions that they must satisfy are: to be strong enough, mix well with soap and not have a harmful effect on the skin. Such paints can be divided into two groups: soluble and insoluble. The former deserve preference over the latter because they do not leave behind an insoluble powdery residue; In addition, soluble paints are distributed in soap more easily and evenly than insoluble paints.

Red color. For transparent soaps - alkanine, magenta, eosin. For opaque ones - cinnabar, red lead.

Yellow. For clear soaps - turmeric extract and picric acid. For opaque ones - chrome yellow paint.

Orange color is made up of a mixture of red and yellow dyes.

Green color. For transparent soap - green aniline or a mixture of indigo-carmine and picric acid. For opaque ones - chrome green paint.

The violet color is composed of methyl violet or a mixture of red dye and indigo carmine.

Brown color - from light or dark brown aniline dye or burnt sugar.

As for the coloring of soaps itself, it is done as follows: solutions of paints in water or alcohol are added to soap shavings, which then enter the kneading machine and are transformed into a uniformly colored mass. Insoluble paints are used in the form of a fine powder, which is sprinkled on the chips entering the planer drawer. Then a new layer of shavings is applied to the sprinkled shavings, which are again sprinkled with paint, etc. When the soap is thus prepared, the shavings are stirred and passed through a kneading machine to obtain a uniformly colored mass.

Marbling of toilet soaps. It is produced to give them the appearance of spotted or veiny marble. To do this, pour liquid soap into a mold to a known height, sprinkle the surface with coloring powder or pour over a paint solution, then pour a new layer of soap, this operation is carried out until the mold is filled. A wooden spatula is lowered into the soap mass and stirred, moving it parallel to the walls of the mold. If they want to get wavy marbling, then move the spatula along curves or spiral lines. Various paints are used for variegated marbling.

Peeling is carried out on screw (worm-type) extruders, in which soap shavings are repeatedly ground and then pressed into a dense plastic mass. The soap comes out of the extruder mouthpiece in the form of a bar.

Peeling has a great influence on the plasticity of soap, its ability to undergo plastic deformation, increases the density of soap, reduces its swelling and abrasion.

Cutting into pieces. At the exit of the extruder, the soap bar is cut into pieces using special knives.

Soap stamping. The soap bars are stamped to give them their final shape and markings. Mechanical presses of various designs with automatic feeding and ejection of a bar of soap are used. When producing soap, it is allowed to use ready-made soap base or soap shavings made by other manufacturers. (Appendix A)

10 minutes to read. Published 12/11/2019

Soap is one of those products that will always be in demand and will find its buyer. To set up soap production and make it profitable business, you just need to register your business, purchase raw materials and equipment, and study the technology of making soap. Special attention should be paid to the detailed development of the business plan and the search for sales channels for products.

Starting your own soap business

In order for a business to be legal and a businessman’s actions to be lawful, it is necessary to stand on. The optimal form of work for those who are beginning to comprehend the basics of running their own business is individual entrepreneurship. An individual entrepreneur can conduct entrepreneurial activity without education legal entity, which reduces the level of risks, speeds up the registration process, and reduces the size of future payments and potential fines by tens of times.

You can also establish a Limited Liability Company (LLC), this form is suitable if the origins of the business are not one, but two or more people. All relationships and interactions of company participants are regulated by the charter, and the distribution of income and expenses is also prescribed there.

To register as individual entrepreneur, you must have the following documents:

• Application for registration as an individual entrepreneur using form P21001.
• A receipt confirming payment of the state duty.
• Copies of all pages of the passport.

The application for registration of an individual entrepreneur specifies the activity code; soap production is included in OKVED code 24.51 “Production of glycerin, soap; detergents, cleaning agents, polishing agents.” For production you will need to obtain a quality certificate. To do this, you will need to contact the regulatory authority and submit documents describing in detail the production technology, as well as test reports. The production area must comply with sanitary standards.

What raw materials are needed to make soap?

The materials used to make soap can be divided into two categories: the main raw materials that form the basis for the future soap, and additives that enhance cosmetic properties or give the soap a particular appearance.

Basic materials

The main material for preparing solid soap is fat of plant and animal origin, as well as solid and liquid vegetable oils, alkalis, fatty acids, esters. In order for the soap to be of high quality, retain its structure and not deform after interaction with water, the recipe must be strictly followed during the preparation process.

Most often, soap contains the following animal fats:

• Beef.
• Pork.
• Mutton.
• Sea fish oils, etc.

They are the cheapest and most accessible. For luxury soaps, mink oil can be used. Coconut and palm oils are used as solid oils; from liquid oils, sunflower, cottonseed and others are added during the production process.

For production, a ready-made soap base is purchased, consisting of the above components.

Depending on the goals, it can be different:

1. Organic.
2. Liquid.
3. Creamy.
4. Transparent.
5. White, etc.

Ingredients and Additives

In order for the soap to take on a unique appearance, special dyes are added to its composition; special requirements are imposed on them: they must be resistant to alkaline substances used for saponification of raw materials, and must not color the foam. Dyes can be combined and used to create spectacular designs and patterns.

The same goes for flavorings: they not only give the soap a certain aroma, but also eliminate the smell of fatty raw materials. Also, stabilizers (antioxidants) can be added to soap to improve its qualities and increase shelf life. They protect the soap from darkening and the appearance of dark spots on its surface. Other important components are antiseptics, glycerin, and methanil as a deodorizing additive. If the soap has a medicinal purpose, it may also contain various infusions and decoctions of medicinal plants.

Equipment for organizing soap production

In order for production to become widespread and the business to be profitable, it is necessary to launch a process capable of producing up to 600 kilograms of the finished product per month. Therefore, it is recommended to equip a small workshop for a soap factory. To start, you will need a room of 30-40 square meters: this will be enough to install equipment and prepare a place for hardening and storing the finished product.

Basic equipment for soap production:

• Powerful stove (gas or electric).
• Metal containers for making soap.
• Faucets for mixing masses
• Forms for pouring soap.

The room must be roughly divided into 2 zones: in the first the soap preparation process will be carried out directly, in the second the molds will be placed until the soap completely hardens. To make the process comfortable, you should equip the room with special shelves and variations of the storage system.

It is also necessary to consider a place for cutting soap and packaging it. To do this, you can use special knives or purchase a machine, which will help automate the work.

Soap production technology and its features: diagram of the soap making process

You can prepare a soap base yourself, but to do this you need to thoroughly study all the intricacies of its composition, the characteristics of the chemical reactions of the reagents, their properties and other nuances. You will also have to prepare your own fat - most often pork fat, which is the most inexpensive product.

Modern soap makers use a ready-made soap base - it reduces the cost of the production process and speeds it up. Big choice different types base allows you to choose the optimal composition for soap with a variety of purposes and tasks.

1. You need to prepare everything in advance materials and equipment. The soap-making process occurs at high temperatures, so you cannot hesitate or be distracted after it starts.
2. The soap base needs to be crushed or finely chop, the pieces should be equal.
3. Turn on the stove to medium temperature and set up a water bath. The profile plate is usually equipped with this mode of operation.
4. When the base becomes a homogeneous liquid mass, it is necessary to add oils, esters and other additives in accordance with the recipe. You can also add dyes, they will give the soap a bright color.
5. After this, the soap must be poured into the molds (in several different ones or one common one), and, after complete hardening, remove from the molds and cut, if necessary.

In the case of preparing soap according to a recipe without using a soap base, the production principle remains the same. The process can be automated using a feeding device, mixers and a temperature sensor.

An approximate business plan for the production of soap - we calculate the profitability and payback period of the soap factory

Depending on the scale of production and the availability of established distribution channels, the payback period for a business can vary significantly. For it to be successful and generate income from the first days of operation, it is necessary to develop a competent business plan, take into account all risks, pay attention to advertising and carefully work out all potential channels for promoting and selling finished products.

Business premises

To equip the workshop, you will need a room with an area of ​​30-40 square meters. m. On average, the rental cost is 1 sq.m. production premises costs 500-700 rubles, therefore, renting the premises will cost 15,000-30,000 rubles per month.

Additional expenses should include cosmetic repairs and room planning of 30,000 rubles.

Business equipment

• Stove - 5000 rubles.
• 3 vats for making soap – 3000 rubles.
• Molds and other tools – 10,000 rubles.

This is the minimum set of equipment that will be required to organize soap production. Modern entrepreneurs also have the opportunity to purchase a ready-made production line from foreign suppliers. Such equipment will cost 7-10 thousand dollars, but will make the cooking process faster and the product better quality.

Materials for making soap

Raw materials are the main expense of a soap manufacturing business. The quality of the soap itself depends on how high-quality the source material is: if you plan to produce luxury soap at a high cost, you must use only natural, expensive oils and other additives. They increase the cost of production, but such a product should also be present in the line of soaps produced at the soap factory.

• Soap base – 100,000 rubles (for the production of 600 kg of soap per month).
• Cosmetic oils and other additives – 15,000 rubles.
• Plastic transparent packaging – 20,0000 rubles.

Product packaging is one of the key aspects of successful product sales. Handmade soap is most often bought as a gift or souvenir, and therefore the appearance and its packaging play an important role.

Staff

At first, you will need 1 person to make soap, and 1 more person to pack the finished product. The cost of wages to workers will be at least 50,000-60,000 thousand rubles per month.

Thus, the start-up costs for organizing a business will be 48,000 rubles, and about 220,000 rubles will have to be spent monthly on rent, raw materials and wages to workers. Considering that about 600 kg of soap (6,000 pieces) will be produced per month at such costs, the cost of 1 piece will be 36 rubles.

With an average retail price of 90 rubles for 1 piece of handmade soap, the profit per month will be about 300,000 rubles.

Risks associated with starting a soap production from scratch

There are several difficulties associated with the business of producing and selling soap:

• Passing certification.
• Compliance with recipes and product quality.
• Establishing sales channels.

The certification process can take up to several months - this is a fairly long procedure that requires thorough compliance with all state control standards. However, it will not be possible to avoid it - soap prepared without a quality certificate will not be accepted for sale in any serious store, much less a pharmacy.

If the soap preparation recipe is not followed or stored incorrectly, it may lose its quality and attractive appearance. If there is a lack of flavorings and the proportions are incorrect, the soap may contain an off-odor odor of rancid pork fat or its other components.

But the main danger awaits soap makers when searching for customers for their products. . The handmade soap market is quite specific; the Russian consumer has not fully studied the properties and benefits of such soap, and therefore it needs additional advertising. Unusual shapes, colors and decorations on soap help solve this problem.

Features of the sales market for soap factory products

The soap-making market in Russia is quite young and allows novice businessmen to build a full-scale and successful production. Their main competitors are home soap factories that operate without quality certificates at home.

There are several ways to market soap factory products:

• Organizing your own sales point.
• Working with perfumes and...
• Working with pharmacies.
• Online stores.

To ensure that your business brings maximum benefits, it is recommended to use all sales channels. In addition, you also need to work with wholesale companies: having several contracts for the supply of soap in bulk will allow you to develop your business and increase the scale of production.

Handmade soap is more expensive than regular toilet soap, so the sales market has its own characteristics. Most often, such soap is sold as a separate series, the emphasis is on its unusual appearance and organic materials used in production.

Vegetarians and vegans are increasingly turning to handmade soap – they do not accept any violence against animals, and refuse to use soap containing animal fat. This makes it possible to work with such communities, place advertisements in vegetarian cafes and restaurants, and offer your products in specialized “green” stores.

Another way to expand your sales geography is cooperation with popular online stores. To make the idea profitable for the owners of these portals, you can offer them a percentage of each sale.

The more sales points a business has, the more opportunities a businessman will have to increase production rates and increase income. The product must be unique and of high quality - only in this case it will quickly find its client and be able to gain a foothold in the market.

Handmade soap has many benefits. Unlike store-bought products, it contains only natural ingredients that have a positive effect on the skin and the body as a whole. Moreover, the design of such products is limited only by the imagination of the master. People are happy to buy such soap as a gift or just for themselves, even though it costs more than store-bought non-natural analogues. Of course, this trend could not go unnoticed, and the hobby turned into a worthy and exciting way to earn a stable income. Such a business does not require significant investments (you can start trying yourself in this business by investing only 4 thousand rubles), nor hiring employees, nor renting space, nor using special equipment. All you need to do is learn the process, purchase the basic ingredients and start making your own unique product.

Required Ingredients

The first thing that novice soap makers should know is that there are two main ways to make soap: “from scratch” (completely natural soap, made independently) and from a ready-made base purchased in specialized stores. Each of them involves the use of special ingredients.

1. Solid oils. Traditionally, olive, palm and coconut oils are used. They have optimal characteristics in order to create the correct, balanced recipe. However, you can add many other oils, such as avocado, grapeseed, jojoba, apricot kernels, etc. Remember, you cannot use essential oils as a base, as this simply will not allow the product to harden.
2. Alkali(in the form of flakes or small granules). It can also be purchased in specialized stores.
3. Water, milk or herbal infusion (used as a liquid base). Typically, the percentage of such a base is 30-35% of the total mass of the mixture.
4. Essential oils, fragrances. The choice of oils is not limited by anything - the vast majority of them have a positive effect on the human body. So, for example, jasmine helps improve mood, and lavender calms and helps you fall asleep easily.
5. Professional or natural dyes. The former can also be purchased in specialized stores. The main advantage of such dyes is their brightness and variety. If you want to use natural ingredients, pay attention to sandalwood powder - it will add redness, chlorovillipt will add green tint, turmeric - will turn orange. To obtain a brown color, you can add chocolate, coffee or cinnamon to the soap.

If you want to work with a ready-made soap base, you will need the following ingredients:

1. The soap base itself or baby soap. Some soap makers use baby soap as a base. If you are just starting to understand the basics of this activity, be sure to pay attention to the following point - avoid products with a smell (manufacturers of children's products often add specific ingredients to it), since it is almost impossible to neutralize it. However, the simplest and most convenient option is the so-called soap base. These are sold in any specialty store. Its huge advantage is that you can choose either a transparent or matte option, depending on the intended soap design.
2. Alcohol or strong alcohol - it is used to spray the soap itself in liquid form and molds.
3. Essential oils and fragrances.
4. Dyes.
5. Various additives and decorative elements. Nuts, honey, flakes, cream, crushed pieces of other soap, grains, pieces of fruit, dried petals and flowers, coffee beans, glitter, pictures, etc. - V homemade soap you can add almost anything.

Cost of ingredients:

1. Soap base - from 220 to 340 rubles. for 1 kg;
2. Essential oils - from 50 rub. per tube;
3. Basic oils - from 80 to 200 rubles. per bottle;
4. Dyes (special) - about 270 rubles. for 30 years

In general, purchasing ingredients for 3 kg of soap will cost you about 4 thousand rubles. This quantity is quite enough to try different techniques and produce enough products, including samples, to begin sales and search for suitable sales channels.

Necessary equipment

To make soap at home, you do not need to buy expensive, specialized equipment. Simple items will be enough, most of which can be found in the kitchen of any housewife. But do not use dishes in which you cook food for soap making - this is fraught with health problems.

To make soap from scratch you will need:

1. Respirator, gloves and safety glasses;
2. Kitchen scales;
3. Bowls, pans;
4. Pipette;
5. Spoon;
6. Forms.

To make products from the finished base you will need:

1. Electronic kitchen scales;
2. Bowls in which the soap will be mixed, a saucepan for a water bath (if you plan to melt the soap this way);
3. Pipette;
4. Spoon (metal or plastic);
5. Pulverizer;
6. Kitchen thermometer;
7. Molds (special molds or ordinary plastic cups, candy boxes, ice trays, etc. can be used);
8. Microwave (unless you plan to melt the base in a water bath).

Even if your kitchen is from this set, purchasing such simple equipment will cost you about 4 thousand rubles.

Step-by-step production technology

As mentioned earlier, there are two main methods of producing homemade soap: soap “from scratch” (divided into cold and hot ways) and a product from a finished base. Each of them has two advantages from a business perspective.

Soap "from scratch" is produced completely independently, i.e. The soap maker buys solid oils (olive, coconut, palm), lye and makes soap. Thus, the client knows that he is buying a completely natural, healthy product (carrier oils have a great effect on the skin, and the master himself can choose what effect this or that soap will have). Although these products can be very attractive thanks to the various additives and interesting techniques, they are still difficult to compare with products made from a ready-made base.

Craftsmen who prefer the second method rely on design. Bases purchased in specialized stores can be transparent and white; they are simply melted, colored, and then everything depends on the skill and imagination of the soap maker. So, soap made in this way can have interesting pictures, various decorations, which are perfectly visible thanks to transparent basis. Moreover, this process is much simpler and safer, because you do not have to deal with lye.

Below you can see detailed description cold and hot methods of making soap from scratch, learn how soap is made from a ready-made base, how to add pictures to it, and also how to make stamps on any soap.

Soap from scratch, cold process

Below is a detailed description of the cold process process for making homemade soap. Beginners may have a completely natural question about the proportions of oils. The answer to this is quite simple - such products are prepared according to recipes that can easily be found on the Internet. If you want to create your own original soap, use special soap calculators online. They have a fairly simple interface and with their help you can easily find the right proportions.

Measure the lye into a separate container. Remember, you need to work with alkali in a well-ventilated area, which means you need to open a window or at least turn on the kitchen hood.

Pour the lye into the water or ice, stirring it thoroughly. Important: you should pour the lye into the water, and not vice versa. This process is accompanied by an abundance of heat, which means that to prevent the water from boiling, it must be cooled in advance. The resulting solution should be left to cool.

Next, you need to measure out the solid oils and mix them. Their choice will depend on the ideas and preferences of the soap maker or on the chosen recipe. Coconut, olive, mango and many other hard oils (also known as butters) can be used as a base oil. Essential oil can only be used as a flavoring agent. If you decide to make an “esser base,” the soap simply won’t harden.

They are then heated in a water bath or in the microwave.

Mix the lye solution with the oils. The temperature difference between these two liquids should not exceed 10 degrees Celsius. The optimal temperature is 42 degrees. Then start the saponification process by simply stirring the resulting mixture using a blender. You need to stir the soap for about 30 seconds.

Add dyes and flavors. If you want to make two-color soap, the soap mass can be divided into two parts and colored in separate containers. In addition, at this stage, some add the so-called “overfat” - an additional 3-4% oil. The fact is that any recipe involves creating a classic cleansing soap. By adding a little "superfat" you are adding an extra "function" to your soap. So, for example, soap can be made moisturizing or soothing by choosing a certain oil.

Start pouring the soap into the mold. You can choose the method yourself, depending on the intended design of the product. Be sure to compact any voids that form once the soap thickens a little. You can knock the mold a little on the table - this will remove all the air from it. Then leave the soap to harden.

Remove the soap from the mold and cut it. Remember, the gel stage of the product will end in about a month, which means it needs to be put in a dark place and started to be used after this period.

Soap from scratch, hot method

The hot method differs from the cold one in that the oils to which an alkaline solution (lye and water) have been added are additionally heated in a water bath to obtain a more solid consistency. This soap can be used immediately after hardening. Oils are also added according to the recipe.

Measure and pour the solid oils according to the recipe into a prepared container. Place it in a water bath or microwave (if the container is too large, you can simply put it in a sink filled with hot water).

Measure out the required amount of lye and pour it into a container of water. As mentioned earlier, lye and water get very hot. This is why some soap makers use already cooled water, or, as shown in the picture, place the container in a sink with cold water.

Add the lye to the soap solution and mix with a blender until it forms a “trace” (after passing with a stick or spoon, a trace should remain on the surface of the soap).

Place the container in a water bath. It should thicken (approximately to the state of wax).

Then you can add superfat, essential oils, dyes as desired. The mass must be mixed thoroughly without removing it from the bath. You can put it in molds straight from the bath. Leave the soap to cool.

Remove the soap from the mold. You can test it right away.

Ready-made soap

As mentioned earlier, this method of producing homemade soap is much simpler than the previous ones. Such products are attractive precisely because of their design. The easiest way to make products from a ready-made base is described below.

Soap base or pre-purchased baby soap is cut into cubes or grated (usually a medium grater is used).

A water bath is prepared in which the pureed soap is melted. During the melting process, the liquid must be thoroughly stirred. However, most experienced soap makers simply heat the base in the microwave. If you choose this method, place a glass of water in the oven - this will help prevent the soap mass from boiling.

The container of soap is removed from the water bath or taken out of the microwave, and additional ingredients are added to the resulting liquid. These are dyes, essential oils, any vitamins, flavors, etc. However, remember, if you are making soap to sell, you need to avoid common allergens, as well as ingredients that you simply doubt. If you really want to experiment, New Product It’s always better to test it on yourself and only then sell it to clients. In addition to a wide variety of natural decorative additives, soap makers use sparkles (so-called glitter), mother-of-pearl, etc.

The resulting mass is poured into pre-prepared molds. To avoid the appearance of bubbles, immediately after pouring the soap, spray it with alcohol or strong alcohol (a spray bottle is used for this). It is also better to lubricate the mold with alcohol.

Next, the soap hardens. Remember, it needs to become completely hard. Of course, the consistency will depend in part on the ingredients used, but it should not be too soft. If you want to speed up the hardening process, carefully place the soap in the refrigerator and wait 5-10 minutes.

Making soap with stamps

If you want to make your soap even more colorful and interesting, consider using stamps. These are unique molds that are used to create imprints of words, drawings, patterns, etc. The main advantage this method is that it is relevant both for completely self-made soap and for products from a ready-made base.

How to make a product with a stamp?

Before pouring liquid soap into the mold, place a stamp in the center of the bottom.

Spray the bottom of the ramekin with rubbing alcohol or spirits.

Fill the mold with soap of the same color. In the pictures below, you can see that the soap maker makes four-color soap by pouring the area around the mold, letting it cool, and then pouring the mold itself and adding another layer. You can do it easier by filling the mold with one color. Leave the mold to cool

If you are using two or more colors as shown in the pictures, allow each one to cool and be sure to spray the previous layer with alcohol before applying the next one. Otherwise, they simply won't stick together. After pouring all the colors, leave the soap to cool.

Then you need to remove the product from the mold. You will see that the stamp remains in the soap. It must be carefully removed using a needle or any other sharp and thin object. Once removed, you will find a neat inscription or design that has been imprinted on your product.

Making soap with pictures

This unique method of making soap is suitable for products from a ready-made base, because only this material is transparent. Pictures on water-soluble paper can be purchased or printed on laser printer. Remember, under a layer of soap the colors will look more faded, which means they need to be made as bright as possible.

Prepare the molds and pictures.

The picture must be carefully cut out (the size of the image should be several millimeters smaller than the size of the form)

Cut the soap base for a transparent layer and melt it (in a water bath or in the microwave), sprinkle the liquid with alcohol.

Pour the first layer into the mold. Do not add fragrances or oils to the liquid, because it should be completely transparent.

While the first one is hardening, prepare another transparent layer (a little more soapy liquid using the same technology).

To prevent the soap from separating, spray the first layer already in the mold and the picture itself. Pour a little base into the mold, immerse the picture in it, carefully smoothing it over the surface of the 1st layer. Wait until everything cools down. If there are any rough edges left, carefully remove them with a sharp object.

Add the next layer (white) and leave to cool.

Add a final color layer.

Leave the product to cool.

Sales areas

Before you make a huge batch of soap, you need to determine your sales areas for your homemade products. If you change the order of these actions, you may have problems with implementation. Below you can find a list of all the most current sales channels.

1. Social media. The main advantage of such sites is that registration there is free. Moreover, you can find many of your potential buyers there. To do this, just register, open your own group on VKontakte or Odnoklassniki, create a page on Instagram and come up with an original name for your “shop”. In order for customers to start visiting your page, it must be designed correctly, place the necessary information and be sure to add a photo best works. Of course, it will need to be promoted - for example, on Instagram you will need to follow people who may be interested in your product. As for Odnoklassniki and Vkontakte, there you will need to advertise in large communities in the city or thematic groups.
2. Shops for flowers, gifts, souvenirs. Surely in your city there are popular shops where you can buy handmade products, gifts, etc. Try to come to an agreement with the owner - as a rule, they are always interested in expanding the range. If you produce truly original products, the likelihood of failure will be minimal. However, make sure that the markup on the product does not exceed 50-70%.
3. Companies serving holidays. Such organizations may also be interested in cooperation, because homemade soap can be included in a variety of gift sets.
4. Hairdressers and beauty salons. It is unlikely that you can sell soap there, but representatives of your community go to such places. target audience. Having agreed with the owner, you can leave your catalogs there for a reasonable interest.
5. Fairs of handmade products. If such events are held in your city, be sure to participate in them. This is where you can find your client.
6. Notice boards, forums. Focus on your city's resources, see where your posts will be most relevant. Offer promotions and discounts - this will help attract your first customers.
7. Word of mouth. A method as old as the world of selling goods and promoting services can help a soap maker find his customers. Give soap to your friends, perhaps they will recommend you to their friends, and you will gradually expand your customer base.

Conclusion

Anyone who wants to make soap at home can do it. Such a business will not require investment (dishes and ingredients are inexpensive), special skills, special equipment and a separate room. At the same time, its profitability reaches 50%. Many soap makers who have solid experience and a wide client audience are already beginning to think about their own soap and souvenir stores. Moreover, you don’t have to attend special courses - many recipes, original designs and special tricks can be found online. If you are interested in this business, this is already a kind of signal showing that to open your own small home business, you only need to take the first step.