# Listing ingredients on labels - especially lye



## PattyS (Jul 5, 2008)

Hi -

We got a wonderful 2-gallon jar full of "goat things" as a thank-you for watching a friend's goat; in it, there was a bar of Zum Bar goat milk soap. I was looking at the label, and noticed they do not list lye as an ingredient, but instead their list of ingredients starts with "saponified goat milk, olive oil, etc.". 

When I label my soap for sale, I always list it like "sodium hydroxide (lye)" with my ingredients. 

I'm just curious as to what others do.

Thanks!

PattyS


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2008)

Hi Patty,

I have labeled it both ways and have had no comments either way from my customers. I think you might find a few people that think if you have lye/Sodium Hydroxide in your soap it is a harsh lye soap. Label laws for soap don't require that you list ingredients as long as you do not make claims about. After all once you make it is just soap, no lye and little free fat is left.

Christy


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## PattyS (Jul 5, 2008)

Boy, you are quick! I just pointed out the Zum Bar label to David, and he said he noticed when he took the label off of your soap yesterday before he showered that it did not list lye. (He absolutely LOVES the iron man soap by the way.) I was getting ready to PM you and ask you about it. Makes complete sense what you said about the lye - thank you! I am getting to be a pest to you, I'm sure! 

I have never used the Zum soap before - I'm anxious to try it. It's a pretty small bar - 3.5 ounces. It's lavender oatmeal and smells nice and looks pretty with oats on the top. 

This weekend I am taking some of my soap to a little store over in Weston; a friend at work has a sister that opened up an art gallery/gift shop. Her goal is to sell locally made products. She had asked me a while back about selling my soap there and I've put it off. She also sells the zum soap, but said she will not put my soap on the same shelf as it because it made me feel kind of intimidated. She also said she loves how my bars look (I had given her a couple sample bars), and thinks the nice size and reasonable price will enable her to sell it really well. We'll see! I sure hope so!

Have a great week!

PattyS


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## kidsngarden (Oct 28, 2007)

I use "saponified...." as well.


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## susie (Oct 28, 2007)

Yep that's how I've seen it.. " saponified" is more PC I guess 

I don't list my ingredients on my bars yet.. do I need to??
My soap has been selling like hotcakes lately -- yay!

susie


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

The only law for selling soap is that it does have to be labeled. On the label it has to have an address of origin and the weight. The rest is up to you. And since there is no lye left when my soap is done I do not put lye, neither do I put saponified  Vicki


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I have gone back and forth on this and now I do as Vicki said.


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## kidsngarden (Oct 28, 2007)

Of course as Vicki said there is no lye after saponification, but then again there is no lard, sunflower, coconut or whatever else you put in - just soap. I add the "saponified" because the few people who actually have balked at my lard soap it helps to tell them that once the lard is saponified it's not lard anymore. Not like rubbing piggy fat all over your skin or something!


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## susie (Oct 28, 2007)

A mother of one of my daughter's friends (who has loved my soap for a long time) bought some the other day-- this was labeled (since I've begun selling it) -- she was so upset that it had goat's milk in it-- 

" I will never let my husband know that there is real goat milk in this-- he'll NEVER use it if he finds out ewww goat milk????

note to self-- remove all labels from her soap in the future gosh if she even buys anymore :rolleyes


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Susie I have a vegan line because of someone making a fuss over my soap in a health food store. The owner called me, not the buyer, and wanted to know if I could make some bars that had no goatmilk in them. I told him I already did and I would be happy to send them to him. They now carry both. My irrate customers here are the opposite it is when they buy the soap and then read the label and find out the soap didn't have milk in it 

When intially making my soap I often wondered what benefit milk really was and in some of my testing I would make the same exact recipe with GM and without...not one person could tell the difference in the soap. So I do think alot of what we do is label appeal. I choose to showoff my butters and oils because I do think my recipe is really good. And besides shea and coconut oil are really hot right now  

Vicki


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## SherrieC (Oct 26, 2007)

I list Raw goats milk, saponified oils, and people with sensitive skin can tell if it's water, partial water or all goats milk. My Husband who didn't know a bar of someone elses' soap was in the shower, asked "who's soap is that in the shower" and made me put in one of mine the difference was its recipe was discounted made with much Less milk than I use compared to weight of oil. Wasn't bad soap, just it dried our skin out. But maybe you don't have the problem in Texas like we do up here with those Gas forced air funaces sucking all the moisture out of your skin.


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