Making handmade soap requires lots of space which limits how many bars a small company can make and store at a time.
A lack of skilled workers is another factor that limits supply to small batches. Most small handmade soap companies are just a person or two doing lots of jobs, so they can’t make as much product compared to larger companies.
The limited supply of handmade soap is actually one of it’s biggest appeals. It’s a boutique item of high quality made in small batches, which is something many people are willing to pay a premium for.
Handmade Soap Goes Bad Quicker Than Commercial Soaps
Handmade soap has a much shorter shelf life than commercial soaps which makes it more expensive. Commercial soaps contain chemical preservatives which greatly increase it’s shelf life. This brings down the cost because soap can be made and stored for years without worrying about spoiled product. But handmade soap is usually all natural which means it spoils much faster.
Because most handmade soap is all natural and goes bad faster than commercial soaps, it’s more expensive. Handmade soap manufacturers and retailers risk losing money on product that goes bad sitting on a shelf. That risk and potential loss is factored into the price of the soap and passed onto consumers.
An extra cost is added to every bar of handmade soap as a sort of insurance against product that may go bad.
Whether the soap-maker is producing handmade bath bombs or bars of soap, they generally go bad faster than commercial soap because handmade soaps don’t contain chemicals. On average, all natural handmade soap only lasts about 10% or less vs commercial soaps.
Handmade soap is generally all natural which means it’s made from organic materials and not synthetic chemicals. Organic materials degrade and spoil much faster than synthetic chemicals. This means less shelf-life and more risk.
Buyers of handmade soap generally don’t purchase large quantities at a time because it may go bad. The same is true of retailers who usually stock small quantities.
One of the reasons why many people love handmade soap and are willing to pay the high price tag is that it’s all natural. Since handmade soap is more expensive and doesn’t last as long, buyers tend to spend more on the soap per year vs commercial soap.
Handmade Soap Takes A Long Time To Make
Handmade soap is more expensive than commercial soap because it takes a long time to make. Soap-makers don’t use machines or automation to speed up the process like large soap factories do. The entire process is done by hand which takes time and attention. This added time combined with smaller batches increases production costs which is then passed onto the consumer.
The price of handmade soap is equal to its total production cost plus profit for the soap-maker and retailer. Since handmade soap takes longer to make, it costs more than factory mass-produced soaps.
There are many steps that need to be carefully followed in order for the soap to properly cure and form. If too much fat is used the soap will be oily. Use too little and it will be caustic.
Once the fats, lye and other ingredients are properly mixed, they’re poured into molds. Here they sit for weeks until fully cured. In this time heat is created because of the chemical reaction between the fats and lye. Too much heat and the soap could spoil. Too little and it won’t form properly. This is all monitored by the soap-maker and not machines.
Once soap is taken out of the mold, many soap makers let it continue to cure in the open air. This step helps solidify the soap.
Finally, the soap is hand cut into bars.
If anything goes wrong during the mixing or curing process, the soap-maker may not find out for weeks.
To ensure the soap is profitable, handmade soap is priced higher because of the time and risk involved.
Handmade soap is more expensive because of how long it takes to make.
Handmade Soap Contains Expensive Fragrances
Many handmade soaps are more expensive because they contain expensive and sometimes exotic fragrances. You can find handmade soaps made with almost any scent you can think of. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, many custom handmade soap companies will make what you want for a price.
The fragrances used in many handmade soaps can be as expensive as what’s used to make high end perfumes and colognes.
Commercial soap companies generally produce soap in just a few standard scents. This helps them keep production costs down which allows them to sell at very low prices.
Because handmade soap is made in small batches with quality in mind rather than cost, soap-makers can experiment with a variety of scents. This increases the cost of the soap because more exotic fragrances are expensive and can be hard to find.
Buying fragrances in bulk brings down the cost. Scented oils can be expensive to buy when you purchase them in small quantities.
Because your body generally smells like the soap you use, the fragrance of your soap is important. If you want something different than the standard scent commercial soap makers use, handmade soaps are a great option.
Adding a special fragrance to soap increases production costs because scented oils are expensive. This is especially true if it’s a rare or unique fragrance that’s in limited supply or hard to find.
One of the reasons why handmade soap may cost more is because of the fragrances they use.
Handmade Soap Is So Expensive Because It’s Custom Made
Many handmade soaps are more expensive because they’re made using custom built molds. Commercial bar soap is made in a standard size and shape mold which makes each bar of soap exactly the same. But handmade soap is poured into custom built molds which can make the shape of the bar different every time. Molds are expensive to build so that cost is passed onto the consumer by raising the price of the soap.
When handmade soap is removed from the mold it’s then cut into individual soap bars. The thickness of each bar can be changed by the soap-maker.
Some handmade soap makers have fun with their molds and make a variety of shapes like hearts, shells, ovals, squares, etc.
Handmade soap can be made small for people with small hands or large for people with large hands. This kind of customization isn’t found with commercial soaps.
The problem with building custom molds is that it adds an additional expense that is then passed onto the consumer. This is why commercial soap factories use the same mold over and over again. It keeps the price of the soap low because they only pay for the molds once.
Standard size and shape soap molds can be purchased at craft stores or online. But most handmade soap-makers build their own molds because making custom soaps is part of the appeal.
Handmade soap is expensive because custom built molds increase the cost of production.
Handmade Soap Serve A Wide Variety Of Niches
Commercial soaps are designed for the mass market because soap factories make thousands of bars at a time. But handmade soap is made in much smaller batches so they can easily adjust the formula to serve a smaller niche market. Many niches exist among soap buyers like strict vegans or people with sever skin allergies. These consumers are better served by small soap-makers who can produce batches as small as a dozen bars at a time.
A good example of special handmade soaps are vegan soap bars. Vegan bars are harder to find on the mass market because most commercial soaps contain some animal byproducts or chemicals produced by testing on animals. But as a small soap-maker it’s easy to produce vegan soap because most handmade soaps are made from oils like coconut, palm or olive mixed with lye. They contain no animal byproducts and no chemicals.
Another niche market are people with sever skin allergies. Since handmade soap can be made with just oil and lye, there are no chemicals, fragrances or additives to be allergic too. All natural handmade soap is more natural and easier on the skin than commercial detergents and cleansers.
Because there are so many unique niches, you’ll find handmade soap-makers who make soap for those consumers. But these special small batches are more expensive to produce which increases the price of the soap.
Many types of handmade soap is expensive because it’s made in very small batches for a wide variety of niches.
Handmade Soap Is Expensive Because Of High Demand
A big reason why handmade soap is so expensive is high demand. Many handmade soaps are considered a premium beauty product and some people are willing to pay a high price to get them. High demand combined with low production helps drive the price up. In some cases a single bar of handmade soap can cost $50 with the average price hovering around $8 to $15 per bar. Contrast that with commercial bar soap that costs around $1 per bar.
More people each year are turning to handmade soap because of issues they have with commercially made products. The biggest factor being allergies.
Almost all commercial soaps contain chemicals, fragrances, detergents, cleansers, additives and synthetic materials. These are all things that can trigger a skin allergy. But handmade soap can be made all natural out of just lye and oils like coconut, palm or olive. Without additives, chemicals, fragrances, detergents, colors, cleansers or other potential allergens, they’re much safer on sensitive skin.
Part of the demand is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic created a push towards more natural ingredients, healthier beauty products and cleaner hands. If you’re going to be washing your hands ore often, many consider it better to use a safer, more natural soap.
Overall, more people each year have an interest in natural, vegan or organic beauty products. And many handmade soaps fall into those categories.
Because demand is high, and supply is limited, handmade soap is more expensive.