BAR SIZE

Most handmade soap companies sell bars that are about 3.5 to 4.5 ounces.
Over the years our customers have told us that they like
larger size bars because they last a lot longer!

We aim for each bar to weigh a generous 7.0 to 8.0 ounces at cutting and
6.2 to 7.0 ounces (average size 6.6 oz) after curing for 7 to 9 weeks.

When you compare Prices of other soaps, please compare SIZE and ingredients as well!

 

Why such a variation in weight?

  • Our soaps and shampoos are hand poured into handmade wooden molds.  You may get a bar with an extra dollop on top so it will weigh more.  You may get a bar with a little dip.

  • Our soaps and shampoos are hand cut--we try to be as accurate as possible.

  • We cure our bars for 7-9 weeks before selling.  As our curing bars sit and wait for a new home, they will continue to lose water weight and shrink a bit.  Since all of our recipes are different, the amount and type of liquid used to make each recipe differs.  The more liquid used in the recipe--the more they will shrink as they cure. The good news is that the older bars will last longer and lather even better.

Sample bars are approximately 1.5 to 2 ounces 

 

Christine,
California		 Hey Ida, please let your customers know that I have noticed many soaper companies cure their soaps for only four weeks.  You told me soap bars can continue to loose water for months.  That means that if I pay for a 5 oz bar of something that was only cured for 4 weeks after a month at my house it will weigh even less!  Your bars really are BIG!

PRICE

We often get questions asking about price variations for different soaps and shampoos!

There are three main factors that the affect price of our products;
ingredients, labor, and bar size.

Ingredients: The price of Ingredients affects cost more than any other variable!

  • The ingredients in some recipes simply cost more than others.  For example . . .
  • Olive Oil is more costly than Palm Oil
  • Bergamot essential oil is more costly than Orange essential oil
  • Goat Milk, juices, and aloe are more costly than water
  • Generally, the ratio of more expensive oils to less expensive oils is greater for shampoo bars than soaps.  (This is not true for every soap bar!)
  • Some ingredients increase in price each time we place an order for materials
     
    • Cocoa Butter prices have doubled in just one year! (Chocolate makers all over the world are raising prices!)
    • Soapmaking staples like Palm and Palm Kernel oil continue to increase in price due to a growing demand in Europe for alternative fuels.
    • The honey bee shortage has caused an almost 200% increase in raw honey prices
    • Some essential oils, like Patchouli, are very expensive now due to crop damage.
Labor:
  • Some soaps and shampoos simply take a lot more time to make. 
  • Many of our bars are made with herbal infused oils which may take weeks to prepare
  • Prep time for soaps made with food products, such as fruits and vegetables, dairy products, or eggs always takes longer
  • We hand make all of our soaps and shampoos in small batches.  "Handmade" takes more time than machine made!

 
Bar Size:
  • As our bars continue to sit after curing, they will continue to lose water weight and will shrink a bit.  Since all of our recipes are different, some bars are made with more water than others.  If a certain soap/shampoo shrinks a lot, we will lower the price. 
  • Although we cannot possibly weigh every bar, we do sampling weight checks every few weeks or if bars look small

How to cut our large bars

We often get requests to cut our large bars in half

Since our bars are a rectangular box shape, there are many ways to cut a bar "in half."   Since it is best if you cut them in the shape that you would like, we will no longer be cutting bars

How We Cut Bars

  • Ensure the soap bar is dry before attempting to cut it so it will not be slippery
  • Place the bar on a cutting board
  • We use a large non-serrated kitchen knife
  • Place a knife in hot water and allow it to become warm
  • Take the warm knife and make an indentation on the surface where you want to make your cut
  • Depending on the hardness of the soap, you can either push down on the knife to cut through the bar or use a sawing motion.
  • Most of our bars slice easily.  Some like the Castile and Honey Butter are a bit harder. You may want to re-warm the knife midway through the cut for harder bars
     

Of course knife safety is important.
One customer told us that she holds the soap with an oven mitt to avoid being cut by the knife.
 

 

At Chagrin Valley Soap we offer a fabulous product
at a very competitive price.  Click here to find out why!

For a complete description of each of the ingredients that are used in Chagrin Valley Handcrafted Soap
please check out the "ingredients" page on this website.

Click link to read disclaimer concerning health information.