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Summer is ending and Christmas is getting closer. Those who enjoy carefully preparing Christmas gifts are already thinking about what to give their loved ones. Why not gift natural or handmade soaps this year?
More and more companies have decided to expand their range of cosmetic products with natural items, while other producers focus exclusively on creating 100% natural soaps and cosmetics. This is because the number of people who prefer natural products—without parabens, SLS, artificial dyes, and silicones—over typical synthetic cleansers is increasing.
If you have a store or an e-commerce site selling organic and natural cosmetic products, you can present your items paired with an attractive fabric packaging. The result will be an alternative Christmas gift that is practical and gentle on the skin. Packaged in a special way—for example with a Christmas fabric bag—a handmade natural soap can become a charming gift for a loved one.
Do your customers enjoy DIY? Besides the ready-made products they can conveniently purchase in your online shop or physical store, you can offer useful tips on your blog or social media channels, such as creating tutorials on how to make homemade soaps. Or, why not prepare a small guide to include in the packaging containing your products? DIY enthusiasts will surely appreciate it. Those who prefer to buy finished products will understand the passion and dedication required to make handmade soap.
How to make a DIY soap bar
Anyone wanting to prepare soap bars by hand can find many detailed instructions online, with recipes for every need: hypoallergenic or vegan soaps, eco-friendly laundry soaps, charcoal and sulfur soaps for acne treatment, glycerin soaps for stronger fragrance, as well as soaps for exfoliation or hair care.
For a simple recipe without caustic soda, you will need the following ingredients:
- 5 liters of water
- 1 kg of ash
- 750 ml of olive oil
- 50 g of rice starch
Once you have all the ingredients, the process for making the soap bars is straightforward:
- First, sift the ash, then combine it with the water and bring to a boil over low heat for two hours, stirring the mixture occasionally.
- When the mixture boils, turn off the heat and let it cool.
- Once cooled, strain the liquid through a cotton cloth.
- Set aside about 300 grams of the filtered liquid, called lye (the mixture of ash and water is known by this name), and add the 50 grams of rice starch, mixing thoroughly.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil to 30°C and add the lye without starch to it.
- Next, add the 300 grams of lye with starch and continue to work the mixture, bringing it to a boil until it thickens.
The soap is now ready: just add your preferred fragrance, such as dried flower petals or dried fruit. Once cooled, the prepared mass can be cut in various ways to customise the soap even further: it can be cut into rectangular shapes, poured into specific molds, and it is even possible to engrave your company logo and turn the soap into a promotional item!
Choose a beautiful fabric gift packaging for the soaps
The choice of packaging is as important as the gift itself: a pleasing package puts people in a good mood and sparks curiosity. The ideal packaging for natural soaps is fabric packaging, which suits any occasion!
You can choose from a wide range of bags and pouches for organic and natural cosmetics. Let’s look at some ideas.
Bags that recall the Christmas holidays
Bags made of linen or jute are always appreciated as small Christmas gifts. They suit any kind of present: for example, a red jute bag is ideal for containing a small hand soap, while a jute bag with a decorative red ribbon is a simple yet festive packaging for any natural cosmetic product.
The bag can also be customised with your company or store logo so that the recipient knows where to find you for future natural cosmetic purchases when satisfied with the gift.
For more information, read: Promote your company with customised fabric bags
Create a natural cosmetics kit in a Christmas basket
Who hasn’t received a gift basket at Christmas? Usually, baskets are filled with sweets, cold cuts, sparkling wines, and panettone, but an alternative idea could be to create a small natural cosmetics kit to package inside a charming Christmas basket. To protect the soaps inside the basket, you can place them in an Oeko-Tex certified natural cotton mesh fabric bag. The fabric is highly transparent, allowing the contents to be seen without unwrapping the basket. In addition, the Oeko-Tex certification demonstrates your company’s commitment to customer health and product sustainability.
The recipient can conveniently hang this bag in the shower or place it on a shelf or near the bathroom sink.
