Does your
software soapmaker pro also show cost
for lotion making?. Can I add additives, oils, etc. to the
software program?
Answer:
You will need to insert the prices you pay for
your products. Then the program makes the calculations for you
as to the cost per bottle, etc.
You may also add additives to the program. You
can even add items such as bottles, caps, boxes, etc. if you
choose. So, whenever new oils or products are used that are not
yet included in the software, all you do is add it.
It's a great program.
Apple Computers
Question:
Can I run SoapMaker
on my Mac?
Answer:
SoapMaker requires Microsoft Windows, but you
can run Windows on your
Mac.
Some people have great success in running a
Virtual PC on their Mac. Other than the statements above, We
don't know when it is going to available just for straight
Mac's.
Lotion Recipes
for M&P
Question:
Can I use SoapMaker
for lotion recipes or for melt and pour soap?
Answer:
SoapMaker is intended to be used for all your
recipes, including lotions or M&P soap. When you open a new
recipe you can set it's type to "non-soap". The recipe form is
different for non-soap recipes; there is no lye area, water is
handled like any other ingredient, and percentages are
calculated across the whole recipe, not just the base oils. (The
"Qualities Graph" only applies to soap recipes, as it's based on
the properties of various oils when saponified.)
If you have the Professional version of
Soapmaker, you can "make a batch" of lotion or M&P soap just as
you would with a regular soap recipe. Have a look at "recipe
types" under the Help menu for more information.
Recipe Classes
Question:
What's the difference
between recipe classes and recipe types?
Answer:
Recipe classes are like "folders". You can
create any class names you want to help you classify and
organize your recipes into groups or categories. The classes
provided with SoapMaker are just for illustration purposes; you
can use them or replace them with something meaningful to you.
Recipe types determine the behavior of the
recipe form. There are 3 recipe types:
Solid soap (the default when you open a new
recipe)
Liquid soap - the lye section uses potassium
hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide
Non-soap - the lye section is disabled, and the
water amount is entered directly, rather than calculated. The
weight measurements have greater precision. Use the "non-soap"
type for lotions, salves, etc.
When you open a new recipe, you can select the
desired type by choosing "Change type" under the Recipe menu.
Labor Costs
Question:
How can I include my
labor costs?
Answer:
Define an "additive" called labor_hour or
something similar, and input your hourly rate as the "Purchase
Price" and a quantity of 1. Use the weightless "item" unit. Now
you can include as many "items" of labor_hours as you want in a
recipe to see the total cost.
If you have SoapMaker Professional, you can even
track your total hours worked along with your inventory. Add a
"Labor budget" to your database by using the Add Stock feature
in the Ingredients dialog. Or if you just want the Labor for
cost reasons, you can simply ignore the "low labor" warnings
whenever you make a batch, and the Labor item in your inventory
will go negative with no ill-effects.
Question:
How do I delete
ingredients I don't want?
Answer:
You can delete any or all of the additive
ingredients. Just choose "Additives" under the Ingredients menu,
select the one you don't want, and click the Delete button.
The base oils provided with SoapMaker cannot be
deleted. We chose this approach to avoid a situation where
someone had deleted an oil, and then decided later she'd like to
try it, only to find she no longer had all the properties
needed. If you find it awkward when inputting oils because of
the long list, you could try using the keyboard shortcuts. Just
open the Help Index and type "shortcuts" to find out more.
Additives
Question:
I have a lot of
additives - is there any way I can categorize them in the
ingredients list?
Answer:
You can organize the additives list by prefixing
the name of each additive with its type - for example: FO-Lilac,
EO-Lavender, COL-Blue. Since the list is sorted alphabetically,
all the "FOs" will be together, etc.
Currency
Question:
How do I change the
currency for ingredient costs?
Answer:
The currency you use in SoapMaker can be
anything you want as long as it is decimal based. The $ sign
just indicates that the number is a cost. The ingredient costs
that came with the program are only examples which you can
replace with your own ingredient costs.
You can change the currency symbol by selecting
the International (INTL) tab in Preferences.
Goats Milk
Question:
I don't see goats
milk in the oil list. How can I add it to a recipe?
Answer:
Whole goats milk contains only about 4% fat, so
even if you replace all the water in a recipe with goats milk,
it will have a very small effect on the amount of lye. For this
reason, we did not include goats milk in SoapMaker's list of
base oils. For example, if you made a tallow recipe and replaced
all the water with goats milk, it would require only 1.6% more
lye.
You can include goats milk as an additive, and
reduce the water amount accordingly. The goats milk can be used
to super-fat, or you can reduce the lye discount by one or two
percent if you prefer.
* All specials are for a limited time only. Offers cannot be
combined with any other discount, offer, promotion or special
incentive program and are not valid on: (a) prior purchases, (b)
prior quotes or offers. Void where prohibited.
Prices are in U.S. dollars (USD). All prices and product
availability subject to change without notice. Unless noted, prices
do not include shipping and applicable sales taxes.
Please call or e-mail us with any questions or to place an order.
