This question seemed to garner almost as many responses as responders, so it was difficult to find many common votes, but a few products did win out. Salt bars were the most popular, followed by cream and body powder.

Instead of a clear-cut “winner,” several products emerged as the best made in 2007. They include: body scrub, body butter, candles, Dead Sea facial soap, lip balm, perfume, facial serum, lotions, lotion bars, salt bars, Emu/MSM cream, and natural insect repellent.

Overwhelmingly, you reported cold process type soaps that you sold the most of in 2007. This included reported goats milk soap, shaving soap, lavender soap, and so on.

The next most popular product was lotion, including goats milk, oatmeal, facial, and so on. Body scrub/polish, which included variations such as salt, sugar, emulsified scrub. Lip balm was just as much in demand as was body scrub.

Very often, respondents reported the following products: body butter, bath bombs/fizzies, body spray, perfume, candles, body cream, and whipped shea butter.

In spite of this, a good number of scents did emerge as favorites.  Can you guess what the overwhelmingly most popular scent was?  If you guessed Lavender, give yourself a pat on the back because you are correct!  A  huge number of respondents chose lavender.  If you don’t offer it, you may consider adding it to your line as soon as possible, because it is almost certain to boost sales.

Second in the survey were Patchouli and Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey.  The other scents most popular to round out the top ten number more than ten, but it’s because of ties in voting.  These scents are, in descending order, Vanilla, Lilac, Peppermint, Lovespell Type, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Cucumber Melon type, Pink Sugar type, and Chocolate.

Other frequently reported scents were Jasmine, Lemongrass, Sandalwood, Coconut, White Tea & Ginger type, Plumeria, Green Tweed, and Orange.

Dead Sea Mud - “Being able to formulate Spa Quality products”, “Dead Sea Mud for its fantastic healing and rejuvenating properties”,

Foaming Bath Butter - “because I’ve been able to develop three new products with it”

microdermabrasion crystals - “They work great in a variety of products from facial wash to foot scrubs”, “It is easy to make a fingertip microdermabrasion product that makes your skin look SO polished”

Fantasy Cream Maker - “Fantasy Cream Maker (or Sepigel 305™). This is a no-heating emulsifier for lotions, creams, gels. It’s wonderful!”, “..so much quicker and easier to make a great lotion, cream, or butter without all of the hassle of the ewax and phases. It’s non greasy, and works great”

red palm oil - “I love the color I get from Virgin Red Palm Oil and also from the Red Palm Butter, both of which I recently tried”

allantoin - ” It has so many wonderful benefits and can be used in many different product formulations”

Users liked the quality of product they could make with them and/or they were a huge hit with customers.

The runaway favorite in the soap category was Southern Soapers, for chandlers, it was Candletech hands down.

Honorable mention: Other lists and forums that respondents voted for in multiples were: Soap_Makers, Lotions, Potions & Soap, Central New York Soapers, Wildtree FO Buys, Cream Soapmaking Group, and Hot Soap. Again, voters liked the information and friendly support present in these groups.

Other types of molds mentioned include glass containers, such as jelly jars, ball jars, and apothecary jars. Non-glass molds included votive molds, clamshells, and mini-muffin trays.

Chandlers have quite a selection when it comes to molds!

Soapers have a wide variety of molds for their work, too; nevertheless, the most popular mold are those they make themselves, whether it’s handy husbands and fathers fashioning wooden molds or molds resourced from items found around the house. Of those with handy husbands, Suzanne of The Washtub explains, “My husband makes me wooden soap molds, so I love them best.” Most of us use log molds, but a fair number of us do use slab molds. Hinged molds makes us even happier.

Of commercial molds, the most votes were for Milky Way Molds, and I must confess that I, personally, own a lot of them. “Soap always comes out so evenly. Molds last a long time,” says Linda Boyd of Springdale Spa, which echoes what most other MWM lovers stated.

Many respondents loved the silicone-lined molds from Upland Soap Factory because they didn’t have to line them, and the soap unmolded beautifully.

If you’re looking for a commercial batch mold, you might check out Soap Equipment.

Candle Molds - Honorable mentions: Pourette, Candlewic, Carol’s Silicone, Supplies For Candles, and Pennywise Candles.

Soap Molds - Honorable mentions: TLC Soaps, Misty Creek, and Creekside Soaps.

Honorable mention: Other companies often mentioned were Elements Bath & Body, Containers and Packaging, and Specialty Bottle. Element’s strong suite seemed to be in carrying what people want, having very good prices, quick shipping, and personal service. Containers and Packaging and Specialty Bottle were known for their selection and price.

Honorable mention: Florida Soap Supplies, and From Nature With Love showed well here, also. They each have very loyal customers who appreciate the selection and service these companies provide.