As you can imagine, Bramble Berry CEO and Founder Anne-Marie gets a lot of questions. They’re about everything from owning a business to using natural colorants in soap. While she can’t answer them all, that won’t stop her from trying in the newest episode of Ask Anne-Marie. You can watch the first episode here and the second episode here.
This episode has a fun twist. The questions are from some of our favorite soapers – Bee of Sorcery Soap, Sarah of Spicy Pinecone, Kevin of Devinely Designed, and Lane of Mama Bass Handmade Soap. They ask Anne-Marie about her favorite fragrance, the biggest obstacle she faced scaling up her business, and the mentors who helped her along the way.
Bee of Sorcery Soap:
@0:47 – What soap do you use in the bath? What soap is in there right now?
@1:38 – What is the lowest water discount you use and why?
@2:28 – How long does it take to formulate a new fragrance oil?
Sarah of Spicy Pinecone:
@3:45 – What is the biggest obstacle you had to face when scaling up your business, and how did you overcome it?
Kevin of Devinely Designed:
@5:04 – Now that you have a very successful busy soap business, do you ever just make soap for fun anymore?
@5:52 – You are stranded on a gorgeous tropical island that happens to have a fully stocked soap shack, except it only has one fragrance or essential oil. What is it?
Lane of Mama Bass Handmade Soap:
@6:14 – Have you been creative and crafty since you were a little girl?
@7:00 – When you were first beginning soapmaking, did you have a mentor?
@8:16 – What is your absolute, most favorite fragrance you carry?
@8:53 – I’ve noticed you and I both have very spirited and mischievous little girls! What is your favorite way to entertain her when you’re trying to get things done? Is she crafty like you?
Have a question you’d like to ask Anne-Marie? Leave a comment below and she may answer it in the next edition.
Thanks a lot for all the answers you’ve been providing to questions. Am new to soap making but wish to know more about certain ingredients. Please email me the answers directly through my email address ([email protected])
My question is, why are the ingredients for making HP liquid soap different from the ones for making CP liquid soap.
Another question is, can sodium lactate, sodium stearate, sodium cocoate, sodium myristate and other similar classes of ingredients be added to CP/HP bar soap or just for M/P soap? Please I wish to know a detailed description of the appropriate ingredients that go for a specific process of soap making (liquid and bar soap) and why. Thanks a lot. I will be grateful to receive your replies. I can still ask further questions if need be.
Hi Anne-Marie,
I make 100% coconut oil soap as it is in line with my brand and I’m in love with my bars. Can I add additives, clay’s, teas, extracts, herbs etc as you would with regular recipes?
Thanks so much
Daniella
It’s a question – how do you make turmeric shea butter with all those deliciously moisturizing oils and butters? The whipped body butter of the same name sounds wonderful, but need the recipe for the basis of the butter – turmeric shea butter – to be able to make it from scratch!
Thanks!
Hi
have made lots of coloured soap that are not selling blue, green, yellow, some swirled the popular thing now in my area is white soap
please is there any way I can change the coloured soap to white colour
Hi Again
Each time I produce colored soap in my CP the colours stain the mold and goes on for a period of inconvenience. I have tried alcohol to clean the both silicon and wood but don’t go away
JohnGlam
Hi, sorry I made some mistakes in my first post and needs correction, here it is for more clearity:
I have been making soap for about six months, and have made some great admirable cold process soap. I also have made a trial on swirling successfully, then decided to try Transparent soap.
I used gas cooker as I do not have crock port, but the whole thing got burnt in the pot and after two hours I had a big brownish black stuff in the pot. I have been very restless after the failure.
Next I intend to use the micro wave, with a thick plastic bowl.
My question is even though, a bit shameful, because there is not constant power in my area, can i work on my batch according to when the authorities supply power. I mean can I leave the batch inside the microwave until and any time power is supplied. I intent to strictly go by the rules guiding producing Transparent soap except anyway that I will only kick off until each time there is power supply. Does it matter how long it takes.
JohnGlam
Hello Anne Marie, I have been diying to make a cold process soap. My only issue is lye!
The only lye I found around me is 70%. Is it possible to use it?. Thanks 😊
Hi, I made soap and it turns out my kitchen is not level. I have a bunch of soaps now that have sloped bottoms. Do I have to shave them off to even them up or is there a way to put them back in the molds, add new cold process soap and let them set? Thanks
Hi Ann Marie.
My name is Kate McCullen and I have a full service Spa in Venice Fl. We offer waterless medical grade manicures and pedicures. The reason for this is because we’re finding that it is safer for the clients who have medical challenges, not to be soaking in the bowls to prevent and bacteria.
We use hot lemon grass towels to wraps there legs and feet in.
I love your products that you make and I’m getting ready to make the original body butter that I first saw on your tortual. I also need a scrub and you have so many great ones. Which one would you suggest for me to use for my clients?
Thank you for your hard work and help.
Kate McCullen
Hi my is chevonne I come from uk England I wonder like to learn how i do that I very interesting to home make easy if you can tell me how you do that I want like help me when from start to learn I watch YouTube all the time I love it very much
Anne-Marie, when do you know if a batch of soap should go in the fridge or freezer? I made a batch of soap and put it in the freezer for 6 hours then took it out. The next day it is oozing what looks like oil. Will it have gone through the saponification phase or is it no good? I will untold after 3 days but worry that it didn’t process. Any feedback?
Happy new year to you and your Team.
I am learning about cold process soap Making and I have no clear The “discount water ” amount, what does it mean really and how to figure out The amount to “discount”? Thank you!
Hi Ann-Marie, If I want more lather in my soap, what should I do?
I want to start making body butters and lotion bars but I am allergic to coconut just about every recipe I have found uses coconut oil. I read you article about the different butters but coconut isn’t on there I was wondering if I could substitute avocado in for the coconut an get the same results? (Approximately)
Hi Anne. I have a request for a shampoo bar for grey hair. A friend, who, for years has been using store bought shampoo with blueing for her silver hair. Once a week or less she uses a clarifying shampoo to rid her hair of the yellowing. She has been using my shampoo bar for several months now and LOVES it. However, she wants to know if I can make a bar with blueing in it. She would rather not keep using the clarifying shampoo. Is this possible ? I read that you have a Royal Purple Liquid Dispersion ? But I cannot find it on BB sight. How would I incorporate blueing into a shampoo bar ? Are you able to help me with this ?
Thank you Anne
hi Ann-marie, I would like to know if i can make a batch of soap with coconut milk and what oil can i use with it.
hi Anne Marie. I bought some supplies from you and got the olive oil pomace. just wondering if you can suggest any simple recipe for me where I can use it
Anne Marie where do you see yourself in 5 years from now? I know you have so many talents and soap is your first love. I was just wondering if you are going to become a full time nutritionist or a full time motivational speaker someday?
One more Question, I just adore your kids and Jaimeson is so brilliant. Are your kids going to follow in your footsteps or are they going to have their own careers? I could see your Son being part of Brambleberry someday. He is such a cute kid! And Lily is such a free spirited little girl I could see her being a Astronaut. You guys are doing a great job raising them.