Ordering, Payment and Delivery
Minimum order: online orders need a minimum of R350.
Payment
EFT: email your proof of payment to info@soapbarn.co.za, using your order number as reference. We’ll email to confirm once we’ve matched your payment and started processing. If you don’t hear from us please follow up via email. (If collecting, please don’t come until we confirm in writing that the order is ready.)
Credit card: processed automatically, nothing further needed. (If collecting, please don’t come until we confirm in writing that the order is ready.)
Processing: we need to receive and match your payment before we can start on your order. Once we’ve confirmed your proof of payment (or your card payment has gone through), we’ll email you to say your order is processing, only then do we start picking it. In terms of our turn-around time, we only process orders Monday to Friday. We aim to fulfil orders within 24 hours of receiving proof of payment.
Collection: collect from our shop at 90 7th Avenue, Edenvale (entrance in 7th Street). We’ll email you once your order is ready, confirming this in writing and giving the package dimensions, please wait for that email before coming in, as your order isn’t ready for collection until you’ve received it. Collection times: Mon-Thurs 8.30am-4.30pm, Fri 8.30am-4pm, Sat 9am-12pm.
Delivery costs: courier is quoted live at checkout based on your suburb, typically from around R100 in Gauteng, delivered door-to-door by Fastway.
Problems with an order: email info@soapbarn.co.za or WhatsApp 063 952 5410, ideally with a screenshot of what went wrong, and we will sort it out.
The fine print: see our terms and conditions for ordering, returns and refunds, and our privacy policy for how we handle your information.
About Sweating Soap
Soap can perspire for two main reasons:
Rain and humidity, if you leave soaps uncovered and it rains, atmospheric moisture interacts with the soap’s glycerine (which is hygroscopic), giving the soap a sweaty appearance.
Overheating, the last remnants in your jug or pot are more prone to excessive heat when remelted. This causes the soap to lose moisture, which it then tries to regain from the atmosphere once solid. Avoid letting your soap steam or boil during melting.
If your soaps do sweat, don’t worry, just wipe them down, wrap them up, and they’ll be as good as new.
About Natural Products
✓ 100% Natural
- All oils and butters
- All herbs and flowers
- All essential oils
- All Castile soap products
- All Farmhouse soaps
- All Farmhouse glycerine soaps
- African Black Soap
- Soy wax (candles and cosmetic)
- All salts
✗ Not natural
- Fragrances
- Colourings
- Liquid soap base
- Aqueous cream
- Lotion base and body butter base
- Emulsifying wax (has both natural and synthetic base)
Colourant Guide
Liquid colours (dropper bottles)
- Farmhouse soap (pastel results)
- Farmhouse glycerine soap
- Glycerine soap tubes
- Liquid soap
- Bubble bath
- Shower gel
- Water-based lotions
- Bath mousse
- Soap gel
- Shaving soap
Powder colours
- Bath salts
- Bath crystals
- Bubble-Doh
- Soap-Doh
- Fizz Bop
- Bath snow
- Salt pebbles
- Bath fizz
- Fizz bombs
- Bath tea
Oil-soluble powder colours
- CP and HP soaps (dissolve in hot oil first)
- ALL candles (dissolve in hot oil first)
Mica colours & Oxides
- Natural colouring in any product
- Bath salts, crystals, snow, fizz
- Lip balm, lip gloss, eye shadow
- HP and CP soaps (note: purple and blue micas do not perform well)
Soap paints
- For painting on soap only
Neon colours
- All soaps and liquid soaps
For CP and HP soaps you can also use tumeric, paprika, cocoa powder, tea, coffee and henna.
Ingredients List
Soap Making Questions
Where can I buy soap-making supplies in South Africa?
At The Soap Barn in Edenvale, Gauteng, or online with collection or delivery anywhere in South Africa. We stock soap bases, moulds, colours, fragrance oils and botanicals.
What do I need for my first batch?
A melt and pour soap base, a silicone mould, a heatproof jug, a colourant (mica or soap dye) and a fragrance oil. Botanicals are optional.
How much soap base do I need to make ten bars?
About 1kg makes ten standard 100g bars.
Do beginners need caustic soda?
No. Melt and pour soap base is already made, so there is no caustic soda (lye) to handle. You only need caustic soda for cold process soap made from scratch.
What is the difference between clear and white soap base?
Clear base makes see-through bars, good for embedding objects or bright see-through colours. White base makes solid, creamy-looking bars with pastel colours. Both lather well and hold colour and fragrance the same way. For a creamier bar with less lather, use our Farmhouse soap base.
How do I melt glycerine soap base without bubbles?
Cut it into cubes, melt gently and do not let it boil. Stir slowly, then spray the surface with surgical spirits straight after pouring to pop any bubbles.
Why does melt and pour soap "sweat"?
Glycerine draws moisture from the air, so beads of water form in humid conditions. Wipe the bars, wrap them in cling wrap and keep them out of steamy bathrooms.
How long does it take to set?
About an hour in the mould. There is no curing time, so bars can be used once set and released.
Which soap kits do you have?
Classic French Country Soap (R395), Bug-Off Citronella Soap (R395), Milk & Honey Soap (R455), Soap Crayons (R435) and Soap-Doh for Kiddies (R395), plus bath, scrub, body butter, perfume and diffuser recipe packs.
Do I need to handle lye?
No. The soap kits use a melt-and-pour base, which is already soap, so there is no lye step.
Is there a candle making kit?
Not as a single pack yet. Candle making for beginners lists the six things to buy instead.
Candle Making Questions
Do you sell soy wax in Gauteng?
Yes. Soy Wax 1kg is R210. Collect it from our Edenvale shop or have it couriered.
Which candle wax should I use?
It depends on the candle. Our guide Which candle wax should I use? compares every wax we stock.
What size wick do I need?
Wick size follows the width of your container. See Which candle wick should I use? for a starting point, then burn test.
I am new to candle making. Where do I start?
Start with Candle making for beginners, which lists the six things you need with prices.
Which wax should I use for jar or moulded candles?
Soy wax suits jars and containers because it is soft. For moulded or free-standing candles use our paraffin wax beads.
Where can I buy candle-making supplies in South Africa?
At The Soap Barn in Edenvale, Gauteng, or online with collection or delivery anywhere in South Africa.
How long should candles cure before burning?
Soy wax candles need 10 to 14 days. Paraffin wax candles need about 7 days.
How does soy wax compare with paraffin?
Soy is a natural wax that burns slightly slower and cooler, with a soft, creamy finish, and suits containers. Paraffin has a stronger scent throw, takes colour brightly and suits moulded candles.
How much fragrance should I add to soy wax?
Up to 20ml per 250g of wax, which is 8%.
Why does my soy candle have a white, frosted surface?
This is called frosting. It is natural soy wax crystallising as it cools and does not affect how the candle burns. Pouring slightly cooler and warming the jar first helps reduce it.
Fragrance Oils Questions
Can the same fragrance oil be used in soap and candles?
Yes. All our fragrance oils are cosmetic grade, so the same oil can be used in soap, bath and body products and candles.
How much fragrance oil should I add?
Up to 8% for candles and up to 5% for soap and bath products.
When should I add fragrance to melted wax?
Once the wax has cooled slightly off the heat, around 60°C for soy or paraffin wax, then stir well.
Is fragrance oil safe on skin?
Yes, all our fragrance oils are cosmetic grade and skin-safe when used within the amounts above. Patch test first, as some people are sensitive to certain scents.
Bottles and Jars Questions
Can I buy just one bottle or jar?
Yes. Bottles, jars and caps are sold singly at the listed price, so you can buy one or one hundred. Online orders need a minimum of R350 in total.
Which caps and pumps fit which bottles?
Each bottle page lists the tops it takes, and you can choose the cap, pump or spray when you add the bottle to your basket.
Do you have amber bottles?
Yes: amber glass bottles in various sizes, amber glass dropper bottles with pipette (30ml and 100ml), amber glass and PET lotion jars, an amber PET Boston 300ml bottle, an amber glass diffuser bottle 100ml and an amber glass lip gloss roller 10ml.
Oils and Butters Questions
What is the cheapest way to buy shea butter?
Buy the largest size you will use. Refined shea butter works out at about R160 per litre in 500ml, R149 in 5L and R134 in 25L.
Do you sell coconut oil in bulk?
Yes. Coconut oil comes in 100ml (R22.50), 500ml (R90) and 5kg (R810).
Do you have a ready base for body butter?
Yes. Body Butter Base (20% Cocoa Butter) comes in 500ml (R145) and 5L (R1,160).
About Discounts
We structure our pricing so products are discounted in larger quantities wherever possible. For example, Farmhouse soap is cheaper in 5 kg buckets, fragrances are 50% cheaper in 100 ml and a further 20% cheaper in 500 ml, and all oils and salts follow similar staggered pricing.
You don’t need to be a registered company to get the best prices, all staggered pricing is available directly in the shopping cart on our website.