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Soap Naturally International Soap Swaps
ISS9 Guidelines and Theme
Last updated: 26th August 2007
Everything you want to know about this year's International Soap Swap (ISS9)... and if this is not enough, feel free to ask onlist!
- Who can participate in a Soap Naturally International Soap Swap?
- How do I join?
- How many can participate?
- Can I join if the signup list is full?
- What are we swapping?
- When do I have to make my soap?
- What is the theme?
- Do I need to share the recipe for my soap?
- What else do I need to do?
- What ingredients can I use (or avoid)?
- How much will postage cost?
- When will I get my swap soaps?
- Where can I find updated news about the current swap?
1. Who can participate in a Soap Naturally International Soap Swap?
Participation in the 9th International Swap, ISS9, is open to members of SoapNatch (the Soap Naturally mailing list) whose membership was active at the time when this year's swap was first announced. If required (e.g., when too many signup requests were received), membership age and experience in previous swaps may be used as selection criteria.
If you are not a SoapNatch member yet, you are welcome to first join the Soap Naturally mailing list! We suggest that new members spend some time with us on list to get a better feel of what we (and our swaps) are about, before joining a swap. In general, swaps are organised at least once a year - so if you feel like you might have missed out on the current swap... keep in touch, and join the next one!
2. How do I join?
To join this year's swap, you'll need to fill in the signup form. There is no pre-determined cutoff date, however we suggest that members wishing to participate submit their signup forms within a couple of weeks from the date this year's swap was announced - for ISS9, this means roughly before 9th September 2007. Of course, the sooner you fill in the signup form, the better chances you have to be part of ISS9!
After submitting your signup form, you will receive a confirmation email with further instructions.
3. How many can participate?
We are aiming for a total of 40 participants all over the world, with a possibly even distribution between different areas (Oceania, Americas, Europe, Africa...)
We always do our best to accommodate and co-ordinate as many diverse locations as possible, however we would like all participants to be aware that geographic distribution directly affects postage costs.
If large enough groups of participants were to join from any "sub-areas" of the sample areas listed above (e.g., from New Zealand as well as from Australia, or from Canada as well as from the United States of America), we will consider appointing separate area hosts.
If you are planning to participate, we recommend that you start working now, and make a batch for 50 small soaps, just to be sure you'll have enough soaps ready when the time comes (also see below, What are we swapping?)
4. Can I join if the signup list is full?
There will be a cancellation list for each area, so if something happens at the last moment, there will be a window of opportunity for someone from that area to send their soaps instead. Being in the cancellation list implies that you will be planning as if you were participating in the swap as well (making the soap perhaps, but not cutting it to final size unless you know you have to..... you can always use this soap, if not used for the swap, as extra Christmas presents or donations to a charity in the true Christmas spirit....)
5. What are we swapping?
Soap. The size of bars, wrapped, will be no larger than 50 grams or 1.7 oz each. A good thing to remember is that the average soap will shrink about 5%, so even if you cut your bars at 52 grams or 1.8 oz, they should be exactly the right weight when they are dry enough to send. When cutting from block or log moulds, it might be easier to first cut a 100 g or 3.5 oz bar and then cut that in half to get the right sized bar.
The SoapNatch "ISS" tradition of swapping smaller soap bars allows us to extend the swap to a large number of participants from many countries in the world, while keeping down costs, both in money and in energy consumption/global footprint terms. And of course, even smaller bars can ensure thorough enjoyment, when they are quality handmade soaps!
Like with all swaps, we suggest that you calculate your batch size based on a slightly larger number of soaps. This will allow for a safety margin for possible errors in cutting the soaps... and also for unpredictable emergencies. With 40 participants expected, working on making 50 soaps has proven to be safe planning!
6. When do I have to make my soap?
We recommend that you make your soap right away, as soon as you fill in the application form. The theme for ISS9 has already been chosen to be Naturally Mine (refer to answers No. 7. and No. 10. for further information on how your soap can be made).
Soaps should be made no later than the second week of September, and be posted out so that they reach your area host before 30th September. Participants will be informed in due time on who to refer to as their area host, so that you can then research how long it will take for your soaps to travel to your host, and plan accordingly.
If you do not set out to make your soap soon enough after joining the swap, the risk is that you might find yourself unable to send your soaps in in due time!
7. What is the theme?
For ISS9, the theme is Naturally Mine... that is, as Mim proposed and Maude put perfect words to, "Soap made with local natural ingredients that are unique to your area".
If no ingredients are locally made, or "unique" to your area, we encourage you to design your recipe around ingredients that are locally available at the smallest possible global cost (or footprint, i.e. the cost represented by the cumulative environmental impact of growing, extracting, transforming, packaging and distributing the raw materials you wish to use).
These are, in short, the three important things you'll need to keep in mind:
- Soaps participating in this year's swap will be as natural as possible. This means, for instance, that synthetic fragrances, and even some kinds of colours, may not be appropriate - so if you would "normally" use these ingredients, we hope you'll enjoy this opportunity to experiment with more natural, subtler scents and colours, such as including herbal teas, infused oils or crushed herbs instead of the more convenient -but not as natural- synthetic equivalents.... :-)
- Make sure that ingredients are appropriately listed on your labels, as well as in the recipe you'll be sending to your area host. This is an important requirement to avoid possible customs/security problems with international parcels (especially when they are, like some have been in previous swaps, close to 20 kg / 44 lbs in weight!). Detailed labelling instructions will be supplied to each participant.
- Participants and list members expect a little paragraph from you telling us how your soap came about, and how it "fits" this year's theme. This may go into a recipe booklet, or be used in the soap recipe section of the Soap Naturally website.
8. Do I need to share the recipe for my soap?
Yes you do :-)
Aim of the Soap Naturally list is to share experiences and knowledge, and the International Swaps are a wonderful way to help each other in the learning and sharing "department". Recipes for the swapped soaps may also be published via the Soap Naturally Web, and add to the "global Soap Natch experience" for new and expert soapmakers from all over the world.
9. What else do I need to do?
An email copy of your recipe needs to be sent to the Central Swap Coordinator (List Owners), together with your authorisation to use your recipe within the Soap Naturally Web and/or natural soap promotion projects. No special formatting is required for this; you can simply type your recipe in a text editor/word processor, and then copy and paste it into the comments area of the Swap contact form.
10. What ingredients can I use (or are to be avoided)?
- As explained above, the theme for ISS9 determines that ingredients must be as natural as possible. Within this limit, we believe that participants are free to use their personal judgement in choosing base oils and additives, and CAN include possible allergens (e.g., nut oils) or animal fats, as long as their soaps are correctly and clearly labelled. If you are participating in the swap and would like to clarify this further, please do bring the subject up on the mailing list!
- Customs, security and quarantine regulations in many countries (esp. Australia, New Zealand and USA) impose severe restrictions on allowed imports. As those who took part in previous swaps know, and as we briefly mentioned above, the bulk and weight of some of the international swap parcels inevitably attract the attention of Customs and Quarantine officials. To avoid problems and make sure that all soaps are delivered to destination, we ask you that you avoid using any and all packaging and raw materials that might generate customs or quarantine problems. For instance, dried fruit, flowers and herbs are not acceptable for posting to Australia, but herbal infusions and finely powdered dried herbs mixed in with the soap can be included in the recipe.
Detailed information on what is NOT allowed in participating countries, recipe suggestions and labelling requirements are all acceptable topics of discussion on SoapNatch - so if you would like any clarifications... do ask onlist :-)
11. How much will postage cost?
The final calculations for postage costs will only be available once we know how many from each area sign up. Experience from previous swaps is that you'll need to allow for $50 or so, also depending on whether Air Mail or Sea Mail will be used. If you feel that this amount is more than you are willing to spend (or even if it's your absolute TOP limit.....), we certainly understand... and we ask you to please avoid signing up.
Area coordinators will contact participants with a final figure within a week from the time when the signup phase is closed.
12. When will I get my swap soaps?
It takes an approximate 4 months to conclude a swap like this, that is if all things go well!! So if there are no unexpected delays and Air Mail is chosen, your swap soap parcel might make it in time for Christmas.... If not, you should get your soaps between the end of December to the end of January.
13. Where can I find updated news about the current swap?
There will be an updated list of participants. This list is edited and uploaded to the Web manually, so if you have put your name down for the swap in the last couple of days, chances are we haven't yet been able to update it. However, if you cannot find your name listed there after several days, please do contact the Central Swap Coordinator to find out what happened.
Marina and James
ISS9 Central Co-ordinators
For more info on previous Soap Naturally Swaps go to:
www.soapnaturally.org/swaps.html
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