I used to make handmade soaps. I found it relaxing to do, putting in the essential oils especially felt soothing, making the smell nice. I liked to play atmospheric music, nice Celtic or Arabian melodies as I crafted away. I bought all sorts of pretty and unique moulds for the soap, and had tried my hand at creating many different types, shea butter, coffee scrub, rose petal, honey, oatmeal, frankinsense and myrhh, orange peel, aloe, tea rinse, red clay, black soap. It was something different to do, it wasn't very hard, and knowing exactly what's in a beauty product you use can be useful.
At the same time though, it still is less convenient than just opening a box of soap, especially rebatch and cold or hot press methods- which are time-consuming, the later requiring the most care with safety goggles and well-ventilated areas since you are handling lye. Also the cost of materials is more than just buying bars from a store, even the most luxurious, hand-crafted ones by artisans, since i was just shopping for myself, and not buying supplies on a scale large enough to make a business out of. And while i thought what I made had a kinda homemade charm about it, it wasn't like I had a great talent to pursue, it would not stand out next to people who did this professionally and was only meant to be for fun.
I fancied giving soap away as gifts to neighbors, friends or family, along with other diy projects, but what was originally just going to be something i did on a special ocassion when i wanted to, became a more regular thing that i was being asked for without expecting to spend time helping me make it or give me any money to pay for the ingredients and wanting it ready by certain dates- last minute birthday present etc and it just became more trouble than it was worth
People who didn't even know me were just coming up to me, saying that they heard about my soap and wanted me to give them some, and i couldn't afford to run a free beauty spa.