Homemade Product Cost Calculator
Find out what each bar, jar, or bottle really costs you, and what to charge for it. Made for bar soap, body butter, body oil, body wash, face oil, and more.
What are you making?
Start fresh, or load a starter recipe to see how it works. New here? Try the Learn How lesson first. It takes about 3 minutes.
1 Ingredient costs
For each ingredient, type what you paid and how big the package was. Then type how much you used in this batch.
Why does this matter?
You buy ingredients in big packages but use a little at a time. So we find the price of one ounce (or one gram) first. Example: shea butter is $8.00 for 16 oz. $8.00 ÷ 16 = $0.50 per ounce. If you use 4 oz, that's 4 × $0.50 = $2.00.
Tip: Add the shipping you paid into the "price paid." It's part of your real cost. And weigh everything on a kitchen scale, even liquids. Weight is more exact than cups or spoons.
2 Packaging, utilities & your time
These are the "hidden" costs that people often forget.
Why does this matter?
Packaging is everything that goes on one item: the jar, lid, label, box, or wrap. We multiply it by how many you made.
Utilities are the power and water you used. A simple guess like $2 or $3 a batch is fine.
Your time counts! Pay yourself for mixing, pouring, cutting, and packing. If you leave this out, your business can't grow, and you'll burn out. Even $12–$15 an hour is a good start.
3 How many did you make?
Count the bars, jars, or bottles you got from this batch.
Why does this matter?
Your whole batch cost, split by the number you made, gives you the most important number of all: your true cost for one item. Count only the ones good enough to sell.
4 Set your prices
We use two common small-business formulas. You can change the numbers.
Why these numbers?
Wholesale is what you'd charge a store that buys from you to resell. A common start is cost × 2.35. That covers hidden costs like marketing and wear on your tools, and still leaves you a profit.
Retail is what you charge your own customers. The classic way is wholesale × 2, called "keystone pricing." It lets a store double its money, which makes them happy to carry your products.
Then compare with what similar products sell for. If your price is much higher, look for ways to lower costs, or show what makes yours special.
Price check
Already have a price in mind? Type it here to see what you really keep after selling fees (like TikTok Shop, Etsy, or card fees).
Notes
Where you bought things, what you'd change next time…
My Ingredient Prices
Type in what you paid one time, and it fills in by itself every time you use that ingredient in a recipe. When prices go up, change it here.
Why keep a price list?
Prices change. Keeping one list means you don't have to hunt for receipts every time, and you can quickly see if a supplier got more expensive. Why compare per ounce? Because a big bucket can look pricey but be the better deal!
My list
My Saved Recipes
Your recipes are saved right here on this phone or computer, so come back anytime. Nobody else can see them.
Keep a backup
If you clear your browser or get a new phone, saved work can be lost. Download a backup file now and then, and keep it safe. You can also use it to move your recipes to another device.
Words to know
- Batch
- One round of making, from start to finish.
- Cost per unit
- What one ounce (or one gram) of an ingredient costs you. Price paid ÷ package size.
- Yield
- How many items you got from one batch.
- Overhead
- Costs that aren't ingredients: packaging, power, water, supplies.
- Labor
- Pay for your time. Hours × hourly pay.
- Cost per item
- Everything you spent on the batch ÷ how many you made. Your most important number.
- Wholesale price
- What a store pays you so it can resell your product.
- Retail price
- What your own customer pays you.
- Keystone pricing
- Setting retail at double the wholesale price.
- Profit margin
- How much of each sale you keep after costs, shown as a percent.
Was this a blessing to your business?
We believe God gives each of us gifts to use and to share. We made this calculator free for every maker who's starting out. If it helped you, a gift of any size helps us keep it free and keep teaching.