Which Material Works Best for Labels for Soap?
White BOPP film works best for labels for soap that meet water, because the film does not absorb water or oil.
| Material | Water | Fragrance oil | Look |
|---|---|---|---|
| White BOPP film | Waterproof | Resists oil, no spots | Bright white, full color |
| Clear BOPP film | Waterproof | Resists oil, no spots | No label edge, white ink for pale colors |
| Kraft paper | Absorbs water and wrinkles | Darkens where oil touches | Natural brown, one or two dark inks |
| Uncoated paper | Absorbs water and wrinkles | Shows clear oil spots | Matte, takes a pen |
The material decides how long the label lasts, and the size decides where it sits on the bar.
What Size Soap Bar Labels Fit a Standard Bar?
A 2 x 7 in wrap label fits around the middle of a 4 oz bar, and a 2 x 3 in label fits its front face. The bar is 89 x 64 x 25 mm, so its girth across the width comes to 178 mm or 7 in.
Soap wrap labels run the full girth with the two ends meeting on the base, so one label brands the bar and holds a wrapper shut. A label grips a bare bar poorly because glycerin and oil sit on the surface. Put the label on soap wrapping paper, shrink film or soap band labels instead. Once the size is set, the wording on the label is the next thing to settle.
What Must Handcrafted Soap Labels Say by Law?
What handcrafted soap labels must say depends on whether the bar counts as a true soap or as a cosmetic. A bar is a true soap when it meets all three parts of 21 CFR 701.20. It is mostly alkali salts of fatty acids and cleans only through those salts, and you sell it only as soap.
A true soap falls under the CPSC rather than FDA, so no FDA label rule applies. A moisturizing, scent or deodorant claim turns the bar into a cosmetic under FDA rules. The cosmetic label then lists every ingredient in descending order of weight under 21 CFR 701.3. It also shows net weight in ounces and grams in the bottom 30 percent of the front panel under 21 CFR 701.13.
An antibacterial or acne claim makes the bar a drug, which needs a drug facts panel. Once the wording is fixed, a range of scents is easiest to run with one design for each.
How Do You Print Labels for Several Soap Scents?
Give each scent its own design and wind each design on its own roll, so lavender and oatmeal labels never mix at the bench. Keep the layout, size and legal panel the same across scents and change only the name, color and ingredients. With the scents planned, ordering needs your bar size and one file for each scent.
How Do You Order Custom Soap Bar Labels Wholesale?
Send the bar size, the label material and one file per scent through our quote form, and a proof with a price comes back within the week. Pricing depends on the size, paper and quantity, and the quote shows the price per label at 500 and 1,000.
- Minimum order is 100 labels per size and design and the per unit price falls as the run grows
- Price breaks arrive at 500 and 1,000 units on one artwork and not across mixed designs
- Production takes 8 to 10 business days for folding carton and 10 to 12 for rigid and wrapped
- A plain sample takes 3 to 5 business days and a printed one takes 7 to 10
- No setup or tooling fees apply because the die and the plates sit inside your unit price
- Shipping is free across the United States on every order we take
Ask for a printed sample and leave a labeled bar beside a wet sink for a few days before you approve the run. Boxes for the same bars sit on our custom soap boxes page if you sell gift sets too.
The Customized Boxes