Bar Soap

Bar soap has come a long way in 4,000 years, but the core benefits remain. Made from natural fats and oils, bar soap is a highly concentrated and effective source of cleansing. Bar soap is naturally anti-bacterial, requires no preservatives, and requires minimal packaging.

Bradford is vertically-integrated in the formulation and manufacturing of soap base and finished bars for traditional soap and syndet formulations. We offer a broad range of soap bases and can create custom bases for larger volume runs.

Below is a list of our most popular bases, although Bradford has over 50 proprietary bases. Please contact us if you are looking for a formula not featured here.

Veg Base

A quality vegetable base made by a proprietary process to yield 6-8% glycerin for natural moisturization. 80% palm oil and 20% coconut oil.

Veg-Base RA

A quality vegetable base made with sustainably-sourced palm oil and manufactured using a proprietary process to yield 6-8% glycerin for natural moisturization. 80% identity-preserved Rainforest Alliance Certified palm oil and 20% coconut oil. Palm oil certified by RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil) is also available.

Tallow Base

A quality tallow base made by a proprietary process to yield 6-8% glycerin for natural moisturization. 85% tallow and 15% coconut oil.

50/50 Blend

This base combines 50% palm oil and 50% coconut oil, which creates a creamy, dense lather with a glycerin yield of 7%-8%.

Translucent

A quality vegetable base, this formula provides excellent translucency. It produces a creamy foam and contains high levels of humectants and moisturizers. A translucent base is often used to create a broad range of visual effects, as described in the section below.

100% Coconut

This is a palm-free base that is high-foaming and contains 7%-8% glycerin. It is formulated with 100% coconut oil.

Soap-Free Syndet

Bradford offers a soap-free syndet formulation. It is palm-free and has dense, creamy lather. With a pH of 5.5, it is exceptionally mild and recommended for sensitive skin.

Combo Syndet

Our combo formulation includes our syndet base combined with 10%-15% traditional soap. The combo base is less expensive than pure syndet but retains a low pH of approximately 7.

Custom

Bradford's vertical integration in base making enables us to create custom formulations to your specifications. It is impossible to add more than 5% of liquids to soap in the final stamping process because it becomes too soft to extrude. Because we can add liquids at the base-making stage, we have a limitless number of options for the number of additives and the percent of inclusion.

Visual effects can serve as a way to stand out against the competition, or they can be a cue to different functional benefits within the bar. Either way, they are sure to draw attention at retail and in the shower.

Translucent
Allowing light to reflect through the bar, a translucent finish is beautiful and impactful. Brands can select from a broad range of colors for their finished bars.
Chunks
Chunks create a visual effect of pieces of soap embedded in the bar. The chucks and bar background color can be different, and they can be either translucent or opaque. The result is a striking artisanal visual effect.
Smear
This bar is created by integrating a small percent of warm soap base to the background bar color. Instead of retaining its form like a chunk bar, the smear method creates streaks through the bar during the extrusion process. The result is a stunning streaking effect that can combine different colors in a combination of opaque and translucent finishes.   
Wood Grain
The finished bar has a wood grain pattern that extends throughout the formulation so that it won't wash away with use. It is created using our translucent soap base with mica. The wood grain effect has a slight translucency and shimmer. It can be made in an extensive range of color options, which are all striking.
Stripes
Stripes are a visual effect created by combining two different soap bases. The stripes can vary in number and size, ranging from one stripe down the bar's center to multiple lines of stripes throughout the formulation. The stripe and background formulations can be different colors, and they can be opaque or translucent.
Two-Tone
A two-tone formulation is created by combining two different soap bases to create a multi-color bar with contrasting top and bottom colors. The bar can blend opaque and translucent formulas. Visual and/or functional additives can be incorporated into one of the colors or the entire bar. This visual effect allows for an infinite number of opportunities to stand out in a retail setting. 
 
Bar soap can include a broad range of additives. Options include visual additives, exfoliants, functional additives, colors, essential oils, and fragrances. If you want liquid additives to exceed 4-5% of the formulation, consider a custom soap base. Bradford can include high amounts of liquid in this stage of the process without the bar becoming too soft during the extrusion process.
Bradford offers a broad range of packaging, including many sustainable options.  
 

Carton

Cartons provide an inexpensive and sustainable packaging option. We offer options that include PCR (Post Consumer Resin) material, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified board, and several of our suppliers are 100% wind or solar-powered. All of our reverse-tuck cartons are recyclable. We do offer glued-end cartons, but they are not single-stream recyclable due to the adhesive.

Film

We offer several film options, including a bio-degradable option. The film can be transparent, opaque, or printed. It can also have a paper belly-band secured over the top of the film, around the bar's center. Labels are another option on either the top, bottom, or both.

Flow Wrap

Flow wrap is often used for over-the-counter products since it adds an extra layer of protection to the bar. It can be used as inner packaging combined with a carton or printed as primary packaging. Another version available mimics the look of parchment paper, which can be labeled for an artisanal effect.

Paper Wrap

Paper wrap has increased in popularity over the past few years. It creates a handmade artisanal look that resonates with many brands. The paper can be PCR or FSC certified. Due to its hot-melt glue method of closure, it has traditionally not been single-stream recyclable. Still, Bradford worked with a supplier to create the first-ever recyclable paper-wrap.

Note: Paper wrap will not work on round or irregular shapes because the paper will bunch up on the curves. It is best suited for square or rectangle bars.

Our Product &
Formulation Philosophy

For over 140 years, Bradford has excelled in the formulation and production of solid cleansing products focusing on bar soap. In 2017, we expanded our product offering to include a full range of personal care products that use less packaging, have a lower carbon footprint, and require little or no preservatives. Our formulations are created with sustainability as a core attribute. Whenever possible, we use sustainably-sourced ingredients with an EWG-rating less than 3. Bradford strives to achieve zero waste by donating residual soap from the production process to charities in the United States and globally.