Does this label need more or less.

[penelopejane]

They are nice and simple!

My personal thoughts are:
I would really like it if you had your commas consistently straight after the word and then a space or not a space but be consistent.

More colours and “things” on your label detracts from the soap.

I won’t buy a soap that has been touched by goodness know how many people. So I’d prefer it if the soap was wrapped or shrink wrapped before the cigar hand goes on. I don’t touch my soap without gloves so people are assured of a completely untouched soap. That might just be me but if it’s important to me it might be important to others.

I label like shunt with a fixed minimum weight. It’s about 15g below the actual soap weight so I know it is right even after cure.

 

[KimT2au]

Gorgeous soap and lovely labels. I hate to do it but I disagree with the above, I do like the phase, "made with the earth's finest ingredients". It's a load of twaddle as none of us are actually scouring the earth and testing various ingredients but I think it sounds like a good marketing tool. I would move the ingredients to the back to free up white space on the front, do you have to include lye in your list of ingredients? I understand that that sort of thing varies from state to state in the US. I would label at "approx Xoz weight". My only big change would be once you have moved the list of ingredients to the rear of the label to bring those two side images in so they sit on the front of the bar and are not wrapping around the soap. By bringing the images to the front you are concentrating the eye fully, I would then put the fragrance or soap name squarely between those two images. Good luck at the markets as your soap and your labels look fantastic.

 

[cmzaha]

I think that's really cute. My only issue is there's no scent label on the soap. Is it peppermint, hence the picture of the peppermint?

One downside is that your label offers no protection for the soap. If you have pets, soap loves to collect hair!

And loves to get dirty when attending outdoor markets

I think they are super cute. Personally, I like that you don't have them shrink-wrapped. I would suggest putting the fragrance on the front and moving the ingredients to the back.

I shrink wrap all my soaps and my customers appreciate the fact they are wrapped. In the years I have been selling I have never had a complaint about shrink wrap. My issue with cigar bands that are not under shrink wrap will eventually fall off as the soap shrinks. Especially when packing and unpacking for markets. I even put my labels under my shrink wrap so they do not get beat up

I'd say you could write ~4oz. I've seen people who put "minimum 4 oz" --like you're guaranteeing you get at least what's on the label and maybe a bit more

Using the word minimum or approx is not allowed when properly labeling weight

Also the your lye needs to be listed since you have labeled your soap as what goes in the pot. You have two choices what goes in the pot or what comes out of the pot.

 

[dixiedragon]

If you don't want to invest in shrink wrapping at this point, you could get some glassine bags.

https://www.papermart.com/square-glassine-bags/id=21660?searchitemnumber=112222

Have one or two bars out for display and the rest bagged. You could leave the bag untaped so people can double check.

 

[cmzaha]

If you don't want to invest in shrink wrapping at this point, you could get some glassine bags.

https://www.papermart.com/square-glassine-bags/id=21660?searchitemnumber=112222

Have one or two bars out for display and the rest bagged. You could leave the bag untaped so people can double check.

I know a gal that puts all her soaps in glassine bags, but if I remember shrink wrap from Paper Mart is less costly.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Pretty snazzy labels there, Lobo! I'm quite drawn to them. I like the clip art for the fragrances. Clever. I'm with @amd, watch your punctuation... i.e., Post #1, there should be a space between the comma and the next oil; a semi-colon after "oils"; a comma after "Soy Wax"; no space between "Shea Butter" and the comma. I know, picky, picky, picky!

...A lot of her soaps are beautiful CP swirls with "fancy" names but her packaging is very plain. A lot of the women in my office have her soaps but never use them as they were gifts and they just display them.

Interesting. A good observation on your part. I agree that sometimes soaps get so "artistic" people aren't inclined to use them. Yours are just perfect in that regard. I'd have no problem lathering right up with either of those lovely bars! Pretty and practical. Well done.

Keep up the good work!

 

[dixiedragon]

I know a gal that puts all her soaps in glassine bags, but if I remember shrink wrap from Paper Mart is less costly.

But then she'd need an impulse sealer, and they've really gone up! I got mine for $35 but now I see them for $80.

 

[cmzaha]

But then she'd need an impulse sealer, and they've really gone up! I got mine for $35 but now I see them for $80.

You can pay almost any price you want for impulse sealers. They are as low as $17.99 on Amazon. I paid 25.99 for my last sealer. It is certainly not as nice as my more expensive one that went out last year, but it works okay

I just checked the prices on Glassine Bags versus shrink wrap Glassine are 0.0168 seach and shrink bags are 0.0125 each so not much difference.

 

[dixiedragon]

Lobosolo, if you do decide to go with an impulse sealer, DON'T turn it up to 11! ask me how I know, lol.

 

[cmzaha]

Lobosolo, if you do decide to go with an impulse sealer, DON'T turn it up to 11! ask me how I know, lol.

Mine seals fine on #3

 

[MarnieSoapien]

And loves to get dirty when attending outdoor markets


I shrink wrap all my soaps and my customers appreciate the fact they are wrapped. In the years I have been selling I have never had a complaint about shrink wrap. My issue with cigar bands that are not under shrink wrap will eventually fall off as the soap shrinks. Especially when packing and unpacking for markets. I even put my labels under my shrink wrap so they do not get beat up

I totally understand the logic behind shrink wrapping. I am looking for alternatives to single use, non-recyclable plastic. Can't win them all?

 

[amd]

I think there is a biodegradable shrink wrap, but I'm not sure how available it is. I haven't dug into it. Heck, I just started using recycled PCW (post consumer waste) sticker labels in the last two months. I balance it in my mind as that one shrink wrap label is a lot less plastic than one plastic bottle of body wash. So even if I figure two bars of soap to one bottle of body wash, I'm still making a difference.

I'm kind of with the others about not having naked soap. I have bought soap without shrink wrap, but very fussily. If their soap looks dirty or manhandled, it's not coming home with me. I like the shrink wrap bands better than sealing the bags around the soap.

 

[penelopejane]

I totally understand the logic behind shrink wrapping. I am looking for alternatives to single use, non-recyclable plastic. Can't win them all?

You can use cellophane (the real stuff made from wood). It is recyclable and it breathes.
Another alternative is paper.

 

[Jill B Blasius]

First, there are font size requirements for your ingredients:
https://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/Labeling/Regulations/ucm126444.htm

Ask a few friends over for a "focus group" (like you're doing here, but you're getting what your potential customers prefer).

Show them the options you have or ask them what they'd like better or suggest. Give them each a soap for participating.

Here's what I did - I took a shoebox of soap into work and asked the folks what they would prefer if buying at a craft fair/market. I had various types of packaging:

1. soap left out naked in a wood crate and wrapped in tissue at purchase, contents label on tissue paper
2. shrink wrapped - completely sealed, paper label inside wrapper
3. shrink wrapped - one end open, paper label glued on outside
4. wide cigar band label top to bottom, shrink wrapped completely (sides showing)
5. a cigar band label side to side, unwrapped (top and bottom showing)
6. partially boxed - no shrink wrap, back and bottom fully covered, with front 3/4 covered, sides and top open, with a vertical and horizontal washi tape so soap can't be removed from "box" (which they would pick apart and open, like customers will do!)
7. an open ended slide out style box, with a front cut out, soap unwrapped
8. completely boxed (or wrapped in tissue paper and taped shut) and just presented with a sample bar to see and smell

95% of them wanted a shrink wrapped soap, even the vegan (the plastic didn't bother her as much as others touching her soap). One person was a male, the rest female. Guess who that 5% was that didn't care!?

They preferred #3 and would have liked it in the #7 box. They said they'd like to see and smell the actual piece of soap they are buying, but have it wrapped for sanitary reasons and boxed so it wouldn't be damaged after purchase.

They did not care most for seeing a sample soap and buying an unseen bar wrapped (#1 or #8). Nor did they like the label inside the shrink wrap (#2), they thought that was... "Ewe, gross". (Who woulda thought?!)

I made boxes from card stock - 2 boxes per page (100 pack on sale 50% off and a "damage discount" for the package being unwrapped - $5.62 total) and I got the shrink wrap - 200pcs for $5 - $7 w/shipping? - on Amazon.

So the total cost would be would be 5 cents each bar for the shrink wrap and box. Not much to pay for enticing a customer to buy your product over someone else's.

Just my five cents....

 

[Mississippi soapmaker]

First, there are font size requirements for your ingredients:
https://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/Labeling/Regulations/ucm126444.htm

Ask a few friends over for a "focus group" (like you're doing here, but you're getting what your potential customers prefer).

Show them the options you have or ask them what they'd like better or suggest. Give them each a soap for participating.

Here's what I did - I took a shoebox of soap into work and asked the folks what they would prefer if buying at a craft fair/market. I had various types of packaging:

1. soap left out naked in a wood crate and wrapped in tissue at purchase, contents label on tissue paper
2. shrink wrapped - completely sealed, paper label inside wrapper
3. shrink wrapped - one end open, paper label glued on outside
4. wide cigar band label top to bottom, shrink wrapped completely (sides showing)
5. a cigar band label side to side, unwrapped (top and bottom showing)
6. partially boxed - no shrink wrap, back and bottom fully covered, with front 3/4 covered, sides and top open, with a vertical and horizontal washi tape so soap can't be removed from "box" (which they would pick apart and open, like customers will do!)
7. an open ended slide out style box, with a front cut out, soap unwrapped
8. completely boxed (or wrapped in tissue paper and taped shut) and just presented with a sample bar to see and smell

95% of them wanted a shrink wrapped soap, even the vegan (the plastic didn't bother her as much as others touching her soap). One person was a male, the rest female. Guess who that 5% was that didn't care!?

They preferred #3 and would have liked it in the #7 box. They said they'd like to see and smell the actual piece of soap they are buying, but have it wrapped for sanitary reasons and boxed so it wouldn't be damaged after purchase.

They did not care most for seeing a sample soap and buying an unseen bar wrapped (#1 or #8). Nor did they like the label inside the shrink wrap (#2), they thought that was... "Ewe, gross". (Who woulda thought?!)

I made boxes from card stock - 2 boxes per page (100 pack on sale 50% off and a "damage discount" for the package being unwrapped - $5.62 total) and I got the shrink wrap - 200pcs for $5 - $7 w/shipping? - on Amazon.

So the total cost would be would be 5 cents each bar for the shrink wrap and box. Not much to pay for enticing a customer to buy your product over someone else's.

Just my five cents....

Can you describe how you make the boxes from cardstock? Thanks.

 

[lsg]

I will give you a link to a template maker, but you may be better off buying them pre-made. However, if you want to give it a try, here is the link.

https://www.templatemaker.nl/

 

[Lin19687]

Also note that if you are ONLY claiming the soap is SOAP and does nothing, nothing special about it other then it cleans... you can opt to not put the ingredients. So long as it is a True Soap and not a detergent. I think, might be wrong, that M&P needs to have ingredients listed.

 

[Carl]

They look good IMO with the suggestions from above. I don't mind the slogan as others have mentioned.
What about a batch number? You can use a really small (font size) number on the back to uniquely identify the batch.

 

[SideDoorSoaps]

The only other thing people haven’t mentioned is manufactured by and address. From Marie Gale’s site on labeling soap: A true soap is exempt from FDA cosmetic regulations, and is the labeling requirements are governed by the Fair Packaging and Labeling act. The name of the product, net weight and name and address of the manufacturer, distributor or packager are required on the label; the ingredient declaration is not required.

https://www.mariegale.com/ingredient-labels-soap/

I’m a graphic designer and while your labels are cute and eye-catching, they could be organized better. Your logo doesn’t have to be so large or even on the front panel of your label however it does say soap so that it the identity of your product. I would put the ingredients on the back and have the name and net weight requirements on the front as required on the principle display panel. You could put your little tag line smaller across the top of the label and then soap as the largest element of the label followed by the type and weight in grams and ounces. The weight should be the least amount your product weighs. It’s not allowable to say “approx”. Put the manufacturing/address on the back and it doesn’t have to be large. These are the requirement just if labeling as “soap”

As a cosmetic: The principal display panel, i.e., the part of the label most likely displayed or examined under customary conditions of display for sale (21 CFR 701.10), must state the name of the product, identify by descriptive name or illustration the nature or use of the product, and bear an accurate statement of the net quantity of contents of the cosmetic in the package in terms of weight, measure, numerical count, or a combination of numerical count and weight or measure. The declaration must be distinct, placed in the bottom area of the panel in line generally parallel to the base on which the package rests, and in a type size commensurate with the size of the container as prescribed by regulation.

Also the ingredients can’t be less than 1/16th” or 1/32” depending on the total square inches of your label.

 

[madison]

What about the batch number? How important for soap?