Soap packaging has come a long way from bland cardboard boxes. With the growing popularity of artisan cleansers like handmade soap and eco-friendly soap—which is expected to become a $224.5 million market by 2031—soap bar packaging has also evolved to not only ensure that the delicate soaps are well-protected but also to enhance customers’ experiences with unwrapping and learning more about your products.

Now, don’t get us wrong. Soap boxes are still very much alive, but over the years, they’ve taken on a different look in both form and function. From environment-friendly packaging and custom soap box design to luxury packaging and minimalistic packaging, modern packaging for soap bars has set a new standard.

There’s a growing interest not just in eco-friendly soap but also in sustainable packaging for such products. The increased consumption of soap—whose production is projected to grow by 6.7% from 2020 to 2030—has led to an increase in soap packaging waste. Common materials used in soap packaging include paper and waxed papers, but other materials like cellophane and polypropylene are also used to some extent. Fortunately, modifications in soap box packaging have helped curb the environmental impact of soap products.

Ready to package soap in a way that makes it stand out? Dive into the rich world of custom soap packaging, from custom wrapping options to sustainable packaging materials.

What Is Soap Packaging?

Soap packaging involves storing soap products in containers or wrapping them in materials like paper. With well-designed soap packaging, you can grab your customers’ attention, set your products apart, and enhance your soap branding. You can incorporate components like your logo, tagline, and brand colors that help drive awareness.

Soap packaging can also drive your brand narrative. Including information such as scent blends offers a glimpse into your product’s quality, while incorporating information about your brand, such as your core values or sustainability goals, can potentially resonate with your target consumers.

5 Ideas for Soap Packaging Worth Looking Into

Whether you’re going the DIY route when it comes to making your soap packaging or enlisting the aid of a specialist packaging company to design custom boxes for soap packaging, these soap wrapping and soap label ideas will have you excitedly wrapping homemade soap in no time.

1. Eco-Friendly Packaging

Eco-friendly soap packaging refers to recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging. Typically, environment-friendly packaging materials include recycled cardboard, paper made from sustainable materials like hemp, or compostable tissue paper. One of the advantages to using such options—aside from their lower carbon footprint—is their customizability. You might associate “eco-friendly” packaging with plain brown boxes or paper, but it can still be customized through print or with compostable custom labels for branding.

2. Sleeve or Holster-Style Packaging

This type of soap packaging is a neat way to give a sneak peek of your soap. Like cardboard boxes and paper packaging, they’re also very customizable. For example, with paper or cardboard sleeves, you get to decide on its width.

Holster-style soap packaging is also a great alternative to sleeves. They still offer protection for your soaps while allowing potential customers to pick them up easily and get a whiff of your products. This type of packaging also tends to have more real estate, so you’ll have more room to showcase your branding and brand story.

3. Custom Wrapping

Custom wrapping can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. For example, you can use kraft paper to wrap your soaps, stamp your label, or use custom stickers. Printed labels also provide more information to customers, such as the ingredients list, best applications of the soap, and your company’s details. Aside from kraft paper, you can use tissue paper or even sustainable fabrics to wrap your soaps.

4. Custom Cardboard Boxes

Custom cardboard boxes are a great option if you’re looking for greater versatility and customizability. They come in a range of sizes, shapes, thicknesses, and material types. For example, folding boxes can be customized to have these little windows (window patching) that give customers a glimpse of what’s inside.

You can also consider die-cutting, like cutouts in interesting shapes, and make custom soap boxes with a die cut that allows your soap packaging to stand out. You also have the option to choose either gloss or matte lamination to top off your custom carton box design.

5. Plastic Wraps

Plastic soap packaging has gained a bad rap over the years, but it can still be an effective packaging option for soap products. They’re great for keeping your soaps clean and protected from moisture and contaminants. Plus, you can use sustainable plastics like bioplastics made from sugar, corn, and hemp. You can even opt to use translucent or fully transparent wraps. Like the other packaging options, you can use the space provided by plastic wraps for labels and soap information.