Custom Soap - How to Build a Custom Soap Batch

Welcome to Adams Handmade Soap. There is no better way to distinguish your business from the competition than with a custom product that is exclusive to you. A custom soap batch is the perfect way to set yourself apart and put your unique touch on your soap. We are very excited to partner with you and see what we can create together. You bring your best ideas and we will bring our expertise and fabulous ingredients together to create an amazing custom soap. We have made the process of selecting ingredients and building your custom soap batch easier than ever with this step-by-step guide. Let's get started!

Your first decision is how many loaves of your custom soap you wish to create. A full batch makes 18 loaves or 180 standard bars. A half batch makes 9 loaves or 90 standard bars. The full batch has a better value per loaf than the half batch and has a few more intricate color options that are not available on the half batch. 

Follow this link to start a full batch: Full Batch of 18 Loaves

Follow this link to start a half batch: Half Batch of 9 Loaves

Once you have selected your batch size, your next decision is to select one of three scent profiles. We offer a Single Scent option, Blend of Two Scents option, and a Blend of Three Scents option to let you select the perfect amount of complexity for the scent profile that you desire. Select the Single Scent option to pick one of our nearly 200 scent profiles. Select the Blend of Two Scents to pick a primary and secondary scent from the same list of nearly 200 options. Finally, select the Blend of Three Scents to select a primary, secondary, and accent scent for a truly one of a kind scent profile on your custom soap batch. 

Once you know how complex of a scent profile you want to make in your custom soap batch, your first option is to select either our Conventional Oil Base or our Organic Oil Base. Both are excellent choices and will create a luxurious soap with great lather and excellent moisturizing qualities.

Once you have selected your preferred base oil, you will have the option to incorporate additives such as Abyssinian Oil, Beer, Goat Milk, and Shea Butter, to name a few. These additives give you the ability to alter the intrinsic characteristics of your custom soap batch to meet a desired performance criteria, appeal to a particular demographic or niche, or simply create something someone has never seen before. Feel free to add as many as you desire.

Once you have your base oils and additives settled, you are ready to select your scent profile. If you selected the Single Scent option a few steps back, you will have one selection to make at this point. If you selected the Blend of Two Scents, you will have two selections to make. If you selected the Blend of Three Scents, you will have three selections. If you are selecting either the Blend of Two Scents or the Blend of Three Scents, be conscious of the Primary Scent, Secondary Scent, and Accent Scent options. The scent that you select on the Primary Scent will be the strongest scent and the Secondary Scent will compliment it but with less strength. The Accent Scent selection will be a hint or light kiss to complement the first two. Please be aware of this priority when making your selections. We offer nearly 200 of the highest quality essential oils (EO), certified natural fragrances (CNF), and fragrance oils (FO). The distinctions of EO, CNF, and FO are given respectively to each scent in the options menu to aid you in making your scent selection. For more information regarding the differences between the three classifications, please see our Ingredient Philosophy page at the link below to learn more. 

Now that you have your scent profile selected, your next step is to select the color pattern that will make your custom soap batch look great. You could go with a simple and classic solid color or spice it up and select a wild double swirl. First, lets walk through the possible options. 

Custom soap batches with No Color Required will finish in various shades of brown. They will pickup some shading from the essential oil or fragrance that was previously selected and will continue to darken to varying degrees with time as they continue to dry and cure. The following are some examples of soaps without any added color.

The solid color selection will enable you to select one of our 38 color options. Below are three examples of a solid color soap loaf. 

Now we are starting to have some fun! By selecting this option, you will be given the choice of one base color and one swirl color. The base color selection will be the prevailing color throughout the soap loaf and the swirl color selection will be a pop of color that is swirled and marbled throughout the soap loaf. The sky is the limit with the combinations of colors that are available. See below for a few examples of a Base Color with One Swirl Color soap. 

The same as a Base Color with One Swirl Color but with two swirl colors selections for twice the visual interest. These soaps really pop and are truly beautiful pieces of art. See below for a few examples of the Base Color with Two Swirl Color soaps. 

Commonly referred to as the "two-tone" color pattern, this option provides the ability to create two distinct and complimentary colors on the top and bottom of the loaf. Be aware that this color option is only available in the Full Batch and is not available in the Half Batch size. See below for several examples of the One Color Top and One Color Bottom color pattern.

Once you have selected the color pattern that you desire, you will have the option to select the actual colors that you want for each part of the custom soap batch. We only use cosmetic grade and skin safe coloring ingredients and each ingredient is listed along with the color type to aid in make an informed choice.

You are almost done! The last step of building your custom soap batch is to select your additives. Try adding exfoliating additives like fresh coffee grounds, rolled oats, and lavender buds or different clays, salts, or seeds to put the finishing touch on your custom soap batch. 

Now that your custom soap batch is complete, we would like to know how you prefer your loaf tops to be processed. The default, and our personal favorite, is the Slab Top option. This leaves the rough loaf top intact which retains much of the handmade appearance that brings so much appeal to our soaps. If you desire a cleaner and more sophisticated look, the Block Top option can be selected. If so, we will trim off a thin top layer from each loaf to create a perfectly smooth surface and edge on each side. More info and pictures of the difference between the Slab Top and Block Top options can be found by following the link below.

Soap Loaf Cutting and Sizing Guide 

Lastly, we offer multiple bar cutting options for your custom soap batch. The default of Uncut will result in either 9 or 18 soap loaves, depending on the batch size that you selected at the beginning of the process. Each of these loaves measure approximately 11" long, 3.25" wide, and 2.75" to 3" tall. A standard 1" bar cutter will yield 10 full size bars with a small end piece on each end. However, if you need assistance cutting these loaves into bars, we have multiple cutting options and sizes to suite your needs. To learn more about our bar cutting options, please follow the link below.