Guest Soap for Boutique Spas: How to Choose the Size, Scent and Presentation

In short: Most boutique spas choose a 20g guest soap, because it lasts a visit or a short stay and fits neatly on a basin or changing room shelf. Choose a scent to suit each room, make sure guests can see the full ingredient list, and present each bar so it feels part of the treatment. Holy Lama makes 20g handmade vegan soaps in four scents for trade customers.

Guest soap is one of the smallest things in a spa and one of the first things a guest touches. It is in the changing room, beside the treatment room basin and often in the bag a guest takes home. This guide answers the questions spa owners ask us when they choose guest soap, and explains why so many choose a 20g bar.

What size soap is best for spa guests?

A 20g bar is large enough for a full visit or a short stay, and small enough to sit neatly on a basin, a changing room shelf or a treatment trolley. Guests can take what is left home with them, so each guest starts with a fresh bar. Larger bars suit shared shower areas where a bar stays in place for longer, but for individual guests a 20g bar is usually the better fit.

Which scent suits which room?

Scent sets the tone of a space, so it is worth choosing deliberately. Our 20g bars come in four scents, all made on a virgin coconut oil base:

• Neem & Tulsi (Yogi): a herbal scent of neem and tulsi with lavender, ylang ylang and vetivert. A good everyday choice for changing rooms.
• Turmeric & Patchouli (Curcuma): warm and spicy, with orange and geranium. Suits reception basins and winter menus.
• Vetivert (Rainforest): deep and earthy, with patchouli and cedarwood. Works well alongside massage and body treatments.
• Bergamot & Patchouli (Kewra): a warm floral of kewra, bergamot and clove. A natural fit for facial rooms and gift bags.

Many spas match the soap to the oils used in the treatment room. Our post on massage oils for spas sets out the blends we make.

What should a guest soap label show?

Soap given to guests is still a cosmetic product, so guests should be able to see what is in it. Every Holy Lama soap pack carries the full ingredient list and a batch number, and the ingredients for each soap are also on our website. If you take bars out of a multipack before putting them out, keep the ingredient information to hand at reception for any guest who asks.

How should guest soap be presented and kept?

In our Neem & Tulsi Miniature Set of 12 x 20g, each bar is wrapped in glassine paper and sits in its own shell moulded from fallen areca palm leaves. The shell makes a ready made presentation dish for a basin or a gift bag.

Between guests, keep bars on a draining soap dish away from running water so they dry and stay firm. Our guide on how to make a handmade soap bar last longer has more tips.

What is in Holy Lama guest soap?

Every Holy Lama soap is made by hand at our own factory in Kerala, India, by a family business that dates back to 1946, and every one is vegan. Our products are registered with the Vegan Society. The soaps are SLS free and made with essential oils and botanical extracts on a virgin coconut oil base.

Neem & Tulsi is 100% natural origin. Turmeric & Patchouli, Vetivert and Bergamot & Patchouli are 99% natural origin and also contain fragrance, listed as Parfum. All figures are calculated under ISO 16128, water included.

Holy Lama is a women owned family business, and more than 80% of the people at our factory are women.

Can I sell them in my spa shop?

Yes. The Neem & Tulsi Miniature Set of 12 x 20g makes a simple retail line for a spa shop or reception desk, and our full sized 100g soaps and gift sets sit well beside it. For trade prices and quantities, visit our Hotel & Spas page or our Wholesale and Distributors page. Retailers can also find us on Ankorstore and Faire. You may also like our post on natural soap for hotels and spas.