A baby… for life!!!. Review on Pears Soap

One of my earliest memories is as a toddler splashing around in a plastic red baby bath-tub, in the huge combined bathroom of grandpa’s railway quarters. Mom comes in with a brand new Pears soap, places it in the soap case and goes back to get towels and stuff. Once her back is turned, I crawl out of the tub and start playing with the eye-catching oval brown bar which has been beckoning me. My already wet hands do the trick and very soon, the prized mass of alkali slips out of my tiny fingers…. right into the toilet opening (Indian style) and down into the drainage. This is followed by a loud wail from my dismayed Mom, who can see the brand new soap and rupees literally go down the drain.

Thus began my love affair with Pears, which is continuing till date!!!

BACKGROUND

Andrew Pears was a Cornish barber who arrived in London in 1789. He subsequently extended his product range to powders, creams and other beauty aids which catered to the needs of his rich clientele. He soon recognized the need for a gentle milder soap which would not play havoc with the tender complexion of the upper classes. With some trial and error, he was able to perfect a product which had a refined base along with the delicate perfume of English garden flowers. A unique feature of this soap was its transparent look, which was used as its USP helping in its image building process.

Many years down the line, descendants of Andrew Pears partnered with Thomas Barratt, an advertising genius who successfully positioned the soap through various advertising campaigns. One of his most successful advertisement was a paining 'Bubbles' by Sir John Everett Millais' of his grandson, Willie (later Admiral Sir William)James, a curly-headed little boy. Till date, 'Bubbles' remains etched in memory of most advertising students as an excellent example of successful ad campaigns. Subsequently the brand was sold to Unilever.

THE PRODUCT & ITS POSITIONING

Pears Soap is now marketed in India by Hindustan Lever Limited. The product contains ingredients such as glycerin, rosemary, cedar, natural oils, and thyme. It does not contain any animal fat nor is it tested on animals. There is an elaborate process of manufacturing and ageing which takes about three months after which it reaches a state of pure transparency. The manufacturing process has remained by and large constant for over 200 years.

For a long time, Pears held the monopoly in the baby soap market with most mothers preferring the natural goodness of this product for the delicate skin of their babies. However, a few years ago, the brand was repositioned it from merely being a “baby soap” to a mild soap which could be used by adults as well, particularly as a “beauty soap” having a mild effect on soft skin. This helped in eliminating any possible embarrassment one may have felt in using this product in their “grown-up” years.

THE PRICE

This may not be a pricey product, but it certainly falls into the category of premium soap. A 75 gm bar costs Rs.19.50, which is slightly on the higher side. Recently a cost-saving pack of three bars for Rs.49 has been introduced.

THE EFFECT

The product is a soft soap with moderate lather and a gentle effect on the skin. After washing off the soap, one does not get the feeling of your body oils having been sucked out off your pores, i.e. the drying off effect is absent. The fragrance is not like the regular soaps which have some floral perfume artificially inseminated into the product. It is more natural and feels in-tune with the basic minimum requirement of a soap, nothing more, nothing less.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

At around the age of eight, a somewhat obnoxious female relative made a rather rude remark about how I was still using a baby soap. That did it for me! After that day, I wanted to use the same soap brands as the grown-ups. Hence there was a rather long hiatus from usage of Pears.

It was in my late teens when, after suffering through a rather severe bout of pimples and acne, I was advised by a skin specialist to use a mild soap since the normal fragrant soaps carried a lot of harsh chemicals which had a harmful effect on the skin. Due to this medical reason, I rediscovered the pleasures of using Pears and the fragrance once again brought back old memories.

I have also been a sucker for lime-scented soaps like Cinthol and Liril, but I keep coming back repeatedly to this childhood friend of mine.

For Pears, I am prepared to remain a baby for life!