Pears
Pears is a historic British glycerin-soap brand known for its translucent amber bars and pioneering use of modern advertising.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Pears is a personal-care brand centered on glycerin soap and recognized for its distinctive translucent appearance, oval bar shape, amber color, and long association with British commercial culture. The brand traces its origin to Andrew Pears, a barber and cosmetics maker from Cornwall who established himself in London in the late eighteenth century. Working in Soho, where his customers included affluent residents concerned with complexion and grooming, Pears experimented with gentler cleansing products than the harsh soaps then commonly used. The resulting glycerin-based soap was first sold in London in 1807 and became notable as the first widely marketed translucent soap. The product’s transparency was both a manufacturing consequence and a commercial asset. Unlike conventional hard soaps, Pears retained glycerol created during saponification and used alcohol in a prolonged drying process. The partially dried soap was extruded, cut into oval bars, and aged in heated drying rooms. This method produced the brand’s characteristic appearance and fragrance while differentiating it from ordinary opaque household soaps. Historically, bars were associated with a mild cleansing experience and were sold in bath and toilet sizes. Contemporary production has used several colors and formats, including the familiar amber bar and green and blue or mint variants, although formulas, packaging, sizes, and claims have changed over time. The business became A. & F. Pears after Andrew Pears’s grandson Francis joined in 1835. Production later moved from central London to Isleworth, and the firm received a prize medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851. The brand’s commercial development accelerated under Thomas J. Barratt, who joined the business as a bookkeeper in 1864, married into the Pears family, and became responsible for administration and marketing. Barratt is often described as a pioneer of modern advertising. Pears used celebrity testimonials, collectible trade cards, art reproduction, promotional publications, and unusual forms of brand circulation to make a bar of soap a recognizable consumer product. Pears advertising also helped establish practices that later became common across consumer industries. Lillie Langtry’s 1882 endorsement is widely associated with the first negotiated celebrity endorsement of a commercial product by a woman. The brand used John Everett Millais’s painting Bubbles, modified to include Pears soap, and commissioned or acquired other visual assets for retail displays. Its campaigns sometimes reflected Victorian and imperial assumptions about cleanliness, social progress, and civilization; this historical advertising is therefore important both as a milestone in branding and as evidence of the period’s ideology. A. & F. Pears became a public company in 1892. Lever Brothers acquired a substantial holding after Barratt’s death in 1914, and the takeover was completed in 1920. Lever Brothers later became part of Unilever. Marketing and administrative functions moved to Port Sunlight, while manufacturing remained at Isleworth for a time. Production subsequently moved to Port Sunlight in the 1960s, and the original Isleworth factory was later destroyed by fire. In the modern period, Pears soap has been manufactured in India by Hindustan Unilever and in Saudi Arabia for distribution to international markets. Since 2003, Cert Brands has been responsible for marketing and distributing Pears soap in the United Kingdom. The brand has experienced periodic consumer criticism when formula or packaging changes were perceived to weaken its traditional fragrance, texture, longevity, or transparency. A 2009 reformulation of the amber bar, sold as Gentle Care, prompted an online campaign and press coverage in early 2010. The reported response was not a complete restoration of the former formula but further work intended to bring the scent closer to the historic product. Pears was relaunched in the United Kingdom in 2016 as a…
History
Andrew Pears was born in Cornwall around 1770 and moved to London as a young man. After training as a barber, he opened a shop in Soho and developed cosmetic preparations for a clientele attentive to appearance and complexion. At a time when many soaps and beauty products were harsh, Pears investigated purification and produced a milder glycerin soap using natural fats and an alcohol-based process. Its transparency gave it an unusual visual identity, and the soap entered the London market in 1807. Francis Pears, Andrew’s grandson, joined the business in 1835, after which it traded as A. & F. Pears. Andrew retired in 1838, leaving Francis in charge. The firm received recognition at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and moved manufacturing to Isleworth in 1862. Thomas J. Barratt joined as a bookkeeper in 1864, married Francis Pears’s daughter the following year, and became a central figure in the company’s administration and advertising. He helped transform Pears from a soap maker into a highly visible branded consumer business. Pears used a broad range of promotional methods. In the nineteenth century, the company circulated branded materials through trade cards, art reproductions, shop displays, publications, and celebrity testimonials. It used a statue based on Giovanni Focardi’s You dirty boy!, commissioned or acquired rights connected with Millais’s Bubbles, and publicized endorsements from performers and public figures. Lillie Langtry’s 1882 endorsement became a landmark in the history of celebrity advertising. Barratt also devised promotional schemes involving marked foreign coins and supported recurring publications such as Pears’ Annual and Pears’ Cyclopaedia. These activities helped make the product name familiar beyond the shop where it was sold. The company expanded strongly in Britain and developed a substantial United States market. A. & F. Pears was floated as a public company in 1892. After Barratt died in 1914, Lever Brothers acquired a significant stake, and the acquisition was completed in 1920. Lever Brothers later became part of Unilever. Marketing and related functions moved to Port Sunlight, while soap production continued at Isleworth until the manufacturing operation was transferred in the 1960s. Unilever also operated a cosmetic development laboratory at the former Isleworth site, whose original factory was later destroyed by fire. The traditional manufacturing process depended on retaining glycerol and drying the soap over an extended period. The soap was produced in relatively small vessels, extruded as a translucent amber mass, cut into bars, and placed in progressively warmer drying rooms. Evaporation of alcohol and moisture affected the final transparency, hardness, shape, and weight. Historical bars were made in multiple sizes, and later products also appeared in green and mint or blue versions. Modern ingredient lists and production methods do not necessarily reproduce the earliest formula. Cosmetics regulation influenced later packaging and ingredient disclosure. Following a 2003 amendment to European Union cosmetics rules, certain fragrance allergens had to be listed when present above specified thresholds. Pears labeling included several such ingredients. In 2009 the amber soap was changed and sold as Gentle Care, with a different scent and texture and altered presentation. Consumers objected, and a 2010 online campaign contributed to press coverage and reported plans for additional improvements. The brand subsequently promoted a United Kingdom relaunch in 2016. Pears soap is now manufactured in India by Hindustan Unilever and in Saudi Arabia for global distribution. In the United Kingdom, Cert Brands has handled marketing and distribution since 2003. The brand remains active as a heritage soap name, combining a distinctive translucent bar with a history that spans early industrial cosmetics, mass-market branding, celebrity advertising, and multinational consumer-goods ownership.
- 2016
United Kingdom relaunch
[1]Pears announced a United Kingdom relaunch as a British heritage brand.
- 2009
Gentle Care reformulation
[1]The amber soap formula and packaging were changed.
- 2003
United Kingdom distribution changes
[1]Cert Brands became responsible for United Kingdom marketing and distribution.
- 1920
Lever Brothers takeover completed
[1]Lever Brothers completed its acquisition of A. & F. Pears.
- 1892
Public company flotation
[1]A. & F. Pears became a publicly floated company.
- 1882
Lillie Langtry endorsement
[1]Lillie Langtry endorsed Pears, creating an early landmark in paid celebrity advertising.
- 1862
Production moves to Isleworth
[1]Manufacturing was transferred from central London to Isleworth.
- 1851
Recognition at the Great Exhibition
[1]The company received a prize medal for soap at the Great Exhibition.
- 1835
A. & F. Pears established
[1]Francis Pears joined the family business, which adopted the A. & F. Pears name.
- 1807
First Pears soap sold
[1]Andrew Pears began selling his translucent glycerin soap in London.
Products and positioning
A heritage personal-care brand positioned around translucent glycerin soap, recognizable fragrance, traditional craftsmanship, gentle cleansing, and British advertising history.
Glycerin toilet soap · 1807
Pears Amber Soap
The signature translucent amber bar and the product most closely associated with Pears. Its identity is built around the visible glycerin-rich appearance, oval form, characteristic fragrance, and traditional association with extended drying. Modern versions have differed from historical formulas in ingredients, texture, labeling, packaging, and product claims.
Reformulated toilet soap · 2009
Pears Gentle Care
A 2009 presentation of the amber soap following a formula and packaging change. The product was reported to be softer and shorter-lasting, with a noticeably different fragrance and revised claims. Consumer criticism led to reported efforts to make the scent closer to the traditional version.
Colored toilet soap
Pears Green Soap
A green-colored Pears bar sold as an alternative to the classic amber version. It shares the brand’s transparent or semi-transparent visual tradition while using a distinct aroma and color identity.
Mint or blue toilet soap
Pears Mint Soap
A mint-associated variant commonly identified by a blue or mint color. It extends Pears’s core soap format into a differentiated fragrance and color offering.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016The beloved British Icon Returns
United Kingdom
Pears presented its United Kingdom relaunch as the return of a longstanding British icon.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced the brand’s heritage positioning.
- 2010Save Pears Facebook campaign
United Kingdom
Consumers used Facebook to object to the 2009 reformulation, especially its changed scent, texture, and durability.
Outcome. The campaign helped bring the dispute to media attention and was followed by reports of further product adjustments.
- 1886Bubbles advertisement
United Kingdom · United States
Thomas Barratt adapted John Everett Millais’s Bubbles by adding Pears soap and the brand name, linking the product to respected academic art.
Outcome. The advertisement became one of the best-known examples of art-based Victorian commercial advertising.
- 1882Lillie Langtry endorsement
United Kingdom
Pears recruited actress and socialite Lillie Langtry to recommend the soap for hands and complexion. The promotion is widely treated as an early landmark in commercial celebrity endorsement.
Outcome. The endorsement strengthened Pears’s association with celebrity culture and became part of advertising history.
Brand decisions
2016
United Kingdom heritage relaunchStrategyBackground
Pears sought to renew its presence in the United Kingdom as a historic British brand.
Action taken
The company announced a relaunch built around Pears’s heritage and iconic status.
Aftermath
The relaunch maintained the brand’s heritage-led positioning in the United Kingdom.
2009
Amber soap reformulated as Gentle CareGeneration changeBackground
Unilever changed the amber soap formula and introduced an inner cellophane wrapper.
Action taken
The reformulated bar was made softer, its fragrance was altered, and earlier hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic presentation was removed.
Aftermath
Consumer complaints and a social-media campaign led to reports that the company would make further improvements toward the traditional scent.
2003
Ingredient labeling updated for European cosmetics rulesStrategyBackground
European Union cosmetics rules introduced labeling requirements for specified fragrance allergens above defined concentrations.
Action taken
Pears packaging identified applicable fragrance ingredients, including benzyl benzoate, cinnamal, eugenol, limonene, and linalool.
Aftermath
The change increased ingredient transparency but did not by itself establish when each substance entered the formula.
1917
Lever Brothers takes a major holdingM&ABackground
After Thomas Barratt’s death, Lever Brothers acquired a major shareholding in A. & F. Pears.
Action taken
Lever Brothers began integrating Pears into its wider consumer-products organization.
Aftermath
The takeover was completed in 1920, and the brand ultimately became part of Unilever.
Recent events
- 2016
Pears relaunched in the United Kingdom[1]
Product launch · Campaign
The brand announced a United Kingdom relaunch presenting Pears as a returning British heritage icon.
- 2010
Pears responds to online campaign over reformulation[1]
Campaign · Product generation
Following a Facebook campaign and media attention, reports said the brand would make further improvements to produce a fragrance closer to the earlier version.
- 2009
Pears formula change prompts consumer backlash[1]
Product generation · Other
The amber soap was reformulated and marketed as Gentle Care. Consumers criticized its altered scent, softer texture, shorter usable life, and changes to traditional product claims.
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