Extruded artisan soap having inner vein

A process for the manufacture of a soap bar comprising an artisan crafted appearance, said process comprising the steps of:

• i) injecting a thermoplastic mass into an extruded soap mass comprises 25-95% surfactant undergoing substantially plug flow, said injection being directed parallel with the flow of the extruded soap so as to form a composite mass comprising an outer extruded soap and an inner thermoplastic mass in the form of a cylinder, wherein the injected thermoplastic mass and the extruded soap mass are thermoplastic over a temperature range of 30° C. to 50° C., and wherein the injected thermoplastic mass has at least some difference in chemical composition from the extruded soap mass,
• ii) cutting the composite mass into billets,
• iii) stamping the billet with a set of dies which when joined define a mold, wherein the stamping is in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the extruded soap so as to form a stamped bar having a top and bottom stamped surface bounded by a parting line or edge band and a horizontal plane intersecting the parting line or edge band;
• wherein the thickness of the billet is sufficiently larger than the thickness of the mold such that the cylinder comprised of the thermoplastic mass spreads out in a direction orthogonal to the direction of stamping so as to form an inner vein wherein said inner vein is located between the top and bottom stamped faces of the bar and wherein a projection of the inner vein onto the horizontal plane intersecting the parting line or edge band has a maximum width that is at least 20% of a maximum width of the bar in said horizontal plane.