Everything You Need to Know About Storing bar Soap long term
If you’ve just made homemade soap and want to know how to store it after making it, here are some tips. Store your soap in a cool, dry place to prevent it from spoiling. It is also important to know storing methods for cold-process soap and melt soap are different. Let’s look at the best ways to store your soap and if it has gone bad.
Storing handmade soap is easy. If you made hot process or cold process soap, it needs time to cure or dry before use. During this time, store the curing soap in a ventilated place. To learn the best ways to store soap, consider the specific process you used to make it.
Commercial Soaps Last Longer Than Most Homemade Soaps
If you’re just getting started with handmade soap, it’s good to know that many natural soaps have a shorter shelf life than store-bought soap. This is because homemade soaps usually use natural ingredients and do not contain chemicals or preservatives found in commercial brands that help them last longer.
How To Store Soap After Making In An Effective Way
To store your handmade soap, it is best to keep it in a ventilated place. Further, you can also use wooden boxes. Another option is to leave the soap on the curing rack until you are ready to use it.
If you prefer to store the soap in a sealed container to preserve its fragrance, be careful not to trap moisture inside. Make sure the soap bars are fully cured and completely dry for 6-8 weeks before placing them in the container.
To prevent moisture build-up, you can add a few silica gel packets to absorb any moisture. However, be aware that storing soap this way can be difficult if moisture manages to get into the container.
What Do You Wrap Homemade Soap In?
Wrapping Melt and Pour Soap
Melting soap when exposed to high humidity can sometimes produce a glycerin dew, also known as sweat. This happens because soap contains glycerin, which attracts moisture from the air. While cold-process or hot-process soaps can also experience this, it is less common.
When pouring soap by melt, the soap base is already cured and does not require additional drying. To prevent glycerin dew, which is a cosmetic problem, wrap the soaps in shrink wrap as soon as they solidify in the mold and are removed. Plastic film can also be used, but it will not completely block the sweat unless it is in full contact with the surface of the soap.
Wrapping Cold/Hot Process Soap
For cold-process soap storage, it is recommended to use paper packages or any wrapping material that allows air to flow through. Avoid using plastic wrap for two reasons. First, single-use plastic is not environmentally friendly. Second, if there’s any moisture left in the soap bars, they won’t survive, causing the dreaded orange spots. These spots can be unsightly and have a foul smell.
For soap packaging and gift-giving, you can use small cellophane bags. Cellophane is biodegradable, and you can cut a small corner of the package to allow air to enter.
How Packaging Helps to Store Soaps After Making
Packaging plays an important role in maintaining the quality, aroma, and appearance of the soap. It acts as a protective barrier, protecting them from moisture, light, and other external factors that can degrade their quality over time.
Depending on the materials used for the formulation and packaging of the soap, properly packaged soap can be stored for periods ranging from several months to a year or more. In addition, you can order custom soap boxes with window for storage and selling purposes. However, if you buy them in bulk then you can save your money also.
Moreover, soap packaging has the following benefits.
- Ensuring Protection Against Moisture
- Shielding from Light and UV Rays
- Maintaining Shape and Texture
How Long Will Homemade Soap Last?
To determine the best date for your new batch of soap, check the labels of all the ingredients you use. The closest expiration date on the ingredient label is the best indicator for your soap. Generally, soap can stay in good condition for about 6 months to a year, but this can vary.
It is important to know that making soap does not increase the shelf life of the oil, especially if the oil is already close to expiration. Using old oil in soap can cause the dreaded orange spots mentioned earlier. Rancid oil in soap has an unpleasant smell and, although it can still clean, it is not ideal for use on the skin. It is best to use fresh ingredients while making handmade soap to ensure its quality and effectiveness.
Shelf Life of Homemade Soap
As we mentioned earlier, the storage method and ingredients used in homemade soap play an important role in determining its shelf life. While there is no exact time frame for the longevity of homemade soaps, here are some general guidelines:
For soaps made with oils that have a short shelf life (such as grapeseed or hemp oil), it is best to use them within 3-6 months. These oils can degrade relatively quickly, resulting in soap spoilage.
- Scented soaps: Some soaps scented with essential oils may lose their scent in 3-6 months, but the soap itself should be fine to use.
- Average Bar of Homemade Soap: Most natural homemade bars of soap can last up to 3 years.
- Old-fashioned soap made from lye and lard: These simple bars of soap can last 5 years or more.
The Closing Thoughts
Storing a soap after making is easy and you can do it for your home business. Further, storing method is different for melt and cold process soap making. In addition, use wrapping and packaging for longer storage of soaps. Moreover, share this post with others so that can store their soaps effectively. Sharing is caring.
