how long does soap keep for?

[eagletower]

I bought a few samples of soap, and then bought a tub of 200ml castle forbes lime.

I only have to use a small amount to get a decent lather ,so at the rate i am using it would last me years!

Does soap go bad or off after a while?

What should i do to keep it good?

thanks

 

[redgrandam]

Soap or cream? Soaps will last a very very long time, just may loose some sent after a while. but creams are different.

 

[eagletower]

its a cream. (albeit its very thick and solid, and more like a soft soap than a cream)

but how long do creams and soaps last?

thank you

 

[jkh]

Look for the period-after-opening symbol on the container, this will tell you how long the product should keep after it is opened. I would guess about one to two years.

I think keeping the container sealed when not in use and storing a relatively temperature, humidity, and sunlight neutral environment would ensure the life of the product.

 

[Luc]

Look for the period-after-opening symbol on the container, this will tell you how long the product should keep after it is opened. I would guess about one to two years.

I think keeping the container sealed when not in use and storing a relatively temperature, humidity, and sunlight neutral environment would ensure the life of the product.

+1

I bought a cream the other day that was package in 2001 and it was a bit dry but I soon as I pushed the clogged cork of soap, the cream was all right.

 

[eagletower]

Thanks for the replies , will look for the symbol to see how long it says i can use it for. one or two years would be great!

 

[soapbox]

One less helpful answer -- but technically correct, anyway -- is "until enough of the superfatted oils go rancid or the soap molecules themselves break down." Some soaps use extra fats or oils to ensure that all of the lye reacts during the saponification process. These oils and fats eventually oxidize and start to smell bad. Usually the soap is still effective, but the smell is unpleasant. Those soap that do not superfat (say, anything made from the industrial-standard 80/20 soap base), like Ivory, Dial, etc., will as a rule last much longer.

Obviously keeping your soap away from moisture, heat, and in an oxygen-poor environment (i.e. unopened) will greatly extend its shelf life.

 

[DrLongandStrong]

If the soap box does not have a Product After Opening (PAO) symbol, then it means 1 of 2 things:

1) The soap is good to use after opening for at least 3 years
2) The soap is not sold in Europe so the manufacturer does not need a PAO symbol on the box (PAO symbol not needed if sold only in the USA).

 

[soapbox]

If the soap box does not have a Product After Opening (PAO) symbol, then it means 1 of 2 things:

1) The soap is good to use after opening for at least 3 years
2) The soap is not sold in Europe so the manufacturer does not need a PAO symbol on the box (PAO symbol not needed if sold only in the USA).

That's very helpful -- I had no idea. Thanks for the input!

 

[cfriend]

Sorry to resurrect this, but how does this apply to the "vintage" SAO tubs I see on the BST from time to time? I'm told that after rehydrating (swirling a small amount of water in with a fork) they're usually good to go again. I assume these are more than a year old and many are shown as opened in pictures.

 

[flipperz]

There may be contrary thoughts but most any cream can be rehydrated, I've had success with this process as have others.

 

[Jim]

I have several soaps that were manufactured in the 1950's that are a joy to use.
Soaps are primarily composed of salts and are chemically very stable for many years if kept dry.

Old style creams are really soft soaps and will last a very long time also, the newer creams seem to be a cornucopia off the chemists bench- so who knows.

 

[heirkb]

So do I NEED a lid for my soaps that are in bowls? I see lots of people using soaps in mugs that don't have lids (like Old spice mugs). Does that take away from the longevity?

 

[soapbox]

So do I NEED a lid for my soaps that are in bowls? I see lots of people using soaps in mugs that don't have lids (like Old spice mugs). Does that take away from the longevity?

Depending on how much unreacted oil/fat ("superfat") is in the bar, yes, keeping it away from oxygen and heat will extend its life. Oxygen causes oils to go rancid, and while the soap molecules (as Jim noted, an alkaline salt of a fatty acid) are pretty stable, the fats and oils will eventually oxidize, and other additives may either oxidize or break down. Some companies may use oxygen-sequestering agents like BHT to retard the oxidizing process, either in their packaging or in the soap itself.

I got a 75+ year old shave stick once with my purchase of a Colgate shave stick tube from The Bay and man that thing smelled terrible.

 

[Bulldawg]

Look for the period-after-opening symbol on the container, this will tell you how long the product should keep after it is opened. I would guess about one to two years.

I think keeping the container sealed when not in use and storing a relatively temperature, humidity, and sunlight neutral environment would ensure the life of the product.

I'm starting to wonder if the default for the PAO is 12M. I recently bought two soaps (DR Harris shave stick and L'Occitane soap puck) and each say PAO 12M. Has anyone seen a soap or cream that doesn't say PAO 12M?

 

[TheGrooveking]

Tabac soap is 36 months according to its 36 next to the open symbol.

 

[heirkb]

Does anyone have any info on Penhaligon's BB or MWF? I couldn't find any PAO thingy on mine. Should I assume 2 to 3 years after opening?
If I wrap it in some plastic wrap and store it, won't it last longer? Seems to be the case, as lots of people are still using Old spice soaps from way back

 

[Bulldawg]

Tabac soap is 36 months according to its 36 next to the open symbol.

Yeah, I just checked my Moos and it's also 36 months. Guess it was a coincidence that L'Occitane Soap and DR Harris Arlington Soap were both marked as 12M PAO

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Well,

I just bought a puck/bowl of Old Wrisley's Lavender that was clearly made in the 1950s or earlier. Scent is gone (or almost) but I'll post how well it shaves after I let a few drops of water sit on it for a few days.

 

[adonnellyr]

Every one of my creams is marked 12 months and every soap 36 months. For creams, I have a couple TOBS, Vulfix, Proraso, La Toja and Body Shop (all reading 12 months).