Shelf life of artisan soaps
- Thread starter Ramsay
- Start date
I know many youtubers use soaps they've had for years from multiple artisans. No loss in scent or performance
Fayiz D.
Fayiz D.
I have had samples for over a year without any impact on performance. However, scent hss been pretty much eliminated from samples after six months. Longer for better packaged full size soaps.
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shavefan
I’m not a fan
I have soaps in my rotation that are at least 3 years old (Wholly Kaw, Barrister and Mann, Eufros, SV, MdC. . .) No loss in performance and scent is still strong with all of them too.
I've Croaps from many artisans from atleat 5 years. Stored in dark dry place, no change. Some may dry a bit and change some color but no change in scent and performance
Most of the artisan soap I see have that symbol that says you should use within a year after opening. My experience so far has been they last much longer than a year.
The 12 months sticker is a "best if used by" date that is pretty much just for them to cover their behind in case scent loss occurs. Of the hundreds and hundreds of soaps I have tried over the years only a couple have gone bad, some could be from environmental factors. For the most part the majority of soaps last for years or even decades and the worst that happens is a bit of scent loss.
Cella is one soap that is known for going bad/rancid after a short time for Some reason.
Cella is one soap that is known for going bad/rancid after a short time for Some reason.
I notice once soaps(mostly samples in my case) get old that small light bumps or beads start to form in the soap. They almost feel like little tapioca pearls or something
Anybody else experience this?
In fact, now that I think of it, the two samples that have done this were two I got during a screaming discount. Perhaps discounted for getting older?
Anybody else experience this?
In fact, now that I think of it, the two samples that have done this were two I got during a screaming discount. Perhaps discounted for getting older?
I remember having a discussion with another member about the shelf life of Wholly Kaw, since the artisan said 6 months was optimal and he took that to mean they weren't good after that. That was nearly 4 years ago and I shaved with my Man From Mayfair yesterday and it still smells and lathers fine. Is there a slight loss in performance? Perhaps, but I have older artisan soaps than that, and other than loss of scent over time they don't seem to have any issues.
EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I have that with a vintage Fabergé Brut shave soap; I believe it is stearic acid and is quite normal.
Certainly not "drops of essential oils that have not been well processed and are encapsulated".
Ingredients: Aqua, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Cocos, Nucifera, Sodium Hydroxide, Lanolin, Glycerin, Parfum
Ingredients: Aqua, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Cocos, Nucifera, Sodium Hydroxide, Lanolin, Glycerin, Parfum
For me, the concept of shaving soap 'shelf life' transcends the effects of time on scent strength and lathering performance.
My concerns have always been with ingredients like EOs, for example, and what happens when they oxidize and degrade. Apparently, they can morph into new chemicals that might not be so very beneficial and possibly detrimental. I suppose that there are so many possible variables here, combined with an obvious lack of scientific testing on this exact subject, the waters are understandably murky. Still, EOs do degrade and the resulting chemistry can be irritating.
Cosmetics are also known to oxidize into known irritants, and harbor dangerous bacteria.
There are many reports of bacterial infections resulting from the use of expired makeup.
Soap isn't makeup or lotion. But, I am not so certain that soaps are so very far removed from those products that I am comfortable with the long-term storage of soft soaps loaded with EOs and whathaveyou, and no preservatives.
Most hard pucks from long ago seem to not have any ingredients that might cause issues but there we no ingredients lists for a very long time so that's more of a guess.
Moral of the story is that just because some soap maven says they never had a problem using soap past the expiration date doesn't mean there isn't going to be a problem for someone someday. I'd rather not be that someone. That's just my view of the subject, and it's one reason why I don't have 40-50 or more soft soaps in my cabinet. I do have a soft soap that is over 2 yr old, I wonder about it sometimes. I might toss it and just get a new one, peace of mind is priceless.
My concerns have always been with ingredients like EOs, for example, and what happens when they oxidize and degrade. Apparently, they can morph into new chemicals that might not be so very beneficial and possibly detrimental. I suppose that there are so many possible variables here, combined with an obvious lack of scientific testing on this exact subject, the waters are understandably murky. Still, EOs do degrade and the resulting chemistry can be irritating.
Cosmetics are also known to oxidize into known irritants, and harbor dangerous bacteria.
There are many reports of bacterial infections resulting from the use of expired makeup.
Soap isn't makeup or lotion. But, I am not so certain that soaps are so very far removed from those products that I am comfortable with the long-term storage of soft soaps loaded with EOs and whathaveyou, and no preservatives.
Most hard pucks from long ago seem to not have any ingredients that might cause issues but there we no ingredients lists for a very long time so that's more of a guess.
Moral of the story is that just because some soap maven says they never had a problem using soap past the expiration date doesn't mean there isn't going to be a problem for someone someday. I'd rather not be that someone. That's just my view of the subject, and it's one reason why I don't have 40-50 or more soft soaps in my cabinet. I do have a soft soap that is over 2 yr old, I wonder about it sometimes. I might toss it and just get a new one, peace of mind is priceless.
I have over 100 soaps and have never had one go bad....I am a Barber.....so I would know.The secret is to let them dry out before using them again.Soft soaps I wonder about but even those will last years.
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In my experience, the average shelf life would be two years, before performance or scent is affected. I would not count beyond that. It largely depends on storage conditions.
But then, what do I know? I am not a barber.
Soft soaps is what I am referring to above actually. I own and use hard soaps from the 30s and 40s and they seem to be without issue.
But after doing a lot of reading on this subject, and digesting what proven science tells us, I'm thinking that I might not know everything I need to know about old soaps.
The opinions of a Barber certainly have merit but with all due respect I have owned over 100 pucks of one single soap and hundreds of other pucks of different soaps over the last 20-30 yrs. The puck count doesn't matter though, ownership doesn't equal education. I could own 20 cameras and still not be a photographer.
Unless an accredited scientist/chemist tests every soap to see what the oxidized oils have produced or turned into, there is no way to say, conclusively, that there is nothing to be concerned with in any of those 'expired' soaps.
Anecdotal experiences fall short quite often. I have never experienced any harm from old soaps but several have gotten weird and I tossed them. Not into shaving with science projects. But my lack of problems does not mean there is nothing to know about here.
Anyway, If an EO morphs into something else while it ages past its expiration date, and that new set of substances do not bother me, there is nothing to prove that the new chemistry won't bother someone else. FWIW - Some oils start to oxidize with very short term exposure to oxygen and UV light. One type of Orange Oil creates 10-12 new chemicals in less than 30 minutes of exposure to UV light, and some of them were known to be irritants. Essential oils oxidizing and changing into other chemicals is a known fact, it does happen. So, no matter what, any soap with any EO in it is going to undergo some sort of chemical change. Whether or not that change is or becomes problematic is the question.
My wife used to sell EOs, that's how I got into them, and how i started learning about them. I was using them to make my own aftershave and I've done some fairly deep diving into what manufacturers do to stabilize their products to extend shelf-life. I also considered making soaps, but eventually decided that I had too many wars on too many fronts and needed to give up some 'projects'. Learned a lot along the way though.
Anyway, because I don't need to have multiple soft soaps hanging around, it's not an issue, really. It is just something I think about sometimes. Because I can just buy new soap when I run out, having 50-60 yr worth of soap on hand isn't a necessity here.
I had a puck of Old Spice soap that I bought in 1975. I didn't use it much, just on and off. I still had some left over in 2012 when I really got into this hobby. So the soap at 37 years old was still good. I finally used it up.
I have soft soaps from 2008 that are fine.
They last a while. Don’t overthink it.
They last a while. Don’t overthink it.
Please take a look at a post I made.
Cosmetic grade products are tested and verified by labs. Artisan products, no so much.
Artisans are adding vegetable oils by the truckloads, plus animal fats, plus various milks, whey, egg whites, yogurt, and a plethora of aloe and other bug foods. These type of ingredients need to be heavily preserved. It gets much worse for soaps, since they're open containers and are touched by water/brushes and germs that fill the air in bathrooms.
Isn't soap an alkaline product? I think that will help preserve. Of course there is a limit to to how much oils and such it will preserve.
It's not the superfat oils and butters that need preserving. Superfat oils/butters will go rancid over time. It's all the other things I mentioned above, which yeast mold and bacteria like to chew on.
All these additions lower the PH of soap. Even at high PH, organisms will grow if there is water for them to hang out. No wining recipe here, unless you load up the soap with large amounts of preservatives.
Soap is not much different from food when you add all these fancy ingredients to them. You either have to consume food quickly, or it must loaded up with preservatives to extend shelf life.
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