What is the shelf life of soaps/creams

[doctordial]

I have a tub of Proraso Sandalwood and RazorRock XXX. I've had both for a while and while I don't want to waste them using to much, I don't want them to go bad before I use them all up. I get samples of other creams and soaps that I use also. I bouhgt the Proraso used and think I have had the XXX for about 2 years and it's still close to full.

 

[Mick]

soaps "can" turn (go off their scent) but they seem to still work well at an advanced age

Creams in a tub will dry out but can usually be brought back from the dead by working some water into them, though I have had a cream to runny (tube cream not tub). It still was usable and I did finish the tube but I had to shake it to remix every time I used it.

Best thing to do if you notice a soap or cream heading "south" is to use it exclusively until it is gone.

 

[Mr5x5]

Soaps...to infinity and beyond!

Creams, not so much. There is sometimes a best if used by date on them.

 

[Heron]

Look for the "period after opening" symbol. The number in or by the symbol is the shelf life in months after a product has been opened. Many products are good for longer than that, though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Period-after-opening_symbol

 

[Saltchuck]

Proraso soaps are softer than most, and could possibly dry out. They would still be perfectly usable. I have successfully used vintage soaps in excess of 30 years old, and they worked just fine.

Creams in a tub that dry out still work, but you may have to treat them more like a soap than like a cream.

As far as scent goes, you'll have to talk to someone else. My nose is insensitive to such things.

 

[SteveWY]

Look for the "period after opening" symbol. The number in or by the symbol is the shelf life in months after a product has been opened. Many products are good for longer than that, though.
View attachment 385112
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Period-after-opening_symbol

I am glad I saw this thread. Just yesterday I saw that symbol on a new arrival and I wondered what it meant!.

 

[VerbaVolant]

I have had one Vitos and one Mike's gone rancid. I struggled with both and learned my lesson. They were both kept in my main bathroom where temperature stays at 21°C and humidity varies from 38%RH to 65°RH (during showers). Humidity stays at around 45% most of the time.Vitos was sealed in a plastic jar and Mike's was kept in original paper. Both soaps were used before their year anniversary. Mike's was 10 months old when finished. Vitos, much less.
I contacted Mike and I was told : " If kept reasonably cool, dry, and sealed, the soap should last a year."

I keep my stash in a cool place at constant 17°C, 40%RH and dark. Sometimes the humidity goes up to 50% but only for a week or two during the shoulder season and never above. I wrap all my soaps in clingwrap or place in a ziplock bag the day they arrive.

I am working my way through 20 creams I somehow managed to acquire. Will never stash more than 6 creams at any given time.
Soaps do last much longer. Hard, triple milled soaps that is.

 

[Pine]

I have had one Vitos and one Mike's gone rancid. I struggled with both and learned my lesson. They were both kept in my main bathroom where temperature stays at 21°C and humidity varies from 38%RH to 65°RH (during showers). Humidity stays at around 45% most of the time.Vitos was sealed in a plastic jar and Mike's was kept in original paper. Both soaps were used before their year anniversary. Mike's was 10 months old when finished. Vitos, much less.
I contacted Mike and I was told : " If kept reasonably cool, dry, and sealed, the soap should last a year."

I keep my stash in a cool place at constant 17°C, 40%RH and dark. Sometimes the humidity goes up to 50% but only for a week or two during the shoulder season and never above. I wrap all my soaps in clingwrap or place in a ziplock bag the day they arrive.

I am working my way through 20 creams I somehow managed to acquire. Will never stash more than 6 creams at any given time.
Soaps do last much longer. Hard, triple milled soaps that is.

I know it's been quite some time since you made this post, but I am curious about the Mike's that went rancid. Ten months seems like an incredibly short life for a new bar. Do you remember what happened? By rancid do you mean it became smelly/funky? Did you finish the bar with it being rancid? Thanks.

 

[Kreator82]

soaps "can" turn (go off their scent) but they seem to still work well at an advanced age

Creams in a tub will dry out but can usually be brought back from the dead by working some water into them, though I have had a cream to runny (tube cream not tub). It still was usable and I did finish the tube but I had to shake it to remix every time I used it.

Best thing to do if you notice a soap or cream heading "south" is to use it exclusively until it is gone.

+1

 

[Extrawurst]

I've got shaving soaps which are approx. 20 years old. As good as new!
I also have soap bars which are probably much older than that. They look worse on the picture than they really are (smartphone cam) and still smell good. Perfectly usable.
Short answer: Shelf life of soap can be decades with no problem.

 

[SHAVEWIZARD420]

I agree that shaving soap will last almost forever without going bad. A few exceptions to the rule, but some vintage soaps are 50+ years old and whip up a great lather, the scent can degrade of diminish over time, but performance seems to stay the same.

 

[mrb7]

I think soaps can be off kilter two ways. Too much caustic or too little caustic.

Too much obviously can cause burns to the skin. And it's really easy to tell if the batch has too much as soon as it's made.

Just enough caustic, after soaponification, leaves no caustic and no fat.

Too little caustic leaves excess fat. That excess fat, while it might make the soap smooth and slick, presents the opportunity to go rancid. If you're going to make small batches that get used up relatively quickly then the face feel of extra fat might be desirable. But it will present a shelf life problem.