Do you know how to properly care for your handmade soap or why that's important? If you use handmade soap, you probably know how wonderful it is for you and your skin, but how do you properly maintain it?
Natural soaps contain a high percentage of glycerin. Unlike water, Glycerin absorbs water, so it isn't ideal for long-lasting soap bars. Water hydrates soap, making it mushier, which means that glycerin will degrade faster and also wash your soap away faster. So, how do we solve this issue?
It’s important to store soap in a way that allows air to circulate throughout all of its areas. It’s not a good idea to allow soaps to sit in shower caddies because more often than not they allow water to pool around them. You can guarantee that your soap will melt if that happens. The presence of any metal can also degrade soap and cause it to sour. So, stay away from metal caddies.
Use a Soap Dish
Any item that elevates the soap and allows the soap to drain can be used as a soap dish. Wooden, ceramic, plastic, or almost any other non-metal material can be used for them.
Use Smaller Bars
People who make handmade soap make them in a variety of different sizes and shapes. Using smaller bars of soap, however, means less soap will be exposed to water. It might be a good idea then to cut a large bar of soap in half and store the unused portion.
Store Safely
Handmade soap bars should be kept in a dark and dry place when not in use. You can also scent your fabrics with the soap by putting them in the linen closet or sock drawer.
In general, soap continues to soften and mature with age, and the older they are, the milder they are to use. You may find you’ve forgotten about that bar of soap in your drawer. Luckily it’s still good to use as long as it doesn't smell sour. Chances are, however, if you keep it stored away even under safe room temperatures for a year or more, it may not retain its original scent.
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