Can shaving soaps 'go bad' or 'lose performance' if unused for long periods?

[JasonJT]

Good morning all.

As per my latest review I thought I'd use my shaving scuttle/soap as it hasn't been used in a long time.

However when I did use it the lather; while acceptable didn't seem quite as good as before. My theory is that the soap needed a new 'breaking-in' period to revive it.

What I have said is absolute conjecture so I will be very interested in replies to this thread. If the soap has 'gone bad' due to lack of use then I'll consider replacing it with a new soap.

Jason.

 

[PintoPlain]

Shaving soaps can dry out. I have a couple where I need to use a lot of water to rehydrate to get any sort of lather. The lather itself works perfectly fine once I get it dialled in. My view is it takes time to figure out the soap again.

The scent will likely not be as strong as it was, arko excepted of course, as the essential oils will probably breakdown over time.

Many gents on the forum use vintage soap with no issues.

 

[musicman1951]

I've not had an issue with older soaps. I've been using the same soap all year and I leave it uncovered for the next day's shave. I have noticed that it's a little dry and it takes me a little longer to load the brush. You might try leaving a nice little puddle of water on top of your soap for a few minutes before loading.

 

[GR5233]

Some will go bad. I know that you have to be careful when storing kilos of Cella and Vito’s or they will go bad on you

 

[Kyle89]

I've had Cella go bad on me but that's about it. The only thing I've noticed about soaps that I've had sitting for a while is scent not being as strong.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Yes

 

[cvac]

If something has really "gone off" you'll probably know because it will smell rancid.

That said I have soaps and creams that are quite old at this point and most are fine. Creams or "croap" type soft soaps will dry out and become harder to lather up, take more time to get lather right, etc. but should be okay so long as they are not rancid.

Many products will develop stearic acid spots or may lose some scent over time. Once I bought some NOS shaving soap from the 1940s and it worked fine, though there was zero of the original fragrance left. It just smelled like soap.

 

[SamplingNature]

I had a 50+ year old soap PIF'd to me a few years ago. It lathered fine. I dried it and put it in storage... it's still ready to use again.

 

[MelodicStop]

I had a 50+ year old soap PIF'd to me a few years ago. It lathered fine. I dried it and put it in storage... it's still ready to use again.

That’s kinda cool. What brand was it and how did you like it?

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Soaps can go off if they are improperly stored, especially softer ones with a higher water content. That said I use nothing but vintage triple milled soaps all of which are several decades old including Tabac, Yardley, Shulton Old Spice, Goya, Dubarry, Cussons, and others. My oldest soaps are in excess of 100 years and are quite usable. They rarely have much scent remaining and can need a couple of uses to perform at their best. You can see some here if you are interested.

OLD OLD OLD soaps - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/old-old-old-soaps.626518/#post-11831299

 

[sarimento1]

My really old Shave Soaps perform flawlessly!
Perhaps their scents are diminished, but not their shave excellence!!

 

[DEgeezer]

The only soap that I have ever had an issue with is a tub of Cella red. It has turned brown with little lumps that are hard to dissolve. But it still makes good lather.

 

[psfred]

Probably all that can happen is for the fatty acids to oxidize and go "rancid". Not a particularly good smell, but as far as acting like soap, not much change.

Some soaps with large amounts of glycerine added can get droplets of glycerine on the surface too, but that won't affect anything.

 

[gpjoe]

Good morning all.

As per my latest review I thought I'd use my shaving scuttle/soap as it hasn't been used in a long time.

However when I did use it the lather; while acceptable didn't seem quite as good as before. My theory is that the soap needed a new 'breaking-in' period to revive it.

What I have said is absolute conjecture so I will be very interested in replies to this thread. If the soap has 'gone bad' due to lack of use then I'll consider replacing it with a new soap.

Jason.

I've got a vintage mug of Shulton Old Spice, not sure how old...40?...50? years. It lathers and shaves as well as my brand new soaps.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Have several from the late 50's and 60's, like Old Spice or Yardley. They all perform just fine. They lost their scent over the decades, but they shave like yesterday's soap.

 

[SamplingNature]

That’s kinda cool. What brand was it and how did you like it?

Oster. It was a puck from a barbershop machine. It's a great soap. I only used it so sparingly because it would spoil me and it's unlikely that I'd ever get it again. Any scent is gone, but it's a great shave.

 

[MelodicStop]

Oster. It was a puck from a barbershop machine. It's a great soap. I only used it so sparingly because it would spoil me and it's unlikely that I'd ever get it again. Any scent is gone, but it's a great shave.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Jeez things have changed…I didn’t even realize you could get soaps from machines at barbershops . Born in the 90s so…I have a lot of learning and catching up to do in this hobby. Way too much history.

 

[SamplingNature]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Jeez things have changed…I didn’t even realize you could get soaps from machines at barbershops . Born in the 90s so…I have a lot of learning and catching up to do in this hobby. Way too much history.

I worded that poorly. The machine made the lather from real soap. The barber could just pull a lever/push a button, and get a handful of hot lather for your shave.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Hard soaps usually last indefinitely. The soft soaps with a lot of water content sometimes go off after quite some time. Keep your soaps stored in a cool, dry and dark place since that will help them last.

Older soaps can get dried out. They just need to be used a few times.

If you see some stearic acid crystals on the surface, that doesn't usually indicate a problem. Just use the soap and they will melt.

 

[MelodicStop]

I worded that poorly. The machine made the lather from real soap. The barber could just pull a lever/push a button, and get a handful of hot lather for your shave.

No, my understanding was just way off. This makes a lot more sense now.

I literally imagined an old school cigarette pack type dispenser with pull knobs that dispensed soap pucks at the barber shop .

I was so excited that I told my wife that I’ve never heard or seen anything like that before and would cool if there were actual vending machines that sold shaving supplies.

Thank you for clarifying! Like I said…A lot to learn.