Shelf life. How to use artisan soaps? Rotate or use one by one

[KW Driver]

I face lather off the soap. I keep about 6, and 5/6 are tallows. I keep them all in lidded containers and recap them as soon as I'm done shaving, to keep them hydrated. I've got spares in their original wrapping, and a couple are vacuum sealed over that. a couple have been that way for over a year. I recently found an 8 yr in storage, open topped cup of Mike's that's doing just fine, scent's still the same. and a PdP that's the same as day one. it sat 8 yrs as well.

there's plenty of decades old vintage soaps that still work just fine with maybe a scent reduction, and a re-hydration cycle. croaps/creams may not last as long, but I can't speak to that because I tend to keep and restock pucks.

just use your soaps, and generally they'll be fine. I prefer to keep my soaps hydrated so that they're easier to load. that may just mean giving them a light (like a skim/dampness of water) bloom if I see them contracting off the outer surface of the container. I don't let them get goopy or mushy. just swollen to fit the container (I'll hand mold or grate a soap to fit/fill the container when going in). I don't have to bloom a soap or any other tricks, that's been unused otherwise. MWF being the best example of this drying and underperforming cycle that I've encountered.

 

[SHAVEWIZARD420]

I'm one of those people with a soap "Museum" rather than a "rotation" lol.

As long as you let the soap dry after use and put the lid back on there have been very few issues with mold or a soap turning bad. Some will loose scent over time which is naturally to be expected.

 

[PLANofMAN]

ARKO (is that artisan?) claims a shelf life of 7 years from date of manufacture.

So very not artisan.

Regardless, soap dries out. Soap is pretty stable stuff, and becomes more so as it dries.

Really, the only time you should have an issue is when an artisan superfats their soap, and leaves unsaponified tallow or other biodegradable fat in the soap. Which is why (1 kg.) Cella users store their unused soap portions in the freezer or refrigerator.

Some people minimize degradation and scent loss by storing their artisan soaps in the fridge. I suspect most of these individuals are single...

I have soaps that are pushing 10 that are perfectly fine, despite getting used a couple times a year.

Edit: the one precaution I take is to vacuum seal my backup pucks or containers of a current soap in use. That's more to preserve the scent over decades than anything else.

 

[Luc]

I used to rotate everything until I realized something. Rotating more than 30 soaps at a time won't give me more than a maximum of 12 shaves a year on that soap. Sometimes, I really like the soap so 12 times/year isn't much. I decided on a 10-soap rotation. The idea was to have a different soap but not the same soap every Sunday (let's say).

That went on for a little while... Then I saw a few of my soaps that are getting close to the end so I decided to concentrate on these. Slowly, I'm getting there. But to get there, I need to reduce the rotation again.

My plan (now), is to use 1 soap at a time (didn't do that with aftershaves but the same pattern is currently emerging, naturally if I can say so). That way I can at least finish a product before I start a new one. It will take me a while to get to any new product. I should be able to finish a puck of Haslinger today or in 2-3 days. Then, I have a few shave sticks that I want to finish. Then, I will move to pucks.

Finally, when I get to new products (in 10 years or so but I need to review my calculations), my plan is to use the products that are wrapped in paper (not sealed) first.

In the end, I used vintage soaps that were twice my age and they still worked well. The scent was mild and that's all.

 

[Eric_75]

Some people minimize degradation and scent loss by storing their artisan soaps in the fridge. I suspect most of these individuals are single...

 

[AJMiami]

Seriously, storing in the fridge might be the quickest way for me to “use” the soap, as my wife would make room when she brings groceries by throwing it away

 

[ohansen]

A specialized shaving soap refrigerator would be beneficial. Similar to the refrigerators found in Korea that are designed for preserving Kimchi.

 

[beginish]

As soap, it should be pretty resistant to spoilage, but mildews, fungi and bacteria can be pretty adaptable to the environment. They’ve been around longer than we have and will outlast us.

I agree that a dry soap will be less susceptible. That said, I think that long term storage will give me a less scented soap, and that’s most of the reason for using it (for me!). So I try to use my soft soaps within about a year of purchase, and since I 3017, they don’t stick around long. I got 7 months out of a jar of Omega, and it was great.

 

[VerbaVolant]

I use one soap at a time, with slight variation. I have a second soap that I use to defeat boredom, if it sets. The second soap is used very seldom, let's say once or twice a month.
I enjoy finishing up a product before I start a new one. Mind you, my soaps last around 50-60 shaves.
The soap stash I have with me at the current residence is stored in the fridge. Half of the top shelf and a door pocket.

 

[Hu3ir0 Hu3Hu3]

Seriously, storing in the fridge might be the quickest way for me to “use” the soap

why not?

 

[SharpieB]

why not?

My wife is pretty tolerant of my shaving hobby and huge cache of shaving soaps. But, I do think that my marriage would be in trouble if I bought a nice big shaving soap fridge/humidor.

 

[shrews824]

I seem to have a rotation when shaving. Seasonal mostly. I don't have near the soap collection of some, but I have a few. I definitely have some that are several years old and they haven't lost much of their scent profile if any. I load straight from the puck or jar too. I usually rinse any residual soap and dry the container with a towel and leave it open to dry until my next shave. I shave every other day so I get about 48 hours of drying time. Sometimes maybe a little less. I actually like walking in to the bathroom and getting a waft of the open soap container.

 

[Serge_]

I don't know who suggested 12 minutes for shelf life in relation to the position of the lid

They meant 12 months life after first opened.

 

[musicman1951]

They meant 12 months life after first opened.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure there's a bit of truth to that one either. I definitely have soaps right now that have been opened longer than that and they're fine.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Good for you for treating yourself to some new gear!

As long as you are not seriously hoarding soap, you should be fine. Just use your soaps and enjoy them!

BTW, my definition of hoarding is if you can easily open the door, you are not hoarding.

 

[htownmmm]

I will have you know fine sir, that the proper B&B spirit, is not assuming any shred of restraint whatsoever, while pretending that the GRUME and RESTRAINT threads are not even there. All self respecting B&B'ers must find themselves to the rabbit hole, and take a deep dive into it. Only then, can they become one, with the wet shaving force. This is the way doggone!

This is the way!!!

marty

 

[steelwindmachine]

I prefer to finish a soap before moving onto another.

That was the plan with my decade old MdC, which I then replaced with sample sheets of all the other MdC soaps and am nearly done with the remnants of those.

However, @RayClem got in my ear with his very nerdy soap talk and I thought I'd try some modern artisan soaps to see how they compare to my ole' reliable, initial forum darling MdC. Enter Grooming Dept. and Ariana & Evans; 4 cumilative pucks. I tried some and they truly are an evolution in performance beyond MdC's capabilities.

I tried each new variety a few times and have now put them aside until the MdC is totally gone in a few weeks. Then I'll work my way through those and as I near the bottom of the tub of whatever the last one is I'll poll the soap nerds and see what the latest and greatest maker is and if they have any formulations that seems good for me.

I have no interest in hoarding, refrigerating or having a shaving stuff museum. I want to use up stuff, then get new like most other well-adjusted people

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

I prefer to finish a soap before moving onto another.

That was the plan with my decade old MdC, which I then replaced with sample sheets of all the other MdC soaps and am nearly done with the remnants of those.

However, @RayClem got in my ear with his very nerdy soap talk and I thought I'd try some modern artisan soaps to see how they compare to my ole' reliable, initial forum darling MdC. Enter Grooming Dept. and Ariana & Evans; 4 cumilative pucks. I tried some and they truly are an evolution in performance beyond MdC's capabilities.

I tried each new variety a few times and have now put them aside until the MdC is totally gone in a few weeks. Then I'll work my way through those and as I near the bottom of the tub of whatever the last one is I'll poll the soap nerds and see what the latest and greatest maker is and if they have any formulations that seems good for me.

I have no interest in hoarding, refrigerating or having a shaving stuff museum. I want to use up stuff, then get new like most other well-adjusted people

I know what your next soap is going to be. Presenting to you your next soap...

Saponificio Varesino Opuntia!

Triple milled super high end top of the line hard soap. High performance slickness, with residual slickness left over. It lather's on beautifully, but it does like its water. Overall, one of the best scent profiles, at least to my nose. They have other scents too, but this is the one I have. Think Creed Aventus.
​

This is the way!!!

marty

 

[steelwindmachine]

@Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker - appreciate the suggestion and respect your enjoyment of what you've acquired, but their current formulation has a base note of patchouli and that's a deal killer for me. I'm not keen on smelling like a Bath & Body Works or Yankee Candle. It's also more than I want to spend on a soap these days. Yes, my MdC was pricey, but it is more compatible with my scent preferences and I'm nostalgic for it because it's French and was the prime boutique soap at the time that I joined this forum. I won't be buying more since performance-wise it's been far eclipsed by other modern, less expensive soaps.

It'll be at least 8 months to a year before I poll the soap market for the next puck, but whatever it is it won't have patchouli anything in it

 

[MrMoJoe]

I finally whittled my soaps down to 12 - one for each month, with scents and characteristics corresponding to seasons and typical weather. When a soap is in rotation, I leave the lid off for the whole month. When I'm done for that month and ready to change to the next soap, I make sure it's dry, put the lid on it and stash it away in a drawer. I have some soaps I have had for close to ten years that have held up just fine. It does seem that harder soaps hold up better, both in terms of performance and scent.