Does Handmade Soap Expire?

Handmade soap is a natural alternative to commercially produced soap. It’s made by mixing fats and lye with other ingredients like essential oils and natural scents. The fats and lye chemically react to form soap through a process called saponification. Commercial soaps contain chemicals, detergents, fragrances, cleansers, color and preservatives. But handmade soaps do not. For this reason, commercial soaps can last two to three years or longer, but most handmade soap will expire in about a year. That’s because the natural ingredients used to make handmade soaps can get rancid or moldy and they don’t contain preservatives to extend their lifespan.

Making handmade soap at home is a fun and creative activity that allows for more control over the ingredients. However, as with any homemade product, understanding the shelf life of homemade soap is very important because it will eventually go bad.

Handmade soap will expire much faster than commercial soap because it doesn’t contain preservatives.It will eventually start to get moldy and smell rancid.

Luckily, there are ways to extend soap’s shelf life to ensure it remains safe and effective as long as possible.

In this article, we’ll discuss the factors that affect the shelf life of handmade soap, how to recognize when its gone or is going bad, and how to extend its shelf life.

How Long Will Handmade Soap Last?

On average, handmade soap should be used within 12 months. After that, the oils used to make the soap can start to go rancid. The bars can start to smell foul and turn color, become slimy or gritty, orange spots may appear or they can become dry and cracked.

Handmade soaps scented with natural oils should be used within 3 months after removing them from the packaging. This is because natural oils are delicate and start to evaporate out of the soap quickly which diminishes their scent. However, just because the scent is diminished doesn’t mean the soap is bad.

How To Know When Handmade Soap Is Expired

All soap will eventually expire. But handmade soap expires faster because it’s made with natural ingredients and doesn’t contain preservatives. In general, commercial soaps will last about 2-3 years while handmade soap typically goes bad after about a year. However, this process can be sped up if you don;t store and handle the soap properly.

The first signs that homemade soap is starting to expire are typically if it’s cracked, dry, and doesn’t lather up. You may also notice its smell starting to get weaker or is non existent.

Essential oils typically evaporate when exposed to air. Handmade soaps made with essential oils are delicate and can lose their scent when the oils start to evaporate. This is why most naturally scented handmade soaps recommend use within three months of opening the box.

Another common sign that handmade soap is going bad are orange spots. The orange color is caused when the oil in the soap is going rancid. At this stage the soap is technically still safe to use but it will probably smell bad.

When compared to commercial soaps that are made using chemicals and strong fragrances, handmade soaps scented with essential oils and colored with botanicals have a shorter shelf-life because of their natural ingredients. These handmade, organic, and/or natural soaps still clean and kill germs as well as commercial soaps, but they expire much sooner.

As long as handmade soap hasn’t gone rancid, grown mold, or no longer lathers properly, you should still be able to use it after the expiration date.

Signs Of Spoiled Handmade Soap

One of the most obvious signs of spoiled homemade soap is a bad smell or a change in color or texture. The soap may become dark, discolored, show orange spots or develop a slimy or gritty texture. This could be a sign that the soap has gone or is going rancid or has mold growing on it.

The first sign that handmade soap is going bad is usually a dry and cracked appearance.

Next, you’ll typically notice orange spots on the surface. This is caused when oils inside the soap start to go rancid.

Another common sign of spoiled homemade soap is a foul odor. This is a sign that the soap has gone or is going rancid or has mold growing on it.

Spoiled homemade soap won’t lather as well as it should. This is typically a sign that the soap has gone bad, or that the recipe was not correct.

If your handmade soap starts to cause irritation, itching, redness or other allergic reactions, this could be a sign that the soap has gone bad. It could be that some of the ingredients have gone rancid, or that the soap has been contaminated with mold or bacteria.

Even if soap looks and smells fine, it may not be safe to use if it’s starting to go bad. If you notice any of these signs or have any doubts about the quality of your homemade soap, it’s best to discard it immediately.

What Happens If I Use Expired Handmade Soap?

There’s a big difference between expired handmade soap and soap that’s gone bad. If the soap is simply expired, but still goo, it may still be perfectly safe to use. If it lathers properly, doesn’t smell bad and doesn’t show signs of becoming rancid, it’s likely still safe and effective to use. However, if the soap has gone bad, it can be harmful to your skin. Using soap after it’s gone bad could cause irritation, itching, redness or other allergic reactions.

It’s worth noting that soap can go bad even though its still technically within the expiration date. Expiration dates are a guide not a steadfast rule. If you have some old soap laying around, make sure it’s good before you use it regardless of the expiration date.

Why Is My Handmade Soap Losing Scent?

Many handmade soaps are made with essential oils that give it a special qualities and a fresh scent. But natural oils are very delicate and evaporate quickly when exposed to air. This typically happens about 3 months after opening the package. If your handmade soap starts to lose scent, it may not be a sign that the soap is expired. If the soap contains essential oils they’re probably just evaporating even though the soap is still good.

Most handmade soap manufacturers suggest using their soap within 3 months of opening the package because it exposes the soap to air. After 3 months, the soap will start to lose its fresh scent as the scented oils evaporate out.

Handmade soap is usually fine to use after its natural oils are evaporated out. Losing scent does not necessarily mean the soap has gone bad. If you’re concerned that your soap may be going bad, look for other signs like a rancid smell, cracked or dry surface, a greasy or gritty texture or orange spots.

If you find one or more signs that handmade soap is expired, throw it out immediately. Using it on your skin could cause irritation, itching, redness or other allergic reactions.

Handmade Soap: Expire Vs Gone Bad

Handmade soaps are surfactants, which means they reduce the surface tension of water and make the molecules slippery. This causes soap bubbles to bond, trap, and loosen oil and grease which washes them away along with germs, viruses and bacteria. This is why germs will literally slip off your skin when you wash with soap and water for 20 seconds or more.

Soap molecules have two ends, a polar and nonpolar. The polar end helps soap dissolve in water while the nonpolar end helps grab oil off your hands and carry it down the drain.

Soap’s nonpolar end can disrupts the outsides of bacteria and viruses which causes them to die.

Commercial soaps have an expiration date of two to three years while handmade soap is around a year. However, there’s a difference between being expired and going bad. If soap still lathers up when you wash your hands and doesn’t show signs of being rancid, it can still be used effectively even after the expiration date.

However, it if it’s gone rancid, even though it could still be within the expiration date, throw it out because the soap’s gone bad.

Never use a rancid soap that’s gone bad on your skin. It could cause irritation, itching, redness or other allergic reactions. However, a handmade soap could still be good even when past its expiration date.

The main factors that effect how long it takes for handmade soap to go bad are its ingredients and how its stored and packaged.

How Can You Extend The Life Of Homemade Soap?

Understanding the factors that affect the shelf life of homemade soap is crucial to ensure it remains safe and effective to use for longer. By properly storing soap, choosing the right ingredients, and keeping it away from environmental factors, you can extend the shelf life of homemade soap and enjoy it for longer.

One of the main factors that affects the shelf life of homemade soap is exposure to air and light. Homemade soap will start to expire faster once the packaging is open and it’s been exposed to the elements. To extend the shelf life of homemade soap, store it in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry place.

Once a bar of handmade soap is out of the package, you can extend its life by drying it out after you use it. When a bar of soap is dry it gets harder which makes it less likely to crumble and erode So it lasts longer. The more time your soap is completely dry, the longer it will last.

Another factor affects the shelf life of homemade soap is humidity. High humidity can cause soap to soften and erode. To extend the shelf life of homemade soap, store it in a place where the humidity is relatively stable.

After a hot shower, remove the soap, dry it off and store it in a cabinet that’s cool and dry rather than leaving it in a hot and humid shower.

Ingredients Can Extend The Life Of Handmade Soap

The type of ingredients used to make handmade soap can affect its shelf life. Homemade soap is made by mixing together fats and lye which chemically react through a process called saponification to create soap.Other ingredients like essential oils and botanicals can also be used to give the soap special qualities and scents.

There are many types of oils and fats which have different shelf lives. Some can go rancid quicker than others. And you also have to consider the shelf life of other ingredients used in the soap like honey, butters or milk which may go bad faster than fats.

To extend the shelf life of homemade soap, it’s important to choose ingredients that have a longer shelf life and to use them in the correct proportions.

Storage Can Extend The Life Of Handmade Soap

Proper storage is one of the most effective ways to extend the shelf life of homemade soap. Bars should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Avoid storing your soap in a damp or humid area, or in direct sunlight. The soap should also be protected from extreme temperatures and any kind of direct moisture.Once soap is exposed to air and moisture, it starts to go bad faster.

By properly storing handmade soap, you can keep it fresh and effective for longer.

Preservatives Can Extend The Life Of Handmade Soap

A great way to extend the shelf life of homemade soap is by using preservatives. Preservatives are why commercial soaps last more than twice as long as handmade soaps. They can help prevent the growth of mold and bacteria, which is a common reason why soap goes bad. But because handmade soaps are generally made without chemicals, you should use an all natural preservative.

Some natural preservatives include Vitamin E, rosemary extract and grapefruit seed extract. It’s important to use the correct amount of preservatives, as using too much can cause irritation or allergic reactions.

By using an all natural preservative in your handmade soap, you can extend its life while keeping it chemical free.

How Homemade Soap Is Made Effects Shelf Life

Homemade soap is made through a chemical process called saponification. When lye (sodium hydroxide) is mixed with fats, it reacts to create soap and glycerin. The process of saponification can be done using either a cold process or hot process method.

In the cold process method, lye and liquid are mixed together and then added to fats. The entire mixture is then poured into molds and left to cure for several weeks. Frangrances, oils and other ingredients can then be added to the mixture. This gives the soap maker a lot of control over the finished soap. Cure time can vary depending on the recipe, but it’s typically between 4-6 weeks. This allows the soap to go through the saponification process and become harder, milder, and last longer.

In the hot process method, lye, liquid, and fats are combined and heated until the mixture reaches the “trace” stage. At this point, the soap maker can add fragrance and other ingredients before pouring the mixture into molds. The hot process method is quicker than the cold process method because the curing period is reduced.

Common ingredients used to make homemade soap include oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil, as well as butters such as Shea butter and cocoa butter.

Some soap makers also add natural ingredients like herbs, honey, oatmeal and natural oils for added benefits to the skin.

The ingredients used will affect the properties of the soap such as lather, hardness, and moisturizing.

The fats used to make soap as well as other natural preservatives effect its shelf life.

How Does Superfatting Effect When Homemade Soap Expires?

Handmade sop is made by mixing together fats and lye (sodium hydroxide). The two ingredients chemically react to form soap and glycerine through a process called saponification. If you get the ratio of fats to lye just right, the resulting soap will contain no fats and no lye. However, some soap-makers will intentionally use too much fat in the recipe in relation to their lye which is called superfatting. The result is a bar of soap that has some excess oil in it. This makes the soap softer and more moist.

When you superfat a homemade bar of soap just right it feels great on the skin. The extra oil nourishes and moisturizes as you wash. However, using too much excess fat can make the soap feel greasy.

Fat is the ingredients used in soap that goes rancid the fastest. The more excess fat you have in the soap the faster it goes bad. So while superfatting can improve the moisturizing qualities of soap, it can also make it expire sooner.

Can Old Handmade Soap Grow Bacteria?

Yes, old soap can grow bacteria. There’s nothing in or on soap which prevents bacterial growth. In fact, soap doesn’t actually kill bacteria, it washes it away. The FDA has recently ruled that commercial manufacturers of anti-bacterial soaps must be removed from the market in one year because they’re no more effective than regular soap.

Soap is a surfactant, which means it decreases the surface tension between grease and oils on your hands. Bacteria, viruses and germs stick to the grease and oils which are then lifted off your skin and washed away by the soap and water. But it doesn’t actually kill all the germs and bacteria. That’s what alcohol sanitizers do.

A 2006 study of 32 dental clinics found bacteria growing on the soap in all of them. This is because soap doesn’t contain anything that kills bacteria on contact.

How Do You Keep Homemade Soaps From Going Rancid?

There are a few things you can do to keep homemade soaps from going rancid. However, no matter what you do they typically only stay good for about a year. The first is how you store the soap. Keep it in a cool dry place and wrapped air tight in its packaging. Once the soap is opened, dry it out after each use and keep in away from high humidity. After a hot shower, take it out of the shower, dry it off and place it in a cupboard or drawer.

Handmade soaps contain oils which are why it goes rancid. The first sign is usually a foul smell or orange spots. To delay this, keep homemade soaps in a refrigerator and sealed in an air tight container. This is the same way you keep cooking oils or butter from going rancid.

Can Handmade Soap Grow Mold?

Yes, under the right circumstances handmade soap can grow mold. If handmade soap is made with just fats and lye (sodium hydroxide), it won’t usually grow mold due to its pH levels and the fact that soaps are a type of salt which are forms be mixing an acid and a base. However, if the soap-maker used other ingredients like botanicals or superfatted the soap, there’s a higher chance mold could grow.

Handmade soap can contain additional ingredients which are prone to mold growth. Even though the soap itself isn’t likely to grow mold, the other ingredients might.

Ingredients like botanicals can grow mold because they’re organic materials which mold likes to feed on.
Superfatting is when the soap maker intentionally uses too much fat for the lye which results in soap that’s more oily. This extra fat is more likely to grow mold depending on how much superfat there is.

Every handmade bar of soap is different depending on the recipe and ingredients use. But overall, it’s rare for homemade soaps to grow mold when they don;t contain botanicals and aren’t superfatted.

Summary: Does Handmade Soap Expire?

Handmade soap will expire much faster than commercial soap because it doesn’t contain preservatives.It will eventually start to get moldy and smell rancid.

Luckily, there are ways to extend soap’s shelf life to ensure it remains safe and effective as long as possible.

If you have any questions about how handmade soap expires email any time.