Ok, so what's up with this?????

[GenB]

I ordered some handmade soap from a company I got off of another green website I visit occasionally. (I won't tell which one it is because I don't want to slam them on the 'net...) The soap, though small in portion and expensive in price, was wonderful. It smelled terrific, felt great on my skin, etc. etc. I wanted to bathe all the time!

It lasted less than a week. I had a bar that I kept in my shower stall on a rack so it would dry out and not get goopy and slimy, thus extending its life. It literally evaporated. I noticed it was getting smaller and smaller every day, disproportionaltely so - it only got used for one shower once a day. DH noticed it as well though he wouldn't use it due to his discoid lupus. He was afraid it would cause him to break out since it was scented pretty heavily.

This soap was made from olive oil, coconut oil and several different eo's. Why did it evaporate into thin air???? Needless to say, it was very pricey and I won't get it again but I'd like to try making my own and don't want it to vanish like this did!

[spughy]

It's possible it wasn't hardened enough. AFAIK, when you make soap you need to let it sit out for some time - about a month? - before you use it, to let moisture in it evaporate so it lasts longer. I got some olive oil soap from a friend who made it herself and she told me to let it sit out for a couple of weeks before I used it. So, it's possible that the company just mis-rotated their stock or had more orders than they could fill with properly aged soap or something.

Also, if it comes wrapped in plastic, it's ALWAYS a good idea to let it sit out for up to a week before using it. In the past when I bought Body Shop soap that was wrapped in clingy plastic if I didn't let it sit out before using it, it would "evaporate" just as you described. Body Shop staff used to tell you that when you bought soap, I don't think they do anymore... but I haven't shopped there in years. Most of the soap I buy now is in small cardboard wrappers, which is much better longevity-wise.

[GenB]

Thanks! That makes alot of sense. I have read several times on various soap making sites that the soap has to "cure" for several weeks, also to let the lye in it mellow. This came in a cardboard wrapper but it smelled so good that I didn't even think of letting it sit before I dove right in and took a bath!!

I'm still going to try making it...we'll see. It seems like a daunting process and I'm not sure I could ever get mine to smell like this did.

[velcromom]

In addition to curing time, how you use it can affect the longevity too. If you use it under running hot water like my dh does, rubbing it directly on his body from head to toe leisurely, well he wears it away in two weeks.

Meanwhile I have a bar from the same batch and it lasts me six weeks or more because I just rub it on a wet loofah and then scrub with that, the soap is never under hot water.

Olive oil soaps especially benefit from a long cure. I have some right now that I am keeping til at least april before I list them for sale. The three bars of olive oil soap I have left in inventory that were made last year are fabulous and hard as a rock.

[GenB]

Thanks! These did seem a little soft and yes, I did use them under hot water. I'll try letting them cure a little longer before I tear into them the next time. After using homemade soaps, I really HATE going back to the stuff we were using.

[velcromom]

You shouldn't have to wait, it's really the soapmaker's responsibility to sell properly cured soap. If you find a batch is soft, a friendly note to the soapmaker might alert them to the fact that soap is wearing away very quickly. Less than a week is crazy even if you did hold the bar under hot water the whole time at every shower. I'd hope that someone would kindly let me know if there was such a problem with my soap.

[jenoline]

My first thought upon reading your post was to wonder if it was a glycerin-based soap (aka "melt & pour"). But then I read that it had olive oil & coconut oil in it and I'm not sure if they would be in a glycerin soap or not. I work for a WAHM soap maker and she is very critical of glycerin soaps. I have also seen glycerin soaps that pretty much just "evaporated" the way you describe.

There are also two different soap-making methods: "cold process" and "hot process". I can't remember which is which - one of them melts faster than the other. Does the soapmaker you purchased from describe how she makes her soap?

Oh, and I agree, it is the soapmaker's responsibility to make sure the soap is properly cured before selling it.

[maxwill129]

Originally Posted by velcromom

In addition to curing time, how you use it can affect the longevity too. If you use it under running hot water like my dh does, rubbing it directly on his body from head to toe leisurely, well he wears it away in two weeks.

Meanwhile I have a bar from the same batch and it lasts me six weeks or more because I just rub it on a wet loofah and then scrub with that, the soap is never under hot water.

Olive oil soaps especially benefit from a long cure. I have some right now that I am keeping til at least april before I list them for sale. The three bars of olive oil soap I have left in inventory that were made last year are fabulous and hard as a rock.

Oh, this is great advice! I guess I always just rub the soap on my body and then, of course, it doesn't last very long!