# shelf life



## kingme (Mar 8, 2013)

What would you expect the shelf life of melt and pour soaps to be?  What if they are wrapped in heat shrink plastic (and sealed)?

I've got some bars that were left exposed to air over the last year that have lost about 25% of their size.  How would you expect them to behave if they were wrapped in the plastic over that year?  Would they still shrink, just not as much?  How much does wrapping them extend their life?

Is there anything to extend the life of the soaps to retard their shrinkage?

   thank you


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## jcandleattic (Mar 8, 2013)

If you are using shrink wrap, then yes they will shrink and yes, just as much and the wrap will be sloppy and crinkly and need to be replaced. 

I don't work with M&P a whole lot but I think *maybe* if you tightly wrap them in saran wrap - that might help the shrinking to be less than just exposed to the air or wrapped in shrink wrap. 
Someone else will come along and  better be able to answer your question though. I just know that shrink wrap will not lessen the shrinkage.


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## Genny (Mar 8, 2013)

kingme said:


> Is there anything to extend the life of the soaps to retard their shrinkage?



Not unless it's completely air tight.


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## kingme (Mar 8, 2013)

Curious why Saran Wrap would be a better option than shrink wrap?  I get the wrap you heat with a hair dryer that will shrink it to fit the form of the soap and seals the ends that I folded over.  I then place a label on the back (covering up the ends).  I would think this is airtight unless the wrap was pierced?

When wrapped in this way (assume it is airtight), what would be the life expectancy of the soap in regards to shrinkage?


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## squeakycleanuk (Mar 8, 2013)

I don't make M&P soaps but recently when clearing out a cupboard I found some old M&P soaps which I had originally bought as a loaf and sliced up and wrap in cellophane for gifts etc. These soaps must have been about 5 years old when I found them so I ended up just binning them but they were the same size as when they were packed, I didn't notice any shrinkage at all. I realise this is contradicting what the other posters were saying but perhaps its because they were in a cupboard so not very exposed to the air?


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## Genny (Mar 8, 2013)

kingme said:


> When wrapped in this way (assume it is airtight), what would be the life expectancy of the soap in regards to shrinkage?



No, it's most likely those aren't completely air tight.  You'd need a vacuum sealer or something to pull the air out while shrinking.  So any moisture from the air that's already trapped in there will shrink your soap.

Honestly, it's impossible to predict the answer to the life expectancy/shrinkage question since there are so many variables that will affect shrinkage.  Like what base you're using, how much moisture is in the soap when you wrap them, what the humidity level is where they're stored, etc.


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## jcandleattic (Mar 8, 2013)

kingme said:


> Curious why Saran Wrap would be a better option than shrink wrap?  I get the wrap you heat with a hair dryer that will shrink it to fit the form of the soap and seals the ends that I folded over.  I then place a label on the back (covering up the ends).  I would think this is airtight unless the wrap was pierced?
> 
> When wrapped in this way (assume it is airtight), what would be the life expectancy of the soap in regards to shrinkage?



I was always able to get the saran wrap tighter. You can certainly try shrink wrap, but in the long run, I really don't think you are going to be happy with the results. 
After a few weeks, the wrap gets sloppy and loose because the soap continues to shrink. 
As I said, I don't know if the saran wrap will be different, but I know when I worked with M&P more, it seemed to lessen the shrinking of the soaps better than the shrink wrap did. However, there was still shrinking...


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## lisamaliga (Mar 8, 2013)

I'm chuckling thinking about shrink wrap actually shrinking your soap!

I use Saran wrap or even a generic type of cling wrap/cling film. Some of my soaps have lasted 10 years. The smell might fade a bit, but the size is the same.

Just found some that I keep in my sock drawer and they are almost 10 years old! I can still smell them through the cling wrap as they were strongly scented with Shalimar FO.

Wonder what the record is for oldest soap?


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## jcandleattic (Mar 8, 2013)

lisamaliga said:


> I'm chuckling thinking about shrink wrap actually shrinking your soap!
> 
> I use Saran wrap or even a generic type of cling wrap/cling film. Some of my soaps have lasted 10 years. The smell might fade a bit, but the size is the same.
> 
> ...



LOL yeah, the shrink wrap doesn't shrink the soap, but that's a fun visual.  

I know of someone who found a bar from their grandmother who had passed away when she was just a baby and she was in her 30's, so :Kitten Love: yeah, an at least 25 year old bar of soap... I have no idea details of it though.

ETA: I have CP that is at least 8-9 years old. Some still have the same color scent - others have lost both...


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## Badger (Mar 8, 2013)

Now I am looking online for "Oldest Soap" And finding lots of stuff about soap operas... *sighs*


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## jcandleattic (Mar 8, 2013)

Badger said:


> Now I am looking online for "Oldest Soap" And finding lots of stuff about soap operas... *sighs*



search oldest homemade soap. it'll garner more relevant replies.


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## Badger (Mar 8, 2013)

jcandleattic said:


> search oldest homemade soap. it'll garner more relevant replies.



I found some interesting information that way, but not what I was looking for, but then again, I didn't search very long either ;-)


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