How old can soap get?

[katz2711]

Hi,

Being a new soap maker I am wondering when soap will actually get rancid/ too old to use.
I have mixed information on this ranging from DOS developing after 4 months (which I know doesn't necessarily mean it's bad) to Aleppo soap aging for up to 9+ years and getting even better. I know it probably depends on the oils used, but then I wonder which oils tend to age better or if there are additives that make the soap hold up well over time. Maybe there is a age sweet spot like with wine?
I would really appreciate hearing peoples opinions/experiences on this. Thanks in advance!!

 

[CanaDawn]

yes, it depends somewhat on the oils used, and the conditions of storage. There's a lot of information available, and answering all that would take a long time! This is where research is useful....start reading this forum and other places - probably one of the "search feature" experts will be able to suggest some terms to look up.

Soap, in my house, gets as old as my needs for a new bar, and slightly older than my patience for curing!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Some recipes will need a lot of help to get DOS going on - location and air make a difference, with humidity being very good at making soap go DOSsy. Some recipes are more prone to it, as you said - certain oils can cause it and especially with a higher superfat (if an oil has a chance to go off, having more of it then increases the chance)

There are lots of topics on here, especially in recipe feedbacks and the "is this DOS?" threads that can help avoid it and I am sure others will list off some oils that are DOS prone - I can't actually think of any right now to be honest (need to go home and have a cup of tea!)

Soaps that are not likely to develop DOS and are stored well can last for a very long time indeed. Years and years, it is not uncommon.

 

[Obsidian]

I have a bar my grandmother made in 1983. Its probably most lard or tallow.

 

[shunt2011]

Soap can last a very long time. As previously stated it does depend on ingredients as well as storage. I personally have several bars over 4 years old and are still in great shape. I try to keep 1 bar from each batch.

 

[IrishLass]

I have a bar my grandmother made in 1983. Its probably most lard or tallow.

That is an awesome, precious treasure indeed! If it were mine, I don't think I would ever have the heart to use it. I would probably keep it forever and hand it down in my will. lol

I have soap bars that I've held back that are going on 9 years old now and they are still perfectly fine. Every once in a while I'll use one and it's like I'm bathing with a secret treasure. It never ceases to amaze me how much they improve with age.


IrishLass

 

[Obsidian]

I don't plan on using it, its a horrible harsh bar. I do believe gramma used borax and ammonia when she made soap, plus it has ash from Mt. Saint Helens in it.
I used it once and that was enough. Its funny though, I grew up using it and never noticed how drying it is. I guess now that I make my own soap formulated for my dry skin, I'm pretty spoiled

 

[CanaDawn]

I don't plan on using it, its a horrible harsh bar. I do believe gramma used borax and ammonia when she made soap, plus it has ash from Mt. Saint Helens in it.
I used it once and that was enough. Its funny though, I grew up using it and never noticed how drying it is. I guess now that I make my own soap formulated for my dry skin, I'm pretty spoiled

I'm laughing! Here we are all getting misty-eyed and sentimental about this lovely well-aged bar of soap, and suddenly there's the screech of a needle coming off a record (she said, aging herself), and you announce the soap is too nasty to be used on human flesh!

 

[Obsidian]

Well, it is sentimental. Its the first soap I remember making with gramma when I was a little girl and I do have the last bar. but yeah, its pretty rough on the hide.

 

[judymoody]

For me, the sweet spot is between 6 months and a year. Beyond a year, while the soap may be fine, the fragrance may be fading or gone altogether. I prefer essential oils; if you use fragrance oils, you could probably stretch it out to 1.5 or 2 years. I have soap lying about that is 3-4 years old that is mild and lathers well but it doesn't smell like much.

 

[CanaDawn]

Well, it is sentimental. Its the first soap I remember making with gramma when I was a little girl and I do have the last bar. but yeah, its pretty rough on the hide.

I understand...it was just the juxtaposition of posts that made me laugh. It's really sweet that you've kept it, and that you have those memories, I hope you don't think I was laughing at you for hanging on to the last Gramma-bar.

 

[katz2711]

I'm laughing! Here we are all getting misty-eyed and sentimental about this lovely well-aged bar of soap, and suddenly there's the screech of a needle coming off a record (she said, aging herself), and you announce the soap is too nasty to be used on human flesh!

@Obsidian: I wish I had a bar of soap I made with my grandma no matter what its characteristics are. I would treasure it!

 

[Obsidian]

I hope you don't think I was laughing at you for hanging on to the last Gramma-bar.

Not at all, I saw the humor in it

 

[CanaDawn]

Not at all, I saw the humor in it

I'm glad YOU did....

 

[CanaDawn]

"If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all!" ... so very applicable sometimes



@Obsidian: I wish I had a bar of soap I made with my grandma no matter what its characteristics are. I would treasure it!

I think you missed the humour I saw, but it's ok, as Obsidian saw it, and understands I wasn't saying anything "not nice" (after all, SHE is the one that said it was a "horrible harsh bar" - which is when I found it funny..not that she kept her Grandma's soap - that is sweet and yes, I would do the same, I'm sure, had my grandma's made any (I'm not aware they ever did))