use by date for soap

B

bean

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129
Hello

I'm new to DE shaving (and this is my first post on this, or any shaving, forum).

I've bought a couple of soaps and creams and fancy getting some more but I wondered if the soap deteriorates with age. And if I'd be better off limiting the number I have at any one time, using them all up, then restocking with some fresh new ones. I presume that creams in a tube will last for decades because they remain more or less sealed in use.

It sounds like many of you have a dozen or so on the go at the same time though. Which sounds good to me :) And probably means that there's no problem with keeping soap going for years.

I inherited a travel set from my Father-in-law at the weekend that used to be his Dad's. That contains an unused, still in the silver foil, Palmolive stick. The ultimate test would be to see if that is still ok. It's at least 20 years old, probably much older! It's a much darker green that a new stick, but smells like soap so I think it's ok.

Tony
 
Commercially produced soap will keep for decades - the worst that happens with it typically is that it dries out more and gets a cracked appearance. Creams by virtue of mostly being liquid soap emulsions may separate slightly, but gentle mechanical mixing will usually sort that out.
 
hunnymonster said:
Commercially produced soap will keep for decades - the worst that happens with it typically is that it dries out more and gets a cracked appearance.
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and lose their scent due to slow evaporation from the soap bar (which then acts as a slow release formulation for the scent -- some soaps are actually made, and used for that purpose).

Creams by virtue of mostly being liquid soap emulsions may separate slightly, but gentle mechanical mixing will usually sort that out.
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Artisanal hard soaps should also keep almost indefinitely -- if the oils used for saponification were chosen with longevity in mind. Many artisanal soaps are made with healthy-sounding oils, like olive oil, sunflower oil, or more expensive oils. These may be healthy as food oils, but all that health is due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, which will more or less rapidly lead to oxidation (going rancid) of such oils. This process is not limited to oils but also to the fatty acid salts derived from those oils (i.e. soaps); the shelf life of a soap is determined primarily by its fatty acid composition. Fortunately, the fatty acids that make for a good shaving soap are also fatty acids that are not particularly susceptible to oxidation....

Creams soaps, with their elevated water content, are theoretically more prone to microbial degradation, although they usually still have a high enough pH and soap content to withstand bacterial growth. Fungi/molds may eventually start growing on them though.

So hard soaps should be OK, depending on fatty acids/oils, creams should be expected to go off eventually.
 
Hi Tony, keep us updated with how you get on with your vintage Palmolive. Sounds like it should be fine. Let us know how it compares to your new stick too! :D
 
Thanks for the warm welcome and informative replies.

You're right - I do want to try that old Palmolive! On one hand it seems stupid since they cost so little. But I've read talk of reformulation of various soaps and creams (usually for the worse). I wonder if Palmolive was ever reformulated though and if the darker green colour and different scent might be a formulation difference. Much more likely that it isn't and it's just aging/oxidation.

I also hate chucking stuff out if it's good and I can use it no matter how cheap it is/was.

I had my first 'frankensoap' shave this morning - a quick swirl on an EJ Aloe Vera puck together with a garden pea sized squeeze of Body Shop cream. I love the soapy scent from the EJ soap (reminds me of watching and smelling my Grandad shave) but it's relatively expensive so I want to make it last. I'm impressed with the thickness of the Body Shop cream. Combining them worked well.

I'm off down to John Lewis later to pick up a tube of Ingrams and a puck of their own soap which I've read good things about on this forum and is only £2.50 for 100g. I had originally planned to get some Proraso but it sounds like Ingrams is similar but made in the UK so cheaper. And I'm a fan of buying stuff that's made here if all other things are equal.

Tony
 
I tried the 'vintage' Palmolive and it's great. Needs a bit more water than the new one and smells a bit different (but still nice). Lathered up a treat.

So I reckon I'm good to go with the stocking up/building a selection.

Tony
 
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