Extend the life of your handmade soap and make your investment worth it and more cost effective. Handmade soap is the best kind of soap, but it is usually more expensive than commercial soap. Handmade soap is creamier, very moisturizing and conditioning because it still contains all of its natural glycerin content.
Glycerin is usually removed during the processing of commercial soaps and used in other commercially based beauty products which causes commercial soaps to hold up better in moisture. This is not the case with handmade soap, the glycerin content in the soap causes it to melt and get slimy when it is not cared for correctly in between uses but glycerin has tremendous benefits for your skin. It helps to keep moisture in your skin - preventing dry and itchy skin.
Here are some helpful suggestions to keep your soap at peak performance and to make it last for a long time:
Always keep your soap dry in between uses. Use a soap dish that has good ventilation. This is very important. Soap dishes with holes or slits are the best choice for handmade soap because they allow for great drainage which results in drying out your soap faster and more thoroughly. Soap dishes without ventilation causes water accumulation which results in slimy and melting soap which vastly shortens the lifespan of your handmade soap.
Alternate soaps. Have at least two handmade soaps and alternate their use. This will give more time for your bars to dry out completely in between uses.
Use a washcloth when showering or bathing. Using a washcloth actually extends the life of your soap because you only need a little soap to lather up your washcloth. Lather your wet washcloth with your soap and place your soap outside of the shower or bath water when washing.
Consider keeping your soap in another room other than the bathroom if your bathroom is humid. There is nothing wrong with keeping it in your bedroom. It will keep it dry and actually add a nice scent to the room.
The photos in the gallery show a soap kept dry on a soap dish with good ventilation and one that became slimy in a soap dish with poor ventilation.