One of the most common questions we get at SOAPHERA is how long a soap bar should last. The honest answer is that it depends on how you use it and how you look after it between uses.

A well-made cold process soap bar used daily by one person should last between three and five weeks. But with a few simple habits, you can stretch that to six weeks or more without any compromise on how well it works. Here is everything you need to know about getting the most from your bar.

The Single Most Important Thing: A Good Soap Dish

If there is one thing you do after reading this post, let it be this. Get a proper draining soap dish.

A soap bar that sits in a puddle of water between uses will absorb that water and soften. Once softened, it dissolves much faster in the shower and becomes a soggy, mushy mess that is unpleasant to use and wasteful.

A draining soap dish — one with slats or ridges that allow water to run away from the bar — lets your soap dry out completely between uses. A dry bar is a hard bar, and a hard bar lasts much longer.

Look for a soap dish made from bamboo, wood, ceramic, or stainless steel. Avoid plastic soap dishes that create a flat, sealed surface where water pools. Your soap bar will thank you.

Let it Dry Between Uses

This follows on from the soap dish point, but it is worth saying separately. Every time you use your soap bar you wet it, lather it, and rinse it. After that the bar needs time to dry out fully before the next use.

If you share your bathroom and your soap bar gets used multiple times in quick succession, consider keeping it on a raised dish near an open window or in a well-ventilated area of the bathroom rather than inside a closed shower cubicle where humidity stays high.

Some people rotate two bars, alternating between them to give each one more drying time. This is particularly useful for soft water areas where bars can take longer to harden between uses.

Keep it Out of Direct Water

In the shower or bath, keep your soap bar away from the direct stream of water when you are not actively using it. A bar sitting under running water is dissolving the whole time, even if nobody is using it.

A small soap shelf or dish inside the shower that sits out of the direct spray is ideal. Even moving the bar to the edge of the bath away from the tap makes a difference.

Cut Large Bars Into Smaller Pieces

If you buy a larger soap bar, consider cutting it into two or three smaller pieces and only bringing one piece into the shower at a time. Store the remaining pieces in a cool, dry place wrapped in paper.

Smaller bars are easier to hold, easier to lather, and the pieces you are not using stay perfectly dry and firm until you need them. This is especially useful for our Coffee & Turmeric Body Scrub Bar which is a denser bar than our standard soap bars.

Store Spare Bars Properly

Unused soap bars should be stored somewhere cool, dry, and away from direct sunlight. A linen cupboard, a drawer, or a bathroom cabinet all work well.

Do not store spare bars in a sealed plastic container or a damp bathroom shelf. Moisture and heat are the enemies of a soap bar in storage.

The good news is that a properly stored cold process soap bar improves with age during the first year. The bar continues to cure slowly, becoming harder and longer lasting over time. Many soap enthusiasts deliberately age their bars for several months before using them for this reason.

Use a Soap Saver Bag or Flannel

A soap saver bag is a small mesh or sisal bag that you put your soap bar into and use as a scrubbing mitt. It does two things at once — it exfoliates your skin gently and it helps you use every last bit of the bar, including the small end pieces that are difficult to hold.

You can also rub small leftover pieces of soap onto a wet flannel and use the flannel to lather. Nothing gets wasted and your skin gets a gentle exfoliation at the same time.

Avoid Hot Water

Hot water softens soap faster than cold or warm water. Rinsing your bar under the hottest shower setting dissolves it more quickly than necessary. A warm rinse rather than a hot one makes a noticeable difference to how long your bar lasts over time.

Which Bars Last the Longest

Not all soap bars are created equal when it comes to longevity. The hardness of a bar depends largely on the oils used to make it and how long it has been cured.

Bars with a higher coconut oil content tend to be harder and longer lasting. Bars with a high olive oil content are softer but more conditioning for the skin. Our Blue Solace Clay Soap Bar and Green Apple Soap Bar are among our hardest bars and will last particularly well with proper care.

Our shampoo bars, coming soon to the Hair Care collection, are also very hard and long lasting. Kept dry between uses on a draining dish, a shampoo bar can last six to eight weeks with daily use.

A Note on Soft Water Areas

If you live in a soft water area (much of Scotland, Wales, and parts of northern England), you may find that your soap bar takes longer to dry out between uses and feels softer than expected. This is completely normal. Soft water produces a richer, more abundant lather which is wonderful, but it also means the bar absorbs a little more moisture.

In soft water areas, a well-ventilated soap dish is even more important. You might also find that rotating two bars works particularly well.

Getting the Most From Every Bar

Taking care of your soap bar is really just about keeping it dry between uses and storing it sensibly. None of these tips require any special equipment or effort — just a good soap dish and a little mindfulness about where you leave your bar after each use.

If you are looking for your next bar, browse our full collection at SOAPHERA. Every bar is handmade in small batches in the UK, vegan, and shipped plastic-free. We want every bar you buy from us to last as long as possible and work as well as possible for your skin.

If you have any questions about our products or soap care, get in touch through our Contact page. We always reply personally.