How long does homemade soap last? That depends on a lot of factors. It’s important to understand how your soap is made, what ingredients are in it, how you store it, and more. In this article, I’ll share some tips for storing your homemade soap and give you an overview of different types of soaps that require different curing times.
How Long Does Homemade Soap Last?
Homemade soap is a great way to naturally clean your body and the world around you. It’s a great alternative to store-bought soaps, which are often filled with harmful chemicals and preservatives that can be bad for both your skin and the environment.
Making your own soap gives you control over what goes into it, so you can add things like essential fragrance oils or other natural essential oil to make it smell great without any added chemicals. You can choose your favorite fragrances, and make beautiful gifts from the soaps that you make.
But how long does homemade soap last? This depends on several factors: whether it has been made correctly (that includes using proper oils), how well it’s stored, whether there are additives, or preservative like essential oils in the mix, etc. There’s no one set answer to this question because everyone’s recipe is different. But here are some general guidelines that can help give an estimate of how long homemade soaps will last:
Homemade liquid soaps last between 6 months to 2 years depending on how thick they were when poured out; thicker versions tend towards longer shelf lives while thinner ones tend towards shorter shelf lives.
Homemade soap making bars of soap can last anywhere from 3 months (when they’re small) up until 24 months (when they’re very large), depending on the quality and ingredients used, and a lack of preservatives.
Do You Have to Cure Homemade Soap?
Curing is the process of letting your homemade soap rest for a few weeks. It allows the saponification process to finish, which in turn helps with the hardening of the soap, to form the soap bars.
If you’re making a batch of cold-processed soap in a crock pot or double boiler, there’s no need to cure it because cold-process soaps are ready to use after they’ve cooked for 24 hours.
But if you’re making hot-processed homemade soaps (which require heating water and oils together until they reach 180 degrees Fahrenheit), curing is necessary because hot-process soaps tend to be softer at first—which can make them more prone to cracking or crumbling if not properly cured.
So, how long should you let your homemade soaps cure? The answer depends on their size and type. Smaller bars will require less time than larger ones do, but all soaps will benefit from about three weeks’ worth of curing time before being used for best results.
How Long It Takes for Homemade Soap to Cure
How long it takes for homemade soap to cure depends on the ingredients used, but generally speaking, the curing process should take at least four weeks.
Many people are confused by the term “cure.” This is because cures have become associated with things like curing meats and smoking fish. However, in reference to soapmaking, a cure refers to the time during which lye-based soaps harden up before they can be used as intended.
Although cold process soaps do not undergo lye neutralization until they are placed in molds and then cut into bars, hot process soaps do go through this step before being packaged or stored away.
During this time period—which can last between two days and six months, depending on what type of soap you’re making—the pH level of your homemade bar will rise from about 9 (or higher) down toward 7 (or lower).
Popular Curing Methods
If you’re a soapmaker, then you know that curing is a crucial step of the process. Curing time can make or break a bar of soap—if it sits too long, it can get brittle and crack; if it doesn’t cure long enough, the lather may not be as spectacular as you’d expect. So what’s the magic formula? How long should you let your bars cure? To answer this question, we consulted with experts from around the world who have years of experience in the art of soapmaking. The following is an overview of their findings:
- Overnight curing – 4-8 hours
- Two weeks curing – 1-4 weeks
- Three to four weeks curing – 2-4 weeks
- Six months curing – 6 months
Natural Soap Curing Methods
If you’ve ever made soap at home, then you know how exciting it is to see your creation turn from a liquid into a solid. It’s like magic. But then you get to thinking about what happens next: How do I keep my soap from drying out? Will it last as long as commercial products?
The good news is that homemade soaps will last for years if cared for properly. There are several ways to store your homemade soap so that its natural oils stay intact, and the fresh scent lingers on until the end of time (or until someone uses it all up).
Can You Use Cured Homemade Soap Before the Curing Process Is Complete?
If you’re wondering when to use your homemade soap, the answer is: As soon as it’s done curing. Soap needs time to cure before it can be used safely in the shower or bathtub.
Cured soap lasts longer than fresh soap because it has had time to harden and will not melt as quickly when exposed to heat (like hot water).
However, this doesn’t mean that you can use uncured homemade soap on your skin right away—it won’t work very well. Instead of using the soaps until they’ve fully cured and hardened up, they should be kept out of direct sunlight (ideally in a cool place), and then used only once they are four weeks old or older.
Does Your Soap Still Need to be Labeled?
Does your soap still need to be labeled? The answer is yes, but you have a lot of options. You can label the bars with a hand-written label that says “for sale” or “gift”. Or if you want to take it up a notch, one of our favorite labels would be this sealant. This way, people won’t accidentally ingest any essential oils that may still be lingering in there (although they’d have to eat it pretty fast).
We love labeling our soap because it helps us keep track of what we made when. We also love knowing who gave us certain soaps and why they gave them—and we like being able to give back.
What Kinds of Containers Should I Use to Store my Cured Soap?
Once your soap is cured and ready to use, it should be stored in airtight containers. The type of container you use depends on what kind of soap you’re making, as well as what material it’s made out of.
Most homemade soaps will last longer if they’re stored in glass jars or plastic containers with lids that fit tightly. Some people like using metal tins or even food-grade buckets to store their bars.
But this isn’t necessary unless the soap contains water-based ingredients that can leach into the container and leave stains behind. If you decide to use metal containers, make sure they have a plastic liner inside before storing your homemade soaps inside them.
Plastic wrap and other types of thin covering can also help keep moisture out while allowing air to flow through them; however, this may not always work well depending on how much moisture is coming from inside your home (especially if there are high humidity levels).
How Long Will Cured Soap Keep for?
The shelf life of cured soap depends on how well it is made, how it is stored and what ingredients were used to make it.
The general rule of thumb for curing your own soap bar is about 6 weeks. But, some soap makers swear that their batches can last up to a year if they’re kept properly sealed and out of direct sunlight. If you do have a batch that lasts as long as one year, feel free to send us pictures because we want to see them.
Takeaway
If you’re looking for a way to save money and reduce waste in your life, then homemade soap is the perfect solution. Not only does it work just as well as store-bought soaps, but it can be made with natural ingredients that you already have around the house. You can also use organic and vegan ingredients if desired.
If you’re interested in making your own soap, all you need are some basic ingredients like lye and fat (butter), which are available online or at any local grocery store or craft supply store.
From there, it’s easy: just follow one of the many recipes available online and mix everything together until it reaches trace (the point where all of the oil is mixed into an emulsion). Once you’ve reached this point, pour into molds or simply leave as is. It takes about four hours for homemade soap to set up completely before being able to see how long it will last.
Curing soap is one of the healthiest ways to ensure that your homemade soap lasts for as long as possible. If you want to make sure your hard work doesn’t go to waste, then it’s important that you learn how long cured soap lasts before using or selling.
We hope this article has given you some insight into how long homemade soap lasts, what factors affect its longevity, and how best to store it in order to keep it on hand when needed.
