How old is too old?

[DiddlyO]

hi everyone

I was going to make some soap after a very long hiatus, and found a lot of old castille and Aleppo soaps that I had put away to cure and promptly forgot about. They are nearly 7 years old - if they still look and smell ok, is there any harm in using them?

thanks for any input

 

[Quanta]

It would be interesting to see how well they lather after that long of a cure.

 

[Rsapienza]

They'll probably be fabulous!!

 

[Misschief]

As long as there's no DOS, they're fine. A friend of mine, who used to be a soapmaker, gave me a bar of soap she made approximately 20 years ago. It's still fine. I haven't tried it yet because I had just started another bar but I know that the recipe she used is a good one (she gave it to me and it's now one that I make regularly).

 

[Quanta]

As long as there's no DOS, they're fine. A friend of mine, who used to be a soapmaker, gave me a bar of soap she made approximately 20 years ago. It's still fine. I haven't tried it yet because I had just started another bar but I know that the recipe she used is a good one (she gave it to me and it's now one that I make regularly).

I would be interested to hear what additives are in that bar to prevent rancidity, if any. Or is it just a recipe that is resistant to rancidity to begin with?

 

[Misschief]

I would be interested to hear what additives are in that bar to prevent rancidity, if any. Or is it just a recipe that is resistant to rancidity to begin with?

Basically, it's an oatmeal, milk, and honey soap. No special ingredients, no additives to prevent rancidity. It's a blend of Olive, Coconut, Palm, Ricebran oils and beeswax with added honey, colloidal oats, and buttermilk. That's it.

 

[Jersey Girl]

hi everyone

I was going to make some soap after a very long hiatus, and found a lot of old castille and Aleppo soaps that I had put away to cure and promptly forgot about. They are nearly 7 years old - if they still look and smell ok, is there any harm in using them?

thanks for any input

They are probably awesome. I wouldn’t hesitate at all to use them. Let us know your impression.

 

[jcandleattic]

Soap, like fine wine, only get better with age!! I have some soaps that are upwards of 10+ years old that are some of my best bars.
Heck, I've been soaping so long, most of the soaps I use are no less than 3-4 years old, and I won't use a salt bar that isn't at the very very least 2 years old.
I'm sure your bars are going to be some of the best you've ever used.

 

[luluzapcat]

Chiming in on the consensus. I have some bars I made 24-25 years ago and they are lovely. 100% wild boar fat! ex-BF/soaping partner at the time was a hunter.

 

[nframe]

We visited Aleppo about 20 years ago and I brought back some Aleppo soaps. I found a couple of bars about a month ago. They are very dark brown and I cut one in half to see the inside which turned out to be a beautiful green. The cut is not very good because the soap is so hard. I use it now and it feels wonderful. It doesn't smell of anything and it certainly doesn't smell rancid. I attach a photo. The green inside is now darkening unfortunately.

 

[amd]

I just opened my personal stash box from 2017. Tossed a few that had DOS (not made by me) and so far some of the best soaps I've used.

 

[dibbles]

I recently found a bar of soap (not handmade) that I saved from a boutique hotel in May 1986. I still haven't decided if I should use it, or save it for my daughter, who was born in February of 1987. We were celebrating our anniversary and I guess I got 2 souvenirs from that weekend.

 

[The_Phoenix]

I recently found a bar of soap (not handmade) that I saved from a boutique hotel in May 1986. I still haven't decided if I should use it, or save it for my daughter, who was born in February of 1987. We were celebrating our anniversary and I guess I got 2 souvenirs from that weekend.

That must have been some powerful soap!

 

[The_Phoenix]

I just opened my personal stash box from 2017. Tossed a few that had DOS (not made by me) and so far some of the best soaps I've used.

Fun! It’s like a time capsule of your soaping life.

 

[Babyshoes]

That must have been some powerful soap!

That would be an great selling point! Aphrodisiac soap...

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

We visited Aleppo about 20 years ago and I brought back some Aleppo soaps. I found a couple of bars about a month ago. They are very dark brown and I cut one in half to see the inside which turned out to be a beautiful green. The cut is not very good because the soap is so hard. I use it now and it feels wonderful. It doesn't smell of anything and it certainly doesn't smell rancid. I attach a photo. The green inside is now darkening unfortunately.

WOW! Thats so interesting & awesome.

 

[TheGecko]

I have a bar of GMS that I bought well over a decade ago and it's very gentle.

A good artisan soap will only improve with age. Commercial soaps...not so much.