Today I’ll share a pet peeve of mine. It drives me crazy and over the years I’ve gotten less tolerate of it!
I love the smell of both Dove and Ivory soaps, two drugstore brands, but I stopped buying both of them because they are not long lasting. Both brands crack, split, or turn into a gooey mess before I finish the bars, untidiness I wish to avoid! I haven’t studied these two specific soaps but here are 5 factors that make splitting and cracking more likely:
- Freshly cut cold-process soap cured less than 4–6 weeks.
- High-water content recipes or soft oils (like high olive oil without enough hard oils).
- High glycerin content or use of humectants.
- Rapid drying (high heat, low humidity) that creates a brittle skin.
- Poorly mixed batter or air bubbles left in molds.
Longer lasting harder bars of soap have a high content of hard oils like coconut oil, palm oil, or shea butter and a high percentage of saturated fatty acids like palmitic and stearic acid -- the latter added to increase the bars hardness and durability. Soaps that undergo a longer cure time will last longer. Also the Total Fatty Matter (TFM) makes a difference. Grade 1 soaps have 75% or higher TFM.
Look for Triple Milled Soap. By definition, it is premium long leasting soap (often French, British or Australian). Triple-milled soap is made by passing the soap mixture through steel rollers three times, a process that removes excess water and air to create a dense, smooth, and long-lasting bar.
IMHO, grade 1 soap makes a fabulous gift! It’s an essential we use all day every day! Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve makes fancy grade 1 soaps for a Christmas stocking.
Still Triple Milled Soap need not be expensive! You often find them for less at health food stores, T.J. Maxx, and European styled drugstores. Kiss the gooey messes goodbye!!🧼
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