How-To Redoux: Bar Soap Maintenance

 

Are you thinking of switching to bar soap but feeling hesitant? 

Do you struggle with using up every last bit of your bar soap? 

Are you just looking for a better way to store your bar soap? Keep reading!

We recognize that using bar soap requires more maintenance than liquid or bottled soaps, and this can be a deterrent to making the switch. Find our favorite ways to keep our Turmeric Botanical Bar in lasting shape below, so you can focus your energy on your bath time rituals. 

Store it in a raised soap dish. 

Using a raised soap dish in place of setting the bar on the side of your tub (or a built-in soap shelf) is the easiest way to extend its life. They allow your soap to dry properly between uses, minimize bacteria growth, and provide a safe place where it won’t fall to the tub floor.  

We recommend a raised dish over a flat dish because it creates space for excess moisture to land instead of staying on your bar (where it can wear away at the soap and breed bacteria). Some recommendations from our favorite cozy tastemaker, Sydney Gore, include Object & Totem’s Ko Soap Dish ($30) and Binu Binu’s Green Onyx Soap Dish ($75). Some budget friendly ones include this concrete one with drainage ($12) from Etsy, or this minimal soap stand ($10). 

Store your dish away from your shower stream so there’s no chance of the product breaking down when it’s not in use.

Check your soap dish.

We clean our bathrooms regularly, and our soap dish should be no exception. We’re here to remind you (and ourselves) of this vital step in maintaining your favorite soap! There won’t be any hair or particles on your soap bar if they have nowhere to live. 

How often you do this is up to you, but once a week will keep bacteria at bay and your space fresh. For small amounts of excess dried soap you can wipe your dish clean with a warm, wet cloth. For a deeper clean, we recommend the following: 

1. Combine equal amounts of vinegar and water into a spray bottle* 
2. Add a tablespoon of dish detergent and shake gently.
3. Spray this solution onto your soap dish and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
4. Depending on how much buildup you have, use a warm, wet cloth to wipe away the grime-- or scrub it clean with a soft-bristle brush.
5. Rinse with hot water.
6. Dry thoroughly.

*If you don’t have a spare spray bottle and cleaning brush, you can let your soap dish soak in the solution and rinse it clean with hot water and a cloth.

Lather up efficiently.

Rather than rubbing the bar everywhere on your body and then lathering up, lathering in between your hands ensures you don’t use more product than necessary. You can always grab the bar and lather up again!

The Turmeric Botanical bar offers a rich, dense lather that’s less foamy than some other bar soaps; this is due to its natural and moisture-rich ingredient list. If you find yourself wanting more of that “soapy” feeling, consider using a sponge or washcloth to create more friction and lather on your body before using additional products. If you don’t like using your hands, may we suggest a body scrubber, like this one from Luv Scrub ($18). We will take ours in Naked Sunset, thank you. 

Travel with a case.

You can easily place your bar of soap in a baggie for trips, but this puts it at risk of getting smushed, dented, or rubbing all over the inside of the bag (and wasting product as a result). A durable metal tin is your best bet for minimizing damage to your bar while en route to your next destination. Bonus: it’s more sustainable, too.

Take your time.

When you take your time bathing, you minimize the chances of your soap bar slipping-- in turn avoiding dents, wasted product, and excess bacteria reaching your soap from other parts of the bathroom.

By slowing down and being mindful of each step, product, and movement you make in the shower, you’re not only extending the life of your soap bar, but also bringing more intention to everyday activities.

If you feel rushed when bathing, ask yourself why that is. Can you reallocate time spent elsewhere to create a more peaceful shower ritual? 

 

Make the most of it.

When your favorite bar of soap reaches its end, it can be frustrating dealing with the small slivers that are left. Use every last bit of soap by purchasing a soap saver: small, mesh bags that allow your soap to seep through without slipping out of your hands. You can either rub the bag in between your hands to create a lather, or you can use the bag directly on your skin for a good exfoliation. 

These bags also help avoid any soap slippage-- because sometimes you just don’t have the patience to repeatedly pick your soap up from the tub floor. They’re a cleaner option for soap storage in general if you don’t have space for a soap dish. You can tie the bag strings to your shower rod on the opposite end of the shower head!

Redoux Cleansing Bars 

Redoux pours love in every cleansing bar. Our luxury bar soaps are made with all natural ingredients to naturally purify the skin without leaving the skin feeling dry. 

Let us know of other shower or product questions you have, and we’ll address them in another post or over on Instagram.