How to Make Your Soap Bar Last Longer
Eric VandernailHandcrafted soap is a little luxury that turns an ordinary shower into a self-care ritual. At Ever and Ember, we pour time, love, and natural ingredients into every bar to create something nourishing, sustainable, and beautiful. But because handmade soap is softer and gentler than mass-produced bars, many people notice that it melts away faster if not cared for properly.
The good news? With a few simple tips, you can extend the life of your soap, save money, and enjoy every last bubble of your favorite Ever and Ember bar. Here’s our complete guide on how to make your soap last longer.
🌿 1. Keep Soap Dry Between Uses
The number one reason soap disappears quickly is because it sits in water. When your bar stays wet, it softens and dissolves faster, even when you’re not using it.
Tips to keep soap dry:
Place your soap on a well-draining soap dish (like our Alder Battlement Style Dish). Wooden or slotted dishes work best.
Avoid flat surfaces where water pools.
If you keep your bar in the shower, place it on the highest shelf away from direct spray.
By giving your bar time to dry out between uses, you’ll double its lifespan.
🧺 2. Use a Soap Saver Pouch
A sisal soap saver pouch is one of the easiest ways to make your bar last longer. Here’s why:
You slip your soap (even tiny end pieces) inside the pouch.
The pouch creates a gentle exfoliating scrub for your skin.
Because you’re lathering through the pouch, the bar stays intact longer and you use less soap per wash.
It allows you to use up every last sliver instead of tossing them away.
At Ever and Ember, we love pairing our soaps with our Natural Plant-Based Sisal Soap Saver Pouch with Coffee-Colored Bead. It’s eco-friendly, reusable, and turns your bar into a spa-like experience.
✨ 3. Cut Your Bar into Smaller Pieces
Here’s a clever tip: instead of using the whole bar at once, cut it into halves or thirds before your first use.
Why this works:
You’ll only expose part of the bar to water and air at a time.
Smaller pieces dry faster between uses.
It helps keep one bar in your shower, another at your sink, and maybe one in your travel bag—without wasting any.
This is especially helpful for seasonal soaps (like Pumpkin Spice or Witches’ Brew) if you want them to last into the next season.
💧 4. Store Extras Properly
If you buy your soap in bundles (and let’s be honest, who can resist a collection?), proper storage makes a big difference.
Keep unused bars in a cool, dry place. A linen closet, dresser drawer, or bathroom cabinet works great.
Allow airflow. Don’t seal them tightly in plastic. Instead, keep them wrapped in paper or cloth.
Bonus tip: Stash a bar in your closet or drawer as a natural air freshener until you’re ready to use it. Our Fig & Berry Bliss soap, for example, smells incredible in a linen drawer.
Proper storage ensures your soap stays firm and ready to use for months.
🧼 5. Lather with a Washcloth or Loofah
Using soap directly on your skin feels wonderful, but you’ll use more product that way. If you want to stretch your bar, consider using:
A washcloth – Helps you build up more lather with less soap.
A natural sponge or loofah – Exfoliates while helping the soap foam up.
Instead of rubbing the bar all over, simply lather it on your cloth, then apply to your body. You’ll use less per shower and extend your bar’s life significantly.
🌎 6. Don’t Leave Soap in the Shower All the Time
It’s tempting to leave your soap in the shower 24/7, but constant steam and water shorten its life. If possible, store it outside the shower and bring it in when you bathe.
This might feel like an extra step, but it can double or even triple the life of your bar—especially if you’re using our soft, moisturizing goat milk soaps.
🛁 7. Rotate Your Bars
If you love variety (and we know many Ever and Ember fans do), rotate between a few different soaps.
For example:
Use Pumpkin Spice in the morning for a cozy, spiced wake-up.
Switch to Fig & Berry Bliss in the evening for a sweeter, relaxing scent.
By alternating, each bar gets time to dry out fully, which prevents mushiness and helps them last longer. Plus, it keeps your routine fresh and fun.
🌿 8. Invest in Quality Soap
Not all soaps are created equal. Cheap, mass-produced soaps are often filled with detergents, fillers, and hardening agents that can feel harsh on the skin. Handmade soaps, like ours at Ever and Ember, are softer because they’re rich in natural oils and butters.
That means they may require a little extra care—but the tradeoff is worth it. You’re nourishing your skin with gentle, high-quality ingredients, not stripping it with chemicals. And when you use the tips above, you’ll make the most out of every handcrafted bar.
✨ Final Thoughts
Handcrafted soap is a daily luxury that deserves to be enjoyed slowly and fully. By keeping your bar dry, using tools like soap saver pouches, cutting bars into smaller pieces, and storing them properly, you can make each Ever and Ember soap last longer—without sacrificing the rich lather and nourishing care you love.
It’s not just about saving money (though that’s a nice bonus). It’s also about respecting the craft, ingredients, and sustainability that go into every small-batch bar.
So the next time you unwrap your favorite Ever and Ember soap—whether it’s the warm spice of Pumpkin Ale, the mystery of Witches’ Brew, or the sweet aroma of Fig & Berry Bliss—remember these tips and enjoy every last bubble.
Ever and Ember soaps aren’t just for washing—they’re for savoring.