Shelf Life and Product Care
SOAP
Most artisan soap has a prime shelf life of up to 3-6 years, but can last much longer. Soap never really expires. The older it gets, the more likely the scent or colors will fade, but it will still be safe to use, just not as pleasant.
To prolong the life of your artisan soap while using it, keep it on a soap dish with drainage, such as a soap rack, to keep it from sticking to the shower or tub or getting mushy and breaking.
If it is unused, keep it packaged in a dry area and avoid severe hot or cold temperature fluctuations. Occasionally, artisan soap will "sweat" if it is kept in an area of high moisture, severe heat, or severe cold. I use a special formula to ensure my soap rarely sweats. However, if this happens, it will develop a sticky film or slimey bubbles. This is due to the glycerin in artisan soap that is left in for extra moisturization, which is taken out of store bought soaps to keep them stiffer and have longer preservation. Sweating in artisan soap is simply due to the soap being exposed to excess moisture and is not dangerous or harmful. If this occurs, all you need to do is rinse the soap or wipe it down and continue to store it in a place that does not have severe fluctuating temperatures.
BODY BUTTER
The Shelf life of handmade body butter is approximately 1-3 years, but can last longer if stored in a dry place without extreme hot or cold fluctuating temperatures.
******Do not store soap or body butter in the refrigerator. As this will cause excess moisture and the "sweating" more likely to occur and the body butter to become runny instead of its normal whipped texture.
CANDLES
The Shelf life of handmade soy wax candles are forever until they burn down. If one of the crystals moves too close to the wick due to melting down, just remove it. It will not catch fire, but you will probably want to retrieve it if it sinks too low or interferes with the wick. The dried flowers should stay close to the rim and even if they burn, they will just crackle but not release any fumes because they are natural dried flowers, but they may interfere with the wick burning properly if they get in the way. The glitter is non toxic and will just melt. The wick is 100 percent cotton. Be sure to follow the safety burning instructions on the bottom of the non toxic tin. Do not leave the candle unattended or near anything flammable. Also keep the candle far from pets and children.