The first tip would be to keep your soap as dry as possible in between use.

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I know how funny this sounds. How do you keep a soap dry when it's destined for water?

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The reason for this is that even the most generic, off the shelf soap will eventually start to dissolve if it is left to soak in water. Which melts the soap down faster.

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Handmade soaps are cured for up to 4 weeks before use. This allows the water to evaporate completely and harden the soap. But because of the soft nature of the ingredients, keeping a bar soaking in moisture will cause your soap to soften. And shorten your use. That is such a pity, because handmade soaps are packed with natural goodness.

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We've made our bars chunky, allowing them to stand up for the first stage of use, giving as much of the soap bar exposure to air & dry out. We've also added a ridged side. This side helps to drain excess water away from the bar.

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You will notice that most of our soap bars have a touch of crunch and texture from our added botanicals. This could be in the form of dried petals, leaves, seeds etc. That is pretty but also to create a lovely scrub for grimy hands. It is handy to scrub off dirt from the garden, paint, dough, the list is endless. Plus it looks pretty! And I find that I miss this on smooth bars sometimes.

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We've tried many ways of keeping our soap dry. Once it's at a stage when it cannot stand upright, one of the most effective ways of keeping it well drained is by placing it on top of a small glass jar.

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The picture is our well used Lemon-Poppy soap bar at the kitchen sink, on top of a little jar. I like to add cute things to the jars, like pebbles or shells.

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Where in our home do we use these handmade soaps?

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They are suitable for anywhere you wash up. But I've found that we've come to enjoy certain bars in certain places more usually.

The Lemon-Poppy and Rosemary bars are great in the kitchen. I always have a bar there. Both help neutralize odours, I love the scrub of the poppy seeds and chopped herb and Rosemary is naturally antiseptic.

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Lavender has become our usual one for sinks. Lavender also being naturally antiseptic, without the harsh chemicals of generic bought soap. I always have a Lavender soap bar of any description at my studio sink. Currently I have a glorious Lavender Cream bar and a half bar of Loaded Lavender. Just because: for the love of lavender.

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We also have a Lavender Cream & Rosemary bar in the showers. Rosemary is great for skincare & helps to prevent spots. And bath-time would not be the same without the Cedar Charcoal loaf! We keep one especially for the boys at the family sink too. It's a favourite! No surprise, because it's not only striking and dramatic, but has a wonderfully indulgent masculine fragrance of Cedarwood, Lemongrass and Activated charcoal.

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Little indulgences like natural handmade soaps adds a touch of extra to an ordinary day. At HomeGrownHOME, we want you to get to enjoy that little luxury for as long as possible. Hope you find these tips helpful!

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