When they say that size matters, it does. In the soap making or more precisely in the natural handmade soap bar manufacturing industry, many consumers seem pretty concerned about the soap dimension size or how big a bar of soap is.
While it can be argued that the more prominent differences between a natural handmade soap bar and a commercial soap bar aren’t related to their size or weight, many of our customers or prospective customers seem more interested in knowing the size and weight-related features of our natural soap bars.
Honestly, we believe that as a consumer you have every right to better understand and evaluate the utility you are getting for each penny you spend on our product. And this does include asking about the size, dimension, and weight of a soap bar as well.
So, before we begin discussing any further, let us first quickly answer this question of yours.
When compared with other natural soap bar brands weighing approximately 6.5 oz, the handmade natural soap dimension size produced by Art of Soaps is quite bigger.
Our standard size of soap is roughly 30% larger than natural handmade soap bars of some other brands.
How big is a standard bar of soap?
Soap bar sizes usually vary in the case of each brand as well as how they are manufactured and what purpose they serve.
For instance, a bath size bar soap, as the name suggests, for bathing and washing your entire body, would naturally be much bigger and therefore heavier than a toilet soap bar.
Similarly, each brand can choose to have a different sized and weighted soap bar as well. Another important thing is the shape of the soap as well that defines the soap dimension size.
For example, not all commercially produced soap bars come in a perfect rectangular shape with smooth and straight-cut edges. Most commercial soap bars have round edges and a slightly concave or convex rectangular shape.
However, these sizes can easily be put into a range to give you close idea of what to normally expect from different brands.
The standard size of soap
- Length: 3.25” to 3.75” inch long
- Width: 2.15” to 3.o” inch wide
- Thickness: 1.0” to 1.15” inch thick
Weight of soap
- A standard bar of soap will usually weigh between 3.5 oz to 3.75 oz (ounces).
How long will a standard bar of soap last?
This simple question on how long a standard bar of soap will last has two perspectives.
The first perspective addresses the shelf life of a bar of soap while the second discusses its longevity while in use.
As far as the shelf life of a bar of soap is concerned, it depends on the ingredients and its composition.
Natural handmade soap bars usually have a shorter shelf life as compared to commercial soap bars. Handmade natural soap bars will usually last one year before expiring.
In comparison to this, commercial soaps last longer because of the preservatives added to them for extending their shelf life.
Now to answer the second perspective related to the longevity of a soap bar while in use.
When in use, it can be quite hard to determine the exact timeframe for a soap bar to last.
However, the factors on which it depends include the number of users, the purpose of use, usage frequency, and pattern of use also.
A quick advice to extend the life of a soap bar while in use is to ensure that it is well-drained after every use, otherwise the water will quickly wash away a wet soap.
Average natural soap bar size
When compared to commercial soap bars, the average size of a natural handmade soap bar is normally bigger.
Since most natural soap bars are made in a perfectly rectangular shape, their length varies between 3.5” to 4.25” inch, width between 2.25” to 4.0” inch, and thickness between 0.75” to 1.25” inch.
What affects the weight of a natural soap bar?
The amount of water held by a freshly minted handmade natural soap bar will have a major effect on its weight. Normally, new, or freshly made natural soap bars will have more weight due to the presence of water.
However, as the water dries and evaporates out, a process also known as curing or completion of the saponification, the overall weight of the soap bar will gradually decrease.
How long a particular batch of handmade soap bars should be left for curing depends on the decision of the manufacturer based on the ingredients and soap-making process.
Generally, 4 to 8 weeks is allowed for the curing process. During this time, soap bars tend to shrink in size as well as lose their weight which can be somewhere between 10% to 12% less than they originally were.