Have you ever seen orange spots on your bar soap or smelled a pungent, acidic or bitter smell radiating from it?
Have you ever sniffed your liquid hand soap or your laundry soap and smelled that same bitter, pungent smell?
Well… I’m here to tell you all about it.
The spots on your bar soap and that pungent smell that radiates from it are signs that the oils used to make your bar soap are now rancid.
The same is true concerning your liquid hand soaps and liquid detergents. If it smells pungent, the oils are rancid.
You may be thinking, ugh, what is “rancid” and what causes rancidity?
In a nutshell rancid means that the oils have:
Oxidized- this is where oxygen acts like a *free radical and interacts with the oils, reducing their quality and shelf life. This process is sped up by the oils being exposed to light and heat.
Degraded-think of a cascading effect…the free radicals mentioned-above, react with more oxygen to create new, highly reactive radicals.
Terminated: radical compounds react with non radical compounds and form an accumulation of undesirable compounds which cause those dreaded orange spots and that awful, bitter/metallic, pungent rancid smell.
This smell signals that the oils have “terminated” their shelf life.
*Free radical : unstable atoms or molecules known for causing cell damage, aging and disease in the body and rancidity in oils.
They are generated naturally through metabolism, but are also generated by external factors like eating certain foods, cigarette smoke exposure, UV rays, drinking certain drinks, and environmental pollutants.
Will using these “rancid” soaps harm you?
Rancid soaps can cause skin rashes and irritation. They may not clean as effectively, and that repulsive smell could transfer to your skin.
Most importantly, rancid oils contain high levels of free radicals that can accelerate aging, damage skin cells and if absorbed in high amounts, can pose long term health risk.
At this point, you’re probably wondering,
“Annette, what is the solution?
If you are determined to make good use of your rancid bar soap or liquid soaps, here are some positive ideas.
You can use your rancid liquid soaps or cut bar soaps into chunks, add them to boiling water (in an old pot), let the chunks simmer until liquified. Now you can use these soaps to:
scrub the deck or driveway
using rubber gloves, hand wash your car
scrub toilets
mix with vinegar and salt and use to kill weeds.
you can choose not to use it and return it for a refund.
throw it away, yes, you’re going to lose money but you’ll gain peace of mind.
Discover how to avoid Rancid Natural Products and learn more about them. 👇👇
Annette 3/2026
*NOTE: The information found in this newsletter is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure nor prescribe a medical condition. It is for educational purpose only.
