What Is Triple Milled Soap, and Why Does It Last So Much Longer?
If you have ever wondered why some bars of soap turn to mush in a week while others seem to last for months, the answer usually comes down to one thing. How the soap was made.
Most soap you find in a supermarket is made quickly and in enormous quantities. It does the job, but it is often soft, full of air, and it dissolves fast once it meets water. Triple milled soap is a different thing altogether, and once you have used it, it is hard to go back.
So what does triple milled actually mean?
It is simpler than it sounds. After the soap is first made, it is passed through rollers, or mills, that crush and compress it. Then it is passed through again. And again. Three times in total, which is where the name comes from.
Each pass squeezes out the air and the excess water, and blends everything, the oils, the fragrance, the moisturisers, into one smooth, even bar. What you end up with is soap that is dense and firm rather than soft and airy.
That density is the whole point.
Why it lasts longer
A soft, airy bar has a lot of empty space in it, and water gets into that space quickly. That is why cheap soap goes soft, cracks, and disappears down the plughole so fast.
A triple milled bar has had that air pressed out of it, so water cannot get in the same way. It stays firm, keeps its shape, and wears down slowly, layer by layer, instead of dissolving into a soft mess on the soap dish. A single bar goes a remarkably long way, which is part of why it works out better value than it first looks.
Why it smells better, for longer too
Here is the part people notice most. Because the fragrance is milled right through the bar rather than just sitting on the surface, the scent lasts all the way to the final sliver. The last wash smells as good as the first. Ordinary soap often loses its scent halfway through, but a triple milled bar holds it to the end.
Why we make ours this way
We could make our soap faster and more cheaply. Plenty of makers do. But the first thing you do with a new bar of soap is lift it to your nose, and the way it feels in your hand and lasts in the shower is the whole experience. Triple milling is more work and it uses better ingredients, and we know you can tell.
All our soaps are triple milled, made in small batches here in New Zealand, in four fragrances we created ourselves. If you would like to try them, the House Supply Sampler is an easy place to start. https://rabbitrabbit.nz/products/naked-soap-family-pack-5-bars-themed-fragrances
Vicki