Keep soap up out of standing water. Unlike commercial soap, handmade soap contains all of its natural glycerin and will get mushy/melt if left in standing water. Keep your soap on a soap dish or in a soap sack.
Buy soap ahead of time. Soap actually gets better as it ages. I have soaps that are over three years old and they smell as wonderful as the day I made them. Keep a small stash on hand because handcrafted soap makes a great emergency birthday, thank-you, hostess, holiday, or teacher gift.
Let your soap dry out between uses. Make sure to let your soap dry out between uses. Don't allow your soap to sit in a puddle of water or let the shower mist pour down on it.
Cut that bar in half; use, share or save half.