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How to Use Persimmon Soap: Where, How Often, and Where Not To

Where you use it matters more than which brand you buy. Here's the routine that comes up again and again from people who say it worked, plus the mistakes that sting.

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Persimmon soap isn’t a normal soap you use everywhere and forget about. It’s a targeted cleanser for one kind of odor, and people who get good results tend to use it in a particular way. We pieced this routine together from the research on where nonenal forms and from hundreds of comments by people who use it.

Step 1: Know where nonenal actually lives

2-Nonenal forms when certain skin oils oxidize, so it concentrates where oil glands are densest. Researchers studying it chose the nape of the neck as their sampling site for that reason. Users most often describe the smell coming from:

1. The scalp and hairline, especially if hair is short or thinning.
2. Behind the ears.
3. The nape and sides of the neck.
4. The upper back between the shoulder blades.
5. The chest and shoulders.

Step 2: The shower routine

1. Rinse first with warm (not hot) water. Hot water strips more oil and can make tannin feel harsher.
2. Lather in your hands or on a soft washcloth. Work the bar between wet palms until you have a thin lather.
3. Wash the five hot spots first. Use your fingertips on the scalp and behind the ears. A washcloth makes the back of the neck and upper back easier to reach.
4. Give it a moment. Leave the lather on those areas while you wash the rest of your body with whatever you normally use.
5. Rinse thoroughly. Tannin residue can feel tight if it’s left on.
6. Pat dry and moisturize anywhere that feels tight. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends warm (not hot) showers and applying a fragrance-free moisturizer right after you pat dry. An unscented lotion keeps the “no added smell” benefit.

Step 3: How often

Start with once a day. Many users stay there. If your skin starts feeling dry or itchy, drop to every other day on the body and keep daily washing for the neck and scalp. Give it two weeks before judging, and see Step 5.

Where not to use it

Some people are simply sensitive to persimmon or to tannins. One commenter in that thread mentioned a food allergy to the persimmon family. If you get a rash, stop using it and patch-test before you try again.

Step 4: Make the bar last

Persimmon bars can soften fast, and glycerin-based ones even faster. Users’ best tips:

• Keep it out of standing water. Use a draining dish, or a mesh soap-saver bag hung from a hook so the bar dries between showers. (Use the bag for lathering on the body, not on sensitive skin.)
• Cut large bars in half and store the spare somewhere dry.
• Unwrap new bars early. One user leaves them unwrapped in a dark, airy spot so they harden before use.

Step 5: Wash the fabrics, too

The odor transfers to pillowcases, collars, knitwear and upholstery, and it lingers there after your skin is clean. On the day you start:

• wash all bedding and use a fresh pillowcase,
• wash the shirts, cardigans and hats you wear most,
• wipe down or air the car seat headrest and your favorite chair.

Then change your pillowcase every few days for the first two weeks. It’s also the easiest way to tell whether the soap is working. Our pillowcase check explains how.

Our pick · our product

TanniBar Persimmon Tannin Bar

A fragrance-free bar keeps the test honest, because there's no perfume to confuse your nose. TanniBar also adds glycerin and shea for drier skin.

Check price →We own TanniBar and earn from sales. 30-day refund, no return needed.

Quick answers

• Can the whole family use it? Yes. It’s a cleanser, though teens’ sweat odor usually needs a different approach.
• Can I use it with my normal body wash? Yes. Persimmon soap on the hot spots, your usual wash everywhere else.
• Is it OK with retinoids or acids? Tannin plus exfoliating acids on the same patch can be irritating. Alternate days if you use both.

Still not seeing results after two weeks? Work through our 7 reasons persimmon soap doesn’t work, or compare five persimmon bars side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Sources