Quote Originally Posted by Utopian View Post
I'm really not arguing that, and completely understand the concept of increased surface area, but that effect is not going to last past a couple of latherings. Adding the usual amount of water onto the soap is going to make the soap fuse back into its original state very quickly.
Yeah that parts true, but still I also think it makes the soap as a whole softer and that part of it I believe last throughout its use. I think of it like a rock. Rocks are pretty hard and homogenous (not all of course I know but just for sake of example) but when you grind it up it becomes sand which is softer. Just a theory. The act seems to work though I don't have a definite explanation. I was just offering it up to the OP because its what I do and works for me. And I have hard water too and still get good lathering.