# My shaving soap



## Skatergirl46 (Aug 26, 2013)

I made a new tiny batch of shaving soap today to see if adding SL would make it firm enough to use in my silicone puck mold. Here is the recipe:

KOH and no discount.

Stearic 52%
CO 25%
Castor 10%
Hemp oil 8%
Jojoba 5% (after the cook)

1.5% SL
1.5 T. glycerin (after the cook)
Kaolin clay
Silk
Green tea FO
Green Chrome Oxide 

I think this one is a winner.  It's much firmer than the previous batch I made without SL. The lather works up easily and it's very stable. Next I'm going to make a bigger batch and try the puck molds.


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## Mark the Box Guy (Aug 26, 2013)

Please, a small reminder... what's SL again?

That lather looks great, by the way


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## CaraCara (Aug 26, 2013)

SL Sodium lactate.
Looks great!


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## JaimeM (Aug 26, 2013)

Wow! The puck looks great!  I love the shape.  And the foam looks beautiful!


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## Skatergirl46 (Aug 26, 2013)

JaimeM said:


> Wow! The puck looks great!  I love the shape.  And the foam looks beautiful!



Thanks, it's actually in a small plastic bowl. It's just filled to the top so you can't really see the bowl. Doing pucks soon, maybe tomorrow. 

I had to try it. Shaved a part of my leg. Smoothest shave I have ever had!  

A big thank you to all of you for your tips and advice!


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## DeeAnna (Aug 26, 2013)

Something I'm finding myself doing is evaluating the lather in shaving soap pics. I'm by no means a personal expert in shaving soap, but here's something I've noticed:

See Dimitris' Post #1, pic 2: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=36699
and Skatergirl's pic in this thread
and Songwind's Post #1, pic 4: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=34264

I've put all 3 images in this post (in the order listed) so they're easier to compare. I adjusted the color balance, brightness, and contrast in Skatergirl's pic to make it more similar to the others. I cropped the other two to focus on the lather.

What I'm seeing in each of these photos is a creamy thick lather, but Songwind's lather has a smaller bubble size overall than Dimitris' and Skatergirl's lather. 

My question to Those Who Know More About This Than I Do ... what is the significance, if any, of this difference? 

Edit: For example, is the lather of a "young" soap similar to the lather it will make after the soap is cured? Can we use the "bubble-age" as an indicator of "this be a really good shaving soap" vs. an acceptable one?


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## sistrum (Aug 27, 2013)

Just going by looks I would prefer using the soap in the last picture, but I wonder, if how the foam looks is a result of the formula or the technique used in making the lather?


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## Mark the Box Guy (Aug 27, 2013)

The key is to have small thick bubbles that last a long time. A typical shave lasts several minutes and is done in two or three passes, so the lather must must be resilient. As I've said before, and in this case I can speak for all wet-shavers: we use different soaps and techniques every day, which is why we have Shave of the Day posts. What did we do today? If I want a quick workman shave, then I'll grab a cream, lather up and swipe away the hair. The lather won't need to last long. But on the weekends, or if I'm grading awful papers, then I might want a longer shave, so I'll grab a soap and use a hot scuttle. Both techniques require different soap characteristics.

And technique is everything. A lather with big bubbles hasn't been whipped enough and is too watery. A body soap that continues to be rubbed and massaged and lathered never becomes big and creamy; that's what shave soap is for. Though many shave creams can produce lather in 30 seconds, a shave soap typically takes longer to produce a lather, two minutes perhaps. I encourage you all to find some shaving videos on YouTube. Mantec produces some hysterical lathering videos, and is a good place to *start*. The more chemistry-minded of you (Dee!) should consider watching the "uberlather" videos. If you watch enough of them, you'll notice that brush selection, water quantity, and swirling-speed are recurring themes. In one of the other shaving soap posts I mentioned that soft soaps (both KOH and NaOH, or just KOH) are "forgiving," and produce good lather for everyone. Thats the serious truth, and likely the reason that these soaps are produced like that. They are more tolerant of a varying technique, and perhaps why there is normally consensus on their quality. 

There might be a few ways for you all to begin formulating a soap. You might consider how you lather. Is it done at a sink, or in a tub or shower, or in a hurry, or with a brush? Then make a soap that works for your technique. Most of the KOH/heavy Stearic soaps that we all have made have shown us that making a reasonably easy-to-use soap is not difficult, but that making one that doesn't melt in the shower, or responds to a washcloth is more difficult. You're really referring to the technique, not the soap.


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## Skatergirl46 (Aug 27, 2013)

I didn't swirl my brush around much when I took the picture. My soap isn't in a bowl that confines the lather at all when I swirl, so I just did it a little. If I swirl more vigorously I get the same thick lather as the others. I was trying not to make a mess, and you can see by the pic. that I only used the end of the shaving brush. :razz:

The lather mine makes is very thick and stable. My husband lathered up with it last night and shaved. He said it was great.


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## Mark the Box Guy (Aug 27, 2013)

Skatergirl46 said:


> I didn't swirl my brush around much when I took the picture. My soap isn't in a bowl that confines the lather at all when I swirl, so I just did it a little. If I swirl more vigorously I get the same thick lather as the others. I was trying not to make a mess, and you can see by the pic. that I only used the end of the shaving brush. :razz:
> 
> The lather mine makes is very thick and stable. My husband lathered up with it last night and shaved. He said it was great.



Perfect! I'm glad it worked out


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## jblaney (Aug 28, 2013)

Skatergirl46- Can you tell me what size your batch was?  You gave %'s, but the glycerin was 1.5 tablespoons.

Thanks!


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## Skatergirl46 (Aug 28, 2013)

jblaney said:


> Skatergirl46- Can you tell me what size your batch was?  You gave %'s, but the glycerin was 1.5 tablespoons.
> 
> Thanks!



I did a tiny batch (8 oz.) to test the recipe.


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## dimitris (Aug 28, 2013)

Skatergirl, your lather looks excellent. The trick is to get lather that doesn't fade away after a few minutes and provides adequate protection, lubrication, glide and moisture. Your soap seems to have done the trick! Well done.


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## jblaney (Aug 28, 2013)

Thanks for the great info!  I think I may try this when I get the time.   Your lather does look great too.  Well done!


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## SomethingGoodAustin (Aug 28, 2013)

Nice!

Just curious--is the main reason for using KOH over NaOH just that it is easier to work with during the cook, or is there some other quality it lends to the soap?  Is the lather different if you sub one for the other, or use a mix of the two?


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## DeeAnna (Aug 29, 2013)

KOH increases the softness and solubility of soap. If you want a quick, rich lather, you want a soap that physically abrades easily (soft) and dissolves in water easily (solubility).


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## Skatergirl46 (Aug 29, 2013)

I'm still interested in trying both KOH and NaOH in a batch to see how it compares.


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## jblaney (Aug 29, 2013)

Skatergirl- how long did you cook your soap for?  I have never done HP, only CP and rebatch.


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