CP shaving soap

dimitris · Jul 14, 2013

I have come to understand that a good shaving soap recipe is hard to come to and that's why there are so few floating around. I have seen songwind's recipe but unfortunately I do not have access to a crock pot (to be remedied soon), so I tried to do a CP shaving soap using:
tallow, stearic acid, shea butter, cocoa butter, castor oil, KOH, NaOH, glycerine and bentonite clay.

I had to do everything at around 113F as everything started to go hard. As soon as I dropped the lye into the mix, the oils solidified immediately. I used a whisk to mix but the whole thing was very gloopy and I had a hard time molding it.

Nevertheless, here are the results a day after:

Does anyone know a way to use large amounts of stearic acid in a CP soap without it seizing immediately? Or HP is the only way to go with stearic acid?

Thanks!
Dimitris.

Sapwn · Jul 14, 2013

dimitris said:
Does anyone know a way to use large amounts of stearic acid in a CP soap without it seizing immediately? Or HP is the only way to go with stearic acid?

Yes Dimitri. Use 100% KOH and no NaOH at all. You will see that the batter will be much more flexible and you will be able to put it in the mold.

This will give you a very soft soap. If you want a hard bar add Sodium lactate in the oils and the final result will be a hard bar although you used only KOH.

thefarmerdaughter · Jul 14, 2013

your lather looks great! does it last long enough for your liking?

dimitris · Jul 14, 2013

Yes, the lather is very stable. I have left it 15 minutes on the brush and it hasn't evaporated or faded at all!
Sapwn, good idea. I will try it tonight.

The reason I used both KOH and NaOH for the lye are the ingredients of many artisan shaving soaps which show very good performance. These have both KOH and NaOH and there are several hints in this forum that one should use both to achieve a hard, moisturising bar with stable lather.

judymoody · Jul 14, 2013

You might want to try the hot process method to keep the seizing under control. If you do continue with CP, I'd try a slotted spoon instead of a whisk for mixing.

Very impressive lather!

dimitris · Jul 14, 2013

Thanks, the lather is indeed impressive, but the soap needs a lot of water to produce this lather!
Not sure what property of the ingredients causes this, but tests will continue!

dimitris · Jul 14, 2013

I modified my recipe to include only 20% stearic acid and used only KOH at 38C.
The batter still seized when I added the lye, but did have some room for mixing, not like the previous recipe. The end result was a grainy mix, which I mixed very well and is now in the mold.
More tomorrow when I unmold it!

Sapwn · Jul 14, 2013

Congratulations Dimitri! You made your first Italian-like soft cream/soap.

It will be useful for me to see a pic of this cream after about two weeks. I am asking this because I used 55% stearic acid with only KOH and the soap was very soft. I am afraid that in your recipe, with stearic acid at 20% and no sodium lactate at all, it will be too soft.

Please let us know.

heartsong · Jul 14, 2013

hey, that's a great first try!

i'm on the road right now, but I was considering trying to soap where the melted fats and the lye mix are both stone cold...I used to make a whipped "people soap" some years back using mostly solid fats and 10% steric acid...used the same technique as my "nuthin' fancy" whipped soap (posted in the gallery) then force gel after it's in the mold...IDK...WDYT?

dimitris · Jul 14, 2013

Sapwn, I used mostly butters in the recipe which should make a harder soap.
I will let you know how it goes anyway.

savonierre · Jul 14, 2013

That lather looks incredible, way to go!!

DeeAnna · Jul 14, 2013

Try this -- Bring the oils and your lye solution (KOH, NaOH, or a mixture) to a full, thick trace BEFORE adding the melted stearic. Then add the stearic and stir like crazy. If you are determined to do this CP, then I would also add the fragrance to the traced soap batter before the stearic so you can get the fragrance mixed in well.

AngelMomma · Jul 14, 2013

I tried a CP method with 80%Koh and 20%Naoh. I combined all the oils(melted in crock pot and allowed them to stay very warm) as well as stearic acid and fragrance. I added the Koh and then SB. Then I added the Naoh. It thickened right up but I was still able to stir it and pour it. It didn't look as smooth as regular CP. I experienced no seizing like I had before. Next time I will up the Naoh just a tad because its not quite as hard as I want it to be. I want something that is sliceable and I am sure that is accomplishable. I scented it with Bay Rum FO and Rosemary EO.....so good!!!

So it was technically a very warm CP.

OrganicGirl · Jul 14, 2013

Ok. The lather looks wow! I would love a shaving soap like that. It almost looks like cream, so what are you trying to improve upon? I also don't understand why everyone is suddently condoning the use of stearic acid! Is it natural? Is the product still going to be superior to the skin? I am skeptical of using stearic acid, but if someone could help me understand how it could never hurt the eczema skin of my 6 year old, maybe I will try it. Still, I don't sell, I just make soap from my heart for dry, cracked, itchy and sad skin. That's the only reason I will ever make it, but if stearic acid would never interfere with the above, I would like to give it a try. I was reading about salt. Never tried that. Maybe will try that because I know that salt can be benificial for the skin.

AngelMomma · Jul 14, 2013

I am making this soap for a mens shaving soap. For my husbands beard. I believe that the stearic is from veg sources. But I don't think that a child would need to shave anything

OrganicGirl · Jul 14, 2013

cHaHa! Very Funny! You don't know my kids then. I can put it up and store it away and still they find it!!!! I have been making soap since they were born. They love my soap and they get into it all. We keep a cabinet of soap in the bathroom and they get on the toilet and reach it somehow. I guess stearic acid doesent sound so bad then ! It will be the only thing besides NaOh that i add that isn't natural.. My little girl has eczema and is allergic to cats and dogs, petting zoo animals, nuts, seeds, avocado oil, and chemicals from commercial soaps, only reason I asked. Sounds like a good problem fixer, but maybe not for me>...

Mark the Box Guy · Jul 15, 2013

dimitris said:
Thanks, the lather is indeed impressive, but the soap needs a lot of water to produce this lather!
Not sure what property of the ingredients causes this, but tests will continue!

My experience with Songwind's recipe was similar, but only on the first day or so after it was made. Once the soap cured for a few weeks, it didn't need much water to make lather.

dimitris · Jul 15, 2013

Excellent feedback, thanks everyone for the very interesting and thoughtful information.
I am using stearic acid to improve the latherability of the soap! I also have young kids and making sure they stay away from my tests!

I just had a look at the second test soap I did last night (100% KOH) and it seems harder than I expected. More info to follow after unmolding.

Skatergirl46 · Jul 15, 2013

That looks great Dimitri! Fantastic lather.

I'd like to try this. Can Songwind's recipe be found on this forum somewhere?

AngelMomma · Jul 15, 2013

Skatergirl46 said:
That looks great Dimitri! Fantastic lather.

I'd like to try this. Can Songwind's recipe be found on this forum somewhere?

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/my-first-shaving-soap-success-34264/

CP shaving soap

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Soaper on wheels

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!