Complete newbie shaving soap question

[pgr]

Hello!

I should begin by saying hello and nice to meet you - this is my first visit here and I am still clueless...

My husband was given a wonderful shave soap by a relative - she said she got it at a local craft fair. I wanted to try to make him something similar. There are lots of recipes for a cold pour soap, but we've just moved to a new state and have small kiddos- I'm just not yet ready to start working with lye.

The craft fair soap label reads:

Vegetable glycerine
Shea butter
Honey
Olive oil
Oatmeal


My question - do they mean a glycerine soap base? I don't think soap can be made with those ingredients?? The label doesn't specify a maker, or I'd ask them .

I had been searching for a liquid castile based (+added glycerine) shave soap (not cream), but when it occurred to me that I probably can't make a mug shave soap out of liquid castile, I decided to go look for a soap forum instead...

Any comments or advice will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!

 

[Obsidian]

That sounds like a melt & pour shaving base. Here is one you can try http://www.brambleberry.com/Shaving-Melt-And-Pour-Base-P4384.aspx
If you do get a M & P base, make sure you ask about how much extra oils/additives to use, too much and it won't blend in to the base well and you'll be left with a oil bar of soap.

 

[pgr]

Thank you - that's very helpful!

 

[ContentedKyrie]

I bought some vegetable glycerine from the local co-op grocery store where I live. It is simply the glycerine that is added to lotions. The ingredients list you presented above does not look like a M&P recipe to me. I have made shea butter soap. I do not know at what point one would add glycerine (to increase the glycerin content of the soap for beneficial purposes) or it if is simply added to the list because that is the byproduct of lye solution reaction with oils, and listing it is required for satisfaction of labeling laws. As I understand, all soaps have natural glycerin because of the chemical reaction of lye and oil, whereas commercials soaps have the glycerin removed during processing for profit purposes (where the glycerin is then added to lotions).

 

[Seawolfe]

I keep seeing this, glycerin listed as an ingredient where it makes NO sense, and what they actually mean (or I hope that's what they mean) is glycerin based melt and pour soap. It's weird.

 

[songwind]

Brambleberry makes a shaving soap base that you can use and try adding additional things like clay/oatmeal/silk for slip, or butters for face conditioning. I have used soaps that (appear) to be made with the BB base and they do a fine job. Not top-shelf, but considerably cheaper. And as you say, no lye needed.

 

[Obsidian]

I keep seeing this, glycerin listed as an ingredient where it makes NO sense, and what they actually mean (or I hope that's what they mean) is glycerin based melt and pour soap. It's weird.

I figured it either means a glycerin based M&P or that they added extra glycerin to the premade base.