My first shaving soap is a success!
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jean1C
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I made this soap and put it in a PVC pipe. I did not line the pipe. The next day, I turned the oven on "warm" for a few minutes, then turned it off. I put the pipe (on a cookie sheet) in the oven for about 15 minutes. I used a can that I wrapped in a plastic bag to push on one of the ends to release it. Put it in the fridge for a few hours, then cut it in pucks, and put it on my drying rack. My husband raves about it.
Good for you, Jean! Glad to see it works -- I confess I was skeptical....
next dumb question for all you chem majors/ shave soap geeks/ cosmetologists:
I watched a youtube vid about making coffee soap. they added pure caffeine to it, with the explanation that as a vasodilator it did stuff to the skin that was beneficial. could be, but that effect, whatever it is... would that be helpful in a shave soap?
I watched a youtube vid about making coffee soap. they added pure caffeine to it, with the explanation that as a vasodilator it did stuff to the skin that was beneficial. could be, but that effect, whatever it is... would that be helpful in a shave soap?
I don't have the info, but I recall someone reporting that caffeine is not absorbed in any significant amount through the skin, so you're far better off to get your caffeine fix in other ways.
Vasodilator = opens up the blood vessels. If that is the goal, why not drink a cuppa joe instead and wash your face in hot water and dry with a brisk rub of a towel? YMMV!
Vasodilator = opens up the blood vessels. If that is the goal, why not drink a cuppa joe instead and wash your face in hot water and dry with a brisk rub of a towel? YMMV!
here's the video:[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxa9029gkas[/ame]
the creator of this video seems unclear on the actual effects produced. I am completely unclear on them. but if caffeine applied to the skin changes the surface somehow, it probably will change the behavior of soap/razor/skin in a way that might be noticeable and might be beneficial (or not). there might be a very good reason that there are no caffeinated shave soaps on the market. I just don't know.
the point being that caffeine is used in a number of cosmetics products to affect the surface of the skin. the topical use is what is interesting here- no way I am going to be interested i n giving up my morning cuppa...
the creator of this video seems unclear on the actual effects produced. I am completely unclear on them. but if caffeine applied to the skin changes the surface somehow, it probably will change the behavior of soap/razor/skin in a way that might be noticeable and might be beneficial (or not). there might be a very good reason that there are no caffeinated shave soaps on the market. I just don't know.
the point being that caffeine is used in a number of cosmetics products to affect the surface of the skin. the topical use is what is interesting here- no way I am going to be interested i n giving up my morning cuppa...
"...the point being that caffeine is used in a number of cosmetics products to affect the surface of the skin..."
Or to just add an ingredient simply for the sake of adding it or because it's the latest exotic, trendy, or "crunchy" thing to play around with. I am bemused at the amazing variety of improbable ingredients that people are adding to soap. I personally think caffeine falls in that camp. :-| But that's just me....
Or to just add an ingredient simply for the sake of adding it or because it's the latest exotic, trendy, or "crunchy" thing to play around with. I am bemused at the amazing variety of improbable ingredients that people are adding to soap. I personally think caffeine falls in that camp. :-| But that's just me....
I think it's likely that you are right. however, caffeine is definitely an active substance. the skin is definitely interacting with whatever gets on it, and shaving is a process that depends on several factors being within fairly tight tolerance. it's plausible that it would constrict or relax hair follicles or sweat glands or something which would make some kind of difference in a shave. it is at least as likely to make things worse for shaving as better, but as far as I can gather this is an unexplored avenue. if I can find no other data I'll probably buy a small quantity of powdered caffeine and mix it into a bowl of lather and try it. hopefully it won't result in fatal nicks.
roblem:fatfacedcharlie
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Just CPd this, and it nearly blew up my stick blender! It goes from a horrible seized lumpy mess, to apple sauce then mashed potatoes in about 10 minutes, then with some careful short bursts with the blender it goes lovely and creamy, like a thick white custard. It seems to be pretty much saponified by that stage (It passed the zap test at least). It does get mentally hot tho', almost like it's HPing itself. I'll give a week or so before I try a lather with it just in case, don't want to mess up my boyish good looks
(or more importantly my badger brush).
(or more importantly my badger brush).first report on caffeinated shave soap.
the soap was my version of faux MdC. (55% stearic, 45% coconut, via potassium hydroxide). the razor was my very fine Karl Peters Jr. Solingen blade honed to 10k and stropped on linen then scotch shell. the brush was silvertip badger.
the caffeine was anhydrous white powder purchased on eBay. it came in a zip lock baggie looking for all the world like some sort of illicit drug.
I worked up a little lather off of the puck and transferred it to the bowl where I mixed it with the caffeine. I worked the lather a bit more - enough to feel like it was well mixed in. I didn't measure - just a tiny pinch. other than that I tried to do everything the same as always. there is nothing scientific about it... this is all subjective.
the result... I got a nice smooth single pass shave with perhaps slightly less post- shave irritation than usual. but that may be illusory...
I shaved around midnight, right before going to bed. we'll see if I have trouble sleeping.
I can't draw any conclusions from this one shave. I'll be trying different amounts of caffeine in future lathers. so far all I can say is that caffeinated soap isn't necessarily a disaster.
the soap was my version of faux MdC. (55% stearic, 45% coconut, via potassium hydroxide). the razor was my very fine Karl Peters Jr. Solingen blade honed to 10k and stropped on linen then scotch shell. the brush was silvertip badger.
the caffeine was anhydrous white powder purchased on eBay. it came in a zip lock baggie looking for all the world like some sort of illicit drug.
I worked up a little lather off of the puck and transferred it to the bowl where I mixed it with the caffeine. I worked the lather a bit more - enough to feel like it was well mixed in. I didn't measure - just a tiny pinch. other than that I tried to do everything the same as always. there is nothing scientific about it... this is all subjective.
the result... I got a nice smooth single pass shave with perhaps slightly less post- shave irritation than usual. but that may be illusory...
I shaved around midnight, right before going to bed. we'll see if I have trouble sleeping.
I can't draw any conclusions from this one shave. I'll be trying different amounts of caffeine in future lathers. so far all I can say is that caffeinated soap isn't necessarily a disaster.
Your post reminded me that I need to give an update on my Songwind shave soap adventure.
I made almost the same recipe as my first batch -- 52% stearic, 48% coconut oil, 5% superfat, and distilled water for the water phase. The difference was I didn't use all KOH -- I used 80% KOH and 20% NaOH for the lye.
I saponified just the coconut oil with all of the lye in a double boiler at 180 deg F. I kept cooking and stirring (a bit with a stick blender, a lot by hand) until the batter came to a heavy pudding trace. That took 15 minutes or a bit more. After I got to that point, I added the melted stearic in several stages and stirred by hand. When the stearic was all mixed in, the soap had a "waxy mashed potatoes" consistency. I cooked it in the double boiler for about 15 minutes and checked for zap (nope). I added glycerin (15% of the oil weight), let the soap cool below 120 deg F, added EOs (same blend as before), and finished it up as I have described in a previous post.
Next batch, I want to check (gingerly) for zap right after stirring in the stearic. I suspect it will be fine (but I won't assume that!). I still think my 2 step method of making this soap works pretty nice and will continue to use it.
The 20% NaOH makes the soap somewhat less sticky out of the soap pot. It is also slightly firmer than the 100% KOH version so it was a bit easier to hand shape the soap into pucks. But it is still a soft shaving soap, not a hard bar, so no amazing differences there.
Since I use this soap for shaving armpits and legs when I shower, I keep the soap on a dry shelf in the shower (well, as dry as a shelf in a shower can be). The soap in that environment seems to stay a bit less sticky than the all-KOH version, but no huge differences there either. Neither goes "melty" or super gooey in the damp, but they're never sitting in a puddle of water either. I will keep an eye on this aspect of the soap as it continues to cure and dry.
As far as lather goes, an NaOH-KOH soap is slightly less soluble than an all-KOH version, but at just 20% NaOH, it's a fine shade of difference IMO. As the NaOH percentage goes even higher, I would expect the soap to lather more slowly, requiring a real shaving brush and someone who knows how to use it, rather than a rank amateur like me.
Will I continue to increase the NaOH percentage in this recipe to make a harder shaving soap? I'm leaning toward probably not. I like the amazing lather of Songwind's recipe and I think adding more NaOH will only detract from that. Better to develop a hard shaving bar with other ingredients, as Mark The Box Guy has recommended.
I made almost the same recipe as my first batch -- 52% stearic, 48% coconut oil, 5% superfat, and distilled water for the water phase. The difference was I didn't use all KOH -- I used 80% KOH and 20% NaOH for the lye.
I saponified just the coconut oil with all of the lye in a double boiler at 180 deg F. I kept cooking and stirring (a bit with a stick blender, a lot by hand) until the batter came to a heavy pudding trace. That took 15 minutes or a bit more. After I got to that point, I added the melted stearic in several stages and stirred by hand. When the stearic was all mixed in, the soap had a "waxy mashed potatoes" consistency. I cooked it in the double boiler for about 15 minutes and checked for zap (nope). I added glycerin (15% of the oil weight), let the soap cool below 120 deg F, added EOs (same blend as before), and finished it up as I have described in a previous post.
Next batch, I want to check (gingerly) for zap right after stirring in the stearic. I suspect it will be fine (but I won't assume that!). I still think my 2 step method of making this soap works pretty nice and will continue to use it.
The 20% NaOH makes the soap somewhat less sticky out of the soap pot. It is also slightly firmer than the 100% KOH version so it was a bit easier to hand shape the soap into pucks. But it is still a soft shaving soap, not a hard bar, so no amazing differences there.
Since I use this soap for shaving armpits and legs when I shower, I keep the soap on a dry shelf in the shower (well, as dry as a shelf in a shower can be). The soap in that environment seems to stay a bit less sticky than the all-KOH version, but no huge differences there either. Neither goes "melty" or super gooey in the damp, but they're never sitting in a puddle of water either. I will keep an eye on this aspect of the soap as it continues to cure and dry.
As far as lather goes, an NaOH-KOH soap is slightly less soluble than an all-KOH version, but at just 20% NaOH, it's a fine shade of difference IMO. As the NaOH percentage goes even higher, I would expect the soap to lather more slowly, requiring a real shaving brush and someone who knows how to use it, rather than a rank amateur like me.
Will I continue to increase the NaOH percentage in this recipe to make a harder shaving soap? I'm leaning toward probably not. I like the amazing lather of Songwind's recipe and I think adding more NaOH will only detract from that. Better to develop a hard shaving bar with other ingredients, as Mark The Box Guy has recommended.
I shaved a second time with caffeine powder added to the lather, but this time I used a lot more. I don't have a convenient way to measure milligrams so I used the tip of my straight razor to scoop a bit out and dump it in the bowl. the pile of powder was about the size of a pea, probably the equivalent of a dozen cups of coffee or so at 95 mg. per cup of coffee. I shaved about 7:00 PM or so, and I'd say I did see a small stimulant effect- we stayed up and watched a movie which I had no problem staying alert for. it was a pretty engaging piece though, and I didn't really have trouble sleeping after that, so not sure I can attribute any stimulant effect to the shave.
as far as the effects of the caffeine on the shave, again nothing dramatic. I nicked myself a little on my chin and it barely bled- I'd say less than I'd think it would have normally- but again subjectivity is an obstacle to hard data. I didn't use any pre or post shave products per usual and had very little irritation, but again no dramatic changes.
I can try upping the amounts again. at some point I'll run into the undesirable effects, whatever those are. it doesn't look like overdosing on caffeine is likely by adding it to shaving lather, and the trend seems to be away from skin irritation which seems a bit counterintuitive to me, but consistent with some comments elsewhere. since the application only lasts for a few minutes and is washed off it seems to me that it would be difficult to get into real trouble with this, but I am not a medically trained person. I suppose at some level there may be an effect where there is a loss of circulation in the skin, which could cause problems. I'll be watching out for something like that. if there is a stimulant effect similar to drinking coffee it is very slight, but in theory that could come into play at high quantities. I certainly won't be giving up my morning cup of coffee for caffeinated shave soap. however, if it proves to allow a closer shave with no negative effects it might get included in my rotation.
as far as the effects of the caffeine on the shave, again nothing dramatic. I nicked myself a little on my chin and it barely bled- I'd say less than I'd think it would have normally- but again subjectivity is an obstacle to hard data. I didn't use any pre or post shave products per usual and had very little irritation, but again no dramatic changes.
I can try upping the amounts again. at some point I'll run into the undesirable effects, whatever those are. it doesn't look like overdosing on caffeine is likely by adding it to shaving lather, and the trend seems to be away from skin irritation which seems a bit counterintuitive to me, but consistent with some comments elsewhere. since the application only lasts for a few minutes and is washed off it seems to me that it would be difficult to get into real trouble with this, but I am not a medically trained person. I suppose at some level there may be an effect where there is a loss of circulation in the skin, which could cause problems. I'll be watching out for something like that. if there is a stimulant effect similar to drinking coffee it is very slight, but in theory that could come into play at high quantities. I certainly won't be giving up my morning cup of coffee for caffeinated shave soap. however, if it proves to allow a closer shave with no negative effects it might get included in my rotation.
I'm going to try making some shaving soap with KOH today. I am planning to use it on my legs, etc. so I'm thinking that 48% CO might be a bit too drying for my skin. Going to tweak the recipe a bit and see how it goes. Just doing a small batch HP to try it out. Is there anything I need to know about using KOH? This is my first time using it.
Mark the Box Guy
Well-Known Member
The only time I used it was for this MdC shave soap, and I found that it traced reasonably quickly, with no time to really use the stick blender.
Also: there may be a lot of CO, but both DeeAnna and I, and I suspect FatFace Charlie and Songwind all found no problem with drying.
Post some photos of your lathered legs. :evil:
Thanks Mark! I tried a slightly different recipe:
Stearic Acid 52%
CO 25%
Castor 10%
Hemp oil 8%
I added 5% Jojoba oil, 1.5 T. Glycerin, and Cucumber Melon FO after the cook. I added 2 t. Kaolin clay to the Castor oil and mixed it into the rest of the oils. It traced fast when I added the KOH water but didn't seize. I put the lid onto the crock pot just for a few minutes until it got that translucent look. Tried it and no zap.
It looked like slightly off white mashed potatoes. I scooped it into some small plastic cups and it's in the frig. cooling. When I washed my tools they made a nice lather so I'm hopeful. Here's a pic. 
Mark the Box Guy
Well-Known Member
Thanks Mark! I tried a slightly different recipe:
Stearic Acid 52%
CO 25%
Castor 10%
Hemp oil 8%
I added 5% Jojoba oil, 1.5 T. Glycerin, and Cucumber Melon FO after the cook. I added 2 t. Kaolin clay to the Castor oil and mixed it into the rest of the oils. It traced fast when I added the KOH water but didn't seize. I put the lid onto the crock pot just for a few minutes until it got that translucent look. Tried it and no zap.
Mine looked exactly the same! YEAH! It will want a lot of water- A LOT OF WATER- to make lather early on, and you might be tempted to think that it turned out bad, but after a couple of weeks it lather up on its own, without any help from you.
I forgot to say that I didn't stick blend at all. I used my silicone spatula and a few vigorous stirs with my whisk to mix it and that was all that was needed.
When I got home from skating tonight I needed shower, so I decided to take some of this into the shower with me and try it on my legs etc. I borrowed my husband's shaving brush. I got the brush good and wet and swirled it on the top of the soap. I got a thick and creamy lather that was stable and smooth. Sorry there's not picture but I was in the shower
Even at a few hours old I'm going to call this a success. My legs got a great shave and were not dry. The soap has good slip and I like the fragrance too. (BB Cucumber Melon). :smile: Really looking forward to this being cured.
When I got home from skating tonight I needed shower, so I decided to take some of this into the shower with me and try it on my legs etc. I borrowed my husband's shaving brush. I got the brush good and wet and swirled it on the top of the soap. I got a thick and creamy lather that was stable and smooth. Sorry there's not picture but I was in the shower
Even at a few hours old I'm going to call this a success. My legs got a great shave and were not dry. The soap has good slip and I like the fragrance too. (BB Cucumber Melon). :smile: Really looking forward to this being cured.
SomethingGoodAustin
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Wow. I can't wait to try this! But no clay, huh? I'd always heard that clay was a must-have in shaving soap.
