My first shaving soap is a success!

[DeeAnna]

If you're talking about cream soap vs. a KOH-NaOH shave soap, they're essentially the same thing. I think of a shave soap as basically a type of cream soap. The key differences are the balance of fats and the type of preparation. Cream soap is often mixed with more liquids and whipped, and shave soap is left in a more-or-less solidish form.

 

[Vokara]

If you're talking about cream soap vs. a KOH-NaOH shave soap, they're essentially the same thing. I think of a shave soap as basically a type of cream soap. The key differences are the balance of fats and the type of preparation. Cream soap is often mixed with more liquids and whipped, and shave soap is left in a more-or-less solidish form.

Thank you

 

[slickjim]

The End! Finally read through everything.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread. I have never seen so descriptive and well articulated posts in any other forum. Again thanks for sharing all that knowledge.

I made 3 batches before I read all pages. Each batch better than the previous. Bought razors, brushes, commercial soaps to compare. All the stuff most of the newbies did here I guess. Surprisingly, I have 2 friends who shave with brushes, so I am getting some feedback. I have a beard so can't do much testing. I do shave my armpits though since I am European (huhu) and boy what a difference. DE + Shaving Soap and you are done in seconds with less irritation and great results. Also, SHMBO was very skeptical about all the crazy stuff I am doing. Then she tried it on her legs...now, my biggest fan. I am actually thinking of getting her own brush. I don't really appreciate the sharing on those

At the moment I am doing variations on the Silver Fox recipe. I don't have access to Tallow but a local animal farm has its butcher shop in the neighborhood so I get good quality Lard. In the last batch I decreased the CO by 5% and pumped the Lard with the same. The only thing I dislike is that Lard has a strong smell and I am still figuring out the fragrance percentages.

Of course, I also have a few questions if that is all right.

Castor Oil: Seems that most people here are not fans. Looking at commercial soaps and most of them will include it. I also bought Soap Commander's book which also uses Castor Oil in most of the recipes. I read that it helps with the lather so, it makes me wonder what is it that you don't like in it? Stickiness is one I saw but what else?

@LBussy I read that you now use Titanium Dioxide. I was wondering where in the process do you add it? When mixing the rest of the superfat and fragrance?

Next tests will be with changing the NaOH/KOH ratios.

I feel I haven't said it enough. Thank you all!!!

 

[girlfromoz]

Fabulous thread, great info shared and a giggle along the way .
Thanks all for posting your trials and knowledge, have not made a shave soap and always wanted to.

 

[IrishLass]

The End! Finally read through everything.

Yay!

Castor Oil: Seems that most people here are not fans. Looking at commercial soaps and most of them will include it. I also bought Soap Commander's book which also uses Castor Oil in most of the recipes. I read that it helps with the lather so, it makes me wonder what is it that you don't like in it? Stickiness is one I saw but what else?

I'm probably not the best one to answer, because I happen to love castor oil and am a huge fan of it in the shave soap I make for my hubby where I use it at 20%. Although some might imagine 20% castor leading to a horribly uncomfortable amount of stickiness, it really doesn't do so in a soap with a predominately high amount of hard fats, such as my shave soap formula. Although it does lend a slight tackiness to the lather, hubby says that little bit of tackiness is a good quality to have because it helps to keep the lather on his face longer while he's shaving, yet at the same time it's not enough to leave his skin feeling sticky afterwards.


IrishLass

 

[kmarvel]

what is theexact recipe for this shaving soap using just KOH the HP method? Thanks.

This weekend I made my first shaving soap. It was a hot process soap, and used a recipe posted by a fellow forum poster at one of the wet shaving forums.

I did a small batch (8 oz). 52% stearic acid, 48% coconut oil, saponified with KOH. I added 1.5 tablespoons of glycerin after it was done cooking, along with 1/4 oz of essential oils: 2/3 lemon & bergamot, 1/3 rosemary.

The soap making went fine, with no surprises aside from the soap never becoming truly translucent like my olive oil soap did. It passed the zap test, though.

I used it to shave tonight, and it was lovely. Nice and slick, and there was no skin reaction to the EOs. My face feels very nice afterward.

The scent turned out too lemony, and the rosemary was lost underneath. Next time, more basenotes and less lemon.

Just after pouring:

After 24 hours to set:

Whipped up a great lather:

It was very stable. This is after sitting 15 minutes while I showered and brushed my teeth:

 

[Pjclark1]

I cheat the HP in my microwave. Heat until foams stir it down, then repeat until cooked.

 

[LBussy]

The End! Finally read through everything.

Congratulations! It's a long and information-filled thread.

@LBussy I read that you now use Titanium Dioxide. I was wondering where in the process do you add it? When mixing the rest of the superfat and fragrance?

Well, that depends. I have oil-soluble Titanium Dioxide and I add it at the end with the superfats and fragrance. This allows me to use it as a visual aid to see if I have everything well and truly blended. It also comes in a water-soluble variety, which you would have to add with the lye water. I prefer the oil-soluble but ultimately it will not make much difference. It does not react in any way with the rest of the ingredients, it only serves as a colorant.

what is theexact recipe for this shaving soap using just KOH the HP method? Thanks.

The first recipe in this thread is a 100% KOH soap using HP. I've also shared a longer tutorial and recipe here:

http://www.silverfoxcrafts.com/shaving-soap/

 

[slickjim]

Yay!
I'm probably not the best one to answer, because I happen to love castor oil and am a huge fan of it in the shave soap I make for my hubby where I use it at 20%. Although some might imagine 20% castor leading to a horribly uncomfortable amount of stickiness, it really doesn't do so in a soap with a predominately high amount of hard fats, such as my shave soap formula. Although it does lend a slight tackiness to the lather, hubby says that little bit of tackiness is a good quality to have because it helps to keep the lather on his face longer while he's shaving, yet at the same time it's not enough to leave his skin feeling sticky afterwards.
IrishLass

Good to hear! Then I will give it a try and get some feedback. I am thinking of the following:

45% SA
20% CO
20% Lard
5% Castor Oil
5% Shea Butter
5% Lanolin
12% Glycerin
Titanium Dioxide

Still debating on the KOH/NaOH levels.

Congratulations! It's a long and information-filled thread.
Well, that depends. I have oil-soluble Titanium Dioxide and I add it at the end with the superfats and fragrance. This allows me to use it as a visual aid to see if I have everything well and truly blended. It also comes in a water-soluble variety, which you would have to add with the lye water. I prefer the oil-soluble but ultimately it will not make much difference. It does not react in any way with the rest of the ingredients, it only serves as a colorant.

Thanks! I think mine is oil-soluble as well. I've used it once when making CP soap and added towards the end of mixing. I believe it will give a more finished look to the shaving soap.

I am still afraid of the fragrance. Last time I had around 70 drops of Essential Oils. Wife, says it still smells like fried toast. I know, it's mentioned that a good proportion is 3% of oil wieght but even that feels too much. I will be taking it slowly I guess.

Boy, I had some good laughs while reading these pages as well

 

[DeeAnna]

Since shave soap (at least the kind with stearic acid) should be hot processed and since shave soap is right under a person's nose, I scent it more lightly than CP bath soap.

The intensity of the scent depends on the fragrance itself, so what works at 3% for one scent might be too much for another.

My favorite EO blend for shave soap. I use this at 3%, but everyone's nose is different, so YMMV.
Lavender 64%
Rosemary 30%
Peppermint 6%

 

[IrishLass]

I am still afraid of the fragrance. Last time I had around 70 drops of Essential Oils. Wife, says it still smells like fried toast. I know, it's mentioned that a good proportion is 3% of oil wieght but even that feels too much. I will be taking it slowly I guess.

My hubby really dislikes shaving with strongly-scented shaving soap (he has a bionic really sensitive nose), so I add fragrance to his shave soap @ 2% ppo, which is about .3 0z. ppo.


IrishLass

 

[Abbahail]

I would love to have the recipe. Could you share where you found it? I am relatively new at this, but up until now, all I've done is HP. I just need to know what the process you used was...When to add what and was there a temperature requirement at any given time?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

There are a lot of recipes and contributors in this thread - who were you asking in particular?

I would love to have the recipe. Could you share where you found it? I am relatively new at this, but up until now, all I've done is HP. I just need to know what the process you used was...When to add what and was there a temperature requirement at any given time?

 

[Pjclark1]

If you're making shaving soap, you need aftershave balm to complete the shave.
25gm Aloe, 25gm Thakkers Witch hazel, 5gm glycerin, whip it up with 3 drops of fragrance oil for an 'Arko' experience at a fraction of the price.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

We'll, you don't really. Even with my last batch, which wasn't the best variation I had ever made, I didn't need to use anything afterwards and I shave with a straight razor. I only put on my aftershave (astringent, not a balm) for the bay rum scent.

 

[LBussy]

I would love to have the recipe. Could you share where you found it? I am relatively new at this, but up until now, all I've done is HP. I just need to know what the process you used was...When to add what and was there a temperature requirement at any given time?

Abbahail, I'm not sure who you were asking. There's 55 pages of discussion in this thread and all of it excellent. If you want a step by step with the recipe, pictures and such, you can look here:

http://www.silverfoxcrafts.com/shaving-soap/

If you look at the very first post on this thread there's a similar recipe from Songwind.

 

[Abbahail]

Thank you!

 

[redhead1226]

Abbahail, I'm not sure who you were asking. There's 55 pages of discussion in this thread and all of it excellent. If you want a step by step with the recipe, pictures and such, you can look here:

http://www.silverfoxcrafts.com/shaving-soap/

If you look at the very first post on this thread there's a similar recipe from Songwind.

Lee - I just finished reading your recipe and your process. First, Great job! You were super thorough in explaining your technique, recipe and why's and why not's. I'm going to give it a whirl for some father's day gifts for my sons and their friends. What I didn't see is when you added the glycerin. I read it over a few times thinking I just missed it ( which I probably did) or I'm just ********. Could you tell me where it is located in your article? Thanks!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

You add it after the cook, along with superfat and scents.

 

[LBussy]

Lee - I just finished reading your recipe and your process. First, Great job! You were super thorough in explaining your technique, recipe and why's and why not's. I'm going to give it a whirl for some father's day gifts for my sons and their friends. What I didn't see is when you added the glycerin. I read it over a few times thinking I just missed it ( which I probably did) or I'm just ********. Could you tell me where it is located in your article? Thanks!

I think soapers have various practices when it comes to when the glycerin is added. I actually add it to my lye water these days. In that way I am absolutely sure the glycerin is mixed in thoroughly. Because it's non-reactive, it really doesn't matter much when it goes in. Because it loves water so much, it makes it easier to get it fully incorporated if I add it to water rather than to oil. That's my thinking anyway.

I didn't realize I left that step out of the article. I'll have to make some time and go in there and change it.