My first shaving soap is a success!

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

It's true - I mainly add it at the end to give more volume to the scent and superfat to help mix everything in

 

[hellonatural]

That looks great -thanks for sharing! What SF did you use? I don't know how stearic acid effects the soap, but I know that CO makes a very drying soap. Thx!

 

[redhead1226]

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.

Thank you for responding - I was going to add it near the end so Im glad you clarified this. Adding it to the lye water makes much more sense. Thanks - Ill let you know how it turns out.

 

[slickjim]

Thank you @DeeAnna and @IrishLass for the scent suggestions. I will play with it with the next batch.

 

[redhead1226]

I have a quick question as I've read everything here. I have never made any soap HP method. I'm going to try a shaving soap and I'm confused about the water concentration. I've seen so many variations with the dual lye method. What lye concentration do I want? I feel like an idiot but I'm not getting it. Does it differ with the length of the cook? More water more cook time I would think. Pls straighten me out on this.

 

[Pjclark1]

I have a quick question as I've read everything here. I have never made any soap HP method. I'm going to try a shaving soap and I'm confused about the water concentration. I've seen so many variations with the dual lye method. What lye concentration do I want? I feel like an idiot but I'm not getting it. Does it differ with the length of the cook? More water more cook time I would think. Pls straighten me out on this.

Doesn't really matter as far as I can see, you just cook longer if you have more water. I usually microwave my shaving soap until it's stiff enough. I just cook enough for me. 300gm lasts a year. Microwave until foam (30s) stir down, repeat until ready.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Aye. It will be a bit of trial and error to get it just right. Even if the soap itself is more or less firm, it'll still perform very well

 

[LBussy]

I use 33% water as percentage of oil weight. I don't see any reason you could not add both lyes to that, they are going to mix anyway. =

 

[Misty Morning]

Whoa, you guys (and gals)- thank you! I made a CP “shaving soap” recipe with Bentonite and castor and wasn’t very happy with how it lathered- meh, in the extreme. I thought I’d see what the ole inter web had to say... and here you all are with an overflowing cornucopia of frothy lore. I am so grateful! Thank you for all the recipes, testing, discussion and information!

I don’t have great access to tallow (though I might need to figure out a way to change that) so I’m going to start with one of the modifications using lard. I’ll report back. I’m so excited to try a proper formulation. Thanks again for your generosity.

 

[psfred]

For a small supply of tallow, you can just buy cheap (high fat) ground beef and save the fat after you brown it. Don't let the water all boil away, you don't want to get the fat smoking hot or it will smell like a hamburger right off the grill when you make soap with it.

I use a large spoon to remove the fat after scraping the beef over to one side of the pan and put the hot fat into an empty yogurt cup. Let it solidify in the fridge, then pop the tallow out and remove any gelled protein from the bottom. Save up a couple "pucks", then melt them with a cup of so of water in a small pan and allow it to just simmer for about ten minutes, then cool and chill. once it's solid, run a knife around the tallow and lift it out, discard the water. If the water is dark colored, repeat the simmer with fresh water. Freeze the tallow until you are ready to use it, unwrapped (this will remove water as it holds a bit). Make soap when you have enough.

Or check at your local grocery, they often have beef fat trimmings they will sell cheap and you can render the tallow. A bit stinky, and you must keep the temperature low, but inexpensive.

 

[LBussy]

Tallow is the rendered fat from around the kidneys of the cow (or other ungulates), also called "leaf fat". The fat from the muscles is probably fine, but it's nowhere near as hard as tallow. Lard is okay but I find soaps made from it have a "sticky" quality I don't like as well. Not sticky really but not smooth, it's hard to explain.

If you are in the US, you can get tallow on eBay even. I've also purchased it from Amazon. If you are in another country, perhaps someone here will be able to help.

 

[Misschief]

I'm in BC, Canada. I've gotten my tallow at my local butcher's (when they have it available). My last order of tallow came from Voyageur Soap & Candle.

 

[cjisler]

For a small supply of tallow, you can just buy cheap (high fat) ground beef and save the fat after you brown it. Don't let the water all boil away, you don't want to get the fat smoking hot or it will smell like a hamburger right off the grill when you make soap with it.

I use a large spoon to remove the fat after scraping the beef over to one side of the pan and put the hot fat into an empty yogurt cup. Let it solidify in the fridge, then pop the tallow out and remove any gelled protein from the bottom. Save up a couple "pucks", then melt them with a cup of so of water in a small pan and allow it to just simmer for about ten minutes, then cool and chill. once it's solid, run a knife around the tallow and lift it out, discard the water. If the water is dark colored, repeat the simmer with fresh water. Freeze the tallow until you are ready to use it, unwrapped (this will remove water as it holds a bit). Make soap when you have enough.

Or check at your local grocery, they often have beef fat trimmings they will sell cheap and you can render the tallow. A bit stinky, and you must keep the temperature low, but inexpensive.

Yes, this. All day long, this. I’ve been doing it for over 25 years. People think I’m nuts when I say the best shaving soap I ever made was over half hamburger fat that I saved. We have grass fed suet, too, but it’s not necessarily better. I save suet for healing salves, not saponifying.
Carol in SC

 

[MickeyRat]

I'm a total noob when it comes to soap making but, after reading this whole thread, I had to try it yesterday. First time with KOH or SA. There were a few surprises. The recipe I used was:

50 % SA
45% CO
5% Shea Butter superfat added at the end

85/15 KOH/NaOH

I made a 6 oz batch. My scale only has 1gm resolution (a better one is on the way.) so, my percentages were approximate.

Noob surprises/mistakes. I used DeeAnna's method of two double boilers. I put the lye in the CO and started melting the SA at about the same time. The SA took a long time to melt. The CO went through trace and later tried to volcano on me which looked real strange with KOH. Lots of white flecks churning in grey. It never got too thick to stick blend which I did like mad. It eventually calmed down and took on a smooth white consistency and was very stable. Finally the SA was melted. When I added it, as expected, every thing hardened and got a little lumpy. That's when I added the shea butter and scent, stirred and put into containers. I worked up some lather with a crumb left in the cup I used to do the cook.

The lather was stable 30 minutes later. I haven't tried it yet but, probably will later this morning. Like everyone else after drying overnight, the consistency is like playdough that's dried a bit. My big mistake was the scent. I used Drakkar type from Bramble Berry. 3% came to 5.1 gms. I put in 4 gms. That's a bit strong.

 

[psfred]

Brambleberry's Drakkar is mighty powerful stuff indeed. I would have used about six drops, maybe four, and it would still be way too much for me, never did like Drakkar. Fortunately, it does fade somewhat with time, and in a month or so won't be so strong.

You may find that recipe to be somewhat drying, I don't use more than 10% CO. It will shave nicely though, and it will improve somewhat as it cures -- it will also get a little firmer. Load lightly, it takes very little soap with that formula to make mountains of lather, and make sure you get enough water in it. It's very easy to make sticky paste rather than slick lather.

I don't bother with separating the oils, just melt them all together and mix in the lye. If you have the oils pretty hot and the lye fresh, you can have finished soap in 30 min. Use full water and keep it hot, else the stearic acid will go really grainy on you. Not an issue for the finished soap, but it makes even mixing more difficult.

 

[MickeyRat]

Brambleberry's Drakkar is mighty powerful stuff indeed. I would have used about six drops, maybe four, and it would still be way too much for me, never did like Drakkar. Fortunately, it does fade somewhat with time, and in a month or so won't be so strong.

I neglected to say that I put 15% glycerin in the lye water so it's not too drying. I did try it this morning. I realize it'll take a week or two to get to it's peak but, this is for personal use and I had to try it. By the time you work it into foam and get it on your face, the Drakkar's not too bad.

If you're only putting in 10% CO what else are you using tallow?

There's another thing I'm a noob at I'm afraid. I've been using Edge for years. I believe this gave me a better shave but, it did seem to take a lot of water compared to what I've seen in youtube videos. I'd say good first effort on the soap. Now I've asked for a safety razor for Father's day.

I may have to make the next batch the same way. My wife wants to see that weird volcano thing. She missed it.

 

[psfred]

Lol, two drops of Drakkar in 70 gr of soap was too much for me, although it was bearable six months later. Not my scent.

Most u-tubers use enough soap for an army for each shave, far more than is either necessary or desirable. You want light, slick lather with lots of water, it must be shiny and almost run off your face. I get my best shaves when the lather actually drips off the razor as I shave -- it's the lubrication of the skin than counts, lather must be very slippery to allow the edge of the razor to slip over the skin while cutting the hairs off cleanly. Gummy dry lather is useless.

 

[redhead1226]

OK after reading ALL of the posts on every shaving topic here I have made about 10 different shaving soap recipes. I finally have settled on one. I like it. I have shaved my legs a million times! However, I am never going to shave my face or clearly understand fully what a MAN wants in a shave formula. I did use Lanolin in one recipe and I wasn't crazy about it. I thought it took away from the awesomeness of the lather a bit and I didnt like the skin feel after. I used it as a part of the SF after the cook along with shea butter and glycerin.

Question - Would Lanolin have brought more to the soap if I used it IN the recipe for the cook? And what would be the difference in using a different butter other then shea in the SF a the end? Has anyone tried Aloe Butter? Or is aloe butter one of the "fake" butters? lol

Im going to make 2 more batches so I want to get some info as these 2 will be the last before I decide on which to stick with. And am I using enough to SF in a 16oz batch I'm using 60/40 KOH/NaOH Even a critique on my recipe would be good. Im a woman making a soap for a man! I have 3 sons and the DH and they are zero help! They never give a honest opinion as they always think they are going to insult me. lol - Im going to give these that I made to friends and 3 of my neighbors for testing.

This is my recipe at this point.

Stearic Acid 40%
Beef Tallow 20%
Coconut 15%
Castor 12%
Shea Butter 5%
Kokum Butter 8%

SF in a 16oz batch
Shea Butter 1 oz
Gylcerin 1.55 oz
Fragrance 0.60 oz

Any assistance will be appreciated.

 

[MickeyRat]

Lol, two drops of Drakkar in 70 gr of soap was too much for me, although it was bearable six months later. Not my scent.

Most u-tubers use enough soap for an army for each shave, far more than is either necessary or desirable. You want light, slick lather with lots of water, it must be shiny and almost run off your face. I get my best shaves when the lather actually drips off the razor as I shave -- it's the lubrication of the skin than counts, lather must be very slippery to allow the edge of the razor to slip over the skin while cutting the hairs off cleanly. Gummy dry lather is useless.

With what little knowledge I have, I agree. OTOH before I looked at youtube, I would have told you that the soap belonged in the cup. So, I learned something. My experience with this soap says the youtube videos go heavy on the brush loading and light on the water for this soap. A few swipes with a damp brush on the soap and about a tablespoon of water in the cup was very effective for me. The shave was great!

 

[psfred]

That recipe will make a decent shave soap. I have not used my castor oil containing shave soaps enough to tell if it adds much, but initially the lather wasn't as good with that much castor.

My personal favorite recipe is
50% SA (or soy wax)
30% tallow
10% coconut oil
5% shea butter
5% cocoa butter
60/40 KOH/NaOH
half the butters reserved for superfat after the cook, 10% of the total oil weight in glycerine

Probably not a huge difference between them. Check with whatever soap calculator you are using, and make sure you have at least 50% stearic plus palmitic acid in the profile. Anything else is optional.