I moved to dual lye to get a thicker lather.
My first shaving soap is a success!
- Thread starter songwind
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
user 49910
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2021
- Messages
- 310
- Reaction score
- 608
IMHO, I feel that the dual lye process makes a much easier to lather shave soap, plus it provides that semi-soft cake or puck which makes it easier to load the shaving brush in the initial phase of lathering.
Ugeauxgirl
Well-Known Member
You're certainly right, but I'm reluctant to try dual lye, I don't know why. I'm not that motivated, really. I don't sell and while I want to try everything but developing a fantastic shave bar really isn't at the top of my list, so....
user 49910
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2021
- Messages
- 310
- Reaction score
- 608
Well... if you are reluctant and such, and dual lye does make the best shaving soap, check out the majority of the top shave soaps; they are all dual lye.
Then buy some from ME! It could be a win/win proposition.
But you can also use the KOH to make liquid soap, which would get you to your goal to "try everything."
What a thread!!
Deserves a revival!
I'm a wet shaver of 15 years and have used over 200 shaving soaps.
6 months ago, I made my first shaving soap (first soap ever actually!) with soy wax (87% stearic acid), cocoa butter, castor oil, hemp seed oil, glycerine and liquid silk.
70% KOH
5% SF
3% glycerine
It worked out great! I've made a couple of batches since then because I realized, firstly, I don't like castor oil or hemp seed oil in my shaving soap and secondly, I like some coconut oil as it improves the ability to infuse some air/volume into the lather.
I've slowly increased the amount of butters to reach the desired fatty acid profile of the soap.
Next batch will be a trial of 80% butters (kokum, mango and cocoa). The stearic/palmitic is around 55% but oleic is about 30% so I'll have to see how the lather holds up with this high amount of oleic acid.
The reason I'm going for a high butters base is because I find it to be very luxurious on the skin and also it feels very smooth and comfortable during the shave.
I'm a big believer in the curing process so even though I do HP, I cure it for a month before I use it. I can definitely tell the difference in the lather is I use it soon after the cook.
Lather pic of last batch with 40% butters:
Deserves a revival!
I'm a wet shaver of 15 years and have used over 200 shaving soaps.
6 months ago, I made my first shaving soap (first soap ever actually!) with soy wax (87% stearic acid), cocoa butter, castor oil, hemp seed oil, glycerine and liquid silk.
70% KOH
5% SF
3% glycerine
It worked out great! I've made a couple of batches since then because I realized, firstly, I don't like castor oil or hemp seed oil in my shaving soap and secondly, I like some coconut oil as it improves the ability to infuse some air/volume into the lather.
I've slowly increased the amount of butters to reach the desired fatty acid profile of the soap.
Next batch will be a trial of 80% butters (kokum, mango and cocoa). The stearic/palmitic is around 55% but oleic is about 30% so I'll have to see how the lather holds up with this high amount of oleic acid.
The reason I'm going for a high butters base is because I find it to be very luxurious on the skin and also it feels very smooth and comfortable during the shave.
I'm a big believer in the curing process so even though I do HP, I cure it for a month before I use it. I can definitely tell the difference in the lather is I use it soon after the cook.
Lather pic of last batch with 40% butters:
Awesome - another shave soaper on board.
I've got mango and kokum butter that I've yet to try, thanks for lighting a fire under me haha. I've tried Shea and cocoa butters, with great results.
Interesting about the liquid silk, would that be the silk proteins? Looks like you're dialing in your recipe, keep us posted!
I've got mango and kokum butter that I've yet to try, thanks for lighting a fire under me haha. I've tried Shea and cocoa butters, with great results.
Interesting about the liquid silk, would that be the silk proteins? Looks like you're dialing in your recipe, keep us posted!
Last edited:
Awesome - another shave soaper on board.
I've got mango and kokum butter that I've yet to try, thanks for lighting a fire under me haha. I've tried Shea and cocoa butters, with great results.
Interesting about the liquid silk, would that be the silk proteins? Looks like you're dialing in your recipe, keep us posted!
Nice!
Please do try the mango/kokum base.
I generally use these two in a 50/50 split as they have a similar stearic to oleic acid ratio.
I'm a big believer that butters don't need to be relegated to just being a super fat.
As long as the fatty acid profile is that of a shaving soap, butters can be used to create the actual soap base.
The liquid silk is indeed silk fibres in a dissolved state...much easier to use.
I add it at trace.
Thanks!
Works awesomely too!
Last edited:
Yeah, there's something about shaving soap that really draws me to it.
After I got cov19 virus twice, my skin turned very sensitive and very easily inflamed.
I had 100+ shaving soaps, mostly which are all gone due to reactions to the scents.
I wanted to make my own unscented soap with top notch ingredients and so far, it's been wonderful. I find my own soap performs better than the majority of soaps I've used in the past!
At a fraction of the cost, which is the cherry on top!
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2022
- Messages
- 693
- Reaction score
- 879
Your soap lather is amazing!!! Very beautiful. A sandlewood eo or fo would calm down the lemon.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:
Has anyone else made a high butters shaving soap base?
The reason I ask is because after using it, I feel there are no other additives required in addition to the high butters because it's just so nourishing and moisturizing.
The reason I ask is because after using it, I feel there are no other additives required in addition to the high butters because it's just so nourishing and moisturizing.
I’ll try it next time. Sounds fabulous
I plan to try it, as well!
You're lather really does look incredible! I've purchased several but not made my own, well, I've tried making shave soap once, I was completely unimpressed with mine. None I've purchased felt particularly good for my face either. I found the recipe online and followed directions to the letter. I've been making soap for some time, but not a trial and error kinda guy. I can follow a recipe like a boss, but creating has been challenging for me even with a soap calc. I'm always worried it is going to burn someone ;-) Thanks for the picture. You've encouraged me to keep looking for that perfect recipe.
@bobryan1 you might try purchasing Carrie Seibert's book, "How to Make Shaving Soap" which has multiple excellent recipes. There are also some great threads here (shorter than this one, haha) with recipes shared by @Johnez and @Professor Bernardo.
Awesome! I'll look forward to checking them out. Today I decided to bump up my soap game a bit. Logo, labels etc. Hopefully this new found enthusiasm doesn't wane lol! Thank you all!
