My first shaving soap is a success!

[cleonm]

Smooth Move

Got the fiance's review. I'm not sure about the policy for curse words on here, so I'll just say that he liked it *a lot* and immediately threw out the one he had been using. And now he needs a brush as nice as the soap.

Sounds like some tactics to get a sweet brush out of the deal! LOL

J/K! ;-)

 

[songwind]

I personally recommend wetshavingproducts' umm.. products.

I have had 3 of them (used one this morning, Stubby in Superfine) and they've all been great.

 

[Stacie]

Sounds like some tactics to get a sweet brush out of the deal! LOL



J/K! ;-)

It's always good to be given gift ideas for the boy.

 

[songwind]

Say, has anyone on this thread tried rebatching with this soap?

 

[LBussy]

Say, has anyone on this thread tried rebatching with this soap?

I've not but I considered it for assing EO. I expect freezing it might be necessary to grate it.

 

[songwind]

I've not but I considered it for assing EO. I expect freezing it might be necessary to grate it.

That's what I was thinking, too. Particularly for sample purposes.

I was wondering if it might be possible to just work EO into it without melting it again, like mixing Play Doh colors.

 

[wetshavingproducts]

Say, has anyone on this thread tried rebatching with this soap?

I couldn't get it to work for me. Either the crockpot couldn't get hot enough or I wasn't patient enough. Water wouldn't be absorbed, soap wouldn't 'melt' again, big fat crumbly failure of a batch.

 

[AnnaO]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Songwind et al!

I had been undecided about making this recipe for my OH as his face cannot tolerate high % coconut oil soaps - they are way too drying for him.

So I have been studying this and other shaving soap threads here as I considered other possible formulations. But as my soap oil stocks are a bit low at the moment I finally took the plunge and last week I made a small batch of Songwind's recipe anyway as I had the ingredients for that to hand.

I followed DeeAnna's suggestion for the two-step process, and I added the glycerine to the melted coconut oil right at the start.

The only difference between the original recipe and mine was that I upped the glycerine from 15% to 17.5% in an attempt to counteract excess drying, and I omitted FO/EO.

And I must say the result is wonderful - thick and lasting lather, and my OH experienced no drying or redness at all! He is very happy

So, my first shaving soap is a success too! - thank you

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

When I get back from my holiday (by the way, I'll be quiet on here for about a week ) I am going to make some little sample batches to try out some permutations and combinations

 

[AnnaO]

When I get back from my holiday (by the way, I'll be quiet on here for about a week ) I am going to make some little sample batches to try out some permutations and combinations

I made only a 200g batch, it was way too small an amount for the slow cooker, so I used a bain marie substitute (-stainless steel bowl sat on a pan of water on hob). Also I didn't use my stick blender, I just stirred with a spoon, and it took ~15 minutes to reach trace. I used a 3:1 water to lye ratio, which made a surprisingly doughy and kneadable mixture*, but then I had left it uncovered during the cook.
Have fun on your hols

(edit: * that is, once it had cooled)

 

[LBussy]

I made only a 200g batch, it was way too small an amount for the slow cooker, so I used a bain marie substitute (-stainless steel bowl sat on a pan of water on hob). Also I didn't use my stick blender, I just stirred with a spoon, and it took ~15 minutes to reach trace. I used a 3:1 water to lye ratio, which made a surprisingly doughy and kneadable mixture*, but then I had left it uncovered during the cook.

I don't own a stick blender and did not think I was missing it for this recipe. Trace for me has been < 5 mins for sure. I've been making 100g batches as that's more than enough to get a lot of shaves out of it. I make them in a smaller screw-top food storage container:

I "float" that in the crock pot, and then use it as a soap container when I'm done.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I found some empty plastic pots that some food stuff came in - they looked rather good but needed a bit of a.......shall we say sterner test! So I popped the kettle on, poured boiling water in to one of them and stabbed at it with a fork.

Pleased to say that it is totally fine (albeit no terrified of the sound of the kettle and the sight of forks) so I think they'll hold up to soaping.

 

[wetshavingproducts]

I "float" that in the crock pot, and then use it as a soap container when I'm done.

That's bleeping genius!

 

[LBussy]

That's bleeping genius!

I wish I could claim it ... pretty sure I read that on one of the other threads on B&B maybe. Sure works well though.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

It was in the B&B thread - and jolly brilliant it is. My wee pots will be the same xxxx

 

[songwind]

I "float" that in the crock pot, and then use it as a soap container when I'm done.

So do you heat up a crock pot full of water, then, and use it like a double boiler?

 

[LBussy]

So do you heat up a crock pot full of water, then, and use it like a double boiler?

Yes. You can either keep a low level of water, or I filled it up (for the thermal mass) and used the pot lid to keep the smaller container from tipping over.

 

[songwind]

Yes. You can either keep a low level of water, or I filled it up (for the thermal mass) and used the pot lid to keep the smaller container from tipping over.

Hmm. Very interesting. That would certainly make it easier to do little test batches.

My current plan was to do a 1lb batch and divide it after the cook and test several scents at once.

 

[LBussy]

Hmm. Very interesting. That would certainly make it easier to do little test batches.

My current plan was to do a 1lb batch and divide it after the cook and test several scents at once.

Egg-zactly, especially if you are working on the base.

 

[Natural20]

I'm definitely going to try the Stearic/Coconut recipe, since everyone has had great success with it. I was curious how a 52% Stearic / 48% Tallow would compare. Has anyone tried it? Or something close?