My first shaving soap is a success!

[toxikon]

Dragging up old threads is always acceptable, unless of course you ask a question that's already answered in it 100 times.

This time, no, never heard that question before!

I have never tried egg yolk, not sure why I would want to really. It would take some pretty good tempering (with the CO I would imagine) but sure, why not. Try it and let us know! You should also try it without so you know what you are changing. That's just MHO though,

Thank you! I guess one of the nice things about this recipe is you can make a bunch of small batches and almost instantly compare them all.

I will definitely report back - and I agree, keeping it simple to start is a good idea. I just picked up my stearic acid and KOH so I'll be doing some playing this weekend!

 

[sudsy_kiwi]

I've made several batches of this shaving soap over the months, and have made a few tweaks of the recipe, and I have to add my voice to the chorus of those who have loved it. I've tried several commercial shave soaps, and this beats them all IMO. The lather is simply astounding.

Now to my question. I know that lye and aluminium (or aluminum for our American friends ) do not play well together. But is it ok to store this soap in an aluminium container? Saponification of finished by the end of the process, so am I right in thinking it should be safe? Is there another consideration I'm not thinking of?

I looked around and all the commercially available soaps seem to come in either plastic, wood or paper. But I've got some cool wee aluminium pots that would be the ideal size and shape for this.

 

[LBussy]

Now to my question. I know that lye and aluminium (or aluminum for our American friends ) do not play well together. But is it ok to store this soap in an aluminium container? Saponification of finished by the end of the process, so am I right in thinking it should be safe? Is there another consideration I'm not thinking of?

The pH of the finished soap is still quite high. I would expect it to corrode the aluminum.

I use tinned steel containers for my soap with good results:

http://www.specialtybottle.com/metal-tin-containers/deep-flat-slipcover/8oz-tnf8

 

[cgsample]

Lee,

Just wanted to thank you. Your recipe was my first try at soap making about two years ago. I used it as my base and tweaked and tweaked (also went completely off the reservation a couple times). I ended up the with a little more tallow than coconut, and also snuck in a little castor.

 

[LBussy]

Lee,

Just wanted to thank you. Your recipe was my first try at soap making about two years ago. I used it as my base and tweaked and tweaked (also went completely off the reservation a couple times). I ended up the with a little more tallow than coconut, and also snuck in a little castor.

I'm happy to have played a small part!

Tallow = goodness so it does not surprise me that you experimented with and enjoyed its contributions. It's all a balancing act and some folks like some qualities over others.

 

[PuddinAndPeanuts]

I've only read through post two hundred-something, but yesterday was inspired enough to make actual soap again for the first time in I think a couple years. I made Songwind's recipe using Deanna's method of adding the stearic acid after the coconut oil had thickened. No surprises, thank goodness. After I added the glycerin and scented with Cool Water FO, I removed about a third of the batch and added a slightly mounded half teaspoon of kaolin clay to the rest. Then I vaguely remembered that you're maybe supposed to add clay at the beginning, with the water? (Is that correct??) Both of them have not-so-great lather compared to everything I'm used to- but- I shaved my bikini region and I don't look like a plucked chicken like I always do after shaving, which is pretty damn impressive. I found that the one with the clay is fluffier, creamier, lathers better, a little slicker- overall, just utterly superior to the one without clay. You'd never, ever dream they were otherwise identical.

 

[PuddinAndPeanuts]

Forgot to add picture: the brush on the right has songwind's original recipe with a touch over 1/2 tsp of kaolin clay. Brush on the left is the recipe unaltered. .

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

As a shaver, I do not like the look of the right one (nor the "brushes!) - I admit, I know that there is clay in there so some might think I am biased, but if I just had those two images and would be asked, I would say the same. Fluffy is not always a good thing, especially with shaving. Fluffy = air = not actually soap.

 

[shunt2011]

The Lather should be thick and somewhat dense. Too fluffy. I love my shave soap and use it daily on my legs. My husband uses it daily as well.

 

[PuddinAndPeanuts]

As a shaver, I do not like the look of the right one (nor the "brushes!) - I admit, I know that there is clay in there so some might think I am biased, but if I just had those two images and would be asked, I would say the same. Fluffy is not always a good thing, especially with shaving. Fluffy = air = not actually soap.

The Lather should be thick and somewhat dense. Too fluffy. I love my shave soap and use it daily on my legs. My husband uses it daily as well.

Thanks guys- appreciate the feedback! The lather on the one on the right felt plenty dense, but upon more reflection, I think I was mistaken when I said it had better glide. I think it's maybe not as slick as the other one. I'm still playing. I've done 2 more versions and have a few more trials already in mind.

 

[Arimara]

The Lather should be thick and somewhat dense. Too fluffy. I love my shave soap and use it daily on my legs. My husband uses it daily as well.

This is going to sound crazy but how can you shave your legs daily? It takes me a week and a half to start getting some long enough stubble to shave and a little bit longer still before I actually do it. Does your shaving soap offer that much protection?

 

[shunt2011]

This is going to sound crazy but how can you shave your legs daily? It takes me a week and a half to start getting some long enough stubble to shave and a little bit longer still before I actually do it. Does your shaving soap offer that much protection?

Ha ha. I swim 2 times a week. The hair on my legs grows like weeds (tmi) It's usually a quick shave is all.

 

[IrishLass]

Ha ha. I swim 2 times a week. The hair on my legs grows like weeds (tmi) It's usually a quick shave is all.

LOL- Shari, I'm just going to follow you around today to see what your Autocorrect comes up with (this is the second post of yours today where your Autocorrect has caused me bouts of giggling). Unless swimming twice a week somehow causes hair on legs to grow like weeds, I'm going to assume you meant to say "I shave 2 times a week".

Edited to add- lol- looks like we were just posting at the same time.


IrishLass

 

[Arimara]

Ha ha. I swim 2 times a week. The hair on my legs grows like weeds (tmi) It's usually a quick shave is all.

Sorry and thanks. Swimming makes sense.

 

[shunt2011]

Sorry and thanks. Swimming makes sense.

No reason to say sorry. It's all good. When I'm not swimming (water aerobics) it's a totally different story. Won't go there.

 

[DanielCoffey]

Now to my question. I know that lye and aluminium (or aluminum for our American friends ) do not play well together. But is it ok to store this soap in an aluminium container? Saponification of finished by the end of the process, so am I right in thinking it should be safe? Is there another consideration I'm not thinking of?

I appreciate this was a question asked last week but I would like to add a personal experience of trying to use shaving soaps in an aluminium container.

Those of us in the UK may remember a small company called Cosmetics To Go which was trading about fifteen years ago before Lush started. One of the products they sold at that time was a scented hard shaving soap puck moulded into an aluminium bowl and lid. Replacement pucks were available in cellophane.

The first puck was fine until it got about half-way through then it detached from the bowl. I noticed a fair amount of gritty grey sludge coating the outside of the puck which smelled metallic. I scraped it off and used the remains of the puck till it was about three-quarters gone then I ditched it.

I cleaned out the bowl and noticed that the metal had gone dull and slightly rough so I just scrubbed it clean with a small scourer and started the second new puck.

Very quickly the new puck detached because water easily got down the sides. The gritty grey stuff was back and formed a crust around the sides and base of the puck so it no longer bonded into the bowl. I fairly quickly chucked it out and checked the bowl which was heavily pitted.

Looking back, I can safely say it was the aluminium reacting with the hard soap and forming metallic salts around the puck.

I hope this helps you decide not to use aluminium with your soap, sudsy_wiki.

 

[DanielCoffey]

I have a question about the amounts of EO to use in a shaving soap like this. Assuming 1lb (454g) of oil (SA/CO/Tallow), what weight of EOs would you advise?

I am referring to EOs such as DeeAnna's lavender/rosemary/mint blend or possibly Bog Myrtle rather than more pungent oils.

 

[earlene]

Can I dig up this thread? Is that okay!? I hope it's okay... :silent:

Have any of you lovely recipe contributors tried egg yolk in this awesome recipe?

I've read through and see a lot of additives have been tried and tested, but no mention of yolk. As far as I know, 1 yolk PPO can create a bit more of a silky lather, which seems like it might lend itself well to a shaving soap.

So as long as it's tempered in slowly, could it work in the 100% KOH recipe here?

Toxikon, my favorite handwashing soap contains egg yolks. My SIL also says it is her favorite of my soap recipes for handwashing as well. It does have a smooth and silky feeling lather. There is something about it that just feels luxurious on my hands, so I can imagine it would have a similar feel to the skin that requires shaving.

I'd love to know how it turns out in a shaving soap.

 

[dudeitsashley]

Has anyone added activated charcoal to their soap? I was just browsing on West Coast shaving and saw that there was an activated charcoal soap but, it's sold out. I am wondering if the charcoal dulls the blade at all.

 

[IrishLass]

I have a question about the amounts of EO to use in a shaving soap like this. Assuming 1lb (454g) of oil (SA/CO/Tallow), what weight of EOs would you advise?

I am referring to EOs such as DeeAnna's lavender/rosemary/mint blend or possibly Bog Myrtle rather than more pungent oils.

The general rule of thumb for EOs is 3% of the weight of the oils/fats in your recipe, provided that they are not the type that are known sensitizers, such as cinnamon or clove, for example.


IrishLass