My first shaving soap is a success!

[redhead1226]

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.

Interesting, I never thought of using soy wax. My recipe has 59% combined Palmitic and Stearic and your has 71% which also interests me. Im going to try this with the cocoa butter and see how I like it. I appreciate your help and Ill see how it is without the castor. Ill report back! lol

 

[psfred]

71% may be too high. I'll be working on those soaps when I get done with my current cake of Williams.

 

[TFriedman]

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.

Hi. What is SA? Thanks.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Stearic acid

 

[redhead1226]

Hi. What is SA? Thanks.

Stearic Acid

 

[Saranac]

Interesting, I never thought of using soy wax.

My formula is about 60% soy wax, and it's my only source of stearic and palmitic acids. Soy wax is easy to work with and the batter can be CPed with no trouble.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Although CP gives no option of selecting the oils which remain after the cook

 

[redhead1226]

My formula is about 60% soy wax, and it's my only source of stearic and palmitic acids. Soy wax is easy to work with and the batter can be CPed with no trouble.

Wow! Nice info, I would like to try that. I have a para-soy blend of wax will that work? Do you know the amount of palmitic and Stearic in yours?

 

[psfred]

Fully hydrogenated soy oil (soy wax 148 I think, usually) is stearic only triglyceride. It can be CP, but you have to work pretty hot as the soy wax has a fairly high melting point. Doesn't matter if there is palmitic acid in there, either works.

If you use soy wax you need less glycerine. I hot process it anyway, it's faster and I don't need a mold, just roll the finished soap in freezer paper to the right size.

 

[redhead1226]

Wow! Nice info, I would like to try that. I have a para-soy blend of wax will that work? Do you know the amount of palmitic and Stearic in yours?

After further research Soy does not have enough Palmitic and Stearic as far as I see. Am I missing something?

 

[redhead1226]

Fully hydrogenated soy oil (soy wax 148 I think, usually) is stearic only triglyceride. It can be CP, but you have to work pretty hot as the soy wax has a fairly high melting point. Doesn't matter if there is palmitic acid in there, either works.

If you use soy wax you need less glycerine. I hot process it anyway, it's faster and I don't need a mold, just roll the finished soap in freezer paper to the right size.

I like HP for a shaving soap as I can Superfat after the cook which I think is very necessary in a shave soap. Tell me about the skin feel you are experiencing. Thanks!

 

[psfred]

Soy oil is not the same as soy wax -- soy wax is hydrogenated soy oil, all the fatty acids are converted to stearic (C18 saturated) in fully hydrogenated versions. No palmitic at all, soy oil is oleic, linoleic, and stearic I think.

I add some cocoa butter and shea butter as superfat, leaves a great skin feel. Also made bath soap for my Mom (who is 94) with said butters, works great for her too. I've been using 5% superfat, may reduce that to 3% and see what happens, that's what I like in bath soap, but it may be a little drying as shaving soap.

 

[Saranac]

Wow! Nice info, I would like to try that. I have a para-soy blend of wax will that work?

I wouldn't use a para-soy blend. I buy soy wax from Natures Garden that is 100% soy.

Fully hydrogenated soy oil . . . can be CP, but you have to work pretty hot as the soy wax has a fairly high melting point. Doesn't matter if there is palmitic acid in there, either works . . . I hot process it anyway, it's faster and I don't need a mold, just roll the finished soap in freezer paper to the right size.

I find soy wax is easily CPed between 120-130F. I hand stir and have trace within 15-20 minutes. I pour into a lined PVC pipe and it gets quite warm--and fast. If I make the soap in the morning, I can have it un-molded, cut, and in tins by bed-time.

After further research Soy does not have enough Palmitic and Stearic as far as I see. Am I missing something?

What soy wax are you looking at? As long as it's hard/brittle at room temperature, it should have plenty of stearic/palmitic.

 

[redhead1226]

In the long run, neither does HP . For my CP shave soap with soy wax, I SF with something unsaponifiable, like jojoba or lanolin.



I wouldn't use a para-soy blend. I buy soy wax from Natures Garden that is 100% soy.



I find soy wax is easily CPed between 120-130F. I hand stir and have trace within 15-20 minutes. I pour into a lined PVC pipe and it gets quite warm--and fast. If I make the soap in the morning, I can have it un-molded, cut, and in tins by bed-time.



What soy wax are you looking at? As long as it's hard/brittle at room temperature, it should have plenty of stearic/palmitic.

Got ya! Thank you. Im going to order the soy wax and experiment myself thank you for your assistance.

As I noted above, I SF with something non-saponifiable. I really like jojoba.

 

[DeeAnna]

It's a misnomer to "superfat with something non-saponifiable." If you want to use lanolin or jojoba or other ingredient that has a low saponification value versus a fat that has a higher sap value, then by all means do so. But superfat is saponifiable FAT by definition, whether it's fat from lanolin or fat from lard. Unsaponifiable materials, such as the waxes and esters in jojoba, lanolin, etc., certainly can bring something to the party, but they're not superfat.

 

[Saranac]

It seems like I was once again put in my place, and as a result, I've edited my earlier post.

Got ya! Thank you. Im going to order the soy wax and experiment myself thank you for your assistance.

Don't place that order or start experimenting yet! There's a good possibility that I've led you down the wrong path; better wait for the experts to weigh in on this subject.

 

[psfred]

Pure soy wax only, stuff for candles has paraffin in it, which won't be very nice in soap......

 

[DeeAnna]

My earlier post about superfat was not intended to "put people in their place," but I missed the mark and realize I have offended Saranac. Please accept my apologies, Saranac.

The reason why I said what I did about superfat is to keep new soapers from being confused. My goal was to clarify the meaning, not to offend or put anyone down.

 

[commoncenz]

Ahhhh, I've finally finished reading this thread. It has been too long since I last visited this forum. A thread like this is a good reminder of why I like it here so much. The sharing of ideas and experiments. The sheer amount of creativity and diversity of thought. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this discussion; which has kept me locked in and reading until the wee hours of the morning for the last two days. Now, to review my notes, clear my head and attempt to make the shave soap that I've been promising I'd make for my cousin's husband for the last two years.

 

[redhead1226]

Ahhhh, I've finally finished reading this thread. It has been too long since I last visited this forum. A thread like this is a good reminder of why I like it here so much. The sharing of ideas and experiments. The sheer amount of creativity and diversity of thought. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this discussion; which has kept me locked in and reading until the wee hours of the morning for the last two days. Now, to review my notes, clear my head and attempt to make the shave soap that I've been promising I'd make for my cousin's husband for the last two years.

I did the same as you a few months back. I ended up making 6 different recipes I came up with. I liked 3 of them. And then narrowed it down to just 1. Its really about preference. Its the concept and the ingredients that kept me changing it up. And yes I agree that this is exactly why I love this group so much. Good luck and have fun!