Pleased as punch (and smelling good)

[sirtim100]

Just wanted to share with the forum my first experience with what I really wanted to do with soap making: make some nice shaving soap with a view to selling the stuff one day.

I made a batch of CP shaving soap one month ago (if anyone wants the recipe, let me know) and watched and waited, and watched, and waited...

Today I tried it out. Pre-shave oil, then mix the soap with water and brush. The smell was lovely (lime and palmarosa, with a touch of lavender), and it built up a great lather, but then the big blow. The lather doesn't last last long, it loses body quickly. Then I worked with the straight razor and started bitching because my face was stinging, but I'll put that down to nerves and bad razor management.

So, feeling suitably humbled by my 3 second lather soaping experience, I started looking around for what could be wrong with the mix to make such a short-lived lather, and suddenly realised: my face feels really smooth, much smoother than with a commercial shaving soap.

So now I'm feeling pleased as could be and planning for my next project, a lanolin based shaving soap, with mandarin and patchouli, and hopefully with a lather that lasts longer than a speech in the Comintern...

Nice feeling to use something you made yourself and that doesn't come from the local supermarket.

Happy soaping to all

 

[lsg]

Congratulations!

 

[KristaY]

Yes, congratulations! So gratifying

I don't know if anyone has pointed you in this direction or if you've read his tutorial, but I highly recommend Lee Bussy's Silver Fox Shaving Soap tutorial. He's a member here and gives great advice and detailed instructions on his process. You can find it here:

http://www.silverfoxcrafts.com/shaving-soap/

 

[Dawni]

There's also this, if you've not read it already.

But, congratulations!

I've not made shaving soap.. The people around either don't have beards to grow or grow em too much hahaha.. but if you post the recipe the others can help you figuring out the lather part.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Sounds good - love the fragrances you've chosen.
I have shaving soap on my list of things to do soon, but will have to rely on my Roger to test it for me, as I don't have facial hair

 

[sirtim100]

Sounds good - love the fragrances you've chosen.
I have shaving soap on my list of things to do soon, but will have to rely on my Roger to test it for me, as I don't have facial hair

Thanks!

The lime and palmarosa combination was a fortuitous event. I wanted lime and cedar, but the EO firm sent tea tree instead of cedar (already had the lime EO), and I just had to make soap that day, so I went to the local herbalist and she gave me palmarosa, and it worked! Smells really nice, fragrant but not too much.

Did the cedar/lime mix too, which is curing nicely. Next batch will be mandarin or bergamot and patchouli, thinking of combining black pepper and lime as well.

 

[sirtim100]

Forget to say many thanks to Dawni and KristaY for the links. Both are very helpful and I'm getting an idea of where the defects in the soap are coming from.

Thanks again

Happy soaping