Shave Soap Puck vs Cup

[Sharon Patterson]

LOL...you give me WAY too much credit. Would one of you guys shoot me a recipe? I did see that most recipes call for stearin acid (another new adventure for my) so I ordered some yesterday. I know it’s heresy to soap in the same pot you cook in, but if I buy/make on more piece of soap paraphernalia Janice is going to assign me to the couch. So, I’m gonna do this in my InstantPot in slow-cooker mode since it has a stainless liner.

I exclusively do HP and make my shaving soap with beer and put corn silk into the lye, also some kaolin or bentonite clay (whichever I have available). I have never added KOH but the soap is lovely, the lather so thick and I have been told by some folks that exclusively shave with shaving soap that it does a great job.

 

[Andrew]

I actually let my lye come down to between 100F and ambient and it seems fine. My experience with stearic acid says do keep the oils warm. I try to keep them around 170F.
Also, here are the molds I mentioned (forgot to take pics of them when I was doing shaving soap, but they work for any pucks of course)
Used for CP, green clay swirl
View attachment 38505

Used for an HP bath and body soap
View attachment 38506

These are technically ABS pipe, but PVC works just as well. If you own, or have access to, a miter saw you can easily cut any lengths you like. A light sanding easily removed any burrs. Currently I am just using uncoated parchment paper as a liner, which works well when double layered. I may try a sheet of acetate instead at some point in order to avoid the wrinkly edges on the HP pucks. I did pad the caps with cardboard as it makes them much easier to remove when they are not pressed on as far.

Of course you can also just put your shaving soap directly into a jar or tin or whatnot

fun fact about hard plastic molds like this, if you freeze the soap for 24 hours, it contracts and comes right out. IF the mold was clean when you poured.

 

[DWinMadison]

I exclusively do HP and make my shaving soap with beer and put corn silk into the lye, also some kaolin or bentonite clay (whichever I have available). I have never added KOH but the soap is lovely, the lather so thick and I have been told by some folks that exclusively shave with shaving soap that it does a great job.

Thanks, Sharon. Good info. Don’t laugh...do you grind the corn silk? Dry it? Are those the dumbest questions on the planet?

 

[earlene]

Not, Sharon, but I have used corn silk as well. I let it dry first (after harvesting from fresh corn), then dissolved in the lye solution. No need to grind it up or anything. You can also buy corn silk whole or as a powder and not have to do the harvesting part. The method for using corn silk in the lye solution is the same as using silk. Just let it dissolve in hot lye solution, stirring as needed.

 

[DWinMadison]

Not, Sharon, but I have used corn silk as well. I let it dry first (after harvesting from fresh corn), then dissolved in the lye solution. No need to grind it up or anything. You can also buy corn silk whole or as a powder and not have to do the harvesting part. The method for using corn silk in the lye solution is the same as using silk. Just let it dissolve in hot lye solution, stirring as needed.

And it really makes a difference?

 

[SeattleMartin]

And it really makes a difference?

I want to know, too. For the record, I grew up in Illinois and was literally surrounded by corn. I often balk at the cost of corn these days, and now wonder if when I do buy it... do I just dry that silk and use it in my soap instead of composting it? Because... oh my... I might cry little tears of joy if someone says yes.

 

[Sharon Patterson]

Thanks, Sharon. Good info. Don’t laugh...do you grind the corn silk? Dry it? Are those the dumbest questions on the planet?

No, not at all. I cut it really small and let it dissolve in the lye.

I want to know, too. For the record, I grew up in Illinois and was literally surrounded by corn. I often balk at the cost of corn these days, and now wonder if when I do buy it... do I just dry that silk and use it in my soap instead of composting it? Because... oh my... I might cry little tears of joy if someone says yes.

that is what I do. I let the silks dry and either crumble them or cut them up really small and then let them dissolve in the lye water.

 

[dixiedragon]

I haven't made shave soap, but hot process isn't difficult or scary. Soaping 101 has a good video to watch, just so you can see what it looks like.

I like to cook mine for about 30 minutes on low, stirring (or stickblending) it back together once or twice. Then I turn it to high to bump it over into vaseline stage. You can use your food crockpot if you want, but if you prefer to keep food and soap seperate you can get slow cookers for cheap at Salvation Army, etc.

 

[Andrew]

I want to know, too. For the record, I grew up in Illinois and was literally surrounded by corn. I often balk at the cost of corn these days, and now wonder if when I do buy it... do I just dry that silk and use it in my soap instead of composting it? Because... oh my... I might cry little tears of joy if someone says yes.

Ok, off topic but, corn silk has similar effects to lather as tussah silk. it also contains allitonin. This would definitely be a great additive to put in soap and would love to see some experiments on it. If you do make it and post about it, please tag me so I can follow.

 

[earlene]

And it really makes a difference?

I want to know, too. For the record, I grew up in Illinois and was literally surrounded by corn. I often balk at the cost of corn these days, and now wonder if when I do buy it... do I just dry that silk and use it in my soap instead of composting it? Because... oh my... I might cry little tears of joy if someone says yes.

I used corn silk the same way Sharon mentions, although I don't crumble it after dry, but I have cut into smaller pieces, same as I do with silk.

But I've only used the corn silk once. I use these silk cocoons quite often lately since I added it to my masterbatch lye the last couple of times.

Even though I do love fresh sweet corn, it's not what the farmers around here grow, so I only get it once in awhile at the grocery store, so don't really get a lot of corn silk to use in soap. But it was fun using it when I did. And I probably will again, but for now I have enough silk to last quite a long time.

 

[DWinMadison]

I used corn silk the same way Sharon mentions, although I don't crumble it after dry, but I have cut into smaller pieces, same as I do with silk.

But I've only used the corn silk once. I use these silk cocoons quite often lately since I added it to my masterbatch lye the last couple of times.

Even though I do love fresh sweet corn, it's not what the farmers around here grow, so I only get it once in awhile at the grocery store, so don't really get a lot of corn silk to use in soap. But it was fun using it when I did. And I probably will again, but for now I have enough silk to last quite a long time.

People in this neck of the woods live for a variety of corn called Silver Queen (It really is sweet and delicious). If I could incorporate Silver Queen silk into soap, it would sell like hotcakes.

 

[earlene]

There you go, DW. I think that's a great idea!