Shaving Soap

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barred rock

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Think I am going to try and make some shaving soap...anybody got any advice they can give me of what to do and what not to do? Maybe just a basic with palm or olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, bentonite clay and some essential oil of some sort.

Where is the cheapest place to get my fragrance and my oils and clay?
 
I would recommend taking some time and using the search function, there are a lot of great threads here about formulating a shaving soap. :) Good luck, let us know how it turns out!
 
I would recommend taking some time and using the search function, there are a lot of great threads here about formulating a shaving soap. :) Good luck, let us know how it turns out!

Thanks for the standard reply.
 
WSP isn't bad for Eo's and whatnot, either is Essential Depot... not sure about the clay.
 
Thanks for the standard reply.

And since you've been a member since 2011, you know that her reply is also the truth. Its been talked about a lot here. You could have done a search and found your answers in the time it took you to reply and be snarky.

Look what I found by simply searching +shaving +recipe

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/shaving-soap-revisited-30270/
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/advice-improvement-shaving-soap-30155/
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/preferred-superfat-shaving-soap-29931/
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f24/shaving-soap-recipe-please-critique-30447/

All just from looking at the first page of search results and the links that the threads gave.

Oils are up to you. If you don't make much soap and can get your chosen oils locally, that would probably end up cheaper than paying shipping an online order.

Fragrances, well, every supplier has stickers and faders. You're better off checking the reviews for the scents you want to use. I like NG and AHRE the best. I like WSP's FOs quite well, but they're way more expensive than what I am willing to pay.
 
Thanks for the standard reply.

You are welcome. I was being polite. Take a little initiative and many people on this board are happy to help. Do nothing and ask everyone else to do it for you, well, you get "the standard reply".

Again, I wish you luck.
 
Also, if you would have scrolled to the bottom of this page - similar threads are listed without doing a search (if that is too much trouble)- all you have to do is read.
 
I use bentonite clay that I use for making wine, and I got it at a local brewshop for 1.50 for a pound.
 
I personally will NOT use clay in a shaving soap. It might give a creamy texture but it will also dull blades faster. I would also not use an EO for shaving due to irritation of skin from shaving. KISS is best with something like shaving soap. The more complex the more problem you can have with it. If you are a guy shaving your face scent can be bad thing.
 
Thanks for the standard reply.

I understand the reply, and I agree with it.

I'm a moderator of a much larger forum dedicated to a different hobby (over 125,000 members) and we don't allow "do a search" for a reply.

The forum isn't called soapmakingsearch.com, and the point of a forum is to discuss benefits and ideas (much like the last reply). Plus, the search here isn't very effective, or easy, or intuitive. I've looked for certain topics before, without much success, and there is WAY too much chit chat in the threads to sort effective and meaningful help away from the chatter. As a result, I rarely post here and sometimes just browse. It's just not a really "friendly" place sometimes.

I love the forum in many ways, but saying, "use the search" is a horrible way to treat newcomers, who probably DID use the search but didn't know what exactly to search for. Terms such as "water discount" probably aren't known to noobs. If you search for "basic soap recipe", you'll get a million responses, none of which are very meaningful at all and in fact are usually questions asking for a basic soap recipe. In which the reply is "if you would have used the search............."!:!:

Anyway, I'm not meaning to come down on the forum and I agree that using a search is a great start for learning. But it's not a very friendly way to respond to people, and this is one of the few forums that I participate in that allow it as a response. Just food for thought!
 
nebetmiw: you said that clay will dull blades. Are you basing that on personal experience? I'm very curious as I'm also trying to come up with a good shaving soap. I put bentonite clay in my latest batch which is still curing so I have no idea if its any good or not or if it dulls blades.
 
I understand the reply, and I agree with it.

I'm a moderator of a much larger forum dedicated to a different hobby (over 125,000 members) and we don't allow "do a search" for a reply.

The forum isn't called soapmakingsearch.com, and the point of a forum is to discuss benefits and ideas (much like the last reply). Plus, the search here isn't very effective, or easy, or intuitive. I've looked for certain topics before, without much success, and there is WAY too much chit chat in the threads to sort effective and meaningful help away from the chatter. As a result, I rarely post here and sometimes just browse. It's just not a really "friendly" place sometimes.

I love the forum in many ways, but saying, "use the search" is a horrible way to treat newcomers, who probably DID use the search but didn't know what exactly to search for. Terms such as "water discount" probably aren't known to noobs. If you search for "basic soap recipe", you'll get a million responses, none of which are very meaningful at all and in fact are usually questions asking for a basic soap recipe. In which the reply is "if you would have used the search............."!:!:

Anyway, I'm not meaning to come down on the forum and I agree that using a search is a great start for learning. But it's not a very friendly way to respond to people, and this is one of the few forums that I participate in that allow it as a response. Just food for thought!

One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of people have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars and dedicated months and years to work on their formulas, and this not a forum JUST for hobbyists. The people who sell their products are really not going to be enthusiastic about just giving out their hard-earned information.

If the OP had posted a potential formula they wanted to use and asked us if it would work for shaving soap, rather than just basically saying "give me what I need to do this", they would have gotten a different response. Learning how to search, do research, sort out the information that is found, and learning how to ask for help without asking for everything to be handed to you on a platter is a part of being online.
 
Where is the cheapest place to get my fragrance and my oils and clay?

Unfortunately, there isn't a one-stop supplier for everything. I wish I could buy everything from just one site. I think WSP has the best price on bentonite clay but they have a $30 minimum purchase. They occasionally have FO sales but I doubt there will be another soon since they just had one. They have some items which are a good price and others which aren't very good. You have to search through and compare prices.

I buy most of my FOs from Peak but I also buy from Rustic Escentials, Sweetcakes and Nature's Garden. These probably aren't the cheapest but I know I'm getting quality fragrances. At least, most of the time. I wasn't happy that NG's Kismet faded in CP. :(

A lot of oils you can find in grocery stores or health food stores. I buy most of my oils from soaperschoice because it's cheaper for me even with shipping. However, most of their oils are 7 lbs or more so it might not be a good choice for you if you only want a pound of oil.

You also have to take into account what might be cheaper on one site may not always be the best price all the time. Some sites will have sales so you have to watch for them and comparison shop. Other times, you might find an oil at a great price but another oil is slightly higher than another supplier's price. In a case like this, it would be better to buy the oil which is slightly more because then you'd only have one shipping charge.

I'm sorry I can't help you with regular shaving soap advice. I've only made cream shaving soap which is quite different. I know you're probably sick of hearing it but there have been numerous threads about shaving soap in the CP section which are very informative.
 
I make a sell a lot of shaving soap on a men's shaving forum. Let me tell you they will tear you apart if you are making a sub-standard product. Mine does contain clay and it is used to add "slip" but it doesn't take tons of clay to create it. I also use my own shaving soaps, in fact I am the first tester since I have super sensitive skin.

Most men want scent, just as much as we women enjoy it too. There is the odd order requesting unscented product, but I can tell you from experience scent is very important.

The other thing you need to looking at is how to get the dense lather that is required to provide "cushion". Cushion is exactly what the term usually means. It is going to cushion the skin and protect it from the blade while still allowing the blade to do its job. Usually when dealing with customers looking for this kind of product they are using old fashioned safety razors (aka double edge) which is a single blade with a double edge or even a straight. You will find that using this type of product with a cartridge razor it is going to clog it up fairly quickly so you need to be rinsing it really, really often to get an effective shave. But these soaps are not designed for that type of shaving.
 
Lindy is right in that razor does make a differance. From personal experiance with hubby and I and other family members they throw away blades will dull faster if clay is in the soap. I personally do not know of anyone that uses straight razor unless it is the barber. Most just can not control a straight well enough to get a clean shave. Again from all the men I have talk too over the years. So it is all personal experiance from family and friends.
 
I actually have a straight as well as a Shavette. The trick with them is to keep your angle very close to the skin. Once you get past the nerves it really is a nice shave. I prefer my Shavette because I don't have to strop it.... LOL

Most of the time though I do use my DE (Double Edge)...
 
Thanks for all of the responses. My first batch has cure for over a week now and I have tested it. I thought it was a bust but it is actually better than soap that I pay 15 for 2.3 ounces of. The lather remains a lather with no breakdown for at least 1.5 hours. I think I will have to be more careful with my temps, but it is a great shaving soap.

Lindy, which shaving forum are you on? Which scents are popular? I want to get some bay rum oil and sandalwood oil, any idea who has the best ones?

I don't think that the clay dulls the blade. Plus I use a new one every week. It only costs me about .09 cents with a DE razor. Well worth the comfort!!

Thanks everyone for the responses!

Brad
 
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