Thoughts on This Shave Soap Recipe --NOOB HERE

[figgs1979]

Oils
30% Stearic Acid
20% Coconut Oil 76 Degree
20% Cocoa Butter
20% Sheat Butter
10% Aloe Butter

Lye Solution
100% KOH 0% NAOH - Softer Soap...I know

Additives:
Rosmary OleoResin @0.05% of Oil Weight
Tussah Silk To Lye Solution
1.5 TBS of Veg Glycerine

Now my Question CP or HP Process??
I have read the trouble with Stearic and CP but is this Enough to give me an issue with only Stearic @ 30%

Would like to French Mill the Fresh Soap after 24 hours and add Fragrances in Smaller batches..

Thoughts!!

 

[Obsidian]

HP this one, even 5% steric can make a recipe move fast, 30% will make instant mashed potatoes.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome Figgs1979! :wave:

Definitely HP it as Obsidian said. I use 28% added stearic in mine and there's no way I can CP it.

Instead of using volume measurements for your glycerin, you should weigh it as you would do for your other ingredients and calculate it as a % of your oils amount (for the sake of perpetual consistency in your batches).


IrishLass

 

[figgs1979]

Cool Thanks...
HP Process it is.....
And Glycerine as a % of Oils
WHat about Super fatting??? Any thoughts

 

[BrewerGeorge]

I'm no expert, but I would personally replace at least half of the coconut oil with olive oil. Shaving soap does not need to clean, and the slipperiness (sometimes called slimey) of olive oil helps with razor glide. Castor is also nice for bubbles.

 

[Dorymae]

I want to know how you are going to "French mill" a soap paste? It is my understanding that French milling require the contents to be put under extreme pressure and rolled over and over. Do you have a milling machine?

 

[Obsidian]

I'm no expert, but I would personally replace at least half of the coconut oil with olive oil. Shaving soap does not need to clean, and the slipperiness (sometimes called slimey) of olive oil helps with razor glide. Castor is also nice for bubbles.

You are the only person I've seen recommend OO in shave soap. In fact most wet shavers hate OO or any similar oils in their soap. Slime and slippery are two different things. I wouldn't want a slimy shave soap but slippery is required.

While its true you don't need shave soap to clean, you do need it to produce a lot of bubbles, thats why you use a high amount of coconut.

Personally, I would replace all the butters with tallow, it will make more glide and cushion then the butters. I do use 5% coco butter or shea added as superfat but thats to help protect my legs. Not sure if you guys would need it on your face.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

You are the only person I've seen recommend OO in shave soap. In fact most wet shavers hate OO or any similar oils in their soap. Slime and slippery are two different things. I wouldn't want a slimy shave soap but slippery is required.
...

This may be a personal preference thing with me, certainly, but I like it a lot.

Many wet shavers are fixated on big, fluffy lather. I am not. There are some newer cremes on the wet-shaving scene such as Cremo that don't lather AT ALL. They are a completely different paradigm of shaving product which provide glide and protection without lather. I don't really like to go as far as NO lather, but I like a glidey, protective, super-conditioning shave soap and OO helps with all of those. It does not produce the big, cooked-meringue lather that lasts an hour, but castor and tallow provide soft peaks that last a good 20 minutes.

My soap is only for me, though. If you're producing shaving soap to sell, there will probably be more people who prioritize BIG lather over everything else. While I consider that sacrificing a superior shave for aesthetics , the customer is always right, right? In that case, you'll probably want to give them what they want and skip the OO.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

There was a chap online who asked people to challenge him to shave with different things such as peanut butter and ky jelly (out of interest, do you 'muricans call it ky jello?) and it was certainly possible. Shaving is something where the phrase Your Mileage May Vary applies pretty much every time. Two people could list their favourite and least favourite item in different categories (blades, soap, brush) and each time they could have the exact opposite of each other.

My recipe is totally different to these, but if it works for you, it works for you.

 

[cmzaha]

This may be a personal preference thing with me, certainly, but I like it a lot.

Many wet shavers are fixated on big, fluffy lather. I am not. There are some newer cremes on the wet-shaving scene such as Cremo that don't lather AT ALL. They are a completely different paradigm of shaving product which provide glide and protection without lather. I don't really like to go as far as NO lather, but I like a glidey, protective, super-conditioning shave soap and OO helps with all of those. It does not produce the big, cooked-meringue lather that lasts an hour, but castor and tallow provide soft peaks that last a good 20 minutes.

My soap is only for me, though. If you're producing shaving soap to sell, there will probably be more people who prioritize BIG lather over everything else. While I consider that sacrificing a superior shave for aesthetics , the customer is always right, right? In that case, you'll probably want to give them what they want and skip the OO.

Cremo is an emulsified cream with Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate as its first ingredient which is coconut derived. Many are looking to bypass all the added ingredients that are required to make it an emulsified

 

[BrewerGeorge]

Cremo is an emulsified cream with Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate as its first ingredient which is coconut derived. Many are looking to bypass all the added ingredients that are required to make it an emulsified

Of course. I just mentioned that as an example of an alternate type of product that is popular despite a lack of lather. I was not suggesting replicating it, but borrowing a few of its properties.

 

[figgs1979]

Thanks....I forgot to menation I would add some sodium lactate.....to harden it up.....the stearic will actually harden it some more.....I could rebatch after adding my fragrance.........or French mill to me it's all the same....if I could get the soap a little harder I could probably do an Noah koh mix....say 60 40....this will allow me to harden it up.....a fair bit....I could use my glycerine as a super fat as it would be a percentage of my oil weights...I will most likely do a tallow recipe but I am aiming for a non animal recipe to start...

 

[IrishLass]

I've found the oils and fats we use in our shave soap are very much preference-driven. Just because a commercial shave soap company, or one wet-shaver, or even several wet-shavers amongst a certain group doesn't/don't use or like to use olive oil or butters or clay (dirt), it doesn't necessarily mean that it holds true for every seller or wet-shaver across the board.

For example, I use olive oil in my shave soap, as well as a high amount of butters, but very little coconut, and my wet-shaving hubby loves it, and 2 wet-shaving gurus right here on the forum who have tried my shave soap have given it high praise (no- I don't sell). Also, our own Lindy makes and sells (quite sucsessfully I might add) a shave soap that includes both olive oil and clay in the formula.

Different likes for different bites, as the saying goes. Use what works for you.


IrishLass

 

[DeeAnna]

"...I could rebatch after adding my fragrance.........or French mill to me it's all the same..."

But rebatching and milling are not remotely the same, as Dorymae explained. A soap this soft can't possibly be milled, so you would more-or-less be rebatching.

Why not just divide the finished soap into appropriate portions and add fragrance right away? It seems to be an unnecessary effort to wait 24 hours to soften the soap again just to add fragrance.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

If size is an issue, use something like a plastic Tupperware pot to make the soap in. I make 100g batches in them which means I don't have to make so much soap at one time. That way you make enough for one scent and then you can make another little batch later with a new scent