I always thought boonies was a slang for boondocks. Yes? No? IDK
Hand Soap for Shaving?
- Thread starter santamariasteve
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When I used cartridge razors I would just rub whatever bar of soap was in the soap bowl on my face and call it good. It worked in the sense that it provided enough glide for the razor to slide over, but it certainly was not a luxurious experience. I also only shaved once a week because I disliked the whole thing so much.
It wouldn’t surprise me if with a little effort and a brush you were able to get a decent lather from a bar of Dove or Irish Spring.
Not sure if it was this thread or another, but they were touting the dove men+care as a pretty decent shave soap. I use it as bath soap but have not tried it to shave with yet. Likely will in time.
Correct, but that's American slang, so probably unknown to our Burundian buddy.
(Of course, so is BFE, but I was just having some fun with that definition
)
Yeah, I got into wet-shaving as an 'inexpensive' hobby since I hated paying what I had to pay for new Mach3 head refills. I did pretty well for about a year or so then it all fell apart. In some ways I still do OK ... I can usually get 10+ shaves from a DE blade so I'm saving a ton from that standpoint ... the soap habit is another story.
I use Singer sewing machine oil on slate in honing my straight razors. Maybe that'll work...
Correct, but that's American slang, so probably unknown to our Burundian buddy.
(Of course, so is BFE, but I was just having some fun with that definition
Correct, sir and i thank you. I thought boonies was a location somewhere in the US in the first place. And i ignored the word boondocks just the same!
My conclusion on the matter is this. The most expensive soap i have used, like i said, was Truefitt, followed by TOBS. Both are creams really. Before the US started flooding the market with artisans, these were considered top of the shelf luxury products in Europe. But of course, now that more expensive soaps are there, they are just medium scale products. More than enough for me. And their lather wasn't something magical. You can usually find something equivalent or better for much cheaper. My core soaps are Lea classic puck (€6) and Haslinger (€4.50). I would say they lather better than the Truefitt... And they are already way more than what i need from a lather. What they lack? The super refined scent. They have much simpler, light scents. Which to me is not a problem at all.
However, if you are a scent-oholic, if you allow me the term, there is no end to it, because artisans point exactly to that to justify the exorbitant prices. Oh and the various exotic "moisturizers". On the bright side, expensive soaps, aren't really that expensive. But, to me, it is the rooted african mentality that protests. Because the African inside me, protests buying something at 40 euros, when i can shave just as well with a €2 product like Proraso. My grandfather in rural Burundi, would have laughed from joy and wonder if he could have shaved with Proraso. Generations of Italians grew up with it. And i can't??? So, i can't digest it to pay exorbitant prices for something like soap! If you need some super soap to shave, you are doing something very wrong with your technique! Scent is another story! Which is why Americans exist and companies thrive!
I support it too Burundian Hawk,
Theoretically, we can shave with any type of hand soap ( Dove is really good ) or even just water, but if we do this daily, some of us more sensitive to the skin may suffer in the long run even irreparably, and then it is not worth the risk! There are so many cheap shaving soaps that there is no point in destroying our face for an extra dollar. Artisanal soaps are great but I think they have started to exaggerate with the prices.
In Europe we can also live with cheap shaving soaps of 2-3 euros ( I hope it does not start in Europe to write labels with unicorn or whale milk and to inflate prices!) like Haslinger, Speick stick, Tabac stick, La Toja stick, Vitos, Proraso, Lea, Omega stick or puck, Cella brick, Musgo, Mogno. I am no better than artisanal soaps that cost $ 40 per 100 gr just for the smell and wonderful ingredients written on the label like bison fat duck fat, donkey milk, etc. In the villages of Romania, as in Burundi, my grandparents had to live on $ 40 a whole month and yet they did not walk unshaven! And my grandfather would have been super happy with a shaving soap like proraso or La Toja stick that costs 2 euros.
But ... who has a lot of money, why not? Please enrich the artisans because they know how to sell a seemingly trivial product, for a lot of money as if they put gold in their soaps! However, I don't think it's worth the risk of lowering the bar below! I don't think we should shave with hand soap just because it can and is cheap, only in extreme cases when we don't have a shaving soap close! Wonderful example of @Marco and other colleagues looking for and promoting cheap and good shaving soaps (Mogno, Musgo, La Toja, Cella). It is my opinion and please don't throw stones!
Theoretically, we can shave with any type of hand soap ( Dove is really good ) or even just water, but if we do this daily, some of us more sensitive to the skin may suffer in the long run even irreparably, and then it is not worth the risk! There are so many cheap shaving soaps that there is no point in destroying our face for an extra dollar. Artisanal soaps are great but I think they have started to exaggerate with the prices.
In Europe we can also live with cheap shaving soaps of 2-3 euros ( I hope it does not start in Europe to write labels with unicorn or whale milk and to inflate prices!) like Haslinger, Speick stick, Tabac stick, La Toja stick, Vitos, Proraso, Lea, Omega stick or puck, Cella brick, Musgo, Mogno. I am no better than artisanal soaps that cost $ 40 per 100 gr just for the smell and wonderful ingredients written on the label like bison fat duck fat, donkey milk, etc. In the villages of Romania, as in Burundi, my grandparents had to live on $ 40 a whole month and yet they did not walk unshaven! And my grandfather would have been super happy with a shaving soap like proraso or La Toja stick that costs 2 euros.
But ... who has a lot of money, why not? Please enrich the artisans because they know how to sell a seemingly trivial product, for a lot of money as if they put gold in their soaps! However, I don't think it's worth the risk of lowering the bar below! I don't think we should shave with hand soap just because it can and is cheap, only in extreme cases when we don't have a shaving soap close! Wonderful example of @Marco and other colleagues looking for and promoting cheap and good shaving soaps (Mogno, Musgo, La Toja, Cella). It is my opinion and please don't throw stones!
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I used a bar of Yardley a couple of times and while it was ok it wasn't great. Lathered up nicely, but didn't last long. Didn't have much cushion either. Might have been better in the shower.
I think it's hard to find a cheap hand soap to satisfy as a shaving soap!
But ... you can improve hand soap if you shave and mix it with a good shaving cream. I used Dove soap mixed with a tablespoon of Simpson Sandalwood shaving cream with good results. Grate a soap and mix with a tablespoon of shaving cream, leave for 2-3 weeks in a closed jar and then press into the bowl and use. Probably with Palmolive soap the results would be even better. I am satisfied with this mixture and I did it because I did not like the too soft consistency of the shaving cream being more accustomed to hard soaps.
But ... you can improve hand soap if you shave and mix it with a good shaving cream. I used Dove soap mixed with a tablespoon of Simpson Sandalwood shaving cream with good results. Grate a soap and mix with a tablespoon of shaving cream, leave for 2-3 weeks in a closed jar and then press into the bowl and use. Probably with Palmolive soap the results would be even better. I am satisfied with this mixture and I did it because I did not like the too soft consistency of the shaving cream being more accustomed to hard soaps.
Here's a soap picked at random on Amazon selling for $16 for 4.6 ounces. The ingredients:
Stearic Acid, water, tallow, coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, glycerin, shea butter, fragrance, sodium hydroxide.
That sure seems a lot of stearic acid for a self-declared "artisanal shaving soap." It's just a cheap way to make a lot of glossy foam.
Here's the way this fancy shave cream is described:
If I want stearic acid and water, all I have to do is buy a can of Barbasol or Equate shave foam, for the price of one-third of an ounce of this fancy stuff, and one 11 ounce can might last just as long. Water and stearic acid are the first two ingredients in both of them. And they sure do make plenty of nice, shiny, stable foam. Heck, they use the stuff for gags in movies and TV!
The soap?
"Lather & Wood Shaving Soap - Sandalwood - Simply The Best Luxury Shaving Cream - Tallow - Dense Lather with Fantastic Scent for The Worlds Best Wet Shaving Routine."
To find out the full list of ingredients, someone had to post a question on Amazon. At least the company answered it. I asked the same question for another soap on Amazon, and was told to read the label on the package before buying, which, of course, is only possible if you are in a store. Many soap companies simply refuse to post their true ingredients on Amazon.
Yes, it does have tallow, right after water. Remember, tallow is rendered beef fat, which you can get from a butcher real cheap. The price for tallow on Amazon is 28 cents per ounce, which equals $4.50 a pound, the price of a nice, lean roast. The leftover fat is going to cost much less if you go to the source, perhaps 50 cents a pound, with some additional cost to render it.
Outside of shea butter, the rest of the ingredients are common in hand soap costing a fraction of this price.*
Nothing in this justifies charging $16 for 4.6 ounces, when the first three ingredients are stearic acid, water and tallow.
"Dense lather"? Lather does not shaving soap make. I remember making mountains of lather in kindergarten with some sort of soap, but I doubt I would want to shave with it.
My philosophy is simple: If I can get a clean, smooth shave from it and it doesn't irritate my skin unduly, it's shaving soap, regardless of what the lather looks like, or what it says on the soap label.
* BTW, I haven't seen any Palmolive hand soap in our boonie local stores. Is it still sold in America?
As I said earlier, I did not find Yardley satisfactory for shaving, sadly, as it sure smelled good.
Nor did I find Ivory Soap or Pears hand soap acceptable when I tried them many years ago.
Stearic Acid, water, tallow, coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, glycerin, shea butter, fragrance, sodium hydroxide.
That sure seems a lot of stearic acid for a self-declared "artisanal shaving soap." It's just a cheap way to make a lot of glossy foam.
Here's the way this fancy shave cream is described:
- CUSHY TALLOW BASED SHAVING SOAP - Ingredients like Tallow and Shea Butter produces a ridiculous amount of dense slippery lather. Our lather does not dissipate even after an hour of sitting in your shaving bowl. Amazing Lather, Moisturizing, Slip, and Protection eliminate razor bumps and shaving irritation.
- TOSS THAT DRUGSTORE SHAVING CREAM IN THE TRASH
If I want stearic acid and water, all I have to do is buy a can of Barbasol or Equate shave foam, for the price of one-third of an ounce of this fancy stuff, and one 11 ounce can might last just as long. Water and stearic acid are the first two ingredients in both of them. And they sure do make plenty of nice, shiny, stable foam. Heck, they use the stuff for gags in movies and TV!
The soap?
"Lather & Wood Shaving Soap - Sandalwood - Simply The Best Luxury Shaving Cream - Tallow - Dense Lather with Fantastic Scent for The Worlds Best Wet Shaving Routine."
To find out the full list of ingredients, someone had to post a question on Amazon. At least the company answered it. I asked the same question for another soap on Amazon, and was told to read the label on the package before buying, which, of course, is only possible if you are in a store. Many soap companies simply refuse to post their true ingredients on Amazon.
Yes, it does have tallow, right after water. Remember, tallow is rendered beef fat, which you can get from a butcher real cheap. The price for tallow on Amazon is 28 cents per ounce, which equals $4.50 a pound, the price of a nice, lean roast. The leftover fat is going to cost much less if you go to the source, perhaps 50 cents a pound, with some additional cost to render it.
Outside of shea butter, the rest of the ingredients are common in hand soap costing a fraction of this price.*
Nothing in this justifies charging $16 for 4.6 ounces, when the first three ingredients are stearic acid, water and tallow.
"Dense lather"? Lather does not shaving soap make. I remember making mountains of lather in kindergarten with some sort of soap, but I doubt I would want to shave with it.
My philosophy is simple: If I can get a clean, smooth shave from it and it doesn't irritate my skin unduly, it's shaving soap, regardless of what the lather looks like, or what it says on the soap label.
* BTW, I haven't seen any Palmolive hand soap in our boonie local stores. Is it still sold in America?
As I said earlier, I did not find Yardley satisfactory for shaving, sadly, as it sure smelled good.
Nor did I find Ivory Soap or Pears hand soap acceptable when I tried them many years ago.
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Shaved with this today. Perfectly functional. I did have to go back and load a little more for my last pass as the lather seemed to break down slightly quicker than my usual soaps but I wasn’t hurrying and I did 4 passes. Certainly a little less cushion by a hair but slickness and glide were spot on. This product has a light soapy scent but I’m not judging it by that. My Skinbracer splash detected no obvious damage. Post shave feel is actually a touch better than usual.
My verdict is : certainly usable if only a tad less pleasurable than my usual products ( slight lack of cushion ). Post shave face feel is superb. Lather is a touch airy but certainly not ‘thin’ and it was plenty slick as I think I edged toward making it slightly wetter than I might other products.
My verdict is : certainly usable if only a tad less pleasurable than my usual products ( slight lack of cushion ). Post shave face feel is superb. Lather is a touch airy but certainly not ‘thin’ and it was plenty slick as I think I edged toward making it slightly wetter than I might other products.
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I agree completely, sir. I do not intend to shave with hand soap either. Well, except for today, for the sake of the community... And as you say, the Americans should support the artisans and the Burundians should support the the various cheap industrial products, because, if we don't, then they will discontinue the product and then all we will have will be artisan prices or, the industries will also raise the prices, if they see that everyone regards paying 20-25 for a soap as "normal". Burundians will do it for the sake of everyone! We will save Lea, Haslinger and La Toja!
I picked up a glycerin-based soap at my local Indian market--Medimix--to use as a pre-shave soap, but found it lathered so well, I just shaved with it.
Lathered as well, if not slightly better, than any entry level glycerin soap. I'm talking VDH, Col. Conk's, Wilkinson's Blue Bowl.
But then, I've shaved with Zote's laundry soap and got a good lather.
Lathered as well, if not slightly better, than any entry level glycerin soap. I'm talking VDH, Col. Conk's, Wilkinson's Blue Bowl.
But then, I've shaved with Zote's laundry soap and got a good lather.
If someone is washing their hands with shaving soap, then, yes, I shave with hand soap. Favorite being expensive stuff from Turkey, but found an even pricier soap from Portugal that is so luxurious that no corners were cut. Yes, it’s rectangular.
I’m told my grandfather lathered with a brush and the Ivory Soap bar left on the bathroom sink. I tried it once to see what it was like. It worked okay and I can see how his generation would have wanted to simplify things like that.
Before I found this world of traditional wet shaving, I shaved in the shower with a Mach 3 and Bronner’s Tea Tree soap. I was desperately trying different things to prevent the irritation and pimples I kept getting on my neck. Bronner’s was plenty slick and lathered well.
Before I found this world of traditional wet shaving, I shaved in the shower with a Mach 3 and Bronner’s Tea Tree soap. I was desperately trying different things to prevent the irritation and pimples I kept getting on my neck. Bronner’s was plenty slick and lathered well.
On 19 March 1923, Carnarvon suffered a severe mosquito bite which became infected by a razor cut. On 5 April, he died in the Continental-Savoy Hotel in Cairo caused, according to contemporary reports, by blood poisoning progressing to pneumonia. ... After Lord Carnarvon's death, Carter continued the excavation.
Parents: Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon; ...
Died: 5 April 1923 (aged 56); Cairo, Kingdom of ...
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon - Wikipedia
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