Want to make a Bay Rum Shaving Soap

[Big Jim]

I have had great success making nicely scented shaving soap using Brambleberry Melt & Pour Shaving Soap and mixing it with a body wash to provide the desired scent. I have had especially good luck with Old Spice, Irish Spring, and the body wash found sometimes in Hilton branded hotels.

I prefer a scent that doesn't have too much clove. For example Ogallala and Captain's Choice are way too clovie for me. Pinaud VIBR is fine with me although many report it is too clovie for them. Perhaps my favorite Bay Rum aftershave is Bootlegger's (equal parts of VIBR, Superior 70, and Masters). Col Conk's Bay Rum after shave is also a favorite.

Of the few Bay Rum body washes out there does anyone have any opinions as to which ones I might like?

For the curious, using a Melt and Pour shaving soap base with body wash is simple. Melt a 4 oz chunk of melt and pour in the microwave in you intended mug or other container for about 20 to 30 seconds until liquid then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of body wash and mix it in. Usually sets up in about 30 to 60 minutes.

Also I have a soap scent labeled as Bay Rum that I use for this too and I like it but the scent is more toward Old Spice. Nice, but not what I'm after.

 

[Big Jim]

I ordered from The Soap Exchange in Fort Worth, Texas. I noticed that they also sell shaving soap. Has anyone had experience with TSE Bay Rum Shaving Soap? Anyone know shat it's scent profile is like?

 

[dmshaver]

I don’t have much bay rum experience, but find this thread fascinating! Please keep us updated.

 

[FarmerTan]

I love Bay Rum.....

Does that company that makes huge bar soap make a Bay Rum? Am I thinking of Duke Cannon?

If I'm nuts, I'm sorry..... I guess I should have looked it up before posting my friend!

 

[Big Jim]

I love Bay Rum.....

Does that company that makes huge bar soap make a Bay Rum? Am I thinking of Duke Cannon?

If I'm nuts, I'm sorry..... I guess I should have looked it up before posting my friend!

Duke Cannon does indeed make both a bar soap and a body was with a bay rum scent. It is available on Amazon. Other than that, I know nothing about it.

 

[timetofly]

Never had experience with TSE Bay Rum, but had experience with their Texas Leather. For a tallow based soap, it is a mediocre soap at best.

I'll have to look into some of this melt and pour of which you speak. If it is as easy as you say, I can think of many scents to add to this stuff.

 

[Big Jim]

The TSE body wash doesn't smell anything like any bay rum I've encountered. I emailed them with this comment, wondering it was mislabeled. To my surprise they sent me another bottle and it still seems the same.

I tried using it for making a shaving soap anyway and found the resulting product unsatisfying.

While still trying to find something that will scratch that itch, I discovered Cremo Bourbon Vanilla Shaving Cream. I have shaved with it a few times. It isn't a bay rum, but it is delightful. Further searching found this scent is available as a bath gel and I'm moving to locate it. WalMart carries it, but it isn't stocked everywhere. It looks like I can order it from WalMart, but it has a pesky $35.00 minimum order. I'm going to see if the family needs anything else from WalMart before placing the order.

Anyway although not exactly what I was after I may be on the trail to something that may be every bit as delightful.

 

[Breen]

I found several bottles of Cremo Body Wash at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Look for the area with Men's products and see if you can find some. This was several months ago now, but they had Cremo and many bottles of Old Spice Original Body wash. I bought a LOT.

 

[BanjoCowboyMartaTobes]

I also am not a clove/strong cinnamon lover yet I think Captains Choice Bay Rum is much much better in scent than Stirling or B&M. I like it a lot although I have only used the cream. YMMV in all its glory lol. Dr Squatch deodorant has the best BR I have found yet idk if they sell it in a medium you could use. Best of luck, I’m looking forward to your success and maybe copying a little.

 

[NorthernSoul]

You could use the real Bay Tree essential oil (Pimenta Racemosa). You probably only need a few drops, it's concentrated.

Real Bay Tree oil has a complex aroma with a hint of clove. It's not the same as clove by a long shot, but there is something in the scent that reminds some people of clove.

 

[Big Jim]

I found several bottles of Cremo Body Wash at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Look for the area with Men's products and see if you can find some. This was several months ago now, but they had Cremo and many bottles of Old Spice Original Body wash. I bought a LOT.

I have made shaving soap with Old Spice Original Body Wash and enjoy it very much.

 

[Big Jim]

You could use the real Bay Tree essential oil (Pimenta Racemosa). You probably only need a few drops, it's concentrated.

Real Bay Tree oil has a complex aroma with a hint of clove. It's not the same as clove by a long shot, but there is something in the scent that reminds some people of clove.

Do you have a source?

 

[NorthernSoul]

Do you have a source?

If you have a Whole Foods Market in your area, they have a selection of essential oils. I would try to find an oil that comes from Jamaica or the Caribbean islands marked as 100% undiluted. That is the authentic stuff. There are a lot of essential oils coming from India that don't have the right scent, maybe not the exact same plants. I'd avoid those. Don't use Bay Laurel (like for cooking), that is a completely different plant.

If you have to go online, search using terms like "Pimenta Racemosa" "essential oil" "100%" "jamaica" and see what comes up on sites like etsy.

You should not need much per bar of soap, just a few drops.

 

[sarimento1]

captains choice is excellent
pen's bayolea is also good.

 

[slim62]

In my experience there really isnt any bayrum soaps that capture the scent of the best bayrum aftershaves, to experiment you can splash a bit your favorite bayrum aftershave onto unscented soap puck and leave covered for a day and see how you like scent when you lather that. Start there to get the scent you want. To me its hard for soaps to get the full Bay scent strong enough to come thru on the soap.

 

[Big Jim]

I haven't had much luck using after shave to scent a shaving soap. I can transfer the scent most of the time, but the alcohol content of the after shave gives the soap an uncomfortable bite. Fragrance oils are usually more suitable if you can find what you want.

 

[OkieStubble]

Can’t believe I’m just seeing this thread.

If Bootlegger’s Bay Rum is your favorite bay rum, have you considered getting a puck of Van Der Hagen Deluxe glycerin soap?

I like to cut the soap up in cubes and then place it in the microwave on 5-10 second bursts until it’s melted and in liquid form. Then I dump a bunch of my Bootlegger’s Original Bay Rum in it and mix and stir it in.

Then I just place the shaving bowl full of this melted goodness into the freezer for a half hour or so and it quickly turns back into a hard puck of soap.

Smells pretty good during the shave imo.

 

[OkieStubble]

In my experience there really isnt any bayrum soaps that capture the scent of the best bayrum aftershaves, to experiment you can splash a bit your favorite bayrum aftershave onto unscented soap puck and leave covered for a day and see how you like scent when you lather that. Start there to get the scent you want. To me its hard for soaps to get the full Bay scent strong enough to come thru on the soap.

This is true. It will never be as strong a scent as it is when splashing it on as an aftershave. But the mild recognizable scent of bay rum is still there.

I try to look at it like it’s teasing me during the shave in order to prepare me for the great treat of the splash when I’m done.

 

[CANES]

@Big Jim and anyone else who wants to give this a shot. I also dabble making my own shaving soaps and have an idea for ya. If you don't want to buy the Brambleberry shaving specific soap on-line, give this a shot. Buy the shea butter base at Hobby Lobby. It's on sale like every 2 weeks. 3 cubes makes a shaving puck mold (also sold at Hobby Lobby). Melt the cubes in the microwave. I use a Pyrex glass mug and start around 20 seconds. If it's still chunky, stir and go again. Add one tsp. of Coconut Oil to the melted soap and stir it in well. Pour into the molds and then add your essential oil or fragrance and stir in. This gives the soap a few seconds to cool down and doesn't burn off the scent as quick as adding the fragrance to the cup that was just in the microwave. This recipe makes a soap that is comparable to the shaving soap from BB and can be found locally for most people. I'll also occasionally add a tsp of olive oil to mine but only because I'm a huge fan of olive oil for skin care. It does slightly degrade the lather.

I would also second @NorthernSoul recommendation of the Bay Tree oil. Stuff smells amazing. I think this is what Hendrix Classics and Co. basically uses. It's the best Bay Rum I've tried. For like 15 bucks total, you can make enough soap for a year or more (excluding the oil/fragrances).

I'll attach a pic of the stuff fr

 

[Big Jim]

Can’t believe I’m just seeing this thread.

If Bootlegger’s Bay Rum is your favorite bay rum, have you considered getting a puck of Van Der Hagen Deluxe glycerin soap?

I like to cut the soap up in cubes and then place it in the microwave on 5-10 second bursts until it’s melted and in liquid form. Then I dump a bunch of my Bootlegger’s Original Bay Rum in it and mix and stir it in.

Then I just place the shaving bowl full of this melted goodness into the freezer for a half hour or so and it quickly turns back into a hard puck of soap.

Smells pretty good during the shave imo.

I have used van der hagen luxury unscented in my soap making exploits, but I like brambleberry better, and it is less expensive. I haven't enjoyed using aftershave for scenting shaving soap as the alcohol content is rough on my face. Not so with aftershave by itself, but with soap it disturbs my face.

I order some Pimenta Racemosa fragrance oil so I'm going to give it a try.