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Glycerin vs non Glycrin shaving soap?

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here! I'm trying to put together my first DE shaving kit.I have a quick question. What the difference between soaps with and without Gylcerin? Which is better?

Im thinking about getting Col. Cunk. Any thoughts on their soap?
 
Welcome to the community, you will get a lot of support and advice here,

You will get a lot of different opinions here and all are valid because there is a lot of personal preference involved. There are some very good Glycerin soaps out there, I would suggest Mama bears, it is the best glycerine soap out there in my opinion. Col. Conk would not be my first choice.
 
Yeah...I would recommend not going with Col. Conk. Spend the little bit the extra and go with Mama Bear or Mystic Waters. My personal favorite is the Orange Vanilla from Mystic Waters.

Both of these have Gylcerin. And Mama Bear is Melt & Pour where as Mystic Waters is formed in pucks & Softer.

You can also order samples from each of the two soap artisans. That way you can test out the scents and see if you like the soaps before you buy a large amount.

Good luck.
 
Welcome! One of the resident soap chemists will be along to point out soon to say that all soap has glycerin and explain the intimate details of soaps. I prefer what you are referring to as a glycerin soap as I find it gentler on my skin. Can't go wrong with Mama Bear. YMMV.
 
Welcome to Badger & Blade!

"Glycerin soap" is a misnomer. Glycerin is a natural byproduct of making soap, so unless the soap maker has removed it, every soap contains glycerin. All artisan soaps will contain it. Many comercial soaps do contain it, but most of it has been removed. They add back a little bit for label appeal. This is usually given away by the addition of salt on the ingredients list.

You have two types of soap: melt-and-pour and soap that is made using either the hot or cold process. Melt-and-pour "soap" is sold as a base. Sellers of melt-and-pour shaving soap purchase this base, melt it, and add scent. They then sell it to you. You can make it yourself with Brambleberry's shaving melt-and-pour base. Hot and cold process soap is a lot different. It is made from scratch. It is made by combining fatty acids (oils, fat, etc.) with a base (potassium hydroxide and/or sodium hydroxide). The end result is soap.
 
Go with a well established non-glycerin type - Trumper, L'ocitane, crabtree & Evelyn. These are tallow based and superbly perfumed, you will feel like in a spa.
 
None of the current formulas of any of those soaps are tallow based or contain any tallow at all. Those are all palm-oil based, milled vegetable soaps.

Go with a well established non-glycerin type - Trumper, L'ocitane, crabtree & Evelyn. These are tallow based and superbly perfumed, you will feel like in a spa.
 
RPTheLefty,

I highly recommend Tabac shaving soap. It is a hard tallow soap. Hard soaps last a long time, so you're getting a lot for what you pay. Tallow is very softening to the skin. Tabac whips up a nice lather rather effortlessly. There are some men who don't like the scent. I liked it at first, and it has grown on me...I now love the scent. Overall, in my evaluation it is the best performing and smelling soap for the money in the market today.

George
 
Just add glycerin to any soap or cream that interests you :) $4 a bottle that will last you a year or more at walmart in the band aid/first aid section.
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
as has probably been said, all soaps have glycerin. I think "melt and pour" is a much better description of what is generally called glycerin. That being said, I prefer tallow and the vegetable equivalents to melt and pours.
 
Thanks for the replies! Hopefully I'll be able to create a decent shaving kit for myself to begin with!

So far, I bought a brush stand and a Lord Premium L6 to start off with. Also got some derbys and feathers.

I need to find a brush now. I would initially like to spend less than $30. What would be a good brush? Also, would a badger or boar brush be better around that price range?
 
Glycerin is not much of a concern for soaps. If you want glycerin, then buy a bottle of it at your local Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc. and add a few drops to your lather to get the same effect. You should instead focus on its other qualities like scents, slickness, protection, etc. Personally I prefer tallow based soaps because I have had better experiences shaving with them in general. I don't know if it is true for tallow based soaps, but I feel that they are slicker and lather faster.

If you are concerned about the cost for a puck of soap, then I would recommend Arko shave sticks. Dirt cheap, lathers like no other, and a great quality soap despite what the price might imply.
 
Thanks for the replies!

I know I'll get tons of different replies but which soap would be good for a first timer? I would like something that would provide a slippery surface for the blade because I noticed that my skin gets razor bumps easily.
 
Out of the soaps I've tried I would recommend Cella or one of the Razorocks for a first timer. They both lather easily and will give you a good glide.
 
Thanks for the replies!

I know I'll get tons of different replies but which soap would be good for a first timer? I would like something that would provide a slippery surface for the blade because I noticed that my skin gets razor bumps easily.

Van Der Hagen Deluxe (VDH Deluxe). $2 at your local Walmart, and Walgreens. It's a good quality product, and the price is right!!
 
another recommend for Mama Bears if you are looking for a nice glycerin soap. I have the Toasted Coconut and it's awesome, and a buddy of mine PIF'd his Szndlewood/Vanilla to me, and even though it doesn't smell like Vanilla or Sandlewood (to me it smells like the clubman talcum powder the barber dusts your neck with after a haircut) it performs really well, too.
 
After reading through this thread, as a newbie myself, I still have no idea what the difference is between Melt n Pour vs Tallow-based soaps, if any. I (and I'm assuming the OP) am not so much concerned with the soap making process, more-so the end result in terms of lather, protection, and overall performance of one versus the other.
 
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