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slather
Anyone tried to use good quality glycerin soap as a shaving soap or for superlather? I'm thinking something like Pears or Neutrogena Fragrance Free. Or is there anything special added to the shaving soaps?
If you mix a regular glycerin soap with a cream, you'd probably do fine.
There are additives that make shaving soaps slicker and more cushioning than regular wash type soaps. I'm sure the plethora of soap makers on this site could answer that better.
With the low cost of VDH and Wilkinson Sword, why bother, just grab a puck.
There are additives that make shaving soaps slicker and more cushioning than regular wash type soaps. I'm sure the plethora of soap makers on this site could answer that better.
With the low cost of VDH and Wilkinson Sword, why bother, just grab a puck.
I have tried to shave with quite a few of the higher quality soaps you can find in the natural foods section of your grocery. None of them produced adequate lather, and they all lacked cushion as a result. I even tried with some wonderful smelling soap I found at an Amish grocery.
Having went down this road, I would have to say you are wasting your time.
Just go down to Wal-Mart and pick up a puck of VDH for a $1.50, it's money better spent, and you will get far better results.
Having went down this road, I would have to say you are wasting your time.
Just go down to Wal-Mart and pick up a puck of VDH for a $1.50, it's money better spent, and you will get far better results.
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- #4
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slather
It's not about the money, I was just curious if someone tried it.
Yes. I have. It doesn't work.
You might want to try an olive oil soap instead.
I used the Neutrogena with mediocre results. I tried it once, and still have the bar under the sink. It didn't kill me, but I wasn't impressed. Needs Shea butter, like the VDH pink soap.
+1
Olive oil has a tendency to disappear after a while. I mixed it with Col. Conk and grated a tallow soap. The result is great. It works well and smell strange!
+1
Most non-shaving soaps simply don't work well for shaving, if they lather properly at all. There is more to a good shaving soap than just glycerin, or tallow.
The nicer quality soaps also cost more (like $5.00 per bar), and at that price, a few dollars more will buy you a really great quality soap designed for shaving.
I get very little lather with olive oil soaps. YMMV.
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- #12
H
Hanzo
I used Neutrogena in a superlather regularly and it worked really well, never tried it alone.I got the idea from the Mantic video Superlather. On another forum the poster liked Pears as a bath soap and thought it would make a good shave soap, but he was just speculating. I tried Superlathering with Pears but it seemed to come up short in the superlather and dried out my skin. Someone also talked about the " Naturally yours" ? line of cheap qlycerin soaps as a shaving soap, I've seen these for 75cents.
VDH also makes a glycerin shaving soap, again it seems to work for superlathering for me , it was so so alone.
If you experiment with the glycerin soaps as shaving soaps please post your results.
VDH also makes a glycerin shaving soap, again it seems to work for superlathering for me , it was so so alone.
If you experiment with the glycerin soaps as shaving soaps please post your results.
TimK,
A little background is appropriate for this post. I have shaved with a double edge razor now for over three years and I have well established razor and lather techniques. My razor is the Merkur Heavy Duty Classic Straight Bar razor (the HD) using US Personna (mostly) or Feather blades. I lather mostly with the Burma boar hair shave brush and sometimes with the larger Proraso boar hair shave brush. I have learned how to achieve a great shave using Williams Mug Shaving soap. Nicks or weepers happen very very rarely. I have also experimented with every bath soap I have ever used - mostly for the challenge of learning to adjust my razor technique to the soap at hand. I read and study product ingredient labels and I do not purchase products that don't post the ingredients. I generally avoid dyes and fragrances and detergent based soaps sticking with basic tallow soaps or more natural vegetable based soaps. My experience shaving with bath soaps mirrors the experience of most in that bath soaps do not usually make good shave soaps. The ultimate bath soap shave challenge has to be the Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Bar Soap since the lather doesn't last long at all and has very little viscosity.
Of the three soaps I currently shave with, only one of them is a dedicated shave soap and it is a Tabac shave stick which is easily my standard of comparison for the ultimate classic shave soap lather. I generally use it on weekends when I enjoy leisurely 3 or 4 pass shaves with it yielding effortless glass smooth shaves with no irritation. I always shave against the grain with the Tabac shave soap. The scent is strong on the soap stick with a pronounced reduced scent in the lather. There is only a little scent left after thoroughly washing the Tabac soap off of my face. The Tabac shave stick has turned me into a face latherer most of the time (bath soaps too) unless I am shaving with the thin little remnants of a bath soap. As great a shave as the Tabac shave stick provides, I am currently not sure that I will replace it when it is gone.
Most of the time I am shaving with either of two bath soaps purchased at Wal-Mart which happen to be in my shower - Tom's of Maine Lavender Natural Clear Body Bar or Basis Sensitive Skin Bar soap. I don't skimp on the amount of soap I face lather using either of these products. I generally have to lather my face one half at a time shaving with the vegetable based glycerin Tom's of Maine bar soap since the lather does not last beyond a half a face. The Basis Sensitive Skin bar is tallow based and holds a much longer lather than the Tom's of Maine soap. The Basis bar shaves somewhat like Williams although it is much more moisturizing (note glycerin, petrolatum, and almond oil in the ingredients) without much of a scent. The Basis bar is also very skin compatible and provides enough moisturizing during colder dry winter climates to prevent me needing added skin moisturizers. Mid week shaves are usually one or two pass with or across the grain but I have shaved against the grain many times with both of these soaps with good results. The Basis Sensitive Skin bar comes the closest to a dedicated shave soap of any of the bath soaps I have used for shaving.
I used to love shaving with Tom's of Maine Mint and Calendula shave creams - especially the mint. It is too bad these were discontinued. I have moved on to using soap only. I never got into superlather after a few experiments with it - probably because I learned how to use Williams without superlather. The Dr. Bronner's Peppermint hemp castile bath soap (get it at Trader Joe's) provides a minty tingle but is best used for with-the-grain shaves only.
Good luck Tim. Let me know how it all works out if you give any of this a try. You have to experiment to make it work.
JimT
A little background is appropriate for this post. I have shaved with a double edge razor now for over three years and I have well established razor and lather techniques. My razor is the Merkur Heavy Duty Classic Straight Bar razor (the HD) using US Personna (mostly) or Feather blades. I lather mostly with the Burma boar hair shave brush and sometimes with the larger Proraso boar hair shave brush. I have learned how to achieve a great shave using Williams Mug Shaving soap. Nicks or weepers happen very very rarely. I have also experimented with every bath soap I have ever used - mostly for the challenge of learning to adjust my razor technique to the soap at hand. I read and study product ingredient labels and I do not purchase products that don't post the ingredients. I generally avoid dyes and fragrances and detergent based soaps sticking with basic tallow soaps or more natural vegetable based soaps. My experience shaving with bath soaps mirrors the experience of most in that bath soaps do not usually make good shave soaps. The ultimate bath soap shave challenge has to be the Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Bar Soap since the lather doesn't last long at all and has very little viscosity.
Of the three soaps I currently shave with, only one of them is a dedicated shave soap and it is a Tabac shave stick which is easily my standard of comparison for the ultimate classic shave soap lather. I generally use it on weekends when I enjoy leisurely 3 or 4 pass shaves with it yielding effortless glass smooth shaves with no irritation. I always shave against the grain with the Tabac shave soap. The scent is strong on the soap stick with a pronounced reduced scent in the lather. There is only a little scent left after thoroughly washing the Tabac soap off of my face. The Tabac shave stick has turned me into a face latherer most of the time (bath soaps too) unless I am shaving with the thin little remnants of a bath soap. As great a shave as the Tabac shave stick provides, I am currently not sure that I will replace it when it is gone.
Most of the time I am shaving with either of two bath soaps purchased at Wal-Mart which happen to be in my shower - Tom's of Maine Lavender Natural Clear Body Bar or Basis Sensitive Skin Bar soap. I don't skimp on the amount of soap I face lather using either of these products. I generally have to lather my face one half at a time shaving with the vegetable based glycerin Tom's of Maine bar soap since the lather does not last beyond a half a face. The Basis Sensitive Skin bar is tallow based and holds a much longer lather than the Tom's of Maine soap. The Basis bar shaves somewhat like Williams although it is much more moisturizing (note glycerin, petrolatum, and almond oil in the ingredients) without much of a scent. The Basis bar is also very skin compatible and provides enough moisturizing during colder dry winter climates to prevent me needing added skin moisturizers. Mid week shaves are usually one or two pass with or across the grain but I have shaved against the grain many times with both of these soaps with good results. The Basis Sensitive Skin bar comes the closest to a dedicated shave soap of any of the bath soaps I have used for shaving.
I used to love shaving with Tom's of Maine Mint and Calendula shave creams - especially the mint. It is too bad these were discontinued. I have moved on to using soap only. I never got into superlather after a few experiments with it - probably because I learned how to use Williams without superlather. The Dr. Bronner's Peppermint hemp castile bath soap (get it at Trader Joe's) provides a minty tingle but is best used for with-the-grain shaves only.
Good luck Tim. Let me know how it all works out if you give any of this a try. You have to experiment to make it work.
JimT
Castille does not have much lather. It's the nature of that particular oil.
There are good glycerin shaving soaps on the market. See if you can find one with shea or mango butter for a good cushion and some clay for a nice slip.
From a posting on another board I made a while back. . .
I made a peppermint and menthol version, but the lather wasn't as good. This made a pretty decent shaving soap, but not a world beater. Feel free to try it.
One 4 ounce bar of unscented glycerin soap (Clearly Natural brand - about 85 cents at the grocery store)
One teaspoon of glycerin
One teaspoon of Jojoba oil
1/4 teaspoon bentonite clay
(all measurements are US units)
1. Add the bentonite to the glycerin to make a paste. Get all the lumps out.
2. Heat soap in 1 cup Pyrex storage bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is fully melted.
3. Add glycerin/bentonite and jojoba oil to the melted soap and stir the mixture with a fork until it begins to cool and thicken - this will keep the bentonite suspended. It will look like grayish-green muddy water.
4. Allow to cool fully and put on the plastic lid on the Pyrex bowl. Done!
Use the usual method for making lather in a separate bowl and you'll see great suds! Be sure to add enough water and really whip it. The extra glycerin and oil make a nice rich lather and it leaves your skin soft too, especially when you do the shave pre-prep with an initial rubbed-in lather and a hot towel for 2 minutes.
I made a peppermint and menthol version, but the lather wasn't as good. This made a pretty decent shaving soap, but not a world beater. Feel free to try it.
One 4 ounce bar of unscented glycerin soap (Clearly Natural brand - about 85 cents at the grocery store)
One teaspoon of glycerin
One teaspoon of Jojoba oil
1/4 teaspoon bentonite clay
(all measurements are US units)
1. Add the bentonite to the glycerin to make a paste. Get all the lumps out.
2. Heat soap in 1 cup Pyrex storage bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is fully melted.
3. Add glycerin/bentonite and jojoba oil to the melted soap and stir the mixture with a fork until it begins to cool and thicken - this will keep the bentonite suspended. It will look like grayish-green muddy water.
4. Allow to cool fully and put on the plastic lid on the Pyrex bowl. Done!
Use the usual method for making lather in a separate bowl and you'll see great suds! Be sure to add enough water and really whip it. The extra glycerin and oil make a nice rich lather and it leaves your skin soft too, especially when you do the shave pre-prep with an initial rubbed-in lather and a hot towel for 2 minutes.
Just for giggles I decided to try a shave using only Pears glycerin bath soap this morning.
I used a fairly small stiff brush, and just lathered up on the bar which conveniently has concave sides. It produced a really nice lather in only 20 seconds or so, and the lather persisted when applied to the face - without fizzing away and disappearing.
I did 2 passes from the lather contained in the brush, and it was perfectly adequate.
The shave was pretty decent actually, better than some shaving soaps I've tried. The only negative was that afterwards you could tell there was no moisturizing product in the soap, which left the skin feeling a little dry and tight.
I'll try and take some pics of the lather tomorrow.
I used a fairly small stiff brush, and just lathered up on the bar which conveniently has concave sides. It produced a really nice lather in only 20 seconds or so, and the lather persisted when applied to the face - without fizzing away and disappearing.
I did 2 passes from the lather contained in the brush, and it was perfectly adequate.
The shave was pretty decent actually, better than some shaving soaps I've tried. The only negative was that afterwards you could tell there was no moisturizing product in the soap, which left the skin feeling a little dry and tight.
I'll try and take some pics of the lather tomorrow.
The difference is the clay!
I am just starting the process of making some melt & Pour shave soap (Glycerin based).
Clay makes it slick when shaving like cream.
There are several recipes on the web. Use Google to look them up.
I have found a source for "Old Spice" fragrance oil.
Should be interesting how close it becomes.
John
I am just starting the process of making some melt & Pour shave soap (Glycerin based).
Clay makes it slick when shaving like cream.
There are several recipes on the web. Use Google to look them up.
I have found a source for "Old Spice" fragrance oil.
Should be interesting how close it becomes.
John
John,
There are many sources for "Old Spice" fragrance oils. I use quite a few as I buy lbs. at a time. All my handmade shaving soaps have clay, whether they are cold process or glycerin based.
I was at Walmart the other day, shopping for stuff for my Grandson in the baby section.
I came across the Johnson & Johnson Baby Bar soap, for $1.78. I flipped it over and the ingredient list was
Sodium Tallowate, Water, Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance, Pentasodium Pentetate, Tetrasodium Etidronate
and in my excitement seeing Tallow as the 1st ingredient,
I almost bought it to try to shave with.
Then I remembered the 20 other shaving soaps in my den and figured why take a chance?!?!
I put it back...maybe next time
I came across the Johnson & Johnson Baby Bar soap, for $1.78. I flipped it over and the ingredient list was
Sodium Tallowate, Water, Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance, Pentasodium Pentetate, Tetrasodium Etidronate
and in my excitement seeing Tallow as the 1st ingredient,
I almost bought it to try to shave with. Then I remembered the 20 other shaving soaps in my den and figured why take a chance?!?!
I put it back...maybe next time
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- #20
S
slather
This is what I use as my face soap. If it's good enough for my baby's bottom, it's good enough for my face
