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Heat and glycerine

Good morning folks. I have been noticing something interesting lately regarding glycerine-based soaps, notably the QED product. I am a dedicated mug-warmer guy, keeping the old shaving bowl & brush warm between passes. This works fantastic for creams and hard soaps, but seems to have a detrimental effect on glycerine soaps.

When lathered correctly, I find that the lather from the glycerin soap gets "clotted" in between passes, for lack of a better word. In other words, it takes on a thicker consistency that I like. What I have found recently is that if I keep my brush and bowl warm, the opposite happens - the lather evaporates and gets very thin and unsatisfying. Just to double check, this morning I bailed on the mug warmer treatment, and was rewarded with very thick lather for all 4 passes. It wasn't warm, unfortunately, but the lather quality was better.

Has anyone else noticed this discrepency between glycerine soaps and tallow-based products?
 
I use a hot pot with a quiache over the top like a double boiler, on the lowest heat setting. I leave the brush bristle side down, splayed, between passes. With QED glycerine soap, the lather virtually disappears in the bowl and on the brush, and I have to re-whip with more water to get lather.

I assume that the heat and glycerine do not mix well...

Tom
 
vontech said:
I use a hot pot with a quiache over the top like a double boiler, on the lowest heat setting. I leave the brush bristle side down, splayed, between passes. With QED glycerine soap, the lather virtually disappears in the bowl and on the brush, and I have to re-whip with more water to get lather.

I assume that the heat and glycerine do not mix well...

Tom
Tom,
Glycerine is especially hydrophylic (Loves water). When heated it adsorbs significantly more water.
 
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