Help with VDH glycerine experiment....

[kingfisher]

I would love to have a shaving soap that smelled kind of like T&H 1805 or Penhaligon's Endymion, but T&H doesn't make an 1805-scented soap, and I don't have the money for the Penhaligon's.

Could I buy a puck of VDH glycerine, melt it in the microwave, and then add some of the cologne to it, stir, and then let it set again? If I did that, would the soap end up smelling at least a little bit like the scents I added? If you were going to do this, how many drops of cologne would you add to one puck of VDH (I wouldn't want to have it overpowering, or make it so it irritated my face)?

Soap-makers, soap-tinkerers......give me your opinions, please. Thanks.

 

[gollum83]

The only problem I can foresee is that I don't know how much of that 1805 scent you would get from adding it to a melted puck of soap. You have to remember that cologne smells because it is a volatile substance. I doubt you'll lose the entire scent by adding it to a still molten puck of VDH, but you might lose some of the bottom notes and possibly the top notes from the cologne depending on the volatility of said notes.

You might be better off just grating the puck, adding a little cologne and milling it into a container. Then again VDH does have a slight scent to it, so maybe melting it would give you a cleaner slate to start from scent-wise. The only way you'll know is to give it a try.

 

[AndyG]

check out this link. they have Shaving Melt and Pour Base and you just add some Fragrance Oil 1/2 oz. per pound

http://www.brambleberry.com/meltandpour.aspx

Andy

 

[kingfisher]

Follow-up on a sort-of failed experiment.

I went to Rite-Aid and got a puck of VDH Select. I took it home, melted it in the microwave, and tossed in about 7 or 8 drops of Endymion. (I also had about two shaves worth of AoS unscented cream lying around, and I tossed that in when I melted it.)

This morning, I shaved with it.

The failure part: The Endymion scent was very faint. It's almost like it just intensified the VDH scent, although when compared side-by-side with VDH Deluxe, my modified VDH Select definitely smells better.

The success part: I got a really good shave with it. I've never used VDH Select before, so I don't know whether it's just always that good, or whether the unscented AoS made it a bit creamier.

Overall, I wish all my failures were like this one. It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to, but it's a pretty good soap anyway.

 

[masonjarjar]

whatever you add to VDH you're fighting with Grey Flannel. I'm not sure I'd want to get in the middle of a fight between GF and 1801. They're very different to my nose.

 

[kingfisher]

whatever you add to VDH you're fighting with Grey Flannel. I'm not sure I'd want to get in the middle of a fight between GF and 1801. They're very different to my nose.

I hear you.

I put Endymion in rather than 1805, but the principle is the same. The Gray Flannel smell is stronger than I thought it was.

I do think it smells BETTER with the Endymion in it, but it for sure doesn't smell like Endymion.

 

[AndyG]

Bramble Berry's Shaving Melt and Pour Base is only $3.00 for a lb. and unscented too.

Andy

 

[kingfisher]

Has anybody tried the Brambleberry unscented melt and pour soap? Is it decent soap? For that price I might have to invest in it, but I don't want to buy it if it's not a good shaving soap to begin with.

 

[kingfisher]

Shaved with the Frankensoap again this morning and got a very comfortable shave, and it smells good, too.

Best failure ever.

 

[dwnwrdishvnwrd]

Has anybody tried the Brambleberry unscented melt and pour soap? Is it decent soap? For that price I might have to invest in it, but I don't want to buy it if it's not a good shaving soap to begin with.

I've never tried Brambleberry but I have made my own shaving soaps using met-and-pour and they work just as well as any other soap. Add some bentonite clay to help reduce blade drag, some EO's for fragrance and snap: shaving soap.

I made my own bay rum scent using 8 oz goat's milk soap, 5 drops bay EO, 3 drops cinnamon EO, 3 drops clove EO, 3 drops bitter orange EO, and 3 drops grapefruit EO. It smells surprisingly well and lathers wonderfully.

 

[gollum83]

Shaved with the Frankensoap again this morning and got a very comfortable shave, and it smells good, too.

Best failure ever.

Well I'm glad it sort of worked out for you.