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- #81
Lather Optimization Updates
- Thread starter ShavingByTheNumbers
- Start date
Excellent work!!
- Thread starter
- #83
- Thread starter
- #84
The following review was originally published in my lather optimization guide on June 1, 2018. In streamlining the guide, the review is being moved here.
Version Name: Unscented
Purchase Date: August 11, 2017
Review Dates: May 5 to May 19, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Morenci, MI, USA
Ingredients: Stearic Acid, Water, Potassium Hydroxide, Avocado Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Bison Tallow, Mango Seed Butter, Castor Oil, Fragrance, Sodium Hydroxide, Lanolin, Bentonite Clay, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract, Salix Alba L. (White Willow) Bark Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid [Note: "Fragrance" does not belong here because this soap is the unscented version]
Appearance: Brownish
Scent: The scent is very faint and inoffensive since the soap is unscented
Hardness: This soap is soft and actually feels like a thick cream when scooped out of its jar and pressed into the bottom of a lather bowl
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is good and there is some yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking". Lather has few small visible bubbles and the overall structure does not seem "airy". Adhesion and application are pretty good. Slickness is generally good to very good with some moderate friction at times. Cushion is very little, practically nothing, but there is some protection. Post-shave is very good.
Optimization Details: The water-to-soap ratio during testing ranged from 7 to 12 with slickness at the ratio of 7 being generally not good because of an overall level of friction and slickness at the ratio of 12 being generally good with some very good moments. Finding the optimum water-to-soap ratio only took several shaves, since it turned out that I had started close to the optimum value of 11 which corresponds with slickness being generally good to very good. Finding the optimum lather-building time was more complicated. 120 seconds was clearly worse than 60 seconds because of the significant slickness drop with 120 seconds. When comparing several shaves between 30 seconds, 45 seconds, and 60 seconds of lather-building time, it was found that the lather made in 45 seconds was very similar to that made in 60 seconds, but 30 seconds resulted in lather with a little more slickness. However, the lather quality and protection associated with 30 seconds were not as good as with 60 seconds. Bowl lather made in 60 seconds with this soap seemed to result in better shaves with less cuts and a better feeling afterwards. The shaves with the 60-second lathers were more enjoyable.
Declaration Grooming (DG) Shaving Soap, Premium Bison Tallow Base
Unused jar with 4 oz. of soap, when Declaration Grooming was L&L Grooming
Version Name: Unscented
Purchase Date: August 11, 2017
Review Dates: May 5 to May 19, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Morenci, MI, USA
Ingredients: Stearic Acid, Water, Potassium Hydroxide, Avocado Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Bison Tallow, Mango Seed Butter, Castor Oil, Fragrance, Sodium Hydroxide, Lanolin, Bentonite Clay, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract, Salix Alba L. (White Willow) Bark Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid [Note: "Fragrance" does not belong here because this soap is the unscented version]
Appearance: Brownish
Scent: The scent is very faint and inoffensive since the soap is unscented
Hardness: This soap is soft and actually feels like a thick cream when scooped out of its jar and pressed into the bottom of a lather bowl
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is good and there is some yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking". Lather has few small visible bubbles and the overall structure does not seem "airy". Adhesion and application are pretty good. Slickness is generally good to very good with some moderate friction at times. Cushion is very little, practically nothing, but there is some protection. Post-shave is very good.
Optimization Details: The water-to-soap ratio during testing ranged from 7 to 12 with slickness at the ratio of 7 being generally not good because of an overall level of friction and slickness at the ratio of 12 being generally good with some very good moments. Finding the optimum water-to-soap ratio only took several shaves, since it turned out that I had started close to the optimum value of 11 which corresponds with slickness being generally good to very good. Finding the optimum lather-building time was more complicated. 120 seconds was clearly worse than 60 seconds because of the significant slickness drop with 120 seconds. When comparing several shaves between 30 seconds, 45 seconds, and 60 seconds of lather-building time, it was found that the lather made in 45 seconds was very similar to that made in 60 seconds, but 30 seconds resulted in lather with a little more slickness. However, the lather quality and protection associated with 30 seconds were not as good as with 60 seconds. Bowl lather made in 60 seconds with this soap seemed to result in better shaves with less cuts and a better feeling afterwards. The shaves with the 60-second lathers were more enjoyable.
- Thread starter
- #85
The following review was originally published in my lather optimization guide on June 1, 2018. In streamlining the guide, the review is being moved here.
Version Name: Naked & Smooth
Purchase Date: August 14, 2017
Review Dates: April 10 to April 16, May 20, and May 21, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Booneville, AR, USA
Ingredients: Beef Tallow, Stearic Acid, Distilled Water, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Vegetable Glycerin, Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Coconut Milk, Lanolin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate
Density: With a carefully leveled tablespoon of the soap and a calibrated tared scale, I measured the mass of 1 T of soap as 14.41 g, which results in an approximate density of 0.975 g/mL
Appearance: Light yellow
Scent: The scent is slight and inoffensive since the soap is unscented
Hardness: Average or soft, based on my limited experience
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is good and lather has some yogurt-like behavior with "stringiness" and "peaking", but lather is fairly "airy" with many visible smaller and larger bubbles. Adhesion and application are okay, at best, because lather does not have much viscosity. Slickness is generally good to very good, with more of the latter, and there is little moderate and significant friction. Cushion is basically nothing. Post-shave is pretty good, but kind of on the dry side.
Optimization Details: At a water-to-soap ratio of 9, slickness was okay overall, at best, because there was moderate to significant friction overall and the cushion was pretty good or good. Higher and higher water-to-soap ratios were examined as the shaves improved with increasing slickness outweighing the decreasing cushion. However, slickness was found to peak around a water-to-soap ratio of 17, with an overall drop in slickness and the emergence of a little stick-slip at a water-to-soap ratio of 20. Lather-building time ranged from 30 seconds to 180 seconds in tests. At the optimum water-to-soap ratio, cushion was basically nothing, but slickness was significantly better at 30 seconds compared to 60 seconds of lather-building time. Extra lather-building time made a better-looking lather, but with no real benefit.
Ranking Details: Testing against Declaration Grooming's optimum confirmed that Stirling has similar slickness, but Stirling's post-shave is not as good, at least, so Declaration Grooming is ranked higher.
Stirling Soap Co. Shave Soap
Used jar with about 2 oz. of soap samples instead of original 5.8 oz. of soap
Version Name: Naked & Smooth
Purchase Date: August 14, 2017
Review Dates: April 10 to April 16, May 20, and May 21, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Booneville, AR, USA
Ingredients: Beef Tallow, Stearic Acid, Distilled Water, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Vegetable Glycerin, Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Coconut Milk, Lanolin, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate
Density: With a carefully leveled tablespoon of the soap and a calibrated tared scale, I measured the mass of 1 T of soap as 14.41 g, which results in an approximate density of 0.975 g/mL
Appearance: Light yellow
Scent: The scent is slight and inoffensive since the soap is unscented
Hardness: Average or soft, based on my limited experience
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is good and lather has some yogurt-like behavior with "stringiness" and "peaking", but lather is fairly "airy" with many visible smaller and larger bubbles. Adhesion and application are okay, at best, because lather does not have much viscosity. Slickness is generally good to very good, with more of the latter, and there is little moderate and significant friction. Cushion is basically nothing. Post-shave is pretty good, but kind of on the dry side.
Optimization Details: At a water-to-soap ratio of 9, slickness was okay overall, at best, because there was moderate to significant friction overall and the cushion was pretty good or good. Higher and higher water-to-soap ratios were examined as the shaves improved with increasing slickness outweighing the decreasing cushion. However, slickness was found to peak around a water-to-soap ratio of 17, with an overall drop in slickness and the emergence of a little stick-slip at a water-to-soap ratio of 20. Lather-building time ranged from 30 seconds to 180 seconds in tests. At the optimum water-to-soap ratio, cushion was basically nothing, but slickness was significantly better at 30 seconds compared to 60 seconds of lather-building time. Extra lather-building time made a better-looking lather, but with no real benefit.
Ranking Details: Testing against Declaration Grooming's optimum confirmed that Stirling has similar slickness, but Stirling's post-shave is not as good, at least, so Declaration Grooming is ranked higher.
- Thread starter
- #86
The following review was originally published in my lather optimization guide on June 1, 2018. In streamlining the guide, the review is being moved here.
Version Name: Unscented
Purchase Date: January 30, 2018
Review Dates: February 10 to February 28, March 2 to March 13, May 24, and May 25, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Hartwick, NY, USA
Ingredients: Aqua, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Argania spinosa (Argan) Oil, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea) Butter, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Lactate, Tocopherol Acetate
Appearance: Slightly off-white
Scent: Naturally light scent of unscented soap
Hardness: Very soft, like a thick cream, and sticky
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is okay and behavior is somewhat yogurt-like with a little "stringiness" and "peaking", but lather is kind of "airy" with many visible smaller and larger bubbles. Adhesion and application are not good because lather lightness makes application thinner than desired, very thin at some spots. Slickness is generally good to very good with some moderate friction at times. Cushion is basically nothing. Post-shave is on the dry side with some overall irritation.
Optimization Details: Optimization with this soap might seem to have been more difficult when looking at the length of the review period, but the process took much longer than it needed to be due to my learning curve. It was in the middle of this optimization that I first started experimenting with lather-building time as a variable to be optimized along with the water-to-soap/cream ratio and the total lather mass. Lathers with the soap involved water-to-soap ratios ranging from 6 to 18 and lather-building times ranging from 30 seconds to 295 seconds. The typical tradeoff between slickness and cushion was experienced a lot here. Cushion was pretty good at a water-to-soap ratio of 6 and a lather-building time over three minutes, but slickness was only okay overall. A water-to-soap ratio of 13 was found to be the approximate optimal value because slickness was less at higher values. Cushion was also less to the point of being basically nothing, but shaves were better with more slickness. Driving down lather-building time also increased slickness without any downsides. Slickness associated with a lather-building time of 30 seconds was definitely better than with 60 seconds.
Ranking Details: Shaving with Barrister and Mann Latha's optimum shortly after shaving with Mystic Water's optimum confirmed that Barrister and Mann Latha yields more slickness that outweighs the deficiency with its post-shave. Barrister and Mann Latha reminded me a lot of The Art of Shaving shaving cream, but Barrister and Mann Latha seemed a little better because of the lack of soap scum and the post-shave not being as bad.
Barrister and Mann (B&M) Latha Shaving Soap (Discontinued)
Unused jar with 4 oz. of soap
Version Name: Unscented
Purchase Date: January 30, 2018
Review Dates: February 10 to February 28, March 2 to March 13, May 24, and May 25, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Hartwick, NY, USA
Ingredients: Aqua, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Argania spinosa (Argan) Oil, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea) Butter, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Lactate, Tocopherol Acetate
Appearance: Slightly off-white
Scent: Naturally light scent of unscented soap
Hardness: Very soft, like a thick cream, and sticky
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is okay and behavior is somewhat yogurt-like with a little "stringiness" and "peaking", but lather is kind of "airy" with many visible smaller and larger bubbles. Adhesion and application are not good because lather lightness makes application thinner than desired, very thin at some spots. Slickness is generally good to very good with some moderate friction at times. Cushion is basically nothing. Post-shave is on the dry side with some overall irritation.
Optimization Details: Optimization with this soap might seem to have been more difficult when looking at the length of the review period, but the process took much longer than it needed to be due to my learning curve. It was in the middle of this optimization that I first started experimenting with lather-building time as a variable to be optimized along with the water-to-soap/cream ratio and the total lather mass. Lathers with the soap involved water-to-soap ratios ranging from 6 to 18 and lather-building times ranging from 30 seconds to 295 seconds. The typical tradeoff between slickness and cushion was experienced a lot here. Cushion was pretty good at a water-to-soap ratio of 6 and a lather-building time over three minutes, but slickness was only okay overall. A water-to-soap ratio of 13 was found to be the approximate optimal value because slickness was less at higher values. Cushion was also less to the point of being basically nothing, but shaves were better with more slickness. Driving down lather-building time also increased slickness without any downsides. Slickness associated with a lather-building time of 30 seconds was definitely better than with 60 seconds.
Ranking Details: Shaving with Barrister and Mann Latha's optimum shortly after shaving with Mystic Water's optimum confirmed that Barrister and Mann Latha yields more slickness that outweighs the deficiency with its post-shave. Barrister and Mann Latha reminded me a lot of The Art of Shaving shaving cream, but Barrister and Mann Latha seemed a little better because of the lack of soap scum and the post-shave not being as bad.
- Thread starter
- #87
The following review was originally published in my lather optimization guide on June 1, 2018. In streamlining the guide, the review is being moved here.
Version Name: Lavender
Purchase Date: January 3, 2018. I acquired the shaving cream from @imcnok through a trade in the BST on February 8, 2018 [7].
Review Dates: April 25 to May 4, 2018
Manufacturing Location: USA
Ingredients: Water/Aqua, Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Acid, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Sodium Chloride, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Edta, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool [Note: Ingredients are identical between the 75 mL (2.5 fl. oz.) tube and the 150 mL (5.0 fl. oz.) jar, and ingredients for the lavender shaving cream are largely the same as for the sandalwood shaving cream, with the exception of the fragrance ingredients and a few small ingredients at the tail ends of the ingredient lists]
Density: With a carefully leveled tablespoon of the cream and a calibrated tared scale, I measured the mass of 1 T of cream as 12.68 g, which results in an approximate density of 0.858 g/mL
Appearance: Off-white and possibly pearlescent
Scent: Even with the lavender essential oil, there is something that seems artificial about the scent of the cream, so the scent is a bit off to me. The scent, though not strong, seems to linger for a while after the shave.
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is not good and there is some sparkle to the lather. Lather has little yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking" and has some larger visible bubbles in addition to the foamy, "airy" structure. Adhesion and application are okay at best, not good, because lather has little structure. Slickness is generally good to very good with some moderate friction at times. Cushion is almost nothing. Post-shave is on the dry side and involves irritation. Lather produces soap scum that is noticeable after the shave.
Optimization Details: The water-to-cream ratio ranged from 4 to 15 and lather-building time ranged from 30 seconds to 120 seconds in tests. Slickness was generally good at a water-to-cream ratio of 4 and generally bad or not good with some stick-slip at a water-to-cream ratio of 15, and slickness seemed to peak around a water-to-cream ratio of 6 or 7. Cushion was only slightly present with larger lather-building times, but was otherwise practically nothing. Post-shave irritation was an issue, such that it was significant for water-to-cream ratios of 4 and 6, but did not feel quite as significant with a water-to-cream ratio of 7 and kept decreasing in severity with increasing hydration.
Ranking Details: The Art of Shaving shaving cream can produce good to very good slickness, but the irritation that it causes me and the soap scum that it produces makes me knock it down in ranking.
The Art of Shaving (AOS) Shaving Cream
75 mL (2.5 fl. oz.) tube of cream. Close-up of cream in small jar.
Version Name: Lavender
Purchase Date: January 3, 2018. I acquired the shaving cream from @imcnok through a trade in the BST on February 8, 2018 [7].
Review Dates: April 25 to May 4, 2018
Manufacturing Location: USA
Ingredients: Water/Aqua, Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Coconut Acid, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Sodium Chloride, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Edta, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool [Note: Ingredients are identical between the 75 mL (2.5 fl. oz.) tube and the 150 mL (5.0 fl. oz.) jar, and ingredients for the lavender shaving cream are largely the same as for the sandalwood shaving cream, with the exception of the fragrance ingredients and a few small ingredients at the tail ends of the ingredient lists]
Density: With a carefully leveled tablespoon of the cream and a calibrated tared scale, I measured the mass of 1 T of cream as 12.68 g, which results in an approximate density of 0.858 g/mL
Appearance: Off-white and possibly pearlescent
Scent: Even with the lavender essential oil, there is something that seems artificial about the scent of the cream, so the scent is a bit off to me. The scent, though not strong, seems to linger for a while after the shave.
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is not good and there is some sparkle to the lather. Lather has little yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking" and has some larger visible bubbles in addition to the foamy, "airy" structure. Adhesion and application are okay at best, not good, because lather has little structure. Slickness is generally good to very good with some moderate friction at times. Cushion is almost nothing. Post-shave is on the dry side and involves irritation. Lather produces soap scum that is noticeable after the shave.
Optimization Details: The water-to-cream ratio ranged from 4 to 15 and lather-building time ranged from 30 seconds to 120 seconds in tests. Slickness was generally good at a water-to-cream ratio of 4 and generally bad or not good with some stick-slip at a water-to-cream ratio of 15, and slickness seemed to peak around a water-to-cream ratio of 6 or 7. Cushion was only slightly present with larger lather-building times, but was otherwise practically nothing. Post-shave irritation was an issue, such that it was significant for water-to-cream ratios of 4 and 6, but did not feel quite as significant with a water-to-cream ratio of 7 and kept decreasing in severity with increasing hydration.
Ranking Details: The Art of Shaving shaving cream can produce good to very good slickness, but the irritation that it causes me and the soap scum that it produces makes me knock it down in ranking.
- Thread starter
- #88
The following review was originally published in my lather optimization guide on June 1, 2018. In streamlining the guide, the review is being moved here.
Version Name: Lime
Purchase Date: January 27, 2018
Review Dates: March 14 to March 16, March 20 to March 30, April 1 to April 7, May 22, and May 23, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Riverdale Park, MD, USA
Ingredients: Tallow, Water, Castor Seed Oil, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Palm Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Lime EO, Stearic Acid, Lanolin, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, May Chang EO, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Bentonite Clay, Silk [Note: Lime is one of the versions made with the standard base formula having lanolin]
Appearance: Dark yellow orange
Scent: Lemon lime, due to the mix of lime and may chang essential oils. The scent is light and pleasant, but it isn't strictly lime.
Hardness: Average, it seems to me
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is okay, but lather is visibly "airy" with many smaller and larger bubbles and lather behavior is only a little yogurt-like with respect to "stringiness" and "peaking". Adhesion and application are only okay because lather is too thin and light. Slickness is okay to good, but there is moderate to significant friction at times. Cushion is basically nothing. Post-shave is pretty good, but a little on the dry side.
Optimization Details: This was the second soap that I optimized with lather-building time as a variable, which explains why the review period was longer than was actually needed. The water-to-soap ratio was varied from 5 to 15 and lather-building time was varied from 30 seconds to 180 seconds with most times being 60 seconds and 90 seconds. A water-to-soap ratio of 13 seemed to be best, resulting in better slickness than a ratio of 14 and not producing the stick-slip experienced with a ratio of 15. The typical tradeoff between slickness and cushion was experienced with respect to lather-building time. The slickness increase in going from 60 seconds of lather building to 30 seconds of lather building was significant, and since the cushion/protection was very similar, the lesser amount of time was determined to be best. In this case, it was found that stopping lather building right when all of the soap had just been incorporated was best.
Ranking Details: Comparing optimum lathers in neighboring shaves, Barrister and Mann Latha was confirmed as producing slickness that was definitely better than Mystic Water, the latter producing a better post-shave. The Art of Shaving shaving cream is also considered better than Mystic Water because of the slickness difference, but because of post-shave irritation, I wouldn't place The Art of Shaving much higher than Mystic Water.
Mystic Water (MW) Shaving Soap
1/2 oz. sample of soap
Version Name: Lime
Purchase Date: January 27, 2018
Review Dates: March 14 to March 16, March 20 to March 30, April 1 to April 7, May 22, and May 23, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Riverdale Park, MD, USA
Ingredients: Tallow, Water, Castor Seed Oil, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Palm Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Lime EO, Stearic Acid, Lanolin, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, May Chang EO, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Bentonite Clay, Silk [Note: Lime is one of the versions made with the standard base formula having lanolin]
Appearance: Dark yellow orange
Scent: Lemon lime, due to the mix of lime and may chang essential oils. The scent is light and pleasant, but it isn't strictly lime.
Hardness: Average, it seems to me
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is okay, but lather is visibly "airy" with many smaller and larger bubbles and lather behavior is only a little yogurt-like with respect to "stringiness" and "peaking". Adhesion and application are only okay because lather is too thin and light. Slickness is okay to good, but there is moderate to significant friction at times. Cushion is basically nothing. Post-shave is pretty good, but a little on the dry side.
Optimization Details: This was the second soap that I optimized with lather-building time as a variable, which explains why the review period was longer than was actually needed. The water-to-soap ratio was varied from 5 to 15 and lather-building time was varied from 30 seconds to 180 seconds with most times being 60 seconds and 90 seconds. A water-to-soap ratio of 13 seemed to be best, resulting in better slickness than a ratio of 14 and not producing the stick-slip experienced with a ratio of 15. The typical tradeoff between slickness and cushion was experienced with respect to lather-building time. The slickness increase in going from 60 seconds of lather building to 30 seconds of lather building was significant, and since the cushion/protection was very similar, the lesser amount of time was determined to be best. In this case, it was found that stopping lather building right when all of the soap had just been incorporated was best.
Ranking Details: Comparing optimum lathers in neighboring shaves, Barrister and Mann Latha was confirmed as producing slickness that was definitely better than Mystic Water, the latter producing a better post-shave. The Art of Shaving shaving cream is also considered better than Mystic Water because of the slickness difference, but because of post-shave irritation, I wouldn't place The Art of Shaving much higher than Mystic Water.
- Thread starter
- #89
The following review was originally published in my lather optimization guide on June 1, 2018. In streamlining the guide, the review is being moved here.
Version Name: Sandalwood & Myrrh
Purchase Date: February 5, 2018
Review Dates: April 18 to April 23, May 26, and May 27, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Belleville, IL, USA
Ingredients: Saponified Stearic Acid, Coconut Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Castor Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cocoa Butter, Theobroma Cocoa (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Kokum Butter, Garcinia Indica Seed Butter, Shea Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii, Lanolin Anhydrous, USP. with Rhassoul Clay, Kaolin, Glycerin vegetable, USP, Sodium Lactate, Fragrance*, Bentonite Clay. *All Natural Essential Oils
Appearance: Shiny, speckled tan or light brown
Scent: The scent is "securely subtle and manly", as described by the manufacturer, and my impression is that the natural sandalwood and myrrh scent is fine and light to the point that this soap could be an acceptable alternative for those wanting unscented soap
Hardness: Softer than most, it seems
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is pretty good with some sparkle to the lather. Lather has some yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking" and there are few visible bubbles of notable size. Adhesion and application are okay. Slickness is pretty good, but there is an overall feeling of a lack of slickness and there is moderate friction at times. Cushion is very little, almost nothing. Post-shave is kind of dry and there might be a little overall irritation.
Optimization Details: With water-to-soap ratios tested from 10 to 25, slickness was never found to be good, but at least the optimum water-to-soap ratio was quickly found to be around 18. Slickness was found to be very similar with lather-building times of 30 seconds and 60 seconds, so a lather-building time of approximately 60 seconds was determined to be best for better adhesion and application, at least.
Ranking Details: A next-day ranking test was performed with Barrister and Mann Latha to confirm that B&M Latha beat Sudsy Soapery in slickness and overall performance. Sudsy Soapery's adhesion, application, and cushion were better, though, despite the higher water-to-soap ratio, which I believe is due to the amount of clay in Sudsy Soapery. Sudsy Soapery is ranked below Mystic Water based on memory and optimum lather overviews, not on sequential shaves.
The Sudsy Soapery Shave Soap, Vegan Base
Unused jar with 5.5 oz. of soap
Version Name: Sandalwood & Myrrh
Purchase Date: February 5, 2018
Review Dates: April 18 to April 23, May 26, and May 27, 2018
Manufacturing Location: Belleville, IL, USA
Ingredients: Saponified Stearic Acid, Coconut Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Castor Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cocoa Butter, Theobroma Cocoa (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Kokum Butter, Garcinia Indica Seed Butter, Shea Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii, Lanolin Anhydrous, USP. with Rhassoul Clay, Kaolin, Glycerin vegetable, USP, Sodium Lactate, Fragrance*, Bentonite Clay. *All Natural Essential Oils
Appearance: Shiny, speckled tan or light brown
Scent: The scent is "securely subtle and manly", as described by the manufacturer, and my impression is that the natural sandalwood and myrrh scent is fine and light to the point that this soap could be an acceptable alternative for those wanting unscented soap
Hardness: Softer than most, it seems
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is pretty good with some sparkle to the lather. Lather has some yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking" and there are few visible bubbles of notable size. Adhesion and application are okay. Slickness is pretty good, but there is an overall feeling of a lack of slickness and there is moderate friction at times. Cushion is very little, almost nothing. Post-shave is kind of dry and there might be a little overall irritation.
Optimization Details: With water-to-soap ratios tested from 10 to 25, slickness was never found to be good, but at least the optimum water-to-soap ratio was quickly found to be around 18. Slickness was found to be very similar with lather-building times of 30 seconds and 60 seconds, so a lather-building time of approximately 60 seconds was determined to be best for better adhesion and application, at least.
Ranking Details: A next-day ranking test was performed with Barrister and Mann Latha to confirm that B&M Latha beat Sudsy Soapery in slickness and overall performance. Sudsy Soapery's adhesion, application, and cushion were better, though, despite the higher water-to-soap ratio, which I believe is due to the amount of clay in Sudsy Soapery. Sudsy Soapery is ranked below Mystic Water based on memory and optimum lather overviews, not on sequential shaves.
- Thread starter
- #90
The following review was originally published in my lather optimization guide on June 7, 2018. In streamlining the guide, the review is being moved here.
Version Name: Cheshire
Purchase Date: October 19, 2017
Review Period: May 28 to June 7, 2018. 10 optimization shaves and 1 ranking shave.
Manufacturing Location: Hartwick, NY, USA
Ingredients: Potassium Stearate, Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Coconut Milk, Sodium Shea Butterate, Carthamus tinctorius hybrid (Hybrid Safflower) Seed Oil, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Allantoin, Lanolin, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Citrate, Citrus bergamia (Bergamot) Oil, Salvia sclarea (Clary Sage) Oil, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli) Oil, Tocopherol Acetate, Hydrolyzed Silk Protein
Appearance: Light yellow with some shininess and sparkling
Scent: The scent is created with essential oils only, a blend of "American clary sage, bergamot, and small amounts of lavender and patchouli to create a very realistic interpretation of the smell of Earl Grey (the tea, not the man)", according to B&M's website. To my unsophisticated nose, the soap has a subdued lemony scent which is very nice. The scent is present, but not strong.
Hardness: Softer than average, based on my limited experience
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is okay. Lather is kind of "airy" with many visible smaller and larger bubbles and with little yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking". Adhesion and application are okay, at best, due to lather thinness. Slickness is pretty good to very good, mostly good to very good, with moderate friction at times. Cushion/protection is very little, almost nothing. Post-shave is good.
Optimization Details: With a lather-building time of 60 seconds, the water-to-soap ratio was varied nonsequentially from 8 to 14 as the water-to-soap ratio was optimized and the total mass was nearly optimized. At a water-to-soap ratio of 8, slickness was generally okay and post-shave was very good, and at a water-to-soap ratio of 14, slickness was pretty good with a little stick-slip and post-shave was good, but better conditions were found at a water-to-soap ratio of 12 with slickness being okay to good and post-shave being good or very good. Sticking with an optimum water-to-soap ratio of 12, lather-building time was varied from 120 seconds to 60 seconds to 45 seconds and, finally, to 30 seconds. The general trend found with other soaps was found here as well, such that less lather-building time produces more slickness and less cushion. Specifically in this case, the slickness increase from 60 seconds to 45 seconds of lather building was slight, but the slickness increase from 45 seconds to 30 seconds was undeniable and large enough of a difference to overcome the minor loss in cushion/protection. The optimum lather mass for three passes was settled as the optimization period drew to a close.
Ranking Details: Given prior results, a ranking shave was deemed necessary with Stirling's optimum the day after shaving with the optimum found with Barrister and Mann (B&M). Slickness of Stirling was confirmed to be more even and a little better overall than with B&M, which was particularly evident while buffing on the chin. Cushion was similar, not being much at all. Post-shave of Stirling was pretty good, but not as good as with B&M. It was really close between these two. B&M is a little worse in slickness, but a little better in post-shave compared to Stirling. Since B&M seems more well-rounded with respect to its slickness and post-shave, I gave the edge to B&M over Stirling. Next-day testing against Declaration Grooming was unnecessary since I knew from prior results that B&M should be ranked below that soap.
Barrister and Mann (B&M) Shaving Soap
Unused jar with 4 oz. of soap
Version Name: Cheshire
Purchase Date: October 19, 2017
Review Period: May 28 to June 7, 2018. 10 optimization shaves and 1 ranking shave.
Manufacturing Location: Hartwick, NY, USA
Ingredients: Potassium Stearate, Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Potassium Shea Butterate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Coconut Milk, Sodium Shea Butterate, Carthamus tinctorius hybrid (Hybrid Safflower) Seed Oil, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Allantoin, Lanolin, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Citrate, Citrus bergamia (Bergamot) Oil, Salvia sclarea (Clary Sage) Oil, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli) Oil, Tocopherol Acetate, Hydrolyzed Silk Protein
Appearance: Light yellow with some shininess and sparkling
Scent: The scent is created with essential oils only, a blend of "American clary sage, bergamot, and small amounts of lavender and patchouli to create a very realistic interpretation of the smell of Earl Grey (the tea, not the man)", according to B&M's website. To my unsophisticated nose, the soap has a subdued lemony scent which is very nice. The scent is present, but not strong.
Hardness: Softer than average, based on my limited experience
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is okay. Lather is kind of "airy" with many visible smaller and larger bubbles and with little yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking". Adhesion and application are okay, at best, due to lather thinness. Slickness is pretty good to very good, mostly good to very good, with moderate friction at times. Cushion/protection is very little, almost nothing. Post-shave is good.
Optimization Details: With a lather-building time of 60 seconds, the water-to-soap ratio was varied nonsequentially from 8 to 14 as the water-to-soap ratio was optimized and the total mass was nearly optimized. At a water-to-soap ratio of 8, slickness was generally okay and post-shave was very good, and at a water-to-soap ratio of 14, slickness was pretty good with a little stick-slip and post-shave was good, but better conditions were found at a water-to-soap ratio of 12 with slickness being okay to good and post-shave being good or very good. Sticking with an optimum water-to-soap ratio of 12, lather-building time was varied from 120 seconds to 60 seconds to 45 seconds and, finally, to 30 seconds. The general trend found with other soaps was found here as well, such that less lather-building time produces more slickness and less cushion. Specifically in this case, the slickness increase from 60 seconds to 45 seconds of lather building was slight, but the slickness increase from 45 seconds to 30 seconds was undeniable and large enough of a difference to overcome the minor loss in cushion/protection. The optimum lather mass for three passes was settled as the optimization period drew to a close.
Ranking Details: Given prior results, a ranking shave was deemed necessary with Stirling's optimum the day after shaving with the optimum found with Barrister and Mann (B&M). Slickness of Stirling was confirmed to be more even and a little better overall than with B&M, which was particularly evident while buffing on the chin. Cushion was similar, not being much at all. Post-shave of Stirling was pretty good, but not as good as with B&M. It was really close between these two. B&M is a little worse in slickness, but a little better in post-shave compared to Stirling. Since B&M seems more well-rounded with respect to its slickness and post-shave, I gave the edge to B&M over Stirling. Next-day testing against Declaration Grooming was unnecessary since I knew from prior results that B&M should be ranked below that soap.
- Thread starter
- #91
The following review was originally published in my lather optimization guide on June 23, 2018. In streamlining the guide, the review is being moved here.
Version Name: Spice
Purchase Date: Approximately June 2017. A wedge-shaped sample was received on June 7, 2018, from @Tokyospike, who generously donated the soap for evaluation. The sample was then placed in a small jar. Photographs of the original container were taken by @Tokyospike.
Review Period: June 12 to June 23, 2018. 10 optimization shaves and 1 ranking shave.
Manufacturing Location: Hartwick, NY, USA
Ingredients: Potassium Stearate, Glycerin, Aqua, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Potassium Tallowate, Potassium Safflowerate, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Milk, Sodium Stearate, Ricinus communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Sucrose Cocoate, Sodium Lactate, Fragrance, Tocopherol Acetate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Safflowerate, Linalool, D-Limonene, Coumarin, Eugenol, Hexyl Cinnamic Aldehyde, Alpha-Iso-Methylionone, Citronellol, Geraniol, Cinnamic Alcohol (Cinnamyl Alcohol), Isoeugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamic Aldehyde (Cinnamal), Evernia prunastri (Oakmoss) Extract
Appearance: Brown with lighter and darker spots
Scent: "Rich, spicy scent" with "notes of carnation, nutmeg, vanilla, and tonka bean," according to Barrister and Mann. To me, the scent is pleasant, spicy with some sweetness, and the strength is light or present, not strong.
Hardness: Softer than average, it seems
Optimum Lather Overview: Soap is visibly more water-insoluble than other soaps. Lather builds up more slowly and does not start with large bubbles compared to other soaps. Lather has good, but short-lived, yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking". Sheen is okay. Adhesion and application are okay, at best, because of lather thinness. Slickness is generally good to very good, mostly good, with very little significant friction. Cushion/protection is pretty good or good, which belies the lather thinness. Post-shave is okay, but kind of dry with a little irritation. Lather has been observed as sometimes causing a little noticeable soap scum on the shaving brush handle.
Optimization Details: The greater lather density with Barrister's Reserve was pleasantly surprising and resulted in larger total lather masses during optimization. Water-to-soap ratio was nonsequentially varied from 7 to 16 and lather-building time was nonsequentially varied from 60 seconds to 120 seconds with one instance of 90 seconds and two instances of 120 seconds. Early in the optimization, longer lather building was confirmed as reducing slickness while making the lather more aerated and less dense with less protection. A lather-building time of 60 seconds or more was then used to minimize time and maximize lather performance. Smaller water-to-soap ratios caused less slickness, more cushion/protection, and more irritation, while larger water-to-soap ratios increased slickness up to a point. At a water-to-soap ratio of 16, for example, slickness ranged from not good to very good and was generally pretty good, but there was moderate to significant friction at times and a little stick-slip was encountered. The lather was thinned out in that case. For the optimum lather with a water-to-soap ratio around 12, lather-building time varied from approximately 40 seconds to 55 seconds.
Ranking Details: The optimum lather with Barrister's Reserve was compared the next day against the optimum lather with Stirling. The slickness of Stirling was not as good overall, not as steady, and had more moments of moderate and significant friction, and the cushion/protection with Stirling didn't seem as good. However, the post-shave with Stirling was much better with more moisture and no irritation. Stirling's performance was more balanced, so even though I found the overall performances as similar, which initiated the ranking test, I gave the edge to Stirling. There was no need to perform a ranking test against Barrister and Mann Latha, given prior results and the overall closeness of Barrister's Reserve to Stirling.
Barrister's Reserve Shaving Soap
Top label, remaining soap in jar, and bottom label with ingredient list
Version Name: Spice
Purchase Date: Approximately June 2017. A wedge-shaped sample was received on June 7, 2018, from @Tokyospike, who generously donated the soap for evaluation. The sample was then placed in a small jar. Photographs of the original container were taken by @Tokyospike.
Review Period: June 12 to June 23, 2018. 10 optimization shaves and 1 ranking shave.
Manufacturing Location: Hartwick, NY, USA
Ingredients: Potassium Stearate, Glycerin, Aqua, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Potassium Tallowate, Potassium Safflowerate, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Milk, Sodium Stearate, Ricinus communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Sucrose Cocoate, Sodium Lactate, Fragrance, Tocopherol Acetate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Safflowerate, Linalool, D-Limonene, Coumarin, Eugenol, Hexyl Cinnamic Aldehyde, Alpha-Iso-Methylionone, Citronellol, Geraniol, Cinnamic Alcohol (Cinnamyl Alcohol), Isoeugenol, Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamic Aldehyde (Cinnamal), Evernia prunastri (Oakmoss) Extract
Appearance: Brown with lighter and darker spots
Scent: "Rich, spicy scent" with "notes of carnation, nutmeg, vanilla, and tonka bean," according to Barrister and Mann. To me, the scent is pleasant, spicy with some sweetness, and the strength is light or present, not strong.
Hardness: Softer than average, it seems
Optimum Lather Overview: Soap is visibly more water-insoluble than other soaps. Lather builds up more slowly and does not start with large bubbles compared to other soaps. Lather has good, but short-lived, yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking". Sheen is okay. Adhesion and application are okay, at best, because of lather thinness. Slickness is generally good to very good, mostly good, with very little significant friction. Cushion/protection is pretty good or good, which belies the lather thinness. Post-shave is okay, but kind of dry with a little irritation. Lather has been observed as sometimes causing a little noticeable soap scum on the shaving brush handle.
Optimization Details: The greater lather density with Barrister's Reserve was pleasantly surprising and resulted in larger total lather masses during optimization. Water-to-soap ratio was nonsequentially varied from 7 to 16 and lather-building time was nonsequentially varied from 60 seconds to 120 seconds with one instance of 90 seconds and two instances of 120 seconds. Early in the optimization, longer lather building was confirmed as reducing slickness while making the lather more aerated and less dense with less protection. A lather-building time of 60 seconds or more was then used to minimize time and maximize lather performance. Smaller water-to-soap ratios caused less slickness, more cushion/protection, and more irritation, while larger water-to-soap ratios increased slickness up to a point. At a water-to-soap ratio of 16, for example, slickness ranged from not good to very good and was generally pretty good, but there was moderate to significant friction at times and a little stick-slip was encountered. The lather was thinned out in that case. For the optimum lather with a water-to-soap ratio around 12, lather-building time varied from approximately 40 seconds to 55 seconds.
Ranking Details: The optimum lather with Barrister's Reserve was compared the next day against the optimum lather with Stirling. The slickness of Stirling was not as good overall, not as steady, and had more moments of moderate and significant friction, and the cushion/protection with Stirling didn't seem as good. However, the post-shave with Stirling was much better with more moisture and no irritation. Stirling's performance was more balanced, so even though I found the overall performances as similar, which initiated the ranking test, I gave the edge to Stirling. There was no need to perform a ranking test against Barrister and Mann Latha, given prior results and the overall closeness of Barrister's Reserve to Stirling.
- Thread starter
- #92
The following review was originally published in my lather optimization guide on July 6, 2018. In streamlining the guide, the review is being moved here.
Version Name: Hungarian Lavender
Purchase Date: Approximately September 2017. A sample was received on June 7, 2018, from @Tokyospike, who generously donated the soap for evaluation. The sample was then placed in a small jar and photographed. Photographs of the original container were taken by @Tokyospike.
Review Period: June 24 to July 6, 2018. 10 optimization shaves and 2 ranking tests.
Manufacturing Location: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Ingredients: Distilled water; saponified tallow and stearic acid; vegetable glycerin; saponified kokum butter, avocado oil, and shea butter; lanolin, Hungarian lavender essential oil; saponified coconut oil; kaolin clay, vitamin E
Appearance: Brownish yellow color
Scent: The scent from the Hungarian lavender essential oil is officially described as "flowery, herbaceous, earthy, and fresh." I don't consider the scent to be pleasant, but it's only noticeable to me at the start of shaving. Scent strength is light or very light.
Hardness: Harder than average, but not hard, based on my limited experience
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is okay. Lather has pretty good thickness and good yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking". Lather has some visible bubbles, but lather is not "airy". Adhesion and application are pretty good. Slickness is generally okay or pretty good with some moderate and significant friction. Cushion/protection is okay. Post-shave is good, but with a little irritation.
Optimization Details: In nonsequentially varying the water-to-soap ratio from 8 to 18, slickness was found to vary from generally okay with plenty of friction to generally okay with plenty of stick-slip with slickness peaking around a water-to-soap ratio of 12. Post-shave moisture was found to marginally decrease from good to pretty good over the same water-to-soap ratio range, but with soap mass significantly decreasing over the same range, the post-shave irritation that was experienced significantly reduced with increasing hydration. For the optimum water-to-soap ratio of 12, post-shave irritation was small. Soap-incorporation time varied quite a bit, such that for the optimum lather, fully integrating the soap took around 40 seconds to about 75 seconds, making a soap-incorporation time of 60 seconds the approximate minimum needed for building the optimum lather. Only one shave was conducted with 120 seconds of lather building to quickly confirm that more time caused less slickness.
Ranking Details: Comparisons were made between optimum lathers for Mike's Natural and Mystic Water and then between Mike's Natural and B&M Latha, composing two ranking tests. The tests confirmed prior results. Mystic Water was confirmed as having somewhat better slickness, but Mike's Natural has much more cushion/protection and a slightly better post-shave, too. Shaving with Mike's Natural is more enjoyable and its lather is more balanced in performance, so Mike's Natural is ranked higher than Mystic Water. Slickness of B&M Latha definitely beat Mike's Natural, making for a pleasant, easier, closer shave, but the irritation from B&M Latha really hit afterwards. The moisture was pretty good, although not as good as with Mike's Natural, but the post-shave from B&M Latha involved significant overall irritation. Mike's Natural is thus ranked higher than B&M Latha because of B&M Latha's post-shave irritation and Mike's Natural's more well-rounded character. A ranking test was deemed unnecessary in placing Mike's Natural below Barrister's Reserve.
Mike's Natural Shaving Soap
Top label, bottom label with ingredient list, and close-up of soap in small jar
Version Name: Hungarian Lavender
Purchase Date: Approximately September 2017. A sample was received on June 7, 2018, from @Tokyospike, who generously donated the soap for evaluation. The sample was then placed in a small jar and photographed. Photographs of the original container were taken by @Tokyospike.
Review Period: June 24 to July 6, 2018. 10 optimization shaves and 2 ranking tests.
Manufacturing Location: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Ingredients: Distilled water; saponified tallow and stearic acid; vegetable glycerin; saponified kokum butter, avocado oil, and shea butter; lanolin, Hungarian lavender essential oil; saponified coconut oil; kaolin clay, vitamin E
Appearance: Brownish yellow color
Scent: The scent from the Hungarian lavender essential oil is officially described as "flowery, herbaceous, earthy, and fresh." I don't consider the scent to be pleasant, but it's only noticeable to me at the start of shaving. Scent strength is light or very light.
Hardness: Harder than average, but not hard, based on my limited experience
Optimum Lather Overview: Sheen is okay. Lather has pretty good thickness and good yogurt-like behavior of "stringiness" and "peaking". Lather has some visible bubbles, but lather is not "airy". Adhesion and application are pretty good. Slickness is generally okay or pretty good with some moderate and significant friction. Cushion/protection is okay. Post-shave is good, but with a little irritation.
Optimization Details: In nonsequentially varying the water-to-soap ratio from 8 to 18, slickness was found to vary from generally okay with plenty of friction to generally okay with plenty of stick-slip with slickness peaking around a water-to-soap ratio of 12. Post-shave moisture was found to marginally decrease from good to pretty good over the same water-to-soap ratio range, but with soap mass significantly decreasing over the same range, the post-shave irritation that was experienced significantly reduced with increasing hydration. For the optimum water-to-soap ratio of 12, post-shave irritation was small. Soap-incorporation time varied quite a bit, such that for the optimum lather, fully integrating the soap took around 40 seconds to about 75 seconds, making a soap-incorporation time of 60 seconds the approximate minimum needed for building the optimum lather. Only one shave was conducted with 120 seconds of lather building to quickly confirm that more time caused less slickness.
Ranking Details: Comparisons were made between optimum lathers for Mike's Natural and Mystic Water and then between Mike's Natural and B&M Latha, composing two ranking tests. The tests confirmed prior results. Mystic Water was confirmed as having somewhat better slickness, but Mike's Natural has much more cushion/protection and a slightly better post-shave, too. Shaving with Mike's Natural is more enjoyable and its lather is more balanced in performance, so Mike's Natural is ranked higher than Mystic Water. Slickness of B&M Latha definitely beat Mike's Natural, making for a pleasant, easier, closer shave, but the irritation from B&M Latha really hit afterwards. The moisture was pretty good, although not as good as with Mike's Natural, but the post-shave from B&M Latha involved significant overall irritation. Mike's Natural is thus ranked higher than B&M Latha because of B&M Latha's post-shave irritation and Mike's Natural's more well-rounded character. A ranking test was deemed unnecessary in placing Mike's Natural below Barrister's Reserve.
- Thread starter
- #93
UPDATE! WhollyKaw (tallow version) has been optimized...
WhollyKaw (Tallow Version) Optimization Results
WhollyKaw (Tallow Version) Optimization Results
