Making soap using Pear's as a base

[niko_p]

Hi Team!

I'm in the process of making my shave soap - I'm currently deciding on ingredients..

I want the soap to be mainly glycerin based so am going to use Pear's soap as a base...

The plan is to then add some beneficial ingredients to the mix similar to what Mama Bear's do.

My first question - is there a main component that has to be added to my base of Pear's to make the lather more dense and sticky and more suited to shave soap?

Thank you,

Nick

 

[kingfisher]

Yeah.

Saponfied stearic acid.


In other words, I don't think you're going to be able to get a really nice shaving lather out of Pears just by adding glycerin, etc. A great shaving lather is a consequence of what fats were saponified and what the ratios of those fats were. You need stearate, cocoate, etc., and in the right proportions.

You're never going to get that from Pears.


Order the brambleberry glycerin shaving soap base and start with that, instead. You'll end up with a much better shaving soap.

 

[scaevola]

Also, glycerin is a by-product of (at least) tallow-based soap production. Doing what the above person said will give you plenty of glycerin in your soap, I'd think.

 

[Gustav]

You might want to hold on to Pear's soap if it is the old formulation since they have stopped making it. The new formulation has an ingredient the length of my lower arm instead of the six of the old one.

 

[niko_p]

Yeah.

Saponfied stearic acid.


In other words, I don't think you're going to be able to get a really nice shaving lather out of Pears just by adding glycerin, etc. A great shaving lather is a consequence of what fats were saponified and what the ratios of those fats were. You need stearate, cocoate, etc., and in the right proportions.

You're never going to get that from Pears.


Order the brambleberry glycerin shaving soap base and start with that, instead. You'll end up with a much better shaving soap.

Interesting point. Have checked out the brambleberry but it is filled with coconut oils etc that defeat my purpose.

I'm looking for a glycerin based soap base without the extras that I can work on.

Does anyone have an ingredients list for...

http://mamabearssoaps.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_25&products_id=196


Also - RE: Pears formulation...I believe they have reverted to the old formula.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...ndons-new-recipe-after-Facebook-campaign.html

 

[niko_p]

FYI: Most interesting part of the article:


Original Pears
Sodium Palmitate, Natural Rosin, Glycerine, Water, Sodium Cocoate, Rosemary Extract, Thyme Extract, Pears Fragrance Essence.

New Pears
Sorbitol, Aqua, Sodium Palmate/stearate, Sodium Palmkernelate, Sodium Rosinate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, PEG-4, Alcohol, Glycerin, Perfume, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Meta Bisulfite, Etidronic acid, Tetra Sodium EDTA, BHT, Cl 12490, Cl 47005, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool.

Providing you can find the old Pears - surely that's a decent shaving soap base providing you drop in a bit of Stearic Acid? Please correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[Dink]

I'll second the idea of using the Brambleberry base, I have about 2lbs. of it and it makes a very nice shaving soap. Check out Mama Bears ingredient list, it's on her website and compare it to the Brambleberry base, they are both very similar.

Cheers,
David

 

[michiganlover]

Providing you can find the old Pears - surely that's a decent shaving soap base providing you drop in a bit of Stearic Acid? Please correct me if I'm wrong!

I think you need to study up on the soap making process before you go experimenting. You can't just melt the Pear's soap, add some Stearic Acid, and be good to go. The result would be very damaging to your skin, as the acid would cause burns!!

The stearic acid needs to be saponfied, which basically will result in re-batching the soap. Unless you have a good idea of what you are doing, boiling chemicals on your stove top is probably not the best of ideas.

You are much better to stick with the Brambleberry soap base, and then just simply melt it, and add whatever else you want in there: essential oils, clay, and what not.

 

[niko_p]

I think you need to study up on the soap making process before you go experimenting. You can't just melt the Pear's soap, add some Stearic Acid, and be good to go. The result would be very damaging to your skin, as the acid would cause burns!!

The stearic acid needs to be saponfied, which basically will result in re-batching the soap. Unless you have a good idea of what you are doing, boiling chemicals on your stove top is probably not the best of ideas.

You are much better to stick with the Brambleberry soap base, and then just simply melt it, and add whatever else you want in there: essential oils, clay, and what not.

This man just saved my face - thank you!

What quite convinced i could go home, boil up some pears in a saucepan and dump some stearic acid in to thicken my mixture - a drop of essential oil and some added glycerin and then i'd be good to whack it in the fridge.

Ignorance is bliss...

Must find a soap base with no natural oils in already...anyone have any ideas?

 

[urr-lord]

i have diced up pears soap and mixed it with diced williams ,colgate and most recently lucky lime and cocoa butter bath soap.the lime mix makes a very dense ,slick lather.the pears soap is cheap enough to experiment with different mixes.

 

[kingfisher]

....
Must find a soap base with no natural oils in already...anyone have any ideas?

As I mentioned before, the brambleberry soap is what you need. It is unscented. You could lather it up as is and it would make a pretty nice shave soap.

If you want to "make it your own," you could gently melt it down and then add some bentonite clay and either some essential oils or some fragrance oils to make the scent you want. When it cools down and hardens again, it is ready to go.

 

[akokandy]

Must find a soap base with no natural oils in already...anyone have any ideas?

You won't find it...soap is basically just saponified fats (oils).