Mysterious Solidifying Cream

[Spotlit]

Ahoy hoy B&B; long time lurker, first time poster, etc. etc.

A few months back I bought, among other shaving soaps, a tub of ToBS Jermyn St. cream. It had a consistency I would describe as soft soap, i.e. you could scrape out a dollop if you were really inclined, but ultimately meant for brush loading.

Loved it, it's the only one of my soaps that I've managed to use up entirely, and so I ordered a replacement tub. Here's where the confusion starts, because the stuff in the new tub has the consistency of a cream. Same as the ToBS Avocado; readily scooped out and moves around if you whack the side of the tub. I also noticed that the new tub has "Taylor of Old Bond Street" embossed on the sides, which the old one did not, and the top label has subtle differences.

My first thought was perhaps it had been reformulated to a softer cream, but the listed ingredients were identical, and my searches located no discussion of such change. So was my first jar simply old, and somehow the cream hardened to a soft soap consistency? Maybe it had a leak that allowed the moisture to evaporate?

PS: The first tub came from a major online wet shaving retailer, the second from Amazon.

 

[graysonhenryrussell]

Pictures please.

 

[Pattorashu]

Pictures please.

Loved it, it's the only one of my soaps that I've managed to use up entirely

Sounds like that might be hard.



Was there a color variation between the two tubs?

 

[pbnj]

Nothing has changed, the stock you recieved must have been heated up. I have seen it happen in stores when theyre on display under the light. Ask for one thats in the backroom stock instead next time.

 

[jpakstis]

It sounds like to me that your old tub was older and a little dehydrated. I've never used TOBS St. Jermyn, but in my experience the TOBS creams I've used have a soft cream consistency, almost like whipped butter or whipped cream cheese. I once got an older, dehydrated tub from a local store and I ended up hydrating it myself, by pouring in a little water and mixing it with a fork. I don't think yours a had a leak, but unless its been shrink-wrapped or vacuum-sealed, there would be no way to completely seal out evaporation over time.

From what you describe the successor tub is more like what TOBS should be and sounds like newer stock. I haven't bought TOBS in a while (probably in about two years?) and none of tubs I bought had writing on the sides.

 

[Spotlit]

I can snap some comparison shots of the two containers this weekend (currently out of town), but the soap from the first is long gone. The old container currently houses a "refill puck" of the Jermyn St. hard soap.

Was there a color variation between the two tubs?

Nope, both black, both clearly labeled Jermyn Street and Shaving Cream.

I have seen it happen in stores when theyre on display under the light. Ask for one thats in the backroom stock instead next time.

Both tubs were purchased from online retailers, not brick and mortar. Regardless, it sounds like the first tub was heated or improperly stored at some point in its life cycle. Shame really, I kinda prefer it as a soft soap.

 

[jazzguy]

Welcome to B&B.

 

[Pattorashu]

You could try heating it up, or leaving it with the lid just set on it for a while, and see if it does anything to the consistency. If you have a decent oven, you might have a bread proof setting that will be between 90-150 like my toaster oven

 

[Spotlit]

You could try heating it up, or leaving it with the lid just set on it for a while, and see if it does anything to the consistency. If you have a decent oven, you might have a bread proof setting that will be between 90-150 like my toaster oven

Oh good heavens, I see this ending with my wife loudly questioning why the entire house smells like shaving cream and burnt plastic.




...still might try it though.

 

[Pattorashu]

Oh good heavens, I see this ending with my wife loudly questioning why the entire house smells like shaving cream and burnt plastic.




...still might try it though.

LOL!

IIRC the melting point of PVC is around 170 F, though I suspect HDPE is what they use, it's a really common container plastic, and it's melting point is well above 200 F, and I want to say it's about 250, but I'm too lazy to look it up

You should be fine plastic wise, but I'd keep the temperature below 150, because TOBS doesn't mark what kind of plastic they use.

 

[Spotlit]

As promised, here are the old and new tubs side by side for comparison. No change in the ingredients list.