New soaper on board

[asbloom]

It seems to me there are unskilled and wannabe artisans who know nothing about what makes a soap a shaving soap, who just borrowed a book on easy homemade soaps from a local library, know only about glycerin cold proces soaps from the book, and believe the shaving soap is any soap which contain plenty of glycerin, a dash of aloe, a pinch of shea butter, and some exotic fragrance. The exotic and overpowering fragrance being the most important ingredient. Set up a bussines web page, get attractive labels and photographs for "shaving" soaps overloaded with FO or EO which burn one's face, and try their luck...

Interesting thread, gentlemen. Wow! Ouch! I hope I don't fall into THIS category.

I am a soapmaker and daughter of a rancher who has used shaving soap and a badger brush his whole life. When I started making CP soap many years ago, I only made tallow/coconut/palm soap because I had such an easy supply of tallow. I switched a few years ago to only olive/coconut/palm because that is now the industry standard and most people prefer soap made without animal products...or at least think they do.

A few years ago I formulated a shaving soap for my dad and husband that is all-vegetable and includes bentonite clay (for glide), castor oil and shea butter (for richer lather), green tea and vitamin E (for their antioxidant, antibacterial and healing properties). I only use essential oils to scent because I have issues with synthetic fragrance oils. Everyone I know who uses my soap says it's great, but I don't suppose they'd tell me if they hated it, and I doubt that any of them are the connoisseurs that you guys obviously are.

So...here's the deal: I'm planning to formulate a new shaving soap after the holidays and would love input (and then critique) from you regarding the new product. I am happy to make a tallow soap once again. Are there ingredients (besides tallow) that you feel are essential in a good shaving soap? Are there scents that you would prefer? I do have some constraints as far as the process goes. What many soapmakers call "French milled" is not what is being referred to in this message thread, what they do is actually re-batching. The press milling process is not something that I have the production capabilities for right now. Thoughts and observations?

I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!!
Anne

 

[82R100]

Welcome aboard, Anne!

I see from your other posting that you were drawn in, in connection with your existing shaving soap offerings.

We have several members who make soaps of various sorts and you'll generally find people welcoming and supportive around here, including the other soapers.

You will find our tallow soap enthusiasts extremely vocal in their preference, almost to a religious extent.

My advice would be to comb through the Shaving Soap threads for a few hours to see what ground has been covered recently, particularly regarding Prairie Creations (sometimes misspelled Prarie Creations) which is run by a user named Krissy. She developed her shaving soap formulation over the course of the summer and, I believe, is the sole hobby soaper that produces a predominantly tallow-based soap right now.

- Chris

 

[asbloom]

Thanks Chris! As it turns out, I was completely schooled on another B&B thread for the photos I took of my shaving sets. Live and learn. I will read up, as you suggested, and continue to refine and improve my product. Meringue lather is the goal and advice is welcomed!
Anne

 

[SmoovD]

[I believe this reply actually belongs in this thread]

Wormhole alert?

Welcome to B&B, Anne. I look forward to following your soap creations. Keep us posted.

 

[RichGem]

Belated welcome since we sort of already met in another thread.

Lots of luck in your endeavor.

 

[WhosYerBob]

So...here's the deal: I'm planning to formulate a new shaving soap after the holidays and would love input (and then critique) from you regarding the new product. I am happy to make a tallow soap once again. Are there ingredients (besides tallow) that you feel are essential in a good shaving soap? Are there scents that you would prefer? I do have some constraints as far as the process goes. What many soapmakers call "French milled" is not what is being referred to in this message thread, what they do is actually re-batching. The press milling process is not something that I have the production capabilities for right now. Thoughts and observations?

Anne, welcome to the lather lovers forum (shaving - what's that? ).

I'm game for your effort, so here are my responses to your questions:

- My preference is for beef tallow to be the first (main) ingredient, period. From there I've also liked other soaps that had different types of clay or talc for blade slip, shea butter, lanolin, aloe and essential oils of varying amounts in the mix. Other oil considerations might be to avoid coconut, as I've read of some forum members here having a severe sensitivity to it.

- I like a wide variety of scents including floral (but not too girly), spicy (but not too heavy), citrusy (not too fruity), fern and wood, bay rum, strong & masculine, light & fresh, etc. I don't care for scents that are duplicates of the "ocean fresh" and similar ilk that seem to be the rage at the drugstore these days. Of more importance is that it not interfere with the scent I put on as aftershave or cologne, so the scent should dissipate rather quickly unless you offer other products as a family.

- I'm unaware of any of the artisan soap makers here having the capability to produce French milled products. Poured or melted appears to be the only choice available.

- I went the tallow soap route because my facial skin is *extremely* sensitive. Canned shaving goop acts like acid on my skin and causes it to blotch, crack and peel with just one shave - like a chemical burn. Most of the quality shaving creams I've tried burn before the blade ever touches my face; vegetable soaps are better, but they just don't match the sugary goodness of a top-shelf tallow soap. I've found that natural or organic ingredients (including the fragrance) are dynamite for me, and the shorter the list of ingredients the better I fare.

Is that enough to get you started?

 

[michiganlover]

Belated welcome since we sort of already met in another thread.

Lots of luck in your endeavor.

I met her in the other thread too. In fact it was my posting of the photos from her site that drew her to the board.

Anne, welcome to the board.

While I don't want to discourage your efforts, I think you will find the field to be quite competitive.

We already have several top quality products, that are reasonably priced.

It never hurts to add another into the mix, as each soap is unique.

As you have found, the gentlemen of this board expect top notch products, whatever you come up with will have to be at least as good as the top quality products our other vendors are currently supplying us.

Here are a few websites of well known vendors, just so you can get a feel for your "competition".

Mamma Bear Soaps

Susie's Bubbles

Prairie Creations

Saint Charles Shave

The Shave Den

~John~

 

[Mama Bear]

Don't let them fool ya Ann.. these guys are so hungry for info there is plenty of room here..

There is so much to learn and to share in return here.. this is a wonderful place with a really incredible bunch of fantastic people.. Welcome!!

 

[blackfoot]

Welcome. I really don't know enough yet to be giving advice, but I look forward hearing more. I have already learned a lot from ones developing their own soap.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

Welcome Anne!

I'm glad you're here!

You know I really don't have enough shaving soap...

 

[Mama Bear]

You know I really don't have enough shaving soap...

coughcoughchokelmaocough

Blackfoot.. the folks on this board know more about soap than.. well.. let's just leave it at that.. and we will keep educating each other... deal?

See what I mean Ann?

 

[Sue]

Hi Anna,
A warm welcome. You'll have many answers to your questions and a lot of help. Best of luck to you!
Sue
ps....I am happy your name is not Sue

 

[RichGem]

Hi Anna,
A warm welcome. You'll have many answers to your questions and a lot of help. Best of luck to you!
Sue
ps....I am happy your name is not Sue

Wait...isn't that some kinda law around here?

 

[DunEdinRanger]

coughcoughchokelmaocough

Blackfoot.. the folks on this board know more about soap than.. well.. let's just leave it at that.. and we will keep educating each other... deal?

See what I mean Ann?

Something went down the wrong way, Sue?

 

[blackfoot]

coughcoughchokelmaocough

Blackfoot.. the folks on this board know more about soap than.. well.. let's just leave it at that.. and we will keep educating each other... deal?

See what I mean Ann?

Deal!

 

[Mama Bear]

Something went down the wrong way, Sue?

Why no... but as one of your pushers er.. enablers.. .. er.... soap suppliers I keep it all confidential anyway... I know nuttin.. so.. how much soap you got anyway?


You know I love ya right? lol

 

[Sue]

Wait...isn't that some kinda law around here?

What's your middle name Anna?

 

[RichGem]

Why no... but as one of your pushers er.. enablers.. .. er.... soap suppliers I keep it all confidential anyway... I know nuttin.. so.. how much soap you got anyway?

 

[krissy]

Welcome to the forum Anne,

If you want testers for your future recipes that your going to come up with you can find plenty around here. They know what they are talking about when it comes to lather and they know what they like. And believe me when i tell you they can be brutally honest which is how it should be in it's early stages when it's still..... lets just say.... not right.


Good Luck !!!!

krissy

 

[DunEdinRanger]

Why no... but as one of your pushers er.. enablers.. .. er.... soap suppliers I keep it all confidential anyway... I know nuttin.. so.. how much soap you got anyway?


You know I love ya right? lol

Let me just say this. I had to move some "summer soaps" out of the bathroom, and the replacement Brute, too. I used the Myrrh soap on Wednesday and it was so good. I could still detect faint whiffs of it late into the day.

But, Anna, don't worry, there's always room for more soap.

I know you do, Sue. Right back at you!