PH Levels of shave products I use. PH scale 1>6(Acidic) 7 neutral(distilled water) 8-14(Alkaline).

[Ron R]

Actually the pH of 8-10 of bar soap and shave soap is inherent to the process of making soap. You use lye which is highly alkaline and then you use that to saponify fats/oils. The alkalinity decreases as the reaction happens and once all the lye has reacted with the oil lye you end up in the 8-10 range of pH value. It is just what it is. Remember how they always said that lye soap is harsh on the skin. That comes from when you do not have good control of the amounts to use and there is left over lye in the soap. If that happens you end up with a harsh soap, because it is more than 10 in pH i.e too alkaline.

Now if you take a non lye based "soap" like CeraVe, Dove men+care, VDH shave soap, Col Conk shave soap etc the pH can be whatever they adjusted it to. In most cases they probably keep it pretty close to neutral pH 7. A bit acidic as in CeraVe's case.

Well I came to learn something and I have never made soap so thanks for thoughts on soap making. So lye is used to siphon off oils and fats to start process and then wanted oils are added afterwards for scents and lubrication is my thinking.
Some soaps use Vegan base and then add oils for fragrance or for better lather qualities, I'm not sure if I got that right?

 

[blethenstrom]

Well I came to learn something and I have never made soap so thanks for thoughts on soap making. So lye is used to siphon off oils and fats to start process and then wanted oils are added afterwards for scents and lubrication is my thinking.
Some soaps use Vegan base and then add oils for fragrance or for better lather qualities, I'm not sure if I got that right?

Actually the lye reacts with the oils and fats. Sometimes they add stuff afterwards if they want to control the leftover oils. You can also have a bit more oil than the lye will react to and will therefore leave some oil behind after the reaction is complete. this leftover oil is sometimes referred to superfat. It also serves as a safety buffer if your measurements are not quite right so you are less likely to end up with a lye heavy soap. Of course it helps the skin feel good too. Sometimes fragrance is added before saponification as the reaction is called or after. Depends a little on which method you use.

Vegan soaps use only oils that from plants like palm oil, stearic acid (which also is derived from palm and other oils), coconut oil, castor oil etc etc. Of course in a tallow soap you use tallow. It is actually the types of acids that is in the oils that give the soap its characteristic. Stearic acid, Oleic acid, Palmitic acid, Linoleic acid etc etc. The oils have a mix of these and the overall mixture determine the characteristics and if the soap is bubbly lathering, conditioning, creamy lather, how hard and long lasting it will be etc etc. the key is to have the right mixture for your intended purpose of the soap.

I make my own shave soap and bath bar soap for home use and have done so for a while. It is not really hard to do and you can adjust the recipes to what you like. The only problem with it is that even a small batch of 500g oils for shave soap lasts a LONG time and I want to make more soap That is like making a 1/2 brick of Cella every time. I've had my fair share of failures while experimenting as well too.

 

[Ron R]

Actually the lye reacts with the oils and fats. Sometimes they add stuff afterwards if they want to control the leftover oils. You can also have a bit more oil than the lye will react to and will therefore leave some oil behind after the reaction is complete. this leftover oil is sometimes referred to superfat. It also serves as a safety buffer if your measurements are not quite right so you are less likely to end up with a lye heavy soap. Of course it helps the skin feel good too. Sometimes fragrance is added before saponification as the reaction is called or after. Depends a little on which method you use.

Vegan soaps use only oils that from plants like palm oil, stearic acid (which also is derived from palm and other oils), coconut oil, castor oil etc etc. Of course in a tallow soap you use tallow. It is actually the types of acids that is in the oils that give the soap its characteristic. Stearic acid, Oleic acid, Palmitic acid, Linoleic acid etc etc. The oils have a mix of these and the overall mixture determine the characteristics and if the soap is bubbly lathering, conditioning, creamy lather, how hard and long lasting it will be etc etc. the key is to have the right mixture for your intended purpose of the soap.

I make my own shave soap and bath bar soap for home use and have done so for a while. It is not really hard to do and you can adjust the recipes to what you like. The only problem with it is that even a small batch of 500g oils for shave soap lasts a LONG time and I want to make more soap That is like making a 1/2 brick of Cella every time. I've had my fair share of failures while experimenting as well too.

WoW, I'm glad you wrote that excellent review on soap making from some one with hands on experiences. Some soaps have to cure for weeks out of the mold in open air is what I understand to let the process go through its curing cycle giving its proper texture or hardness and properly other characteristics we all enjoy in a fine soap is another understanding I kind of heard briefly from a person who makes soaps on Youtube (Don Younger).

 

[blethenstrom]

WoW, I'm glad you wrote that excellent review on soap making from some one with hands on experiences. Some soaps have to cure for weeks out of the mold in open air is what I understand to let the process go through its curing cycle giving its proper texture or hardness and properly other characteristics we all enjoy in a fine soap is another understanding I kind of heard briefly from a person who makes soaps on Youtube (Don Younger).

I'm so happy that I could be of assistance. I'm just a hobby soap maker. Soaps are cured for two reasons. One is to let the saponification finish which only take a day or two. The other is to let the left over water evaporate. This makes the soap harder and last longer. This is what can take 4-6 weeks or so.

 

[Jay21]

Boris is the soap whisperer.

 

[Ron R]

SOTD, Wednesday, February 7th 2024, Razorock Santa Marie del Fiore is a nice Vanilla with light tobacco scented soap with some of the best lather qualities with little effort, the Santa Marie del Fiore aftershave has a stronger scent of the Tobacco when dried down than the Vanilla that I enjoy with the soap, the SMMF splash has a lot staying linear strength when dried down if a person likes sweet tobacco scent more.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD, Friday, February 9th 2024. Today using my favorite Lavender soap and nice scented RR King Louis Lavender splash.
This soap when first bought I thought it was ok but the more I used it the more I found it enjoyable to use, it has a masculine dark scent of lavender and on my 3rd tub that is almost done + has excellent lather qualities. Razorock stopped stocking it(obsolete) for now. The King Louis lavender has a wonderful fleeting scent that is great also + it has a slight menthol kick to it.
It is a bit acidic compared to other splashes with the Razorock line of aftershaves.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD shave products PH levels. Sunday February 11th 2024.
The Nivea refreshing aftershave lotion that I must of gone through 2 or 3 bottles over the the last 7 years has a real pleasant scent that does not last long but while it does it is wonderful to finish a shave with. When Aftershave lotion was applied to litmus paper it went light green or neutral(7) and it seemed to change to what we are seeing slightly acidic and by the time I got around to photograph it .
The La Toja stick soap is slightly alkaline, it has a very light smoke scent from manufacturing with excellent lather qualities. Great shaving products that work well for most folks.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD shave products PH levels, Tuesday, February 13th 2024.
I always enjoy using this soap and splash, The soap has a natural freshness that is uniquely scented like a walk in nature some where + can be addictive IMO. The soap is made for Yaqi by Master soap creations S. Africa for the Yaqi line of soaps and fragrances. The splash is compared to LaCoste essential green cologne by Yaqi web site at one time. I really like this fragrance and has some staying strength that is not offensive by any description I can think of, you will more than likely apply some more just to enjoy it has been my experiences. "The Green" seems to be in normal PH range comparing to other shave soaps and aftershaves IMO.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD shave products PH levels, Friday, February 16th 2024. Razorock XXX Fresco slightly mentholated, if a person this one might be a good purchase for those folks likes some nice unique clean scented soap like the original RR XXX but with a boosted mentholated kick on hot summer days (I use RR XXX Fresco all year round) .
The RR XXX Fresco splash is similar for scent wise and fragrance seems to last for a while also + linear mostly for scent strength not fading to another scent when applied, I enjoy them both for some great shaving results + enjoyment. PH levels seem in normal range (8-10 for soap) with the herd of other shave products tested so far which is a pattern I have noticed and other folks have mentioned already who make their own soaps for a PH common range level.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD shave products PH levels, Friday, February 17th 2024. The Yaqi Musketeer rapier soap is one of my better soaps when it comes to scent. Yaqi(MSC,S.Africa) have made a soap that is wonderful to create lather and the lather has some excellent lather qualities. I like to apply to my bowl in the evening and when I shave in the morning it has addictive fragrance to enjoy while preparing the shave.
The Yaqi Musketeer rapier splash is a notch up in scent strength than the soap and is similar to Aramis original cologne is what Yaqi suggests, all I know it is addictive to me and wished that Yaqi would bring out a Musketeer rapier cologne so it would be longer lasting. It is not a sweet scent but more a on the sour Masculine side fragrance wise like Musk splashes should be I'm thinking.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD shave products PH levels, February 19th 2024.
The Speick stick soap is another well made soap from Germany, it has a light spicy scent with Lavender added. The lather qualities are some of the best I have used and being triple milled it lasts a long time has been my conclusion.
The Ach Brito Lavanda cologne splash is a nice scented splash and has some staying strength + also has some nice Lavender that is calming to a person, if a person finds this a offensive fragrance they must be a whining for something to do
because it is not unless folks are allergic to nice milder scents IMO.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD shave products PH levels, February 22th 2024.
I have been looking forward to using my Razorock "The Dead Sea" soap in my rotation and have always enjoyed using it because of the fragrance and lather qualities. I like to put some in the bowl in the evening for my morning shave and when entering the shave den the scent projects nicely in the bathroom. It has a nice unique scent that is addictive and enjoyable + Ph level is just above neutral at 8 & that makes it even better for folks with sensitive skin possibly IMO.
The Razorock "The Dead Sea" splash even rewards the user with a very similar scent to the soap, the splash has some lasting power and I just enjoy it after a nice shave like this morning. It is nice to spoil yourself once in a while!

Have some great shaves!

 

[sarimento1]

Outstanding thread! Thanks for doing the research and posting! If you have, try some MdC soap! (Suspect slightly alkaline!)

 

[Ron R]

Outstanding thread! Thanks for doing the research and posting! If you have, try some MdC soap! (Suspect slightly alkaline!)

Sorry, I do not have any Martin de Candre (AKA = MdC) soap but maybe some one has a litmus test strip and could do a test for us.
I thought my Tabac soap would be more alkaline but it seems around 9 on the scale provided which seems normal on the PH scale for most shave soaps of 8-9 so far.

 

[sarimento1]

Sorry, I do not have any Martin de Candre (AKA = MdC) soap but maybe some one has a litmus test strip and could do a test for us.
I thought my Tabac soap would be more alkaline but it seems around 9 on the scale provided which seems normal on the PH scale for most shave soaps of 8-9 so far.

Ron, PM me and I can send you a MdC sample!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD shave products PH levels, February 24th 2024.
The Ogallala Bayrum and Sandalwood soap has a pinkish color(at least mine does) with a great Bayrum scent(some clove) with that sweet Sandalwood base note. The lather qualities are great as most soaps once you figure out the water to soap ratio. The lather can be fluffy to thick depending on operator desire. I find natural hair or synthetic brushes work well, I always wet my face applying any lather and Ogallala Bayrum never disappoints me it seems.
If a person likes Bayrum with Sandalwood splash you might want to try the Ogallala brand. This has a nice Bayrum with some clove + Sandalwood, it has unique scent of Bayrum and as it dries down the Sandalwood kind of shines IMO as it sweetens the fragrance some what. The scent has some staying linear strength also and I use this splash with other sandal wood soaps a lot.
The Geo F Trumper sandalwood skin food is a interesting product also and it dries down quickly with a slight mild apricot sandalwood sweet scent to my nose anyways, nice scent but not a herbal type fragrance that some folks enjoy.
The PH levels of these products seem normal or better comparing to other shave products I tested so far for sensitive skin folks who might want to know!

Have some great shaves!

 

[kingfisher]

I know what I have learned from this thread... Ron has a LOT more soaps than I do!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD shave products PH levels, February 26th 2024.

Today I'm using my Razorock Irish Countryside products and to be honest when I first tried this soap I was not over whelmed but as I used it more I realized this soap generates some of the best lather of all my soaps for creamy rich thicker lather and the scent is very nice as you use it more. (I'm on my 2nd tub) .
I can say that the RR Countryside splash or aftershave is almost cologne like for fragrance in longevity that is linear(does not change much) the scent compliments the soap and is not a loud scent IMO. Razorock claims it mimics Irish Creed cologne scent and I enjoy using it. I do not like overly loud scents that drive every one out a room and find this comfortable to use and enjoyable.
The Ph levels seem to be in a normal range for soap and aftershave levels I have tested so far.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

SOTD shave products PH levels, February 28th 2024.

Today I had the urge to use my Cyril R Salter Wild Rose, temperature here this morning was -20C so smelling roses is a refreshing future thought that beats the cold. The cream has a reddish tinge color to start the shave and scent is strong 6-7/10 strength and its just a nice change. The lather is top notch and easy to generate with a synthetic brush and the texture is a nice cream feel to the face IMO.
Italian barber Amici splash is a such a nice fragrance when first applied but seems to flee quickly in scent strength but it is meant for the person who wants to enjoy his or hers shave. Amici splash is obsolete for now & this is my 3rd bottle and last one more than likely. The scent top note is similar to red grapefruit but reminds me of grapefruit bubble gum when I was a kid for some reason( brings back some nice memory's).
I think Italian barber was looking for a artesian to make the Amici splash at one time because of covid problems shipping products world wide. PH levels seem to be normal comparing to other shave products so far. Amici seems to be almost neutral(7) on the PH scale which is great.