Preserving soap properties

[CLM54]

To preserve all the characteristics of a soap or a crop, is it advisable to scoop a small quantity of it and load the brush in a bowl vs loading directly in its container? I guess what I am asking is: does the water, after repetitive loads, causes any changes to the soap?
Thanks, Claudio

 

[rockviper]

If you like to use a sopping wet brush when loading (or even a drippy one), you will probably want to turn your soap container upside down for a few hours afterwards to let any water drain out. Otherwise, you will most likely end up with soap soup at some stage.

Many load using a damp brush after giving the knot a good squeeze to remove excess water, and that is what I do when loading a croap. The damp knot will easily pick up product and I gradually add water back into the mix when face lathering.

 

[Merle]

I have a wood chalice from Saponificio Varesino I purchased years ago. And, honestly, for the longest time, I couldn't figure out how to use it in my routine. At the start, I slathered on the puck, lathered in a bowl, and closed things up after my shave setting the container back on my shelf until its next time in the rotation. This worked and might have resulted in sloppy soapies sometime in the future.

Yet in the back of my mind, the question kept reoccurring; or maybe it was just seeing it repeated so often here in many different ways. One day a long handle spoon made for stirring tall drinks was in my hand and while looking at the back of it I had an epiphany, I could use the back like a palette knife and scrape what I'd use off the top, pasting it to the dish of my chalice. I am now a member of the tribe who keeps new pucks neat and has found all the rest of my soaps benefiting from the same process.

Not that I'll ever trade or sell the samples, but I know - except for possible moisture loss over time - most of these will be as nice tomorrow as they were the day I received them.

Whatever you choose to do, remember there really is no "wrong." The point is to enjoy however you go!

 

[Ron R]

To preserve all the characteristics of a soap or a crop, is it advisable to scoop a small quantity of it and load the brush in a bowl vs loading directly in its container? I guess what I am asking is: does the water, after repetitive loads, causes any changes to the soap?
Thanks, Claudio

Hello CLM54, if you have been scooping out some soap from a puck and placing it in the lather bowl and mixing from there that is a good way to keep your virgin soap base in good condition, that IMO is the best way. Loading from the puck and you have been doing that for years to face lather and then adding water as needed to face lather has been going on for a long time for some folks also with not a lot of issues.
Keeping a lot of excess water out of the original soap container is good idea, water that is in croaps and hard soaps has been distilled for shelf life and regular tap water is not as pure and depending where you water source is from a well or city water varies in quality.
Triple milled soaps would be Ok for loading from the puck and letting it air dry afterwards.

 

[sarimento1]

Sir Claudio! I find no difference whether loading from soap puck, cream tub or a scoop!
Enjoy your shaves!

 

[Black Adder]

I guess what I am asking is: does the water, after repetitive loads, causes any changes to the soap?
Thanks, Claudio

I honestly don't think it's an issue, especially if you're worried about the characteristics of the soap, whatever that may be. Water and soap HAVE to be together; that's how these things work!
Water can cause cracking on a hard puck, in my experience, but the soap always worked. I use croaps (Vitos) almost exclusively now, and my brush is soaked when swirling from my receptacle. I load the brush, then transfer to a scuttle. I've never had a soap go bad, nor have I needed to allow soaps to air dry. They all work fine.