Folks,
If may have seen this post from Bob (beginish) in the Shaving Cream section:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/476242-Stone-Cottage-Soapworks-Shaving-Cream-Review
Thanks again to Bob for his sincere review of my shaving cream and for your interest in this topic.
I began to study shaving cream in 2004 and I started by collecting the ingredients lists for about 30 shaving cream products that were available at that time. I grouped them according to category beginning with soap-based creams, then soap/synthetic surfactant creams and finally totally synthetic based products. This enabled me to then decide upon my approach and since I had experienced many of the British creams firsthand from my many trips to the U.K. that was the product I decided to emulate.
I started searching online, in old soapmaking books, U.S. Patent and other Patent sites from around the world as well as from Cosmetic Chemistry formularies and books. I began to see patterns emerge and to see that basic structure and approaches that had been used over the past 100 to 150 years. The creams we know today as the "British creams" were made here in the U.S. as well but became out of favour when the aerosol can was invented. Fortunately, they are still being made in the U.K. and have come back into favour here in the U.S. and have a resurgence in the male market!
I took copious notes, read and bought every soapmaking and cosmetic chemistry book I could get my hands on and thoroughly entrenched myself in the process of making shaving cream. I finally came up with a formula which I tried and made some adjustments and refinements as time passed. I am fortunate to have several friends who are cosmetic chemists who were generous with their time and knowledge to help me with this and other projects! The project was put on hold during the time we bought our new building, totally renovated it and readied for opening but I didn't waste any time after we settled in and began work again on the project and finally worked out the techniques involved with taking a sample batch and translating it into what was required to make much larger production batches! Minor adjustments has to be made but by the second or third batch everything fell into place.
In Bob's post it became obvious that Bob seems to understand the subtleties in this kind of product and what I was attempting to accomplish and I was thrilled when I read "Doesn't it look more like the tub creams you get from Trumper, DR Harris, Truefitt & Hill or St. James of London?" as this was my goal and to compare the Fougere scent to Penhaligon's was icing on the cake as my very first purchase in the Penhaligon's Covent Garden Store over 20 years ago was their "English Fern" and it was that which I was trying to emulate! I am very grateful!
I have many projects in the planning stages for 2016 and I look forward one of them which will be... Shaving Soap! I have an earlier version that I am using every day and I made it over 6 months ago and still have quite a bit left in my container and a huge "stash" in a container awaiting my attention!
Thanks for letting me share a little more about my shaving cream and my approach and if you have any questions, fell free to ask and I will be happy to answer to the best of my ability!
Thanks again to you all for your support!
If may have seen this post from Bob (beginish) in the Shaving Cream section:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/476242-Stone-Cottage-Soapworks-Shaving-Cream-Review
Thanks again to Bob for his sincere review of my shaving cream and for your interest in this topic.
I began to study shaving cream in 2004 and I started by collecting the ingredients lists for about 30 shaving cream products that were available at that time. I grouped them according to category beginning with soap-based creams, then soap/synthetic surfactant creams and finally totally synthetic based products. This enabled me to then decide upon my approach and since I had experienced many of the British creams firsthand from my many trips to the U.K. that was the product I decided to emulate.
I started searching online, in old soapmaking books, U.S. Patent and other Patent sites from around the world as well as from Cosmetic Chemistry formularies and books. I began to see patterns emerge and to see that basic structure and approaches that had been used over the past 100 to 150 years. The creams we know today as the "British creams" were made here in the U.S. as well but became out of favour when the aerosol can was invented. Fortunately, they are still being made in the U.K. and have come back into favour here in the U.S. and have a resurgence in the male market!
I took copious notes, read and bought every soapmaking and cosmetic chemistry book I could get my hands on and thoroughly entrenched myself in the process of making shaving cream. I finally came up with a formula which I tried and made some adjustments and refinements as time passed. I am fortunate to have several friends who are cosmetic chemists who were generous with their time and knowledge to help me with this and other projects! The project was put on hold during the time we bought our new building, totally renovated it and readied for opening but I didn't waste any time after we settled in and began work again on the project and finally worked out the techniques involved with taking a sample batch and translating it into what was required to make much larger production batches! Minor adjustments has to be made but by the second or third batch everything fell into place.
In Bob's post it became obvious that Bob seems to understand the subtleties in this kind of product and what I was attempting to accomplish and I was thrilled when I read "Doesn't it look more like the tub creams you get from Trumper, DR Harris, Truefitt & Hill or St. James of London?" as this was my goal and to compare the Fougere scent to Penhaligon's was icing on the cake as my very first purchase in the Penhaligon's Covent Garden Store over 20 years ago was their "English Fern" and it was that which I was trying to emulate! I am very grateful!
I have many projects in the planning stages for 2016 and I look forward one of them which will be... Shaving Soap! I have an earlier version that I am using every day and I made it over 6 months ago and still have quite a bit left in my container and a huge "stash" in a container awaiting my attention!
Thanks for letting me share a little more about my shaving cream and my approach and if you have any questions, fell free to ask and I will be happy to answer to the best of my ability!
Thanks again to you all for your support!