Instead of tallow, Haslinger Shcafsmilch has, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Palm kernelate, and glycerine to fill the same role as tallow in the soap. Lanolin is still just an addition for the skin benefits. It's a good soap.
Tallow vs Lanolin vs Tallow/Lanolin - does it matter? Are Beef fat/Bison Fat/Duck Fat more or less the same? Silk?
- Thread starter desrgrl
- Start date
Yes, that (the stickiness) is my personal experience though with a LEA shaving stick containing lanolin.
Of course, I have many other creams (not related to shaving) containing lanolin that are sticky, but I want them to be for the purpose that they are serving.
Imho, lanolin in a shaving soap can definitely work for people (as attested to by many members here), it is just that my personal experience with one shaving soap has not been all that great; I want soaps that I can completely rinse off my face.
Nothing beats unicorn tallow
, but it is hard to come by.Sheeps’ milk, lanolin, or tallow by itself is not a guarantor of good performance.
I am not even bothered too much if a soap manufacturer switches from tallow to tallow-free, like Haslinger did a few years back, but for some it’s the bee’s knees.
For me, the proof of the pudding is in the eating - and the proof of the shaving soap is in the shave…
B.
The "Declaration", is refered to as a tallow based soap. "Caties Bubbles" is a glycerin based soap. It's good to try both to see which one you like. There's no reason why you can't like both.
And never let any one talk you out of "Arko", it's a good tallow based soap.
Have Fun!
A five year supply for $80 USD. Just stir in your favorite scent.
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- #26
Mitchell's is a bit more than I want to pay, and some people like it but find it fussy to get going (everyone's mmv, but since soap/lathering is not my strong point, I didn't want to pay that price and find out I was useless with it. Part of the appeal of Sterling's Sheep (which was on my short list until last night), was that it seemed like a more affordable alternative.
Unlike a sizabe group of B&B people, I don't want a soap for every day of the week, every week of the year, and special ones on holidays, for a total of not needing to buy again until Lil Nas X is Lil Nas Z and plinking tunes on a ukelele from his rocking chair. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
I decided to drop Sheep, in part because the Declaration Grooming I was looking at has tallow, lanolin, milk, glycerin, and gods quantities of various oils and butters. So, Catie's Bubbles was the opposite with no animal products/by-products. I figured it made a good 'both ends of the spectrum' buy, and plus, the Catie's Bubbles being in a large tub appealed to me. Also going a bit apart on scents. DG is Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli with a rose and spice scent, and Catie's '95 Liquid Labels that has a citrus/apples/fresh scent.
I'm babbling on, as I so often do. It's good to get the recommendation for Sheep, as I've tucked on the wishlist over at Top of the Chain, for future possibilities. Thanks.
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- #27
Someone was already chatting up the pros of bacon fat. Also, one of the one's I'm thinking of has Bison Tallow, I think that is the la-ti-da end of the spectrum in tallow. Decisions, decisions.
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- #28
So long as the proof of the soap isn't in the eating, I'm all good.Nothing beats unicorn tallow
Sheeps’ milk, lanolin, or tallow by itself is not a guarantor of good performance.
I am not even bothered too much if a soap manufacturer switches from tallow to tallow-free, like Haslinger did a few years back, but for some it’s the bee’s knees.
For me, the proof of the pudding is in the eating - and the proof of the shaving soap is in the shave…
B.
I hear there are razors made of unicorn horn, but I think its a myth.
My thought was that the margins of pros/cons wouldn't be that big, and that there would be a lot of ymmv, but it was worth asking, for example, I would have never thought that lanolin could cause a reaction (I won't have that worry, as I've used lanolin hand creams on plenty of occassions), just one of those 'good to know' things that one might not have even thought of.
The listing of 'sodium hydroxide' and/or 'potassium hydroxide' after tallow, indicates absence of tallow (and presence of "tallowate" soap salt).
OTOH, lanolin (a wax), if listed, is present.
As far as eating goes leaf fat, that from around the kidneys, is superior to belly fat but I doubt there is any real difference when used in soap whether it is pork (lard) beef (tallow) or sheep (suet). Suet has a bit of scent which I don’t care for. Lanolin is the oil from sheep’s wool and is or was used in canned shave foam and as
An additive in some soaps.
I don't think that is completely correct. My understanding is that potassium hydroxide is a more refined version of "pot ash". In the old days, "ashes from a fire". It was added to rendered tallow to balance the P.H. and make it a usable soap. But doesn't replace tallow. If I'm wrong I apologize.
The main difference between potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide is that the former tends to make a slightly softer soap. But (given sufficient amounts) either/both can completely transform tallow into something entirely different molecularly (i.e. soap salts + glycerin).
I think that's what I said? Maybe
This is incorrect. The tallow is actually consumed in a chemical reaction called saponification.
Fat + Alkalai -> Soap + Glycerin
Fats could be of animal or plant origin. Alkalai is usually some combination of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. Soap is chemically speaking a salt. Glycerin is a byproduct.
Soap when produced is normally alkaline.
What I was pointing out in a nutshell is.
Without sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, or potash,
tallow is grease not soap.
Without fats, animal or vegetable, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are caustic
chemicals that can eat skin. The combo along with a few other things, very few, make soap.
I have made, and helped others make enough soap from traditional ingredients that I know the
practicle application. But just enough of the chemistry to be dangerous.
I think we're saying the same thing differently.
Without sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, or potash,
tallow is grease not soap.
Without fats, animal or vegetable, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are caustic
chemicals that can eat skin. The combo along with a few other things, very few, make soap.
I have made, and helped others make enough soap from traditional ingredients that I know the
practicle application. But just enough of the chemistry to be dangerous.
I think we're saying the same thing differently.
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- #36
I need the tiniest bit about soap, and more in general terms, so nice to get a bit more of the chemistry. Always good to be more informed, then less, when reading ingredient labels. Also, by this time of the conversation, I cannot resist...(ps - I have no idea if the information is correct, but it was a great scene in the film, and a great sub plot in the book).
I have tried a lot of soaps, over 200 of them. Some of my soaps have been tallow based, some vegan based. The tallow soaps include beef, pork, lamb, bison, and duck fats. The vegans include stearic acid based, palmitic acid based, and glycerin based. There are superb tallow soaps, mediocre tallow soaps, and poor tallow soaps. When it comes to vegan soaps, I have found that those based on stearic acid usually perform better than those based on palm oil (palmitic acid) or glycerin.
To me, the key to quality is more about the talent of the soapmaker producing the soaps than the specific source of the fatty acids used. There are some soapmakers that are still using the same formula they have used for many years. Some soapmakers have altered their formulations to make them less expensive to produce, sometimes sacrificing performance. The soapmakers I favor are those who are working constantly to improve the quality of their products.
Lanolin is a waxy substance from sheep (not a fat) that is used to condition the skin. However, there are many ingredients that can be used to provide similar benefits. That is where the knowledge and skill of the soapmaker comes into play.
To me, the key to quality is more about the talent of the soapmaker producing the soaps than the specific source of the fatty acids used. There are some soapmakers that are still using the same formula they have used for many years. Some soapmakers have altered their formulations to make them less expensive to produce, sometimes sacrificing performance. The soapmakers I favor are those who are working constantly to improve the quality of their products.
Lanolin is a waxy substance from sheep (not a fat) that is used to condition the skin. However, there are many ingredients that can be used to provide similar benefits. That is where the knowledge and skill of the soapmaker comes into play.
Catie's Bubbles? Seriously? If you want to try a slick vegan soap grab a puck of Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements CK-6 in whatever scent strikes your fancy. You can pay me later.
That would be a shame to disqualify such a great soap due to the ingredients list. And its quite inexpensive to try.
CK6 is awesome stuff.
I believe Omnibus base by B&M is vegan too. That stuff is amazing.
I don't care what ingredients are in a soap, as long as there is nothing unethical in there. I just care that it works. And how it smells. And how it makes my face feel afterwards.
I'm trying to decide which new soap to use tomorrow.. B&M or Fitjar Islands....