- Thread starter
- #161
Looks like a really nice lather to me. Nice job 
Homemade Shaving Soap Discussion Club
- Thread starter AndroiDad75
- Start date
If any of our new/old Canadian brethren are looking for a fun WS diversion, check out B&B's Canadian Passaround!
http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=404428
http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=404428
Would anyone consider a homemade soap passaround? Everyone throws a bunch of small samples in a bag, with the recipe, and they send it to "Bob". "Bob" organizes the list and ships it off. You could grab any of the samples that you wanted to try. Ship it off to the next guy, and post reviews and lather pics.
- Thread starter
- #164
I love this idea. Work has been nuts, so I haven't had a chance to make a batch yet. This would get me motivated.
I've been kicking the idea around for awhile. I've never made any, but I would love to sample a few of the recipes that have been mentioned around here.
So I finally got around to getting a couple products made yesterday. I got a request for a custom scented shave soap and some pre-shave oil and some aftershave milk. And here it is:
The pre-shave and aftershave milk
The pre-shave and aftershave milk
Here is the soap being made
Fats being melted
Saponification begins
Testing whether there is still active lye using 1% phenolphthalein solution.
Cooking the batch
The finished batch
This was a small batch at 16 ounces. One for the guy that originally requested it, one for me, one for my best buddy and the other smaller container may be used for travel or to get someone else hooked on wet shaving
Fats being melted
Saponification begins
Testing whether there is still active lye using 1% phenolphthalein solution.
Cooking the batch
The finished batch
This was a small batch at 16 ounces. One for the guy that originally requested it, one for me, one for my best buddy and the other smaller container may be used for travel or to get someone else hooked on wet shaving
- Thread starter
- #168
driftwood,
That looks great. If you don't mind sharing your formulas it would be great.
Either way awesome work.
That looks great. If you don't mind sharing your formulas it would be great.
Either way awesome work.
I'll have to pull the recipe, but before I share ill test it a few times to make sure it's actually worth sharing. There are a lot of sub-par "shaving" soap recipes out there and I don't want to add to that pile. I'll try and take a couple of lather pictures as well tonight and post them.
- Thread starter
- #170
Thanks driftwood!!
Also, if you want to share your milk/AS recipes I am sure many here would like those as well. Again, only if you feel comfortable.
Also, if you want to share your milk/AS recipes I am sure many here would like those as well. Again, only if you feel comfortable.
Well my lather photography skills leave a lot to be desired! At any rate here are the only two that turned out. I may bowl lather tomorrow as I face lathered tonight and that's not really conducive to taking lather pics.
This was after applying the first pass lather.
I'll get the soap recipe up for you fine gentleman this weekend at some point (provided my kids allow me the time!). I'll also throw up the milk and pre-shave oil recipes at the same time.
Thanks again Android for starting this awesome thread and your kind words.
This was after applying the first pass lather.
I'll get the soap recipe up for you fine gentleman this weekend at some point (provided my kids allow me the time!). I'll also throw up the milk and pre-shave oil recipes at the same time.
Thanks again Android for starting this awesome thread and your kind words.
So here are some better lather pictures, I bowl lathered up a batch to make photography easier.
I'm also happy to announce that I have been contacted by a local hair salon and they want to start carrying my products (bath soaps, shampoo bars, shaving products, etc). I've also created a sore muscle spray (kinda like a sprays me A5-35) and am working on a sunscreen. Anyway I'm super excited and having a location may very well launch this as a small business for me, provided the reception is good.
Anyway here are the lather pictures and the recipes for the soap, pre-shave, and milk.
The soap recipe:
(16 oz batch)
6oz water
3.4oz KOH
70% Stearic Acid
15% coconut Oil
2% kokum Butter
3% lanolin
5% aloe butter
5% castor Oil
1/2 tsp kanolin clay
Fragrance to suit
Pre-Shave oil:
33% grape seed oil
33% hempseed oil
33% almond oil
1% sodium lactate
Fragrance to suit
Aftershave Milk
75% witch hazel
15% alcohol
2% sodium lactate (percentage if total weight of recipe)
10% aloe juice
.5% allantoin (percentage of total weight)
2% menthol crystals (percentage if total weight)
Polysorbate 20 and essential oils (the amount of polysorbate 20 will be determined by how much essential oil is in your final product)
So there you have it guys. Hopefully if nothing else these recipes act as a launching pad for you to craft your own custom recipes. I hope you find them helpful and ill do my best to answer any questions you may have, keeping in mind I'm not a chemist by trade and I know some of you have a much firmer grasp of the chemistry side of this hobby than I.
Cheers folks, and happy soaping.
EDIT: please, please, please, if you use my recipe run the recipe through soapcalc. No one is perfect and a single typo (I used my phone to post this post) can through off the lye/water ratio and you could, at worst, end up with caustic soap.
I'm also happy to announce that I have been contacted by a local hair salon and they want to start carrying my products (bath soaps, shampoo bars, shaving products, etc). I've also created a sore muscle spray (kinda like a sprays me A5-35) and am working on a sunscreen. Anyway I'm super excited and having a location may very well launch this as a small business for me, provided the reception is good.
Anyway here are the lather pictures and the recipes for the soap, pre-shave, and milk.
The soap recipe:
(16 oz batch)
6oz water
3.4oz KOH
70% Stearic Acid
15% coconut Oil
2% kokum Butter
3% lanolin
5% aloe butter
5% castor Oil
1/2 tsp kanolin clay
Fragrance to suit
Pre-Shave oil:
33% grape seed oil
33% hempseed oil
33% almond oil
1% sodium lactate
Fragrance to suit
Aftershave Milk
75% witch hazel
15% alcohol
2% sodium lactate (percentage if total weight of recipe)
10% aloe juice
.5% allantoin (percentage of total weight)
2% menthol crystals (percentage if total weight)
Polysorbate 20 and essential oils (the amount of polysorbate 20 will be determined by how much essential oil is in your final product)
So there you have it guys. Hopefully if nothing else these recipes act as a launching pad for you to craft your own custom recipes. I hope you find them helpful and ill do my best to answer any questions you may have, keeping in mind I'm not a chemist by trade and I know some of you have a much firmer grasp of the chemistry side of this hobby than I.
Cheers folks, and happy soaping.
EDIT: please, please, please, if you use my recipe run the recipe through soapcalc. No one is perfect and a single typo (I used my phone to post this post) can through off the lye/water ratio and you could, at worst, end up with caustic soap.
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Oh wow, I am so glad I found this thread! I began making soap just last week and am having a blast.
- Thread starter
- #174
Thanks for posting driftwood!!!
David, come on in the water's fine. I have had a crazy work schedule as of late, so I haven't been able to make a batch yet. I actually can't wait. If you don't mind sharing your formula, throw it on up there, and I will collate it into the rest. I need to get a new post showing all the different recipes anyhow.
David, come on in the water's fine. I have had a crazy work schedule as of late, so I haven't been able to make a batch yet. I actually can't wait. If you don't mind sharing your formula, throw it on up there, and I will collate it into the rest. I need to get a new post showing all the different recipes anyhow.
This is a very basic recipe. I based the ingredient list on vintage Williams.
65% Beef Tallow (rendered myself)
20% Stearic Acid
15% Coconut Oil
Lyes: 60% NaOH, 40% KOH
For 100 grams of shaving soap:
Oils
Beef Tallow 65g (65%)
Stearic Acid 20g (20%)
Coconut Oil 15g (15%)
Lye
Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) 8.5g
Potassium Hydroxie (KOH) 7.9g
Distilled Water 38.2g
I used a 5% superfat number, and set the lye concentration at 30%. On soapcalc, I ran one recipe with 100% NaOH, a second with 100% KOH, and multiplied the resulting lye and water weights by .6 and .4, accordingly.
I used hot process with a plastic screwtop container floating in water in a croc pot preheated on high. I also did a cold process batch that is curing. Haven't tried adding scents or menthol.
Based on the hot process puck I made and began using 24 hours after cooling, I am quite surprised to find this is among the best shaving soaps I've used as far as lather slickness and protection. It is very easy to load and lasts a long time. The puck is softer than I expected, perhaps due to steam seeping into the container during cooking?
My only quibble is it is a tad drying, like my experience with DR Harris Arlington and TOBS creams. I'm thinking about incorporating some lanolin in the recipe to counter that, and I would welcome suggestions. I'd like to limit the base oils to the three listed for this experiment.
65% Beef Tallow (rendered myself)
20% Stearic Acid
15% Coconut Oil
Lyes: 60% NaOH, 40% KOH
For 100 grams of shaving soap:
Oils
Beef Tallow 65g (65%)
Stearic Acid 20g (20%)
Coconut Oil 15g (15%)
Lye
Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) 8.5g
Potassium Hydroxie (KOH) 7.9g
Distilled Water 38.2g
I used a 5% superfat number, and set the lye concentration at 30%. On soapcalc, I ran one recipe with 100% NaOH, a second with 100% KOH, and multiplied the resulting lye and water weights by .6 and .4, accordingly.
I used hot process with a plastic screwtop container floating in water in a croc pot preheated on high. I also did a cold process batch that is curing. Haven't tried adding scents or menthol.
Based on the hot process puck I made and began using 24 hours after cooling, I am quite surprised to find this is among the best shaving soaps I've used as far as lather slickness and protection. It is very easy to load and lasts a long time. The puck is softer than I expected, perhaps due to steam seeping into the container during cooking?
My only quibble is it is a tad drying, like my experience with DR Harris Arlington and TOBS creams. I'm thinking about incorporating some lanolin in the recipe to counter that, and I would welcome suggestions. I'd like to limit the base oils to the three listed for this experiment.
Well? What criteria must a shave soap meet before you buy it? I realize everyone is different but I'm always curious what other people think. I find strangers give the most honest opinions, not sure there's anyone stranger than this group! Yes I've been lurking and watching some of you!
So what is it?
Cost? Smell? Ingredients? Brand Loyalty?
Go ahead and take a couple extra seconds and expand on your answer please. If you choose based on smell which smells? Ingredients? Which ones? Shea? Aloe? Coconut Oil? You all get the idea I'm sure!
To make it interesting I'll pick out two participants in the lower 48 or APO/FPO and ship out both a bath and a shave soap (hopefully something that meets your criteria!)
I'll pick winners 9/10!
So what is it?
Cost? Smell? Ingredients? Brand Loyalty?
Go ahead and take a couple extra seconds and expand on your answer please. If you choose based on smell which smells? Ingredients? Which ones? Shea? Aloe? Coconut Oil? You all get the idea I'm sure!
To make it interesting I'll pick out two participants in the lower 48 or APO/FPO and ship out both a bath and a shave soap (hopefully something that meets your criteria!)
I'll pick winners 9/10!
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When I still actively bought soaps there were three criteria.
First, is it vintage? If so, buy it.
Second, I'd go by the ingredients.
Third, if it was highly recommended and extremely cheap, even if the ingredients list didn't look good I'd buy it out of curiosity (never worked out, should have stopped at #2, Dr Harris is to this day the ONLY shave soap I've found with an ingredients list that doesn't look good to me, which is still a decent performer.).
I've detailed what I look for in ingredients lists several times in the past. Potassium Stearate in a prominent position is the most important.
Oh and pass on the pif, thanks.
First, is it vintage? If so, buy it.
Second, I'd go by the ingredients.
Third, if it was highly recommended and extremely cheap, even if the ingredients list didn't look good I'd buy it out of curiosity (never worked out, should have stopped at #2, Dr Harris is to this day the ONLY shave soap I've found with an ingredients list that doesn't look good to me, which is still a decent performer.).
I've detailed what I look for in ingredients lists several times in the past. Potassium Stearate in a prominent position is the most important.
Oh and pass on the pif, thanks.
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Now that I have tried creams, vegan soaps and tallow soaps I have a decent idea for me personally.........no 1 is slickness (really liking the tallow formulas currently) followed by scent from EO's (more natural and simple than fragrance oils for my slightly sensitive skin). Love the scents that are invigorating and will get me going during after my shave like any citrus with lavender plus some menthol for a nice face feel.
Better quality & craftsmanship with vintage?
Vintage soaps with very, very, very, very, insignificantly few exceptions were excellent performers. On par with if not exceeding the best shave soaps of today. If you don't mind a shave soap being unscented, there's little reason to use anything else in my book.
