I often use left over lather for a face wash. But today I thought I'd try just rubbing that lather into the skin without actually washing it off. It was HC&C Gunslinger, has excellent properties for the skin, but the same can be said for lots of good shaving soaps. Just wondering how many have tried this- not just using the left over lather as a wash, but actually massaging it into the skin like a balm without washing it off. If so, curious what soap you used and how it felt afterward. My little experiment actually left my face feeling quite nice.
Using a soap lather as a balm
- Thread starter den fly
- Start date
Although it may be tempting to keep some of the lather from a high-quality shaving soap with beneficial ingredients, it's generally advised not to leave soap on the skin for prolonged periods. This is because soap tends to be alkaline, while the skin's natural pH is slightly acidic. Upsetting this pH balance can result in dryness, irritation, and potential breakouts.
Nope, not gonna do it.
Soap is meant to be washed off your skin and not absorbed and left. It may be fine for a one of, but try it for a month and see if you skin is still happy.
Soap is meant to be washed off your skin and not absorbed and left. It may be fine for a one of, but try it for a month and see if you skin is still happy.
routinely i use leftover lather as restorative balm after shaving.
after rubbing it in, i then wipe all off, followed by a cool washcloth wipe/rinse, then any proper aftershave or cologne.
after rubbing it in, i then wipe all off, followed by a cool washcloth wipe/rinse, then any proper aftershave or cologne.
Uh, no
This is my process as well.
Yes, providing it's a tallow based shaving soap
Soap will dry your skin over time, and does not usually have a neutral pH, so it's better to rinse it off. Use a little bit of face lotion or cream if you need it. Something neutral and unscented like Cerave is good.
I like the way you talk.
These premium shaving formulations are superfatted with luxurious goodness. The idea that we must attempt to scrub and rinse all this goodness away is counterintuitive and doesn't make sense. My approach lately is often to rinse lightly/moderately, usually with a lather-rich rinse water. I'll often reach back into the shaving-soap tub for some hand conditioner, rubbed in with lather and water. I've also been carrying sample jars of favorite shaving soaps for hand/lip/nose (when running) balm. Croap or quasi-croap textures are ideal here.
Grooming Dept.'s Kairos SE 2023 may be the most nourishing base I've yet tried. Jabones de Joserra and MacDuffs are worth using, too, as are the Stirling sheep bases. Mammoth Tusks are nice, though fairly firmer.
I don’t understand this post at all
You're right, they are superfatted soaps, made for shaving. Once the shaving is over, they don't need to stay on the skin any longer.
There are better ways to moisturize the skin if needed.
Joe Jackson had a song lyric: "Too hard for clever folks to understand..."
Even if you consider GD soaps nourishing. Shaving soaps have PH upward of 9.
I hope this sentence makes sense: "The effect of pH on adhesion of resident skin microflora was also assessed; an acid skin pH (4-4.5) keeps the resident bacterial flora attached to the skin, whereas an alkaline pH (8-9) promotes the dispersal from the skin.
The skin's surface has a naturally acidic pH, typically between 4 and 5.5. This acidic environment helps to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria on the skin, preventing the growth of harmful pathogens. When the skin's pH becomes too alkaline, such as when it is exposed to harsh soaps or detergents, it can disrupt this balance and allow for the overgrowth of harmful bacteria. This can lead to skin infections and other problems.
Studies have shown that an acidic skin pH (4-4.5) helps to keep the resident bacterial flora attached to the skin, while an alkaline pH (8-9) promotes dispersal from the skin. This is because the acidic pH helps to create a sticky environment that makes it difficult for bacteria to detach. Additionally, the acidic pH helps to produce antimicrobial peptides, which are molecules that can kill bacteria.
I've been doing this for years, but only with the so-called superfatted soaps. After my final pass, I squeeze the lather from my brush and use it as a beard mask while I clean my brush. I then squeegee off the soap with my fingers and then do a couple light rinses of my face. I like for the remaining moisture from the last rinse to have a slight slippery feel to it. My skin feels moisturized and smooth afterwards so that's all the feedback I need to continue this routine.
- Thread starter
- #14
Wow. I did not know that shaving soaps were that alkaline. I guess this applies to the artisan ones with lots of fat as well, which surprises me. So maybe not such a good idea to make a habit of working it into the skin without rinsing.
Thank you for posting.
I believe you're using a distinct approach. You're allowing the soap to remain on your skin for a few minutes, whereas my understanding from the initial post was that the soap is left on the skin without any rinsing.
Soap, by definition, must be alkaline. This alkalinity comes from the chemical process used to create soap, called saponification. Saponification is a reaction between fats/oils and an alkali, usually sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. The alkali provides the alkaline pH that is characteristic of all soaps. Without an alkali, the saponification reaction cannot occur, and true soap cannot be formed. The alkaline pH of soap, usually around 9-10, is important for its cleaning properties. It allows soap to dissolve and lift away oils and dirt. An exception may be synthetic detergents, which can clean similarly to soap but do not require saponification. However, true soaps cannot be created without alkali, and therefore a non-alkaline "soap" would not technically qualify as soap. The alkalinity is an essential chemical feature of all saponified soaps.
Does shaving soap need to be true soap?
I'm all for applying extra quality lather to my face, after the shave while I clean my razor and brush. But I always follow with a warm rinse and then a cool rinse.
This has been my routine for as long as I can remember.
- Thread starter
- #19
Thanks for the information. I wonder about the answer to the question you ask. I understand that regular soap ends up with a pH of 9-10. But does shaving soap end up with that high of a pH too? I wonder if shaving soaps may end up with a lower pH due to more fats/fatty acids being added to the lye, and if there is a significant difference among various shaving soap formulas. Don't know the answer, but with all the knowledge on this forum some members might be able to inform on this.
- Thread starter
- #20
That is correct. While I routinely do a "face wash" with leftover lather, my process in this post is about massaging the lather in and letting it air dry without rinsing.
