Specific ingredient in shave soap?

**Pumpkin** · 02-09-2010, 11:30 PM

Have seen a few sellers on ebay offering large blocks of organic, unscented soaps. Have been considering getting some together with a couple of essential oils. They have listed them as "shaving soap" but I'm wondering if there's a specific ingredient I should look for? Don't want to end up with a kilo of soap that doesn't lather

**Timmy Dee** · 02-09-2010, 11:36 PM

No idea about a specific ingredient....sorry :(

I say buy from a trusted vendor - the three Sues (Saint Charles, HoneyBee, Mama Bears), or Tom at Pirates Cove won't steer you wrong.

They all make unscented soaps that are great, and the Sues can make pretty much any scent you can think of....even those you wouldn't think of!

Or just buy a little first to test it out if you're buying from an unknown vendor.

**Pumpkin** · 02-10-2010, 01:09 AM

Originally Posted by Timmy Dee

Or just buy a little first to test it out if you're buying from an unknown vendor.

Good idea. It's the free postage to UK that's tempting me

**Luc** · 02-10-2010, 01:18 AM

Castor oil and Coconut oil are very good to lather.

Avoid olive oil at all costs!

**DFrancis** · 02-10-2010, 02:05 AM

It would probably have extra glycerin for better lather, either that or I'm wrong.

**michiganlover** · 02-10-2010, 03:30 AM

Originally Posted by Luc

Castor oil and Coconut oil are very good to lather.

Avoid olive oil at all costs!

+1

No soap made from olive oil will produce a lather that is even partly adequate for shaving. Olive oil is a lather killer.

Many of the artisan shaving soaps also have clay added, as it provides for additional slickness/ glide.

Shaving soap made by artisan soapers who don't frequent this board is going to be pretty hit or miss, with a lot of it being an utter disaster of a shaving soap.

**cvac** · 02-10-2010, 04:02 AM

Do not buy soap that is not made for shaving if you hope to shave with it and not tear your face up. I agree that most of the ebay stuff from unknown vendors is probably not worth your time. Even if they label it as shaving soap, it could just be bath soap with some clay added...these people often have no idea about how shaving soap should work.

If you want to play around with some scents and such, just buy melt and pour shave soap base from brambleberry. It's cheap and will actually lather for shaving. Several of the melt 'n pour shave soaps out there are basically just doctored up and scented versions of this shave soap.

http://www.brambleberry.com/Shaving-...ase-P4384.aspx

**Pumpkin** · 02-10-2010, 04:30 AM

Thanks for the info. One's listed as "a glycerin, melt and pour soap", I know it's unscented, will see if I can get an ingredient list.

**SliceOfLife** · 02-10-2010, 06:24 AM

From what I understand, melt and pours TEND to be inferior shaving soaps, due to usually just being a melt and pour body soap base with some clays (kaolin, bentonite?) thrown in.

**soapbox** · 02-10-2010, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by Luc

Castor oil and Coconut oil are very good to lather.

+1

Avoid olive oil at all costs!

Originally Posted by michiganlover

No soap made from olive oil will produce a lather that is even partly adequate for shaving. Olive oil is a lather killer.

These opinions are a bit overstated. Olive oil can be used in shaving soap. You just can't use a lot of it. (Full disclosure: mom and dad run a business making soap, and they're testing shaving soap recipes, some of which have included olive oil).

Many of the artisan shaving soaps also have clay added, as it provides for additional slickness/ glide.

+1

Originally Posted by SliceOfLife

From what I understand, melt and pours TEND to be inferior shaving soaps, due to usually just being a melt and pour body soap base with some clays (kaolin, bentonite?) thrown in.

Melt and pour soaps can provide a fine shave, even though they aren't my first choice (see above for full disclosure).

**soapbox** · 02-10-2010, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by michiganlover

Shaving soap made by artisan soapers who don't frequent this board is going to be pretty hit or miss, with a lot of it being an utter disaster of a shaving soap.

Sounds like the voice of hard-fought experience!

**Evbo** · 02-10-2010, 07:21 AM

Originally Posted by cvac

Do not buy soap that is not made for shaving if you hope to shave with it and not tear your face up. I agree that most of the ebay stuff from unknown vendors is probably not worth your time. Even if they label it as shaving soap, it could just be bath soap with some clay added...these people often have no idea about how shaving soap should work.

If you want to play around with some scents and such, just buy melt and pour shave soap base from brambleberry. It's cheap and will actually lather for shaving. Several of the melt 'n pour shave soaps out there are basically just doctored up and scented versions of this shave soap.

http://www.brambleberry.com/Shaving-...ase-P4384.aspx

This. Listen to the man. He knows whereof he speaks.

**michiganlover** · 02-10-2010, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by soapbox

These opinions are a bit overstated. Olive oil can be used in shaving soap. You just can't use a lot of it. (Full disclosure: mom and dad run a business making soap, and they're testing shaving soap recipes, some of which have included olive oil).

I will agree with you. There are always exceptions to a broad generalization.

For example Susie's Bubbles (who doesn't seem to frequent the board anymore) has olive oil in it, but is still very well reviewed, and I was able to get a great lather from it when I had some sample pucks. I would suspect the olive oil content is probably fairly low.

Still, unless you are someone who likes to experiment, and take a chance that you will waste your money, it's probably better to stay with the well known vendors who we know make a top notch product.

**Evbo** · 02-10-2010, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by soapbox

These opinions are a bit overstated. Olive oil can be used in shaving soap. You just can't use a lot of it. (Full disclosure: mom and dad run a business making soap, and they're testing shaving soap recipes, some of which have included olive oil).

Correct. What I SHOULD have been more clear about is that from my experience, any soap that uses olive oil as its primary ingredient will likely make an awful shaving soap.

Thanks for pointing that out!

**soapbox** · 02-10-2010, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by michiganlover

I will agree with you. There are always exceptions to a broad generalization.

For example Susie's Bubbles (who doesn't seem to frequent the board anymore) has olive oil in it, but is still very well reviewed, and I was able to get a great lather from it when I had some sample pucks. I would suspect the olive oil content is probably fairly low.

Still, unless you are someone who likes to experiment, and take a chance that you will waste your money, it's probably better to stay with the well known vendors who we know make a top notch product.

Excellent points and good advice.

Originally Posted by Evbo

Correct. What I SHOULD have been more clear about is that from my experience, any soap that uses olive oil as its primary ingredient will likely make an awful shaving soap.

Based on my experience with mom and dad's experimental shave soaps, you're both correct -- too much olive oil doesn't make good shave soap. I just wanted to flesh out your opinions.