Help with glycerin soaps

bluefoxicy · Apr 9, 2010

I'm having issues getting Mama Bear's soaps working. I like the scents but I'm getting little lubrication and massive razor burn.

This has been happening to me since I started using Tabac and Musgo. All my old soaps and all glycerin soaps I got new-- Col. Conk's, VdH, SCS, Ogallala-- fail to produce a lather as functional as I get out of Tabac or Musgo.

Perhaps there's an error in my technique. Tallow seems to be easier for me to use than glycerin, by a large margin; but I should be able to get through a shave with glycerin soaps without wincing as the blade scrapes the hell out of my face.

Perhaps I'm not loading enough product?

funkyb · Apr 9, 2010

Are you letting a little hot water sit on the soap for a while before loading? What kind of brush are you using? Are you getting any later at all? If so, what is it's consistency? Too watery, too dry? If the later looks good but just doesn't perform 'slick enough, maybe try adding a few drops of glycerin?

Oglethorpe · Apr 9, 2010

bluefoxicy said:
I'm having issues getting Mama Bear's soaps working. I like the scents but I'm getting little lubrication and massive razor burn.

This has been happening to me since I started using Tabac and Musgo. All my old soaps and all glycerin soaps I got new-- Col. Conk's, VdH, SCS, Ogallala-- fail to produce a lather as functional as I get out of Tabac or Musgo.

Perhaps there's an error in my technique. Tallow seems to be easier for me to use than glycerin, by a large margin; but I should be able to get through a shave with glycerin soaps without wincing as the blade scrapes the hell out of my face.

Perhaps I'm not loading enough product?

+1 Tallow is king!

I unloaded all my glycerin soaps because they didn't produce Tabac-esque lather. It's supposed to be enjoyable, right?

There are exceptions to the rule, of course.

L'Occitane CADE (i think), SRD, and Fitjar are glycerin-based soaps and they still make regular appearances for me.

bluefoxicy · Apr 9, 2010

funkyb said:
Are you letting a little hot water sit on the soap for a while before loading? What kind of brush are you using? Are you getting any later at all? If so, what is it's consistency? Too watery, too dry? If the later looks good but just doesn't perform 'slick enough, maybe try adding a few drops of glycerin?

I've allowed a little hot water to sit on and worked the soap with a thoroughly shaken brush after.

Vulfix #404 blend.

Getting lather, fluffy white stuff, not very slick; it's practically not there. If I use less water, it's creamy; but it sucks and causes drag, and then dries out.

I don't have glycerin. The soap is made of glycerin.

kingfisher · Apr 9, 2010

I get a lather that is pretty much indistinguishable from that of a tallow soap using Saint Charles Shave soap. You have to make the brush quite dry, load the brush for quite a while, and then add tiny bits of water a little at a time, and then incorporate the water completely before adding more water. Repeat this process until the lather looks perfect. Then add a tiny bit more water, mix it up, and you're good to go.

bluefoxicy · Apr 9, 2010

kingfisher said:
I get a lather that is pretty much indistinguishable from that of a tallow soap using Saint Charles Shave soap. You have to make the brush quite dry, load the brush for quite a while, and then add tiny bits of water a little at a time, and then incorporate the water completely before adding more water. Repeat this process until the lather looks perfect. Then add a tiny bit more water, mix it up, and you're good to go.

Nods. I'll try this with Mama Bear's. It may be a matter of just picking up a lot more soap.

funkyb · Apr 9, 2010

bluefoxicy said:
I don't have glycerin. The soap is made of glycerin.

Same here, all my soaps (save for ARKO) are glycerin based. I find adding a few drops of anhydrous glycerin to the lather produced by my glycerin soaps increases their slickness considerably. They produce good cushion naturally, but need that extra boost to be as slick as I like. The stuff can be had at Walmart/Walgreens if you want to try it.

xivex · Apr 9, 2010

I found that when I first started lathering my Mama Bear's it takes surprisingly more loading than it initially seemed. Try overloading the brush. See if that helps.

wwp512 · Apr 9, 2010

I don't like the idea of buying something and then learned you need to add something else to make it better.

But for all the soaps I've bought to try out, I have started using 1 pump of KMF shave lotion to make "uberlather". That way I can at least use all the soaps up.

For me, TOBS seemed to work best. I am sure there are many more out there that is just as good or better but I have not tried yet.

Tommy21osu · Apr 9, 2010

+1 for more time brush loading... Had the same problem.

Drubbing · Apr 9, 2010

Tallow loads up easily. Glycerin takes a lot more soap to lather IMO, and it comes off the puck easier with a damp, not wet brush. It's also why it doesn't last near as long as Tallow and triples.

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Help with glycerin soaps

bluefoxicy

funkyb

Oglethorpe

bluefoxicy

kingfisher

bluefoxicy

funkyb

xivex

wwp512

Tommy21osu

Drubbing

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