Body Soap Vs Palmolive

[Theido]

I have a question about soap. This last weekend I was at Target looking for body soap. I decided to actually read the ingredients on my body soap (Zest) and noticed it it tallow based.



My normal favorite shaving soap of choice is Palmolive (EU) stick. I compared the ingredients of Palmolive to the ingredients of Zest body soap:


Palm Olive European Stick Ingredients:
Potassium Hydrogenated Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate, Aqua, Glycerin, Parfum, Olea Europaea, Elaeis Guineensis, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, BHT, Butylphenyl, Methylpropional, Citronellol, Coumarin, Hydroxyisohxyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool, Cl 11680, Cl 12490 Cl 74260, Cl 77891




Zest Body Soap Ingredients:
Sodium Tallowate and/or Sodium Palmate, Sodium Cocoate and/or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water/Aqua, Fragrance, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Coconut Acid, Palm Kernel Acid, Tallow Acid, Palm Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 10, Green 3.


The bolded ingredients are shared amongst both of the soaps.


I then got bored and decided to try a test lather with my shower soap just to see the results.







I felt it was a little dry at the end, but this could have been my error as much as the soap. I did not shave with the soap but did lather it onto my face, it felt normal compared to Palmolive.


Is there any reason that stands out that I couldn't be able to shave with Zest? I have no desire to do so but, I'm just an inquisitive mind so I thought you more experienced folks would know one way or another if it's detrimental.


Thanks,
Dave

[mblakele]

Try it for a few shaves and see what you think. Most body soaps do not provide the right combination of slip and cushion for shaving, but YMMV.

[mharris127]

Looks like decent lather but deodorant soaps such as Zest, Dial and Lever 2000 are VERY drying to the skin, you could use it for a week and have your face start cracking. I can't even use deodorant soaps in the shower or on the hands during winter because my skin cracks, turns raw and hurts.

[LeftyT]

Funny, I just did the same thing with Nest Moroccan Amber Bar Soap. I love the smell, but doubt it will give a good shave (multiple passes).
I hope this isn't stealing the thread, but is there anyone who can make a shave soap that smells like this one OR is there a way to make this have a creamy, long lasting lather? I was thinking coconut oil.

[Deacon Frank]

Cetaphil bar soap produces a decent shaving lather, better than Ivory and most other body soaps. It's specifically a face wash soap, so it isn't drying to the skin (mine at least) like most bar soaps. I haven't tried Zest, though...might do it just for fun!

[Heespharm]

Cetaphil bar soap produces a decent shaving lather, better than Ivory and most other body soaps. It's specifically a face wash soap, so it isn't drying to the skin (mine at least) like most bar soaps. I haven't tried Zest, though...might do it just for fun!

I shaved for years with cetaphil face wash... But then I started lather shaving... Pretty good and slick enough

[cymric]

Most normal soaps will produce lather; it's in inevitable side effect of their primary function, namely acting as a cleansing surfactant. Shave soaps can be used to clean too; it's just that cleaning is not their primary function. It's more a case of pronouncing different aspects of the same class of chemicals. So it's really not uncommon to find normal soaps containing ingredients which are identical to the ones listed in shaving soaps.

All that said, Palmolive is very likely the better shaving product because of its first ingredient: potassium hydrogenated tallowate. The potassium makes it dissolve much better compared to its sodium counterpart, and the hydrogenated means that the tallow has underwent a specific treatment to make it contain more saturated fats. Explaining this in detail would take me too far afield, but fortunately the simple version works very well: the worse a product is for your arteries, the better it is for a shaving soap and vice versa. Tallow on its own is already a product frowned upon by dieticians; hydrogenation makes it worse. And is thus better for shaving yourself with :).

[Theido]

Thank you for that concise explanation cymric.

[Pkrankow]

I have shaved with Ivory soap often enough. Works better as a shave stick than as a puck. Also a moist bar is easier to work with than a dry bar, if that wasn't obvious.

My brother uses Dove bar soap. The chips from the bathtub go into his shave mug. He is pleased with the results building lather on the soap.

Try the Zest. What's the worst that will happen? A bad shave?

Phil

[mharris127]

I have shaved with Ivory soap often enough. Works better as a shave stick than as a puck. Also a moist bar is easier to work with than a dry bar, if that wasn't obvious.

My brother uses Dove bar soap. The chips from the bathtub go into his shave mug. He is pleased with the results building lather on the soap.

Try the Zest. What's the worst that will happen? A bad shave?

Phil

Actually Ivory was advertised as a shave stick in the early 1900's. There is a thread on here somewhere discussing it -- the gist of it is that Ivory actually works as a shave stick, not so great as a puck. The consensus was that there are better shave soaps but that Ivory would work if necessary. Dove is very similar to Ivory so I wouldn't be surprised if that worked as well. I am reasonably sure Zest would give one decent shave with the lather shown by the OP, it is the repeated use that would concern me, the deodorant in that brand is very drying to the skin as I have experienced personally (although not from shaving with it).

[Jawaburger]

and noticed it it tallow based.soap:

Zest Body Soap Ingredients:
Sodium Tallowate and/or Sodium Palmate,

I think the "and/or" part is important. That means that it may have zero tallow in it. I have seen this on other mass market soaps as well, like Ivory.