How do you decide to use artisans soaps?

[pipskicks]

I found some artisan soap, seems to be a heavy glycerin base with eucalyptus, tea tree oil and I'm not sure what else. He said it's great shaving soap (but uses carts with a brush...

I was wondering do you guys just buy soap and try it or is there something I can ask to help determine if the soap will work?

[CharlieFoxtrot]

If the price is right, I just buy it but nothing beats a free sample! There is always the chance that it could be better than the big names we through around here. The worst case is you hate the scent and have something to PIF.

[Toddy]

Check the ingredients list. If it contains olive oil I don't buy. If it contains tallow I'm tempted, otherwise I read other people reviews.

[pipskicks]

I'm sure I will use it for the shower if not to shave, and it was ~$4.50 for a huge chunk he just cut up for me.


Although the smell is nice, I am curious more as to what makes it a good "shave soap." Even if I like the smell how do you know if it's enough protection or not?

[pipskicks]

Check the ingredients list. If it contains olive oil I don't buy. If it contains tallow I'm tempted, otherwise I read other people reviews.

This is more what I was looking for. Since it's a artisan soap I didn't see ingredients although he didn't use tallow. It has a see-through type appearance like the heavy glycerin soaps (i.e. Col. Conk puck). Would olive oil destroy it's chance for a shave soap? I can probably ask still if he uses it, although I'm not sure if that would be a deal killer.

[CharlieFoxtrot]

Tallow is a great indicator. If it is vegetable based, I look for coconut oil. Ultimately, it will come down to experimentation. I tried Ivory soap while utilzing their 100 year old shaving instructions and it worked great. Very boring but great results.

[mctmatt]

Whoa! Hold up on the don't buy any soaps that contain olive oil. Queen Charlotte Soaps (QCS) get a lot of love here on this forum and other forums. Their soaps contain saponified tallow, palm oil, coconut oil, glycerin and olive oil. I purchased the QCS Vostok and it has been one the best soaps that I have experienced and it can compare to any of the Italian Soft Soaps that I have tried.

Seeing Olive Oil as an ingredient should not prevent you from buying a shave soap or cream. The Artisan (craftsman) is the real ingredient that determines how good a shave soap or cream will be.

[pipskicks]

I've only seen vegetable-based glycerin listed in all the big non-tallow soaps (like Proraso, Col. Conk, VDH) is coconut oil common?

I thought it usually just said glycerin, I am going to check now lol.

[pipskicks]

I just looked up another soap and it said glycerin then coconut and olive oil (although saponified? oils whatever that means, but I guess olive oil isn't a 100% sure-fire check).

I did see Proraso has Coconut oil THEN glycerin, but usually I thought it was usually glycerin then coconut oil (meaning more of the generic "vegetable-based glycerin."

[mctmatt]

I bought some Artisan made shave soap last year from a small little shop in Ruidoso, New Mexico. It was made by the owners and the price was $4 for a nice size puck. I got two pucks one worked great the other did not. Both were the same ingredients including fragrance, but each came from a different batch. I know this because the second puck I watched him empty out the soap mold and then cut the soap into a puck and he packaged it and placed on the counter with the one I had picked up off the display table. I think when it comes to small Artisan soap makers like the ones I mentioned above you just have to give them a try and determine for yourself which is part of the fun sometimes. If you are ordering soap by way of the internet then stick with many of the Artisan Soap makers that are members here as their products have been used by the members of this forum and there is a known quality of these products.

[Snargle]

If you can find an ingredients list (or better yet, talk to the soapmaker), see if Olive Oil is one of the first few ingredients. Olive Oil itself isn't a game stopper, but a high percentage of OO in the soap tends to make it a poor shaving soap. If worst comes to worst, it can always be used as a nicely-scented shower soap!

[pipskicks]

I thought of it as a shower soap for sure, it's got a lot of eucalyptus oil and I like the way that feels, hard to find it without menthol and the burning sensation.

I did just decide to go ahead and lather without shaving (currently sticking to one soap while testing some blades) but it lathered nicely, not the best lather like a tallow soap (he didn't know much about tallow, oils were his thing I believe). But I feel like it lathered similar to a low performing glycerin soap like col. Conk or VDH, no proraso crazy cream, but the feel was great.

A lot of eucalyptus and tea tree oil I think does it. One of the oils (forgot already) is supposed to help with cuts as well, thought that was neat, and I don't think I've tried a soap with this much of a eucalyptus oil feel, I guess the small guys really do it well sometimes.

At the very worst just washing my face was nice it would definitely be used in the shower, maybe I'll put a chunk in there already :)

I would recommend looking at any aromatherapy stores around you, the oils made my witch hazel smell nice, and I can just melt down the cheap glycerin soaps now and put oils in myself, I find it fun to experiment :)

[pipskicks]

I'm pretty sure I'll ask him about his ingredients, I wonder if it's more secretive. I definitely didn't see any lists out...

[brybry642]

I'm pretty sure I'll ask him about his ingredients, I wonder if it's more secretive. I definitely didn't see any lists out...

If it comes down to losing a customer, the seller will expose their "secret" ingredient list.

[mctmatt]

Is this just a local Artisan and I am pretty sure that the Tee Tree Oil is used as an antiseptic. It is good stuff as I have a small bottle. If you get the chance post some pics of the soap and lather. If its good others might like to try it and new discoveries is what makes this forum so great.

[Toddy]

Makers are required to give an ingredients list although they are not required to divulge the proportions of each.

[Go West Young Man]

The problem is that the ingredients list doesn't tell you much, it's how the recipe is made that counts. Filet mignon and a Big Mac have the same basic ingredients, right? Basically the only way to know if a soap is good or not is to try it. You'll always be surprised by something - we did a blind test of Neutrogena hand soap last year and it performed quite well, and yet some shaving soaps marketed by major international companies fail to perform even adequately.

Best bet is that if it's not been reviewed here, it's more than likely crap for shaving with. If it does end up giving you a good shave, that's a bonus!

[pipskicks]

By the way this soap is made in a tiny aromatherapy spot and it's the only soap he says is "for shaving."

I noticed it lathers like a weak glycerin product, smells great, I think using the oils may be better than using the soap, works nice in the shower though.

I will try it, I don't know if it's the best for shaving or not, may be. He may also only need to tweak a little bit to have a really nice shave soap. He seemed a little interested in wet shaving although it was hard to tell. He definitely is more about the oils...

[Maxime D.]

Check the ingredients list. If it contains olive oil I don't buy.

I disagree.
The Aleppo soap from Syria is made of olive oil at 75%, nobody complain about it for nearly 3 millennium. Of course if you wan't a shaving soap, tallow is your man....I mean Ingredient ^^