Avoiding soaps with ingredients that list Olive Oi!l

**mctmatt** · 05-08-2012, 05:28 PM

This weekend a discussion was started about Olive Oil being listed as one of the ingredients in a shave soap and several response were quick to advise that poster to avoid buying any shave soap that contains Olive Oil as they do not lather or perform well. I will admit that I have seen this comment several times on other threads so I too tried to practice this advise. However, with my recent purchase of QCS shave Soap and another handmade shave soap which both of these list Olive Oil in the ingredients I have changed my attitude. Both of these soaps especially the QCS have performed as well if not better than my Italian Soft Soaps, La Toja shave stick , Arko, and others in terms of great lather and providing great shaves. Do others avoid any soaps or creams that list Olive Oil in the ingredients?

**Kevan** · 05-08-2012, 05:36 PM

QCS is the exception. Matthew knows his stuff and knows what makes a shaving soap. Most artisan soapmakers are clueless about what makes soap good for shaving, though, which is why people say avoid olive oil-based formulas.

**mctmatt** · 05-08-2012, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Kevan

QCS is the exception. Matthew knows his stuff and knows what makes a shaving soap. Most artisan soapmakers are clueless about what makes soap good for shaving, though, which is why people say avoid olive oil-based formulas.

When your saying Olive Oil based formulas is that different then what I described in the above. I will be honest and say that I did not realize QCS contained Olive Oil and if I would have known then I probably would not have ordered any of QCS Shave Soaps just because I had learned to negatively associate shaving soaps with Olive Oil. I am very glade that I did order from QCS as the soaps are great.

**GreekGuy** · 05-08-2012, 05:52 PM

I have mixed feelings. For a long time if I saw olive oil, I ran the other way, and recommended others to do the same. Then I discovered one of my favorite soaps, Calani, has olive oil. Which I would rate as equal to MdC. So now my policy is not to be too adventurous. I don't try random artisan makers. If I wanted to, I could make a shave soap. So my suggestion would be to proceed with caution, and wait to stock up on bath soaps

**Kevan** · 05-08-2012, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by mctmatt

When your saying Olive Oil based formulas is that different then what I described in the above. I will be honest and say that I did not realize QCS contained Olive Oil and if I would have known then I probably would not have ordered any of QCS Shave Soaps just because I had learned to negatively associate shaving soaps with Olive Oil. I am very glade that I did order from QCS as the soaps are great.

You have a point, but it cuts both ways. I remember my first "shaving soap"...some sort of cinnamon spice thing got off Ebay that had olive oil, before I joined B&B and back when I thought Colonel Conk was a step up. The soap foamed well, but the lather disappeared quite soon after. Good as a bath soap, but useless for shaving, even though that's what it was advertised for.

Luckily that first experience didn't dissuade me from this hobby. But think of the potential wetshavers that HAVE been turned away because of some poor excuse for a shaving soap that contained olive oil for "skin conditioning" and slickness? The reality is that there's a lot of that stuff out there, outnumbering the good soaps that use olive oil in tandem with properly-lathering ingredients.

**Greg1911** · 05-08-2012, 06:11 PM

I think the notion that Olive Oil ruins shaving soap can be traced to a certain blogger (who isn't worth reading anyway).

Bovine Excrement.

**Kevan** · 05-08-2012, 06:14 PM

It doesn't ruin it just by being in the ingredients (anymore than tallow being in the ingredients makes a soap magical). But if it's high on the ingredient list, my personal alarm bells go off.

Bath soap? Wonderful. Shaving soap? Crapshoot.

**mctmatt** · 05-08-2012, 06:36 PM

What I fear is just like me there are many that will avoid any shave soap that list Olive Oil as part of its ingredients because we associate combination of the two as creating a poor product. I have sinced discovered that is not necessarily so. I guess the Artisan Soap maker is probably the most important ingredient when considering any soap or cream.

**michiganlover** · 05-08-2012, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Kevan

QCS is the exception. Matthew knows his stuff and knows what makes a shaving soap. Most artisan soapmakers are clueless about what makes soap good for shaving, though, which is why people say avoid olive oil-based formulas.

+1

One (or two) exceptions to the rule, doesn't negate the fact that statistically the vast majority of shaving soaps containing olive oil are total garbage.

In general, as a newbie, if the product you are looking at is untested, unheard of on this board, and un-reviewed, your better off walking away, and spending your money on something that is a tried and true product. This is especially true if you are on a budget. Leave the uncharted waters to those who have deeper pockets.

**GreekGuy** · 05-08-2012, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by michiganlover

+1

One (or two) exceptions to the rule, doesn't negate the fact that statistically the vast majority of shaving soaps containing olive oil are total garbage.

In general, as a newbie, if the product you are looking at is untested, unheard of on this board, and un-reviewed, your better off walking away, and spending your money on something that is a tried and true product. This is especially true if you are on a budget. Leave the uncharted waters to those who have deeper pockets.

Well said John. You managed to summarize my thoughts much more succinctly and eloquently

**foppa78** · 05-08-2012, 07:57 PM

I had a fantastic shave today with QCS GIT. It might be the best stuff that I own. All of the QCS stuff is great.

**michiganlover** · 05-08-2012, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by foppa78

I had a fantastic shave today with QCS GIT. It might be the best stuff that I own. All of the QCS stuff is great.

I just finished off the last of my first puck of QCS (which was also GIT). I have 3 more pucks lying in wait. QCS is excellent stuff!!

**Whilliam** · 05-09-2012, 08:40 AM

Interesting thread. FWIW, I add olive oil to my uberlather mixture (in addition to glycerin). As a separate, free-standing ingredient, I find the stuff to be a wonderful protectant and moisturizer that has no negative impact on lather production at all.

Bill
BOTOC

**kingfisher** · 05-09-2012, 11:41 AM

I think the main question is not "is olive oil listed as an ingredient" but rather "how much olive oil is in the soap"? If olive oil is one of the primary saponified oils that make up the soap, it will produce unstable lather. It works in the QCS stuff because it is not one of the main fatty acids in the soap.