mostly use creams. just bought two soaps. mwf and pdp.
Homemade Shaving Soap Discussion Club
- Thread starter AndroiDad75
- Start date
Performance it has to lather and be slick and cushy. After that is price . Scent can be the deal maker or the deal breaker for me. A soap could be 5 bucks a puck and perform like no other but if it dont smell good I dont want it. Like wise as long as the performance is there id pay 20 bucks for a soap that smells amazing. Not 20 bucks for 3 oz. Though. Gotta be a good deal
How slick it is,
how my face feels at the end it can't leave my face feeling dried out or soap scummy.
and simple uncomplicated scent.
SO far Tallow soaps are winning.
how my face feels at the end it can't leave my face feeling dried out or soap scummy.
and simple uncomplicated scent.
SO far Tallow soaps are winning.
I'm in.
Lather
Slick feeling
Scent
Lather
Slick feeling
Scent
Cost is first. MDC might be the best soap out there, but it costs more than I am willing to pay so I will never know.
Function is second. It has to be something that works well with little effort and no negative effects. I'm sensitive to lanolin so that leaves some out. Arko is cheap and made nice lather but was extremely drying for me.
Scent is third but important.
Mama Bear and VDH Deluxe meet my needs and wants. YMMV.
I'll leave the PIF to others.
Function is second. It has to be something that works well with little effort and no negative effects. I'm sensitive to lanolin so that leaves some out. Arko is cheap and made nice lather but was extremely drying for me.
Scent is third but important.
Mama Bear and VDH Deluxe meet my needs and wants. YMMV.
I'll leave the PIF to others.
- Ingredients: besides the allergens that I avoid, I try to not buy anything that is proven to be cancer related. Also, buying one like that is a crime, as it would sustain a person that doesn't care about this.
Other things I search for in ingredients and try to avoid them: anything that has the potential to block pores, any harsh fragrances, any colorants. I also avoid wheat protein.
This i search for when I buy: preferably essential oils scented, tallow, use of oils/butters for hydration, citric acid or EDTA for my hard water.
- I avoid hard scented products, both in essential and fragrance as they are a sure way to building allergies.
- I don't like products that are very sensitive to water quantity, cause they are very hard to sustain especially in a long shave.
- I value the most of all the blade protection, since my face is very sensitive to any small roughness of a blade.
There are other things that come out of the ingredients list:
- parrafin, cocoa butter, too much glycerin, or oils that have a high viscosity will either block pores, or have the skin too sticky for a comfortable glide.
- too many synthetic fragrances can cause problems in the long run.
- I prefer to go with chelating agents like citric acid and EDTA for better lather.
- I also avoid menthol, but some others might like it, especially during summer.
- the ingredients that will help a comfortable glide and a good protection are: fats/tallow/butters and/or oils, viscosity control ingredients like sodium chloride
- fats and viscosity control ingredients will help with how the product will react to water.
- don't underestimate the artisan products, in the contrary, even if they are a bit more harder to maintain over the entire shave, they offer glide, hydration and post shave feel better then most products, since they are not mass low cost produced.
Many things come out of the ingredients list, but the actual performance is not guaranteed simply by looking at a list of ingredients. However, you can filter your list based on some ingredients, as you learn what to avoid(there is quite a big list of things that are preferably to avoid).
I am certain that a very cheap soap/cream will not hydrate with fats/oils like the more expensive ones. So I do expect lower quality in this regard. Depends what you want of course, but all in all, the top performers are not cheap.
The puck itself is important in size, since it makes loading harder/easier based on that.
Also, a stick that comes wrapped in paper, be it water proof, is not a good option, so packaging becomes important.
I am also searching videos, forums for impressions on lathering. Readjusting the lather every now and then by revisiting the puck, can be quite costly.
Those are the main things that I search for when I try to decide if a product is worth trying or not. The scents are not so important for me as long as they don't bomb your senses. I am very well aware that no matter what scents I like or dislike, is very easy to get an excellent one for a scent I never cared for, or a bad one for a scent I look for. So I am never too picky about it.
Have fun shopping
Other things I search for in ingredients and try to avoid them: anything that has the potential to block pores, any harsh fragrances, any colorants. I also avoid wheat protein.
This i search for when I buy: preferably essential oils scented, tallow, use of oils/butters for hydration, citric acid or EDTA for my hard water.
- I avoid hard scented products, both in essential and fragrance as they are a sure way to building allergies.
- I don't like products that are very sensitive to water quantity, cause they are very hard to sustain especially in a long shave.
- I value the most of all the blade protection, since my face is very sensitive to any small roughness of a blade.
There are other things that come out of the ingredients list:
- parrafin, cocoa butter, too much glycerin, or oils that have a high viscosity will either block pores, or have the skin too sticky for a comfortable glide.
- too many synthetic fragrances can cause problems in the long run.
- I prefer to go with chelating agents like citric acid and EDTA for better lather.
- I also avoid menthol, but some others might like it, especially during summer.
- the ingredients that will help a comfortable glide and a good protection are: fats/tallow/butters and/or oils, viscosity control ingredients like sodium chloride
- fats and viscosity control ingredients will help with how the product will react to water.
- don't underestimate the artisan products, in the contrary, even if they are a bit more harder to maintain over the entire shave, they offer glide, hydration and post shave feel better then most products, since they are not mass low cost produced.
Many things come out of the ingredients list, but the actual performance is not guaranteed simply by looking at a list of ingredients. However, you can filter your list based on some ingredients, as you learn what to avoid(there is quite a big list of things that are preferably to avoid).
I am certain that a very cheap soap/cream will not hydrate with fats/oils like the more expensive ones. So I do expect lower quality in this regard. Depends what you want of course, but all in all, the top performers are not cheap.
The puck itself is important in size, since it makes loading harder/easier based on that.
Also, a stick that comes wrapped in paper, be it water proof, is not a good option, so packaging becomes important.
I am also searching videos, forums for impressions on lathering. Readjusting the lather every now and then by revisiting the puck, can be quite costly.
Those are the main things that I search for when I try to decide if a product is worth trying or not. The scents are not so important for me as long as they don't bomb your senses. I am very well aware that no matter what scents I like or dislike, is very easy to get an excellent one for a scent I never cared for, or a bad one for a scent I look for. So I am never too picky about it.
Have fun shopping
Performance and scent for me. If it's a poor performer or I can't stand the smell I can't keep using it. If performance and scent are good to great it's keeper regardless of cost. If cost were the issue everyone would use arko right?
If buying blind I'll go with tallow soaps first... Passing on many others even if reviews are positive.
If buying blind I'll go with tallow soaps first... Passing on many others even if reviews are positive.
Cost? Smell? Ingredients? Brand Loyalty?
-The biggest factor for me is price, I'm a teenager so I don't have a ton of money. Also, it just seems like a waste to spend 3-4x as much on a soap and only get marginally better results! Smellwise, I'm not too picky. Although, I really seem to like typical soap smelling soaps like VDH deluxe. Brand loyalty has no sway on me.
So far I've just been trying all the cheap beginner soaps. I've got Arko (smell is weird if you actually smell the stick, but I don't smell it on my face at all. overall performance during the shave is best out of all my soaps/creams), VDH deluxe and Luxury (Love these both, luxury smells better and post shave is better. the luxury is probably my most used soap), Proraso green cream (I've only used this once but I love the smell and menthol), and Nivea sensitive cream (nothing really stood out to me with this, though I don't think I used enough water when I used it the one time I have).
-The biggest factor for me is price, I'm a teenager so I don't have a ton of money. Also, it just seems like a waste to spend 3-4x as much on a soap and only get marginally better results! Smellwise, I'm not too picky. Although, I really seem to like typical soap smelling soaps like VDH deluxe. Brand loyalty has no sway on me.
So far I've just been trying all the cheap beginner soaps. I've got Arko (smell is weird if you actually smell the stick, but I don't smell it on my face at all. overall performance during the shave is best out of all my soaps/creams), VDH deluxe and Luxury (Love these both, luxury smells better and post shave is better. the luxury is probably my most used soap), Proraso green cream (I've only used this once but I love the smell and menthol), and Nivea sensitive cream (nothing really stood out to me with this, though I don't think I used enough water when I used it the one time I have).
First I tend to concentrate my purchasing with the artisan soap makers.
Second, is performance which many of the artisans makers. I have found I enjoy Mikes, Mystic, B&M, WSP, Strop Shoppe, Tiki
Third, is scent. Since there are so many good soap makers I have sampled many and tend to make my purchases based on my favorite scents.
Second, is performance which many of the artisans makers. I have found I enjoy Mikes, Mystic, B&M, WSP, Strop Shoppe, Tiki
Third, is scent. Since there are so many good soap makers I have sampled many and tend to make my purchases based on my favorite scents.
I'm in...
Cost and scent... My skin hasn't proven to be terribly sensitive, so I can use almost anything... Love the citrus scents, bay rum, and sandalwood, and inexpensive up to mid-priced options. The really expensive stuff I just find hard to pull the trigger on.
Dean
Cost and scent... My skin hasn't proven to be terribly sensitive, so I can use almost anything... Love the citrus scents, bay rum, and sandalwood, and inexpensive up to mid-priced options. The really expensive stuff I just find hard to pull the trigger on.
Dean
OK this is closed I'll be contacting the winners as chosen by the Random Number Generator and when they respond back I'll post up the results!
Thanks everyone for participating and keep your eyes open for a surprise!
Thanks everyone for participating and keep your eyes open for a surprise!
I'm interested in soaps that are slick, lather well, and are reasonably priced. Gentle on my skin is important. Have an unscented, some mild scents, and some strong scents to please different tastes. Refill pucks should be available, not everyone wants to buy your container. And you sure don't want unnatural sounding stuff on the ingredient list. I hope that helps, and I'm in for the PIF!
Oops, looks like I missed the PIF. Lol!
So JASONNYM and fastback are the winners of the PIF and will be receiving a 4 oz container of my shave soap and a 5 oz body soap for their enjoyment! I'll be shipping these off this week to them and hope they really enjoy them.
I also mentioned something earlier about a surprise...I made several other 2 oz "ish" sample pucks for people to try out for themselves and tell me what you think! If you are interested in being a guinea pig for me then send me your address in a private message and I'll send them out as long as supplies last!
If your are sensitive to any particular ingredients please let me know in your message and I may exclude you based on that but I'll send you a consolation body soap sample if that's the case!
I am not going to disclose the full ingredients list here just yet as I want it to be a blind test. If someone thinks that a soap should have xyz product in it but this soap doesn't have it they might go into their testing already swayed one way or the other.
I will tell you this:
1) there were lots of recommendations for ingredients which I took to heart but did not use all of them
2) the scent is orange and vanilla and I used essential oils only. I don't feel the scent is overpowering but ymmv.
3) I used the hot process method of soap making which I don't like but it means the soap can be used right away rather than in 4-6 weeks as is the case with cold process soap. Following batches will be cold process if reviews are positive and I feel I should be moving forward with this product. I've already gotten a couple of good reviews and my own experience hopefully you all agree with us!
4) all ingredients are natural non - gmo or organic
So as I said shoot me a PM with your address if you are interested in trying one of these soaps!
Thank you all for your input!
I also mentioned something earlier about a surprise...I made several other 2 oz "ish" sample pucks for people to try out for themselves and tell me what you think! If you are interested in being a guinea pig for me then send me your address in a private message and I'll send them out as long as supplies last!
If your are sensitive to any particular ingredients please let me know in your message and I may exclude you based on that but I'll send you a consolation body soap sample if that's the case!
I am not going to disclose the full ingredients list here just yet as I want it to be a blind test. If someone thinks that a soap should have xyz product in it but this soap doesn't have it they might go into their testing already swayed one way or the other.
I will tell you this:
1) there were lots of recommendations for ingredients which I took to heart but did not use all of them
2) the scent is orange and vanilla and I used essential oils only. I don't feel the scent is overpowering but ymmv.
3) I used the hot process method of soap making which I don't like but it means the soap can be used right away rather than in 4-6 weeks as is the case with cold process soap. Following batches will be cold process if reviews are positive and I feel I should be moving forward with this product. I've already gotten a couple of good reviews and my own experience hopefully you all agree with us!
4) all ingredients are natural non - gmo or organic
So as I said shoot me a PM with your address if you are interested in trying one of these soaps!
Thank you all for your input!
Thank you so much again Brian for the PIF, I like forward to trying out your soaps for sure.
Great thread and great PIF Brian - very interesting to read about what everyone looks for in a soap, as well as very generous of you, Cheers! One thing you may want to do is look into getting a Vendors tag here, it looks like you're gearing up to start a business - and while the PIF was great, it could also be interpreted as "market research" which would be unfair to those members already paying for the vendors tag now.
-s
-s
Bus was trying to do that tonight but it won't let me on my phone. I was mistaken that I had to be here for 30 days 45 posts but alas that appears to be a different board. It should be set up today
Congrats to the winners and thanks for the great PIF, Brian. Looking forward to giving the soap a try if I am lucky enough to get a sample.
Congrats!
Feeling really lucky! Thanks for the gifts, can't wait to get them into service...
