Hyper-miling your shaving soaps

I have been at this a while now and as my expertise expands, I am inadvertently hyper-miling my shaving soaps. Its not intentional, more about following the proverbial saying, Waste not want not (If you do not waste anything, you will always have enough).

As I dial in the right sized brush to use, exact my lathering technique, exact the soap load, don't do more passes than necessary to get my desired shaving results, I am stretching out the longevity of my soaps further than ever before.

Are you a shaving soap hyper-miler or shaving soap glutton and what makes you one or the other?

I can make a stick of Arko last about a year without even trying

I tend to use too much, but I always have enough for the 3rd or touchup passes.

Never heard of hypermiling, had to look that one up.

I have tons of soap, more than I can use up, probably. No need to skimp. Plus, I'd rather have too much lather than not enough.

TheVez2 said:

I have tons of soap, more than I can use up, probably. No need to skimp. Plus, I'd rather have too much lather than not enough.

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+1 Most of my soaps last such a long time on their own that I don't need to economize on them. Also, I have so many that I could probably shave for years without worrying about conserving soap.

Unintentionally. I admit I leave lather in the bowl ... it rehydrates. Soap flakes turn back into lather. Squeeze out the brush there, too.

A little sample smear seems to last three shaves, but I swear I'm not doing it to be cheap. It just seems to last and last ...


AA

and the 2016 Soap Hypermiler Award goes to:

nicobie said:

I can make a stick of Arko last about a year without even trying

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So, like AD Astra, I squeeze out my brush after my 3 pass shave and save it for the next day. Except, I do this intentionally. There are times when I have so much left overs the next day, I don't even go back to my soap container for more product. I just hydrate the leftover lather. I have seen no determent to the performance or scent.

BRITD said:

I am stretching out the longevity of my soaps further than ever before.

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If I don't use more soap than I need then I will never get through the soap I have...I need to try other soaps...so for me it's waste away!

Ha! I thought I was the only one crazy enough to save extra lather for the next shave! I put it back on the puck it came from to help keep the puck soft and keep scents from mixing. That being said, I have a tub of Reef Point that I use 2-3 times a week and it has come 5 months with hardly a dent in it, but always gives more than enough great lather.

I wouldn't go so far as reusing old lather the following day. For me its more about portion control when making lather and not making more than necessary for a good shave.

I've been DE shaving for just over a year. During that time I've used up only three soaps. First I used Mama Bear Vanilla Sandalwood until it was gone. Then I used Mama Bear Amaretto until it was gone. Then I used Razorock XXX until it was gone. Then I switched to Mama Bear Eucalyptus, my last remaining soap, while I thought about what to do next.

Then I went a little crazy for about a month and bought up a whole pile of soap lots, most of them den clearances of unopened soap. So now I'm staring at a massive pile which looks like this.


1. Soapy Bathman Happy Hour
2. Omega Eucalyptus
3. Mike's Hungarian Lavender
4. Mike's Barbershop
5. Mike's Peppermint and Rosemary
6. Cella
7. Edwin Jagger Aloe Vera (x2)
8. Arko
9. RazoRock Nonno Michelino Sandalwood
10. Proraso
11. TOBS St. James
12. TOBS Eton College
13. Trumper GFT
14. Mystic Waters Bay Rum
15. Mystic Waters Sandalwood Rose
16. Mystic Waters Jasmine
17. Le Pere Lucien Traditional
18. Stirling Sandalwood
19. Tabac
20. Mama Bear Eucalyptus
21. Sapone Di Paolo Agrume
22. Sapone Di Paolo Bosco
23. Sapone Di Paolo Piccante
24. Williams Mug Shaving Soap (x6)
25. PannaCrema Namaste
26. PannaCrema Labdano
27. PannaCrema Vetiver
28. Provence Sante Verlain
29. Provence Sante Green Tea
30. RazoRock MCMXXIV Italian Barber Limited Edition (78/100)
31. Martin De Candre Domino
32. Dr Harris Sandalwood x 2
33. D Harris Arlington

I also picked up four badger brushes (my brush to this point was a cheap but serviceable Semogue boar), a Stirling, a Vulvix, a Whipped Dog, and a Thater. So I'm thinking of using a different soap each week and documenting my experiences. Right now I'll sticking with Tabac.

No hypermilling for me. Soap is cheap, so I just use what I want and toss when done.

nicobie said:

I can make a stick of Arko last about a year without even trying

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Not all that impressive if you have a full beard and never shave.

BSAGuy said:

No hypermilling for me. Soap is cheap, so I just use what I want and toss when done.

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Same here.

BSAGuy said:

No hypermilling for me.

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Hyper-mill-ing is a completely different topic!

I have to admit, I bought a 30mm brush JUST so I would burn through more soap. With any "artisanal" soap I use I make no attempt at creativity, if the maker wants me to do it they will tell me to do it. With vintage soaps ...different story. I will save chips or flakes from a puck so I can use them later for a single shave or PIF as a sample (when clean and un-used). I have and still do save small amounts of bloom water from some of the greats (like Williams, Williams tonsorial and the like) in small containers, because I use that water to enhance poor lathers or even during the final honing stages (instead of actual lather). I admit, the bloom water but started when I had only one puck of great stuff and I was being "creative". Then the reality that I can NEVER use all that I have set in.

Do I hyper-mill? No. I need to hyperLATHER.

nicobie said:

I can make a stick of Arko last about a year without even trying

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snowman said:

Not all that impressive if you have a full beard and never shave.

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If true, its impressive since an Arko stick is only 75g of soap. I get about 110 shaves from a stick which for me is 6 months of shaving @ 4 times a week.

The products I use are cheap enough, and my supplies large enough, that there's no reason for me not to be decadent in the use of my shave supplies. While I find no fault with those who want to scrimp and save and not waste even a bubble of lather, but that's not me.

Hyperlather with a 30 mm brush for me. I load it like it owes me money.