Finally got a good shave soap

[barred rock]

My goal was to make all natural. Used Lard, Walmart GV shortning and Castor oil. Superfatted at 6% and used coconut milk instead of water. Smells funny with a light brown cream tint to it. It has some great lather! And lasts about 2-3 minutes but I need it to last much longer. It has good cushion to it but need to increase it a bit. So, that being said...I need some pointers on how to add more staying power and cushion. Remember I want all natural...so stearic acid is out. I used 12.5% castor oil for my 1 pound batch. Was thinking of maybe adding a table spoon of honey after it becomes soap and mix it before going into the mold? Any help would be appreciated. I am close! Just need more cushion and staying power.

 

[new12soap]

I'm sorry, I don't understand your question. How are you defining "natural"? You are using hydrogenated shortening but don't want to use stearic acid? I am guessing you are also using lye, which is not found in "nature".

If you want to add honey, I think it would be better to completely dissolve it in your water before you add the lye. If you try to incorporate it after trace it will probably just weep out.

 

[chicklet]

I make a honey soap and I add the honey at trace and it incorporates just fine, but I do dissolve the honey in warm water first. As far as the stearic acid, I do think it is (at least) as natural as shortening. Both have "natural" beginnings but are then "processed" (hydrogenated, pressurized, etc.). From everything I have read, using stearic acid in shaving soap is the only way to get the stearic levels high enough to produce the long lasting and stable lather needed.

 

[songwind]

Tallow has a higher stearic content than lard, so that would help.

I have to echo new12soap - how is a palm or tallow derived stearic acid less natural than the rest of your processed items?

 

[barred rock]

I guess I didn't know that shortning had all that stuff in it. But anyway, more so stuff I can just walk into a store and get.

What is the best way to do the milk with lye to keep it from burning the sugars and getting that smell?

No one knows of another way to add more stable lather other than using the stearic acid? There's got to be another alternative?

 

[Badger]

Many people freeze the milk first and then add the lye very slowly to the milk to prevent scalding. I don't know a good answer about the stearic acid though. I am pretty new to all of this though. I have started looking for a nice shaving soap recipe myself, but I am not sure if you will be able to find everything in a regular store even without using stearic acid.

 

[melstan775]

I'm confused. I don't even know what the OP is asking. How to make shaving soap without stearic acid? Is that it?

 

[barred rock]

that would be correct...no steric acid

 

[melstan775]

That makes no sense. It's the stearic acid in palm that makes soaps get hard.

 

[barred rock]

That makes no sense. It's the stearic acid in palm that makes soaps get hard.

so your telling me that you have to have palm in your recipe in order to get hardness for your bar...that makes no sense. Why do many other people make soap without palm? What you just stated is that in order to make a bar of soap with hardness, you must have palm. All I am simply asking is if there is some other way to get good cushion and stable lather other than adding raw stearic acid. That's it, plain and simple, I don't know how much simpler to put it.

 

[barred rock]

I have just about had it with this forum too, I don't know why some folks on here have to chastise people that are simply asking questions. I am new to soap making, I don't intend on making money doing this. I am doing this because its cool and I want to make my own soap. Not thousands of batches a year just a few times. I am sorry that I don't read thousands of posts to research what has already been covered by other folks on here over the years before I make a post too. I am sorry, I don't have the time to spend to devote to doing that. All that being said, I just don't understand why I must be chastised about "natural" and stearic acid...I guess I found out today that I don't know much about what is natural and what is not and I sure don't know much about stearic acid...that is pretty obvious and you can look at my post count and put two and two together and tell that I am pretty new to this and why not try to tell me what is right thing to say or whatever.

 

[Sammi_552]

There are a few people on here who are very knowledgable about making a good shaving soap. I am not one of those people, sorry. Hopefully somebody can help you out soon.

 

[VanessaP]

I have just about had it with this forum too, I don't know why some folks on here have to chastise people that are simply asking questions. I am new to soap making, I don't intend on making money doing this. I am doing this because its cool and I want to make my own soap. Not thousands of batches a year just a few times. I am sorry that I don't read thousands of posts to research what has already been covered by other folks on here over the years before I make a post too. I am sorry, I don't have the time to spend to devote to doing that. All that being said, I just don't understand why I must be chastised about "natural" and stearic acid...I guess I found out today that I don't know much about what is natural and what is not and I sure don't know much about stearic acid...that is pretty obvious and you can look at my post count and put two and two together and tell that I am pretty new to this and why not try to tell me what is right thing to say or whatever.

You are taking exception to being told that something you don't want to use is the best way to make it. You have shown us that you don't do research by A) commenting that you don't have the time to devote to looking at previous threads about shaving soap yet expect us to devote time to reading and answering your post and B) coming in here and touting that stearic acid isn't natural when looking at a lye calculator would show you that stearic acid is very much a part of most hard oils such as tallow, lard, palm and cocoa butter. Look at shea butter - it has a stearic level of 40 on its own.

Everyone has been incredibly nice in this thread and was not deserving of this outburst. Post count is not always indicative of experience and expertise. I know a soaper who has been making soap for 40 years but she doesn't post much. Yet there are people on this board who have been soaping for two months who have 1500 posts.

 

[barred rock]

You are taking exception to being told that something you don't want to use is the best way to make it. You have shown us that you don't do research by A) commenting that you don't have the time to devote to looking at previous threads about shaving soap yet expect us to devote time to reading and answering your post and B) coming in here and touting that stearic acid isn't natural when looking at a lye calculator would show you that stearic acid is very much a part of most hard oils such as tallow, lard, palm and cocoa butter. Look at shea butter - it has a stearic level of 40 on its own.

Everyone has been incredibly nice in this thread and was not deserving of this outburst. Post count is not always indicative of experience and expertise. I know a soaper who has been making soap for 40 years but she doesn't post much. Yet there are people on this board who have been soaping for two months who have 1500 posts.

I don't expect you to do anything...all I asked was a simple question and I will ask it again...if all of you know so much about soap making you should be able to answer a simple question: How do you get more stable lather by other means instead of using pure stearic acid? Just simply answer that question...if you can't then your not helping. #2, I am new to this....so knowing the characteristics of stearic acid is not something I am well versed in nor do I know what specific oils have higher contents of the stuff...if I knew that I wouldn't have had to come and ask a question here. And for the record I was told in a post that stearic acid via palm oil is a must have ingredient for hardness in a bar of soap.
Thanks and have a good night...I am not going to banter back and forth anymore.

 

[melstan775]

I'm new to soap making too. The whole reason you add palm or tallow to your soap is because it creates immediate hardness and stability. Without it you have to wait a long time for the kind of hardness you're looking for for a shaving soap. Palm and tallow and natural sources of stearic acid. But you can buy a bag of stearic acid for $2.00 from Wholesale supplies plus as well. "Synthetic" stearic acid is made from the carbohydrates in fatty acids. It all comes from fat, it's all the same thing, whether it's from plant, animal, or machine. If you honestly don't want to use it (and I can't imagine why because it's the best source of stability as far as I can tell), you're free to look up the properties of oils yourself. Here's a good link to get you started: https://summerbeemeadow.com/content/properties-soapmaking-oils


ETA: I'm one of those people Vanessa is talking about with 1500 posts and not a lot of experience. I ask a million questions, read a lot, participate in this forum, and help out where I can. Reading and research is a valuable part of arming oneself with the education and theory to successfully create. I suggest reading more and doing your own research so you know not only what you're working with, but why. Might be the very thing that saves you from a lye accident you don't want to have.

 

[Lindy]

I don't expect you to do anything...all I asked was a simple question and I will ask it again...if all of you know so much about soap making you should be able to answer a simple question: How do you get more stable lather by other means instead of using pure stearic acid? Just simply answer that question...if you can't then your not helping. #2, I am new to this....so knowing the characteristics of stearic acid is not something I am well versed in nor do I know what specific oils have higher contents of the stuff...if I knew that I wouldn't have had to come and ask a question here. And for the record I was told in a post that stearic acid via palm oil is a must have ingredient for hardness in a bar of soap.
Thanks and have a good night...I am not going to banter back and forth anymore.

First take a deep breath and let's start this again.

As a soapmaker that makes and sells shaving soaps and has for a few years let me assure you that you need to add stearic acid to achieve a stable lather. Stearic acid is extracted from Palm oil and is considered natural. You will need to purchase it from a soap supplier.

If you take a look at the ingredient lists on good shaving soaps you will find stearic acid and it is usually the very first ingredient. At the store you can purchase lard which you will find will really help with your project as well.

Enjoy the journey...

 

[ChinahSea]

Curious... you never said WHY you don't want to use Stearic Acid. Looking at the list of ingredients in the op, you already have Stearic Acid (naturally) because it's part of the make up of things like Lard, Castor Oil...
I am new to soaping too, so thought I would learn a little something if I took a look around in my books and online. Seems all Shaving soap recipes that I've found have Stearic Acid in one form or another. Almost every recipe has it listed as one of the main ingredients.
So, my question to you is this - why no Stearic Acid? :-?

 

[Lindy]

Chinah Sea I expect because to some it isn't natural since it is processed. There are people who prefer to not use it. You can't get enough stearic from your oils though to create a stable enough lather.

 

[ChinahSea]

Hi Lindy,
Thanks, that makes sense. I was a little thrown about not wanting to use it, but having it occure in the soap anyway, due to it being in the ingredients. I realize not enough in the oils, but was sort of thrown by the not wanting to us it. Didn't realize it had a stigma.
Now, I want to make Shaving Soap! New project! Yaaaay!!

 

[Lindy]

Go for it! There are several posts on it so you will find some great info on a search! Lots of trial and error but so worth it once you crack it. Trust me.... it took me a year or so to crack it.