I need a shaving soap recipe!

[RockinRodeoChick]

My best friend's father got wind that I've started making soap and has asked for a shaving soap. I'm not even sure where to start to get a really thick, stable lather. I've been searching online and have come across several recipes, but I would really appreciate any advice you can give me.
I saw the post on the cream shaving soap and I'm going to try that too, but I want to make a bar soap or soap I can pour into a nice tin for him.
Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ChrissyB]

HI
Okay, for starters, you won't be able to make the soap and pour it into a tin, unless it's stainless steel. I think most soapers that make shaving soap in tins actually make it in a pvc or pringles tube, slice it and then put it in the tin.
Do you normally use castor oil in your soap? Shaving soap is really just soap with a nice stable lather, so oils like palm/coconut/palm kernel and a little bit of castor make a nice shaving bar. I have made a shaving soap with stearic acid and it definitely gives something to the lather, but you don't have to use straight up stearic acid, just the oils that contain it cos that's what contributes to the stable lather. Clay is important too. I use white clay in my soap, and I seive it first just incase there is any little gritty bits. The clay adds a lovely "slip" to the lather. I use one heaped tablespoon for ever 500gm of oils in my batch. What is one of your basic recipes? Post that and we'll see if you could just use that, or tweak it a little.

 

[RockinRodeoChick]

Yes, I didn't actually mean a tin. I was talking about the PET plastic jars. I saw a post where she was pouring directly into her plastic jars. Said tin instead. Oops.
Can I ask where you get your clay from? There are so many suppliers, I'm not sure who to choose. Heh
I havn't been able to find palm oil here in town, so the recipe I've been using most often is:

8% Castor
8% PKO
22% Coconut
47% Olive
15% Soybean

I also have easy access to lard if that would help.

 

[fun_4_me_now]

I made my first attempt at a shaving bar last week. It turned out soft, but not too bad. It was a 2 bar test batch.

I used 11% castor, 20.5% coconut, 54.8% olive, 13.7 palm. I added 5% sweet almond, 1% tea tree, and a few drops of rosmery right before (hot) pouring it. I put 1 table spoon of bentonite clay in the water before I assed the lye. I got my bentonite from a winemaking store, it is a food grade clearing agent and did not require sifting or anything, just some soaking and mixing.

The tea tree oil may not have been counted accurately. I may have used too much as I had a scale issue. I will be using a smaller scale next time (good to 0.1g) to measure the small quantities.

The lather is rich with small foamy bubbles, but not as foamy as canned shave cream. I have never liked it too foamy. I have yet to determine if it makes the hairs softer or harder to cut. I have been using an exfoliating face wash (sls based, all chemical) till now and what I liked about it was how the hairs almost wanted to be cut with no pulling.

Shaving with many regular bar soaps made the hairs harder and the razor pulls at them eventually nicking the blades edges and making the blades scrape my skin where the edged are raised. I needed a magnifier to figure out why my skin was all red and inflamed after shaving. I originally thought it was some type of alergy.

 

[Hazel]

Yes, I didn't actually mean a tin. I was talking about the PET plastic jars. I saw a post where she was pouring directly into her plastic jars. Said tin instead. Oops.
Can I ask where you get your clay from? There are so many suppliers, I'm not sure who to choose. Heh
I havn't been able to find palm oil here in town, so the recipe I've been using most often is:

8% Castor
8% PKO
22% Coconut
47% Olive
15% Soybean

I also have easy access to lard if that would help.

I buy clay from wholesalesuppliesplus.com. They have the best prices that I could find. However, they are in Ohio and I don't know how expensive the shipping charges would be for you. You could call and ask them about charges. Their customer service is very helpful.