Recent content by Mschwartz

So my shave soap lather seems to dry up 1/2 way through the shave. Add a little water and it comes back slick again. Is this just not using enough water in the brush or a different problem?

So I ran my recipe through a hybrid soap calculator and substituted beef tallow instead of lard and the lye requirements were identical. This sound correct?

Do you think beef tallow is superior to pork tallow? Lard is easier to get and everything I’ve researched says to stick to a animal based tallow?

Do you think increasing the glycerin to 15% would achieve better slickness? The tussah silk gives it slickness but I’m always open to tweaking stuff.

That’s good to know both methods achieve the same results. I’ve been going for more of a paste and this recipe is pretty close. I’ve thought about increasing the glycerin to 15% but not sure.

Super fat 6% Lye concentration 25% 70% KOH 30% NaOH Tussah silk 10% glycerin Stearic acid 60% Lard 15% Coconut oil 10% Shea butter 5% Cocoa butter 5% Castor oil 5% Tobacco and bay leaf fragrance. It’s pretty soft and lathers quickly.

So I have been doing her modified cold process method for shave soaps I’ve been making. Have any of you guys tried both hot process and her modified method and if so which do you think brings better results? Thanks

Thanks for the advice. I check temperature thankfully. I’ll definitely remember that though. I always lather check after a week. I can’t say I notice a huge difference with a week compared to six on lather.

Thanks. That’s what I figured

I think I know the answer to this but can you develop a bar soap for beards or are beards PH like our hair on our heads?

Thanks for the information. I wasn’t aware of the hazards of hot soaping. I do add the lye solution very slowly so maybe that’s why I have been getting away with it. This soap is more like a paste because of the water content I’m using. I put it in plastic containers as well which has always...

I’ve been using Carrie Seiberts book and tweaking some of her ideas. I have been heating oils and stearic to close to 200 degrees and the lye water to around 150-160. I’m using her modified cold process principle. I have been curing the traditional 6 weeks. My understanding is with hot process a...

Well I got another stick blender with same results so yeah it’s the raw Shea butter. I guess I won’t have to worry about buying stick blenders for a while

I kind of figured. Thanks for the replies

So I have been making both soaps and lotion with my stick blender. I’m seeing debris in my lotion and in the soaps recently. I’m not putting any colors in the lotions so it’s white. I switched stick blenders and still the same problem. It’s a kitchen aide so I don’t think it’s cheap. Anyone see...