shaving soap numbers check
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I have only made shaving soap once, and while it is very good (IMO) it still needs some tweaking, so I really can't comment on your recipe proportions, but I am a little concerned about the size. Smaller batches have much less room for error which is why it's recommended to start with at least a 1.5 to 2 lb batch. If you are sure you want to make soap with less than a pound of oils, all I can say is please be very very careful and make certain that your measurments are dead-on accurate. There is a very tiny difference between superfatted and lye heavy in such small increments, so be sure your scale is accurate.
I just ran your recipe through soapcalc, and the difference in lye between 0% SF and 10% SF is less than 5 grams.
JM2C, good luck and let us know how it turns out
I just ran your recipe through soapcalc, and the difference in lye between 0% SF and 10% SF is less than 5 grams.
JM2C, good luck and let us know how it turns out
new12soap said:I have only made shaving soap once, and while it is very good (IMO) it still needs some tweaking, so I really can't comment on your recipe proportions, but I am a little concerned about the size. Smaller batches have much less room for error which is why it's recommended to start with at least a 1.5 to 2 lb batch. If you are sure you want to make soap with less than a pound of oils, all I can say is please be very very careful and make certain that your measurments are dead-on accurate. There is a very tiny difference between superfatted and lye heavy in such small increments, so be sure your scale is accurate.
I just ran your recipe through soapcalc, and the difference in lye between 0% SF and 10% SF is less than 5 grams.
JM2C, good luck and let us know how it turns out
thank you for commenting back .. i JUST finished making the soap. i can only make soap late at night after my daughter goes to sleep so i just went ahead and made it. i had it at 8% superfat from the start so i really hope i was super accurate. i was being very careful with my measurements . right on the gram
sudbubblez
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Steric is way to low and bubbly is way to high. Steric will provide stability of the lather, one that stays, as well as creaminess (dense tiny bubbles). What I see here is a lather that has big short-lived bubbles, not a dense foam. Target steric for at least 20%, and bubbly in the single digits, this will give you a bar that actually lathers like shaving cream that comes out of a can. Castor oil looks great though.
sudbubblez
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This is what a bar with low bubbly and 25% steric and 20% ricinoleic will look like:
It really does smear and stick to the skin like shaving cream. More of it will dry out and become hardened foam, than melt away. In shave bars, the target is very high creamy, and only just enough bubbly to give the creamy a little bit of volume.
Fresh lather:
After 15 minutes:
It really does smear and stick to the skin like shaving cream. More of it will dry out and become hardened foam, than melt away. In shave bars, the target is very high creamy, and only just enough bubbly to give the creamy a little bit of volume.
Fresh lather:
After 15 minutes:
Ditto everything sudbubblez said, especially if you are making the kind of shave soap designed to be used with a shaving mug and bristle brush. The lather in her pics is exactly what mine looks like when frothed up with a badger bristle brush. It's just like shaving foam from a can and stays foamy for over 15 minutes (at least).
IrishLass
IrishLass
sudbubblez
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Irishlass; I was able to make this bar by using one of your posts in another thread as a guide.
I've shaved with regular cp soap and basic cp with clay, and it still works very well... however, if you're a kinesthetic person like myself, regular bars are not near as fun as swirling a brush and making foam... most bars will make a foam with a brush, the difference is that its lighter and doesn't last as long.
I've shaved with regular cp soap and basic cp with clay, and it still works very well... however, if you're a kinesthetic person like myself, regular bars are not near as fun as swirling a brush and making foam... most bars will make a foam with a brush, the difference is that its lighter and doesn't last as long.
sudbubblez said:This is what a bar with low bubbly and 25% steric and 20% ricinoleic will look like:
It really does smear and stick to the skin like shaving cream. More of it will dry out and become hardened foam, than melt away. In shave bars, the target is very high creamy, and only just enough bubbly to give the creamy a little bit of volume.
Fresh lather:
After 15 minutes:
thank you for all the info. i was going to make another batch using bentonite clay and compare, so i will change the recipe. is there in ingredient oil that you like to use in shave soap? such as tallow or something. i am trying to change the recipe but im not sure how to get the steric that high. maybe its too early in the morning lol
sudbubblez
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sudbubblez
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the one in the picture is a base of tallow and does have straight up steric acid added to it. I also used shea butter and mango butter for their steric content. soft oils like olive and canola are the smallest portion. It was high in hard fats but actually didn't trace too fast on me or harden quickly in the mold, I think because of the added glycerin.
judymoody
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This is a very helpful thread. I need to make more shaving soap soon and was planning to tweak my recipe. Lots of good information here. Thanks everyone!
If you are looking for tallow locally go to your butcher store. He may only have suet (unrefined tallow) and then you will need to render it yourself. It's not that hard to do.
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