Shaving Bar Help

[edco76]

Hello everyone. I need some advise. I want to make a shaving bar, ya know the lil round ones you put in a mug. I wouldn't expect anyone to give me their recipe but does anyone have any advise? I know that coconut oil makes lather and I think I read that Castor oil will help also but other than that I am shooting blind. My thinking as that it would be high lather and conditioning but low on the cleaning factor because I usually wash my face before I shave so assume it wouldnt really need to be very good "soap" just smooth and bubbly. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[pepperi27]

you will need to add some clays for slip like white kaolin clay for dry skin and bentonite clay for oily skin. any supplier that carries those like wholesale supplies will list what each clay does. I only use those two.

 

[Becky]

This is a batch that I've made for the first time about 6 weeks ago:

20% Coconut
30% Olive
30% Palm
20% Avocado
Use Chamomile tea instead of water for your lye solution.
2ml Chamomile EO / kilo of oils
2ml Peppermint EO / kilo of oils
25g Bentonite clay / kilo of oils

I use a 80mm PVC pipe for a mold, and cut the bars about an inch thick. They fit really well into a 100g silver tin that I get from New Directions.

They don't lather great just being rubbed on your skin, but use a shaving brush or a shower puff and they lather really well.

 

[edco76]

Thanks Becky, I am going to try some real soon. This is the recipe I have, if anyone has any insight.

· 13 oz. Olive oil
· 10 oz. Coconut oil
· 7 oz. Palm oil
· 2.5 oz. Castor oil
· 4.7 oz. Lye (about a 5% discount)
· 9.4 oz. water
· 2 Tbs. of Bentonite Clay
· 1 to 1.4 oz. of fragrance or essential oil

I think I will use Kaolin clay instead because I am in Alabama and while reseaching I found that that is where it comes from (even though they call it China clay) I think I will probably discount my lye more and use a little less FO (that is about the amount I use in my soap and I am thinking I would like a shaving bar to be a little more subtle) I will let you know how it turns out when/if I get around to it.