Traditional Crafts Liquorice

Northam Saint

Northam Saint

Messages
4,702
Location
Bideford, North Devon
Having been recently introduced to Etsy I found traditional Crafts and saw the Liquorice Shave. Being a Liquorice lover I thought I would give it a try. delivery was quick and the scent is fantastic. The ingredients list Oil of Aniseed, Black pepper, Cinnamon, fennel and Vetiver all of which come across well.

So this morning I decided to give it a try. Bearing in mind where I live we have very soft water the lather produced was well, an understated disappointing. Getting any sort of lather was difficult and once on my face it simply started to dissolved. Now, after being here on a while and using many a soap I consider myself to be a fairly good lathered of the brush. Heck I've even got a very good lather out of Mitchell's Wool fat !

There also seems to be very little cushion effect from what lather you can produce, obviously due to the lathering and dissolving. Something which has left me, very unusually with a slightly raw feeling.

For scent it's a real 5 star, for lather a big fat ZERO.
 
... there comes a point where you really need to get the chemists involved. As a consequence, a product is no longer artisan.

Sound review, mate - it's sparked me to put up my first review. Similar experience of an artisan goat milk soap. Not NSS - they're all awesome!
 
Seems like a lot of the smaller soap makers pass off any old soap as a shaving soap.
Sharon (Nannys soap) has done a great deal of research and development into her shaving soaps and it has paid off as they are up with the best.
Others who are trying but not hitting the mark should take note.
 
Good to know it was not just me then. I had a sample of that liquorice soap and could not get a lather going at all. Gave up in the end and didn't even bother using it.

Basically it was just ordinary soap. I've noticed that whenever I buy "shaving soap" from a craft store, fate or some such event they always market their shaving soap as having all natural ingredients etc. but it doesn't have anything different to hand soap.
I asked the one of the sellers if tallow etc. was contained and she looked horrified!
 
fancontroller said:
Good to know it was not just me then. I had a sample of that liquorice soap and could not get a lather going at all. Gave up in the end and didn't even bother using it.

Basically it was just ordinary soap. I've noticed that whenever I buy "shaving soap" from a craft store, fate or some such event they always market their shaving soap as having all natural ingredients etc. but it doesn't have anything different to hand soap.
I asked the one of the sellers if tallow etc. was contained and she looked horrified!
Click to expand...

I'll try it as a normal soap then, it's never a shaving soap. I'm not even sure what it contains that makes it "soap".

Oil of coconut
Olive oil
Rice Bran Oil
Caster Oil
Shea Butter
Activated Charcoal
Liquorice Powder
Bentonite Clay
Vitamin E Oil
Oil of
Aniseed
Black pepper
Cinnamon Leaf
Fennel
Vetiver
 
Just been a googling, it's good for the pores.

globalm said:
It would be the missing Sodium or Potassium Hydroxide which would make it soap!

Activated charcoal?? Maybe the easiest way of making it black!
Click to expand...

Would appear then I have a lump of oil.

Just got this off her Etsy page

"I make my soap from scratch using 100% raw ingredients; I do not use commercially produced soap bases, paraben preservatives or artificial lathering agents such as SLS.
I use the traditional Cold Process Soap making method in wooden moulds, then cut each bar by hand and leave it to cure for a minimum of six weeks for a firmer longer-lasting soap. "

All very well and good, but I think the maker is missing a point on shaving soap. A shaving soap needs good lathering capabilities. The lather is what cushions and helps protect the face during shaving.
 
Northam Saint said:
Just been a googling, it's good for the pores.

globalm said:
It would be the missing Sodium or Potassium Hydroxide which would make it soap!

Activated charcoal?? Maybe the easiest way of making it black!
Click to expand...

Would appear then I have a lump of oil.

Just got this off her Etsy page

"I make my soap from scratch using 100% raw ingredients; I do not use commercially produced soap bases, paraben preservatives or artificial lathering agents such as SLS.
I use the traditional Cold Process Soap making method in wooden moulds, then cut each bar by hand and leave it to cure for a minimum of six weeks for a firmer longer-lasting soap. "

All very well and good, but I think the maker is missing a point on shaving soap. A shaving soap needs good lathering capabilities. The lather is what cushions and helps protect the face during shaving.
Click to expand...


I reckon the inclusion of olive oil may defeat the lathering. AFAIK only Sharon has managed an artisan Olive Oil soap that still lathers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom