What's in my shaving soap

hunnymonster said:
henkverhaar said:
b] cold water dissolves less fatty acid salts and it is therefore more difficult to make a good lather with cold water -- solubility is what makes potassium salts superior latherers over sodium salts

Does the solubility of the anion vary with the cation by that much?

Yes, apparently it does. Haven't looked up the actual solubilities/ion products, but surfactants are funny things, physicochemically speaking. It may have something to do with the local ion strength at the aequeous side of the air/water interface in the lather (the bubbles' edges...), where the larger size of the potassium ion stabilizes the surfactant layer? Again, just theorizing here.

And should we seek out Rubidium or Caesium salts for even better experience? ;) (I'll let others suggest Francium salts - although I read glowing reports of their efficacy :lol: )

Well, the Francium soaps would be interesting, especially if you make an autoradiogram after shaving ;-) But other than that, no, all other alkali and alkaline earth salts of fatty acids are insoluble in water (remember soap scum?).

If soaps would behave normally (i.e. not as a surfactant, I guess), the potassium salt would be less soluble than the sodium salt.

Henk
 
hunnymonster said:
henkverhaar said:
b] cold water dissolves less fatty acid salts and it is therefore more difficult to make a good lather with cold water -- solubility is what makes potassium salts superior latherers over sodium salts

Does the solubility of the anion vary with the cation by that much? Especially with a large organic anion like a "tallowate"? And should we seek out Rubidium or Caesium salts for even better experience? ;) (I'll let others suggest Francium salts - although I read glowing reports of their efficacy :lol: )

It's starting to sound like fekin Soap Trek; The next Generation[attachment=0]

That's HM, Henke & Soapalchemist with Merkur HD's sat to stun :ugeek:

As long as you have no Klingons, no probs!

Regards
 
I use Tabac most days and love it.

Interesting the refills have a different ingredients list than the full sticks.

Tabac Stick:

Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Potassium Cocoate, Aqua, Sodium Tallowate, Parfum, Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 77891, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Citronellol, Courmarin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Evernia Prunastri (Oakmoss) Extract, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Eugenol, Citral, Evernia Furfuracea (Treemoss) Extract.

Tabac Refill:

Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Sodium Tallowate, Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Aqua, Glycerin, Parfum, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Tetrasodium EDTA, CI 77891

That's quite a difference. No idea why but noticed it when I got the job lot in last week.

(PS Ingredient info all available here: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4780" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4780</a><!-- m --> and I posted this earlier at <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=852&hilit=tallowate&start=10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=8&t=852&hilit=tallowate&start=10</a><!-- l -->)
 
The only major ingredient difference is the cocoate -- the stick has some coconut acid soaps - probably to make it a harder soap, maybe also to make it quicker lathering when used directly on the face (you don't want to rub your face for minutes before you get enough soap transferred to start brushing and shaving.

The hydroxide listing in the tabac stick could mean that the stick is more fully saponified than the refill -- my gut feeling however is that it is a superfluous listing.

Interesting is the difference in the fragrance listing. The stick lists a whole range of potential allergens (contained in natural fragrances, listing is mandatory, although usually superfluous). EIther the refill has a different perfume, or less of the same perfume, or they are in violation of the labelling requirement ;-)

What, you mean Germans being in violation of a legal requirement ;-)

Henk
 
next dumb question for all you chem majors/ shave soap geeks/ cosmetologists:

I watched a youtube vid about making coffee soap. they added pure caffeine to it, with the explanation that as a vasodilator it did stuff to the skin that was beneficial. could be, but that effect, whatever it is... would that be helpful in a shave soap?
 
here's the video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxa9029gkas
the creator of this video seems unclear on the actual effects produced. I am completely unclear on them. but if caffeine applied to the skin changes the surface somehow, it probably will change the behavior of soap/razor/skin in a way that might be noticeable and might be beneficial (or not). there might be a very good reason that there are no caffeinated shave soaps on the market. I just don't know.

the point being that caffeine is used in a number of cosmetics products to affect the surface of the skin. the topical use is what is interesting here- no way I am going to be interested i n giving up my morning cuppa...


vasodilator, vasoconstrictor, skin absorbable, skin nonabsorbable, I see all of these claims made. what's actually going on?
 
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