Soaps Behaving Badly

B

Briallen

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Apologies for those on the list for the Myrica glycerine soap - I'll be a day or two later posting than I intended as I thought I'd add a harder, non-glycerine, soap (no difference in UK postal charges).

So I decided on a recipe including a conditioner (which I use in workshop type soaps to combat the drying aspect of high cleansing) and made a small batch in some round moulds (food storage containers - possible right size for putting in bowls).
It demoulded nicely but when I tried it on my hands it seemed to be somewhat drying (it most definitely shouldn't be - possibly too much clay) so it's been sent to the corner to see whether it will behave properly in a couple of weeks.

I made another batch with different recipe, including honey and put it into the moulds.

The next day it wouldn't demould! It had a hardish layer on top and was softer underneath so I've dug it out and rebatched (melted) into small silicone muffin moulds - the discs, which are harder than the first time round) have been on the drying rack for a couple of days so I can post tomorrow.

There'll also be one for some of those who tested earlier samples (names out of a hat again).
 
Samples of these sent off to those on the Myrica glycerine soap list.

Also a piece of each to previous testers pulled from the hat:

Beejay
Jeltz
Yellow Jim
FrenchBlade
Lipsy
Urban Hermit

(Hope they arrive - I didn't realise that the pen I used to write the addresses didn't have waterproof ink)
 
Briallen said:
Samples of these sent off to those on the Myrica glycerine soap list.

Also a piece of each to previous testers pulled from the hat:

Beejay
Jeltz
Yellow Jim
FrenchBlade
Lipsy
Urban Hermit

(Hope they arrive - I didn't realise that the pen I used to write the addresses didn't have waterproof ink)
Click to expand...

I got pulled ...
            • Oh, Matron![/list:u]
            • [/list:u][/list:u][/list:u]
                • ... from a hat?[/list:u][/list:u][/list:u][/list:u]
                    • Magic. Thank you.[/list:u][/list:u]
 
I tried the Honeyspice with Clay and Honey this morning.
I put the soap into a small cosmetic tub courtesy of my beloved and followed my usual procedure for soaps.
Pour about 1 teaspoon warm water onto the soap and let it sit for a few minutes while I towel my face.
Pour the water from the soap into my shaving bowl ( Ialways bowl lather and keep the bowl warm while I shave)
Used the small Ever Ready bristle today and loaded the brush for about 20 secs.
Whipped up a pretty generous lather in the bowl aided by the water I'd poured earlier.
The lather isnt as rich as Tabac or MWF but easily gave enough cover for 4 passes. (I went for 4 just to see if the lather would last and it did, with plenty left)
The razor worked smoothly with the lather, it didnt fizz but it did dissolve in the water quicker than the two brands above. Im not bothered about how long it floats afterwards mind you only how long it stays workable on my face and in this case it gave me more than enough time to complete each pass.
I couldnt say the scent is unforgettable but its quite pleasant, like a lot of artisan soaps, sort of natural/ mother earth scents and I'm ok with scents like that as they dont interfere with the 'smellies' applied afterwards.
I still needed to remove a good lather from the brush, (after Id used some to clean the razor), to clean up so it seems to have staying power.
I took a small tub of Godrej away last week when I went to Edinburgh and have come to the conclusion its a pretty disappointing performer. A small tub of Honeyspice would have been a much better travelling companion.
Water where I live is soft and that I think will enhance the performance of most soaps I guess.
Anyway, thanks for the sample Elaine. my shave was comfortable and trouble free and thats good for me any day.

Regards, beejay
 
If you haven't used either of these yet I'd give the Citrus Silk a miss - but I would like feedback on the HoneySpice.

(I'm not sure whether they've all arrived yet either)
 
Righty… I got Citrus Silk and HoneySpice, so I tried HoneySpice tonight (as per your request).

Really liked the aroma. Again, it was pretty subtle but I kept thinking that there was a 'lemony' aspect to it (my nose is notoriously rubbish, mind). It was a really pleasant, clean smell nonetheless. Not sure that I could detect the spice…

Lathered up really easily (I live in a hard water area). I got a light, foamy lather – it wasn't as thick as, say, the C&E Nomad I used a couple of days ago, and I thought on application that there wouldn't be much in the way if cushioning – I was wrong. The first pass was really comfortable.

Second pass lather wasn't as thick, but - again - really comfortable shave despite the lather appearing to break down a little. It was strange, because I kept thinking that it shouldn't be as good as it was.

I went on to touch-ups after that. I didn't really have enough lather for that, so I went for face lather touch-ups… By this point, I was confident that the soap would protect me and I probably went a bit too far with the touch-ups, if I am honest. Face lathering - where I was less concerned about the lather I made but more interested in having something between me and the razor blade – worked really well. I presume it's the clay providing the protection – whatever it is, it works really well.

I ended up having a really comfortable shave. Whether it's the water or the soap itself, I didn't think that it was a lather monster of a soap. However, it certainly gave me a great shave once I had confidence on the protection of the soap over its lather.

It also left my skin feeling very good as well. Despite going at my neck a bit more than I should have (as I said, I was enjoying using the soap) my face felt really soft and, er, clean after using this soap…

Lipsy
 
Thanks Lipsy (I wouldn't bother with the CitrusSilk). it's good to now you had an enjoyable shave with hard water.

I'm not sure where you picked up the lemon aroma (the soap hadn't been touching the citrus one) but the spice is Caraway.

The protection is almost certainly from the clay combining with the lather produced by the oil/butters used in the soap formulation - from info which I have on clays:-

Clay minerals such as kaolinite, talc and smectites are useful in protecting the skin, because they are able to adhere to it and form a protective, almost water proof film over the skin’s surface, providing a mechanical protection against external physical or chemical agents.

Yellow Clay: Rich in minerals. Restores a healthy glow as it tones refreshes and tightens the skin. Suitable for all skin types.

Then the honey and clay would give you the skinfeel.

It looks as though this honey/clay and oils/butters formulation is one to develop.
 
No worries… I told you my nose was rubbish… :lol: Maybe it was the Caraway.

Definitely left my skin feeling really good. It would make a great travel soap – in fact, that's what I will do with what's left as it's ideal for face lathering.

Lipsy
 
Had another go this evening with the HoneySpice...

I changed what I did, adding more water to the soap before I began to lather it. Definitely got more longer-lasting lather this time - I managed two passes this time before I got deterioration, so maybe it's something that I need to get used to given the fact that the water is so rubbish down this way.

Again, I had a really comfortable shave with this soap. Having been using my "new" HD and and a super thin a lot of late, I wasn't sure how many shaves I had used on the blade (a combination of being busy and a wee bit ill meant that I had lost track of the number of shaves that I had got from the blade), but I cold tell that I was pushing the it somewhat. However, I got the same comfortable shave despite this. My face felt really good afterwards and the only irritation I had was where I had pushed things a little (bearing in mind that I am pretty sure the blade was past its best).

I'm going to keep at the soap till I have runs out, because it's easily one of the best soaps that I have used in terms of performance - I just can't *quite* get the lather... Either way, it's a good 'un.

My nose is getting better as well - no citrus smell this time. :roll:

Lipsy
 
I got it, I think.

Either way, the third time I tried with HoneySpice was a good 'un.

I got long-lasting lather (though I worked at it, which is almost certainly the water), and I really had a very slow and pleasant shave. Plenty of lather for passes and touch-ups.

Same post-shave result: skin feels great as always, and I have minimal irritation compared to other soaps I have used.

Really good stuff – I think that I need to work with it more, but I always end up with a great result.

Lipsy
 
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