How should I store my shave soap

Discussion in 'Shave Soaps' started by Manny87, Feb 25, 2016.

  1. Manny87

    Manny87 Active Member

    Hey all. New member here. I currently only have the Van Der Hagen wet shave kit. I have the soap an apothecary mug. I placed inside the mug and left it there. I load up my brush from there when needed and just let it sit when I am done. How am I supposed to care for the soap. It seems it is drying out a lot just exposed to the air like that. It also seems to be losing its scent. And do you guys build a lather in the mug, a different bowl, or on your faces? Thanks.
     
  2. PLAla

    PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

    I load the brush in the mug or container and then face lather. I have two soaps that I leave out on the counter in mugs. One is VDH luxury and the other is Arko. I just soak them in hot water as I shower when I use them. They seem to be fine. Most of my other soaps are in covered containers.
     
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  3. Sir.$-Mad

    Sir.$-Mad Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the Den! :)

    I usually store my soaps in Tupperwares.
     
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  4. Manny87

    Manny87 Active Member

    So only the ones your are currently using are left out and exposed and the rest in covered containers right?
     
  5. PLAla

    PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

    No, those two remain out on the sink all the time, both open to the air. I rotate through several soaps. I haven't used the VDH or Arko in several weeks probably. But they just hang out there because those mugs don't have a lid. I could be storing them ineffectively or inappropriately, but they still lather great and provide good shaves when I use them.
     
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  6. jmaier

    jmaier Well-Known Member

    Welcome! There's no harm in leaving your soap in the mug. As @PLAla mentioned, throwing some warm water on it for a few minutes should re-hydrate it enough for a good lather. Cheap storage containers do come in handy, though, if you start to accumulate several pucks that don't already come in their own container. Small Glad or Tupperware tubs work just fine, as do the empty shaving cream containers TSD's store and Maggards sell. For a slightly fancier option, Stirling, Maggards and others sell tins that will fit most pucks of soap without any trouble.
     
  7. mikewood

    mikewood Well-Known Member

    You can always set a spare lid on your mug to keep it soft if you prefer a softer soap. Less scrubbing that way.
     
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  8. IDuck

    IDuck Well-Known Member

    welcome aboard the crazy train...1st you can do either, build a lather in a bowl (bowl lather) or load the brush with soap in the mug and build the lather on your face (face lather). What you do will be entirely up to you (YMMV)...I personally ALWAYS bowl lather as I enjoy the process/ritual of building my lather...also what is great about the VDH soap is you can melt/put it in any bowl/container that you like so if you want to use the mug to lather you can.
     
  9. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    All my soaps are in their own small glass bowl I get from the Dollar Store, 3 for a buck.
    The ones I can melt get melted (glycerin types) into the bowl to form fit. The ones that can't be melted (contain tallow) get a teaspoon of water in the bottom of the bowl, set the soap in, then pressed down once the bottom of the soap softens. This "glues" the soap to the bowl. Some folks grate their soaps, then press/pack down.
    The soap goes in the bowl, the bowl goes in a ziplock sandwich bag. With around 40 soap all in rotation, it makes for easy stacking and keeps the dust out.
    I load from the puck in the bowl, then take the loaded brush to a larger bowl/mug to whip up my lather.
    The soap will sit uncovered for the day to dry, then gets put in the bag and then it's next soap up.

    NOTE: As stated, not all soaps can be melted. If you're not sure, ask us before you ruin a good soap!
     
  10. preidy

    preidy Just call me Dino

    I store mine in small tins with lids. But first thing in the morning when I get up I take the shave soap of the day and remove the lid so the aromia waffles around the bathroom and into the hallway.
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2016
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  11. Shaver X

    Shaver X Well-Known Member

    It's soap, it doesn't need any care. Just plop it into a mug and use it.
     
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  12. TheManWithNoName

    TheManWithNoName Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the Den, Manny! :)

    I have four different shave soaps. I've melted two of them and poured them into a glass container and the other two are still in their original containers. Regardless of which one I'm using for my shave, I wet the soap, load the brush, and then work up the lather in a bowl. The two soaps I've melted and poured into their glass container have no lid and they're just fine. If you want to use a container that has a lid, that's up to you; it's really a matter of personal preference. But leaving your soap exposed to the air between uses won't harm your soap.

    20160227_104016.jpg
     
  13. youngunn

    youngunn Where's my TSD aftershave balm???

    I use soft soap (croaps) and it's recommended to leave the lid off afterwards to let it dry thoroughly so as not to ruin the soap... Just what I've read and I've started to do. Plus it makes my shave cabinet smell good.
     
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  14. Jim99

    Jim99 Gold Water Shaver

    I've been leaving mine uncovered for the past year of using shave soaps with no problems. I think it's best to have them dry out between uses. Also, I really don't think it has reduced the scent at all.
     
  15. 178-bplatoon

    178-bplatoon Well-Known Member

    I've been putting my pucks in Ziplock containers for years. The pucks fit the containers well, the lids seal well, they are stackable, unbreakable, easy to find and while not the best looking containers the price can't be beat. If you don't use the puck often it will dry out a bit, but that doesn't hurt the lathering ability of the puck as far as I can tell. I've have however just ordered some empty TOBS containers from Maggard razors. While a bit pricey for me, I want to try out screw type containers and I think they look a little nicer.:)
     

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