just got a puck of taconic bay rum and I am not getting the nice thick lather that i'm used to with semi soft pucks. Definitely still going through the adjustment with this hard puck but was wondering if anyone had any tips/feedback?
I just read the ingredient list from their web site. Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Safflower Oil, Olive Oil (Grade A extra virgin), Castor Oil, Glycerin (kosher, of vegetable origin), Hemp Seed Oil (unrefined), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Bentonite clay (humectant), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), Soybean protein (conditioner), Wheat Protein (conditioner), Fragrance Oils Seems it's a glycerin based soap. I don't recall having any glycerin soaps in my stash so I'm not really helping here as to how to acheive a good, rich lather. Like you, soft soaps or croaps are a breeze to whip up great, slick lather. Couple questions and perhaps those with more experience can chime in. Type of brush you're using? Face, bowl or on the puck latherer? Hard water? I understand with hard or milled soaps, it takes plenty of water and a tad more time to get that good lather we all seek.
When using glycerin based soaps, I just keep the brush on the wet side and spend a little more time lathering. It works for me..........
The standard answer is "use more product". I've gotten acceptable lathers from Van der Hagen and Col Conk glycerin based soaps. My guess is like most hard pucks you need a little moisture in your brush to get the soap to load. Not drippy wet, just moist. A badger or horse brush makes for more difficult loading because they tend to be softer of fiber, even floppy. When using a hard puck and it's my choice over most creams or croaps, I like a boar or latest gen synthetic brush. Load it until it starts to look pasty with soap. If you bowl lather add small amounts of water until the desired consistency. For face lathering load the brush the same, and develop the lather by running the upper portion under a trickling faucet. With either method the idea is get enough soap in the bristles, the slowly add water. There is a photo and essay of my method HERE.
My own experience with glycerine based soaps is that they need more moisture and elbow grease to work into a nice lather. If you are used too a croap, you will need to double or triple the amount of time to get your lather built up and slick. Elbow grease really ought to be a listed ingredient on many harder soaps.
I've used that exact same product before. It didn't yield a thick, voluminous lather for me either using a boar brush. But it was slick as all heck.
I noticed that the ingredients include olive oil which is known to be a lather-killer unless it's just a small amount. On the other hand it's good for the skin.
I didn't care for the Taconic soaps, the creams were much better. Had lather stability issues so melted it with some other stuff and turned it into a pre shave soap, has worked beautifully as a pre shave.
Yea it worked wonderful as a pre shave. Since it is a M&P you could add other ingredients to boost it if you like (shea butter, coconut oil, lanolin, olive oil, memthol, etc.) This is a great way to use up any soaps that don't make the cut. Doesn't hurt to give it a try and see if it works well for you ad well.
