Which soaps can be melted

I have an empty shave stick from Mama Bear and would like to "refill" it with one of the soaps I have that did not come in a container. Specifically, I have a couple TGQ soaps that I don't use very often because I have to dry and change out another soap in a dish.

What soaps can or cannot be melted and poured into the shave stick (or any other container)?

How do I melt the soap (how many sec / min in the microwave)?

Does this impact the quality of the soap?

From anyone's experience, are their soaps that work better in stick form vs bowl?

Thanks.

 

Glycerin based soaps can be melted and poured into your shave stick.
Nuke the soap for 10 sec ONLY and repeat if neccessary to liquify the soap.

DO NOT TRY THIS WITH TRIPLE MILLED (Hard) SOAPS. These need to be grated and then pressed into your container of choice.

 

Thanks Rick for the quick response. I am a newbie at this (father's day gift from the wife and kids) and for the first time in my life, I look forward to shaving in the morning. It has always been one of those things I just did.

Do you know if The Gentleman's Quarter soaps are glycerine based? They look "cloudy" when compared to my MB soaps, so I am not sure if they are similar in composition.

 

I know that Em's Place are glycerin based. I am not sure of the Queens base nor of the Gentlemans.

 

Hi there (insert first name here),
A fathers day gift eh? Hehe, little does your family know what could possibly be the end result of that well meaning gesture. My advice is to back out of here slowly, and lock the door firmly behind you. Otherwise, if you're not careful, you may start to 'acquire' a few things.
If that doesn't scare you, then let me tell you I feel the same way about looking forward to my daily shave. Who knew!
I have a small list of soaps that melted without problem for me. Most, if not all, will be from small, and very friendly independent vendors.

Our own Joanna makes a very nice one (TSD)
TGQ .......Thegentlemansquarter (Colleen)
QED......Charles
Tryphon ........Giovanni
Mamabear Sue
HBS.........Honeybeesue

I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting, but those are some of the ones you'll hear about a fair bit. They all have good reputations and products, but some will work better for you than others.

Oh......one more important thing about melting a glycerin based soap. If it DOES get too hot, the stuff will blow up! Yeah, you wanna make sure there isn't even the tiniest little wisp of smoke when you remove it from the microwave. That smoke shows the soap's almost at it's most dangerous condition..........the 'flash point'.
You know of course about nitroglycerin, and it's explosive properties. Well, there's enough glycerin in one 3 ounce puck to blow..........here, I have an example you may understand.
You ever play with those overgrown M80's? Kinda like a cherry bomb, but cylindrical. These were double the normal M80 size, and would leave a large crater upon exploding. Now those we didn't hold in our hand when lighting....heh. Anyway, you sorta get the picture.
Matter of fact, there's a few members here with missing 'pieces' of themselves. I lost part of my right pinky finger a few years ago to a soap related accident. Yep, that soap melting can be exciting!
There now, I feel better about warning you, and once again would suggest you stay away from what looks like a 'hobby'. Leave before all hope is lost.
Martin




Hehe...............sorry otipoby, I just could NOT resist including that last little 'warning' about melting soap. Hope you take that as a welcome to this place, and it's all in fun. Believe it or not, I have a very slight bit of sarcasm that can creep into my posts.
Good luck on your shaving journey.

 

Martin, your a BAD BOY!!!!:mad:

It won't blow up, but it can boil over and make a mess of your microwave and a waste of your soap - so just 10 sec intervals!!!

 

Instead of using the mircowave I use sort of a double-boiler. I use a small "Pyrex" dish place into a pan of water place on the stove. I think I can control the heat better, as I can tell when it starts to melt. I use a chopstick to stir and to kind of feel the soap. When it is soft enough, I use tongs to remove it from the water then potholders to pick it up and pour it.

I start with the heat on med-high and then adjust up or down as needed. It takes about 5 to 7 mins. .

 

But it takes me 30 seconds from hard soap to repoured soap in the freezer hardening again when I use the microwave

 

Hi there,
Yes......I am a bad boy. Hehe, I already knew that though, but thank you for the well meaning post.
But.............I DID warn him about this 'hobby' thingy, so that counts for something towards evening things out.
Martin

 

Be aware that if it is glycerin based soap, you might loose some of the fragrance. I would melt it till it's almost all melted with a couple of pieces left.
Stir till liquid the rest of the way. That way you won't overheat it.

 

Martin,

1) Too late (ask my wife). While I only have 1 brush (Vulfix super badger) and 1 razor (Merkur HD), I have 6 pucks of soap with a sampler pack on order and 7 aftershaves with 3 on order. TSD is on my list next for soap and AS. My wife thinks this is a fad that I will "get over" in about a year. I hope not, because I already have about 2 years worth of product.

2) You had me going on the explosion . I am an engineer and know the basics of nitroglycerin, but ya never know.

One of the things I like about the wet shaving community is how friendly everyone is. Seriously, what other hobby can you think of where you know the first names of the premier purveyors in the field.

BTW, thanks for the advice on melting soap. I have a TGQ Lavender de Provence that I don't use much and think I will use more often in stick form.