Anyone have a tried and true recipe for homemade shave cream, or ...?

Discussion in 'Soapmaking & Lotions' started by KeenCop, Jul 14, 2014.

  1. KeenCop

    KeenCop Member

    I'm a new member. I have a habit of trying to make the things I use. While this has resulted in more hobbies than a man should be allowed, (everything from blacksmithing/knife making, sewing, leather craft, flint knapping, brewing, flute carving, hot sauce making ........), it has always been propelled by a system of trial and error.

    I just attempted to make my own shave cream today since the wife and boy are away at grandma's. (Boil a bear skull in your wife's pasta pot ONE TIME and she will forever be resistant to you using her kitchen for a project.)

    I tried a recipe I found online, consisting of Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Aloe Vera gel, Dr. Bronner's castile soap, vitamin E, and French green clay. It has a great feel and smells good, but it just won't lather like I want it to.

    After joining TSD and reading about all of the options out there, I'm just about to throw in the towel and buy commercial products. If any of you have great recipes for homemade stuff, I would love to hear about them.
     
  2. Omelmad

    Omelmad My printer email address is..........

    I admire you trying but I can't help you. Why not try to make a shave soap instead of cream? =P
     
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  3. markjnewcomb

    markjnewcomb Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the den.

    Sorry, but I know diddly about making shaving creams other than that the process is apparently completely different than making a soap.
     
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  4. Bobcat

    Bobcat Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the "Den". I can't help, but will give you another bump with some of my bear skulls!

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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  5. KeenCop

    KeenCop Member

    Nice! Looks like you've had some good adventures. Is the one on the bottom beetle cleaned?
     
  6. KeenCop

    KeenCop Member

    I'd like to try making a shave soap if anyone has any good directions. Basically, if anyone has any good recipes or concoctions for anything shaving related, I'd love to hear about them.

    Maybe that should be a new thread. A Come One, Come All, and Share Your Special Recipes. I think I'll do it. Thanks for the inspiration.

    Okay, I am still fairly new to the site. I just checked to make sure I wasn't beating a dead horse and found most of the things I was thinking about in the tutorials section. Though the last post was in January of 2014. I'm thinking its not such an original idea after all. I'll continue to do my home work before getting all creative and reckless. (not sure why all of this is in italics)
     
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  7. Omelmad

    Omelmad My printer email address is..........

    There is the tutorial section and there is this. It is also where this thread is or has been bumped too by a mod=)
     
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  8. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

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  9. KeenCop

    KeenCop Member

    Outstanding! This area is a gold mine! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

    SWEET! Thanks! I'll have to try this.
     
  10. Omelmad

    Omelmad My printer email address is..........

    You are very welcome
     
  11. maltedmilk

    maltedmilk Well-Known Member

    Article Team
    How familiar are you with making soap? There are some terms to learn for this recipe to make sense, but I really like this hot process shave soap:

    52% stearic acid
    48% coconut oil
    100% Potassium Hydroxide

    Discussed at quite some length >here< , as well as other places on the web (including that other shave forum where the recipe actually started as one man's effort to knock off Martin de Candre).

    If you are interested, I can post the "just do this" instructions for making your own. However, DIYers are into research and I've given you a good trail of bread crumbs. BUT... if you just want to knock it out, I'll give you the steps.

    Part of my soapmaking journey >here<. I now have lots of bath soap, all started by a DIY desire to make shave soap.
    <sigh>
    I feel you, brother! Good luck!
     
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  12. TitanTTB

    TitanTTB Well-Known Member

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  13. KeenCop

    KeenCop Member

    Thanks for the reply. Its good to know I'm not alone in my ambitions. I would love to see the "just do this" version, as time is at a premium these days. Thanks!

    Thanks! I'll check it out and hopefully find time to give it a shot.
     
  14. maltedmilk

    maltedmilk Well-Known Member

    Article Team
    OK, this is the version 2.0 tweaked recipe from the original thread (post #83). A dude then cross pollinated this recipe to soap forum >here<. Both have lots of pics.

    the "just do this" recipe:
    118g stearic acid
    109g coconut oil
    114g water
    49g lye (<— Potassium hydroxide (KOH), not sodium (NaOH))
    ...
    1.5 tbsp glycerin (added at end of cook)

    The beginning of that thread has excellent photos and instructions. Here is a bullet summary, though:
    1. Measure water and lye first. ALWAYS add lye to water... and be careful! Do this first.
    2. Measure coconut and melt it in crockpot
    3. Add lye water to crockpot and begin cook
    4. Begin melting stearic acid. It take awhile. You can stir crockpot while stearic is melting. Take your time and let crockpot cook... like 20 minutes.
    5. Add melted stearic to crockpot.
    6. Cook additional 20 minutes or so.
    7. After pass zap test, add glycerin.
    8. Spoon into molds. I like Ziploc or Gladware bowls.

    I have been using my first effort for about a week. I REALLY like it. Gives super lather. I am about to put a bowl up for trade in the TSD classifieds.

    Good luck!
    Sean
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2015
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  15. Barrylu

    Barrylu Well-Known Member

    You also might want to try an uber lather. In a Scuttle I place a cap full of glycerin and a dollop of shave cream. I load the brush with shave soap and then whip the three ingredients together in the scuttle. Very quickly and with a minimum of effort the mixuture thickens and puffs up like the meringue on a lemon meringue pie.
     
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