Can't lather soaps

Discussion in 'Shave Soaps' started by Latherette, Oct 19, 2014.

  1. Latherette

    Latherette Active Member

    Purchased a couple of "homemade" glycering soaps and I simply can't produce a stable lather.

    They lather OK, but the lather collapses very quickly.

    I even tried to combine them with some other shaving creams and soaps, but they seem to be able to ruin all other, normally well-behaving, soaps.
    On the plusside they provide a really good glide.

    I suspect that the level of certain oils in the soaps is too high - is there anything I can do to save these soaps from becoming bathsoaps?
     
  2. FanofAceVentura

    FanofAceVentura Well-Known Member

    hmmmmmmmmmmmmm idk shaving soap need to be made to produce and make thick lather to protect and left the whiskers on you're face and if it isn't doing that well uhhhhh sorry looks like you're stuck when i first got into de shaving I couldn't lather good anuff to protect my face so i used Barbasol and kept working on my lather Try bowl lathering it with different water and maby a different brush
     
  3. david of central florida

    david of central florida Rhubarb Rubber

    try soaking the puck with a little warm water.
     
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  4. FanofAceVentura

    FanofAceVentura Well-Known Member

    that 2
     
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  5. swarden43

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

    Then again it could be just a bad homemade soap.
     
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  6. Latherette

    Latherette Active Member

    Tried that - for 1½ hours. Definitely more lather - but it still collapses almost immediately.
     
  7. Dapper-in-a-can-man

    Dapper-in-a-can-man and Dad-on-hand

    I suspect to much oil. I got a shave soap that had to much oil and it almost killed my boar.
     
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  8. david of central florida

    david of central florida Rhubarb Rubber

    wet puck+ damp brush
    should equal good lather.
    if your getting it right, but won't last, maybe Steve's right.
    not enough usually means too little water.
    too thin usually means to much water.
    just right but won't last,idk.
    sorry I'm still learning also.
    I soak, save a few drops.
    soak brush, shake it, twice. load brush. start swirling in those few drops. if still thick, I'll dip the tips of brush. swirl until lather forms.
    seems like an odd deal, I use a cup(soak brush),a mug( hold soap puck), and a bowl (make lather). but that's how I do it.
    man I bout gotta wash dishes every time I shave, bummer.
     
  9. Ryan B

    Ryan B Knight of the Soapocracy

    I think it's just a bad soap.
     
  10. gwsmallwood

    gwsmallwood Well-Known Member

    I would just use it as a pre shave soap instead. Just rub a little on your face and let it sit while you load your brush then lather on top of it.
     
  11. Latherette

    Latherette Active Member

    That's actually a very good idea. I will try that, thx
     
  12. Shotwell

    Shotwell Well-Known Member

    My thought is that it might be hard water. Have you tried lathering it with bottled water (spring water or distilled)?
     
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  13. markjnewcomb

    markjnewcomb Well-Known Member

    I suggest you double or triple or even quadruple the time you are loading the brush. Glycerin soaps tend to be harder than a lot of other soaps, so you need to load the brush more.

    Collapsing lather, IMHO, is usually caused by not enough soap.
     
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  14. Omaney

    Omaney Well-Known Member

    These homemade glycerin soaps? They may just not be made to lather, or, they may simply suck. It happens.
     
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  15. Latherette

    Latherette Active Member

    No doubt we have very hard water here, But other soaps produce great lather.
     
  16. Latherette

    Latherette Active Member

    Will try again and load till my brush catches fire :)
     
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  17. david of central florida

    david of central florida Rhubarb Rubber

    keep all flamible alcohol based products clear of this procedure.
     
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  18. Latherette

    Latherette Active Member

    Relax - it's glycerin ... Not nitroglycerin :)
     
  19. markjnewcomb

    markjnewcomb Well-Known Member

    There is a video somewhere here in the den that talks about loading the brush. My favorite quote from the video is "Load the tar outa that brush"
     
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  20. SRNewb

    SRNewb Well-Known Member

    Perhaps you mean....



    Seriously, load the tar out of it! If after you've done that you can't get it to lather, the maker probably didn't get it right.
    The only other option I can see after that is grate it down, press it into a bowl, and try again. Sometimes that helps. Alternatively, grate it down along with a good, low cost soap like VDH or Col. Conk, combine the two and again, press into a bowl.
     
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