At the request and urging of a few members of the Cadre, I will make some comments about my choice of ingredients. Before I do I wanted to explain my views on sharing trade secrets. When it comes to making soap the task itself doesn't have to be difficult. Soap making and running a restaurant can both be done by people who have ZERO background in the business. All that is necessary is to identify and use a proven recipe, artistry (if that is the right word) is in how you push the boundaries of those recipes. I have no problem sharing specifics about what i think are the necessary components of a basic soap recipe...I will resist sharing what I have learned through expensive and time consuming experimentation. BUT, I will say that nothing I have found is SO unique you wouldn't be able to find information on the internet or in books that leads you to the same conclusions. I do not fear others who might make soap using the same ingredients I use, I celebrate the ideas that I might be the first to do something and that the soaps made by others will be as good as what I think my soaps are.
Here's my basic ingredient list, I'll go over a few of the more important details and describe what some components do:
Ingredients: Water, Stearic Acid, Wagyu Beef Tallow, Coconut Oil, Glycerin, Aloe Juice, Grapeseed Oil, Safflower Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter Cetyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Castor Oil, Allantoin, Bentonite Clay, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol
Water- All soaps require a liquid to dissolve the lye in and to allow the resulting soap batter enough opportunity to saponify. I have found that plain tap water in my area is as good as bottled water but in some areas the various solids in the water can really alter the chemistry and resulting soap. Other liquids can be used and will have an impact on the final product. I split the liquid used between water and aloe juice.
Stearic Acid- The stearic acid I use is palm derived but it is possible for it to come from a number of sources. Tallow contains stearic acid as well but not in enough quantity to provide the type of lather most shavers desire. Stearic acid is a key component on shaving soap, it is responsible for the creamy, dense and tight texture of a lather. Without stearic acid in enough quantity you simply won't have the lather you expect. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest a total stearic and palmic acid content between 50 and 60 % is desirable.
Tallow- Tallow has a complex fatty acid profile that adds so many lovely characteristics to soap. It can be moisturizing and pleasing to skin as well as adding a density to the lather. I found that Wagyu beef tallow has a different fatty acid profile than commercial beef tallow and it lends itself to a creamier lather. Bison and duck tallow do the same.
Coconut oil- As a skin conditioning oil coconut oil is great. In soap coconut oil provides the fast and fluffy lather. A simple mix of coconut oil for fast lather and stearic for creamy will make a very nice soap. By itself, Coconut oil is very cleansing and quite slick. At higher amounts it can be drying to the skin.
Grapeseed and Safflower have very good conditioning properties but also result in a very nice slickness. Both absorb very readily into the skin so having some in the lather helps with slickness and face feel.
Shea Butter and cocoa butter are also very luxurious feeling but how and when they are added to the soap mix can impact the final feel. I had been using only shea butter because cocoa butter is very expensive and i dislike the smell and feel of the raw product. It was pure coincidence that i tried cocoa butter again in this recipe but the results speak for themselves ...a most excellent post shave feel.
Cetyl Alcohol- cetyl alcohol is a derivative of coconut oil (can also be obtained from whales and dolphins but i won't say much more about that) that is commonly used in lotions and creams as an emulsifier (holds liquids and fats in suspension). In soap it mimics many characteristics of the much more expensive Jojoba oil and it leaves skin feeling very smooth. THIS is a CBL secret weapon, in the proper amounts this stuff improves everything about a lather...in the wrong amounts it is no bueno.
Castor oil- castor oil has a unique lather boosting effect. Just a little castor oil in a soap (or drops on a puck) will help make a creamy lather even creamier. Too much and the soap feels sticky
Bentonite clay - this stuff helps provide a little extra slip. there are both electrochemical reasons and physical reasons this stuff works in soaps. IT is also a good detoxifier (electrochemistry again) but there isn't enough in the soap to do much in that regard.
Allantoin- an expensive ingredient that has skin healing properties. Honestly, i think this attribute is lost if rotating amongst several soaps, i suspect its best to use allantoin regularly to get the maximum effect. None the less, its a worthwhile ingredient despite its cost.
Citric Acid- adding citric acid to a soap helps to build lather using hard water. How and when it is added to soap also changes the character of the soap (i know this from experimentation). The combination of a little citric acid and enough coconut oil leads to an easier to lather soap.
Glycerol - a natural byproduct of saponification of fats. Pure stearic acid will not produce glycerin so it is necessary to add some to the mix. Glycerin hold moisture and can help with many aspects of the lather. A soap heavy in glycerine and clay can become quite thirsty. Adds to the quality of lather and psot shave feel.
Propylene Glycol- is a derivative of propane (the gas). It is used in SO many areas of our daily life you would be surprised to know. It is a sweetener in foods and drinks and it is a preservative in may products. I use it as a preservative AND as a humectant. It is similar in effect as glycerin. I wont say this is a secret ingredient but i will say you would notice if i left it out. I use very little of this but the little that is present is meaningful.
*WS-23 cooling agent is a menthol-like compound developed by Wilkinson Sword in 1974-75 for use in shaving soaps and aftershaves. Although it had already been in use for years, it was established as safe for use and added to the FEMA GRAS list in 1996. This compound is often marketed under the names "Symcool" and "Koolada" which are used in many food, personal care and tobacco/vape products. It provides a slower acting, longer lasting and smooth cooling effect.
I hope this was exciting and informative.
