Hello, shavers & soapers! In this post we’re going to discuss the two predominant methods of small-scale soap making: cold process and hot process. As you’d guess, the difference between the two is the temperature the fat and lye react at.
We’re going to cover the differences between hot process and cold process, the benefits of each, and which one is better for shaving soap, as well as a bit about stearic acid.
Last time, we discussed the basic process of making soap, and talked about how a lye solution and fat react during the saponification process.
This time, we’re going to go beyond the basics (ha!) of lye. Remember, there are two types of lye used in soap making: sodium (NaOH) and potassium (KOH) hydroxide.
These two alkali salts, when mixed with water and added to the same fats, can produce considerably different end products. In this post, we’ll figure out the differences between NaOH and KOH, talk about ratios when mixing both, and cover superfatting/lye discounting.
Hey, shavers & soapers! Today I want to talk about the process of soap making itself. It’s a bit of basic information we’ll need to know in order to progress to more in-depth topics like the role of different fats, alkalis, and other finer points of shaving soap. This is a great place to start for soap making beginners.
You open your eyes. You’re a Sumerian, sometime around 2200 BC. Before you, you see a pot of cassia oil. Huh, that’s weird. You decide to pour the wood ashes in your hand into the pot. You’re not sure why you do this.
Some weird stuff happens in the pot. Later, you decide this stuff would probably wash your skivvies up a treat.
Last time, we looked at the most important criteria for a great shaving soap. Of course, there’s more than one way to shave a cat! (It’s more politically correct than skinning them, OK?)
Today, we’re going to examine a few different types of shaving soap out there, and take a look at the differences between the ingredients and processes used.
If we’re going to figure out how to make a good soap, we’d better define what that means first. There are two fundamental aspects of a good shaving soap recipe that we can all agree on:
1) They produce a good shave.
2) They’re enjoyable to use.
Read moreAnatomy of a Shaving Soap: What Makes a Shaving Soap Recipe Good?
