The PLEASURE of Shaving (4)

The pleasure of using a soap 

Sorry for all my very numerous readers who were  expecting the next issue of the Pleasure of Shaving Series.

Today, we will discuss about how to obtain a good lather using shaving soap. If you remember well, in my last blog post, I clearly said that canned foams and gels should be banned from you bathroom. The more important issue whit canned foams and gels (on top of their very high ecological costs) is the fact that they dessicate the hair...And hair need to be kept (very) wet for being properly cut by the razor. Also, the lather is needed for allowing the razor to "glide" on your face, which will be more easily obtained with a shaving soap and/or shaving cream.

Personally, I am more an adapt of using shaving soaps, but I reckon that Shaving Creams, that I will also discuss in a next blog post, are excellent products too.  

There are plenty of Shaving Soaps available on the market. I could easily say that Raz*War Shaving Soaps are superiors to the others (:-)) but, you wont believe me so easily and, hence, you would also notice that we are selling not one but two different soaps. Why this? This illustrates the somewhat complexity of the questions. 

Some science for starting: Soaps are the results of the a chemical reaction known as "saponification" (To see more on Saponification, see Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponification). During Saponification, fatty acids derivatives (To be found in vegetable oils or from animal fat, like tallow) are transformed under very alkaline conditions (Contrary of acidic conditions) to obtain a "salt" and an "alcohol" derivative. Hence, Soap is basically a "salt" of a fatty acids. The molecules obtained have "soaps" properties, enabling, through the high polarity of the molecules, to extract dirt (If you want to know more, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap). 

Do you get me? Hu? Or, you just are wondering why the hell I am giving you a lesson of Science?  Bear with me.. If you follow me, you will understand why you should choose a soap properly:

• A last piece of Science: The alkanine conditions is often obtained by lye, or Sodium Hydroxyde or NaOh: a very dangerous product. Some soaps have a very very ligh excess of NaOh; they are "hard soaps", alkaline and should be prohibited for shaving. Some soaps, have a very light excess in fatty acids; they are call "free fatty acids" soaps. These are perfect soaps for shaving (because excess of oils) but are difficult to manipulate (somewhat soft) and not stable.
  ->Prefer soaps with light excess of fatty acids (In most case, the choice will be made for you, on that topic)
• Soaps, by nature, dessicate the hair...and the skin. In fact, they really extract water from the skin. You certainly have noticed that. Hence, a humectant need to be added to Soap. Glycerin or Sorbitol are example of humectants.
  ->Prefer soap with lot of humectant (too much humectant renders your soap soft). I have a preference for sorbitol, that leaves a better post shaving experience.
• Not all fatty acids are the same! There is a dozen of very common fatty acids like: Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Myristic acid, etc... In a specific (vegetable) oil, you will see a different proportion of all these fatty acids. In Palm Oil and Kernel Palm Oil you will, for example, find more...Palmitic acid. Palmitic acid and Oleic acid have foaming properties. Others are less foamy, but more appropriate for a dry skin (Linoleic Acid for example). Other are more appropriate if you have an allergy.
  -> Hence, you can choose your (shaving) soap based on the fatty acid used for saponification.
• On top of the fatty acid, and, hence, the oil used for the saponification reaction, very often, other oils are added in the soap AFTER the saponification. These are, often, essential oils like cedar wood oil, lavender oil, etc... Also other oils, can be added like olive oil, of other source of grease (Like Donkey's milk).
  ->Chose your soap based on the properties of the essential oil that your are looking for.
• Some soaps - basically the cheaper products - have unnecessary ingredients in them. Or surfactants and detergents might be added.
  ->Avoid them. Prefer a higher quality product.

Hence, let's now go back to the two soaps proposed by Raz*War. Based on these example, you will understand why and how to choose your shaving soap.  

• Our "modern shaving soap" is made with palm oil which contains a very high concentration of Oleic Acid (38-40%) and Palmitic Acid (43%-45%). This provides a nurturing soap with a stable foam. There is a light excess of fatty acid making the soap more nurturing. Sorbitol is added in high proportion (7%) giving to our soap strong humectant qualities. But this humectant leaves also a a very agreable post shave feeling. Aloe Vera extract have different properties, including skin care properties. An essential oil, Bergamotte, is also added: Bergamotte is fresh and revitalizing and adapted to majority of skins.
• The "classical shaving soap" is also mainly composed of palm oil. But, for this soap, Glycerin is used as humectant instead of Sorbitol, at a lower concentration. This more classical formulae is the formulae choosen by barbers. The ingredients will provide you with a more abundant foam. 

Personally, I prefer our "Modern Shaving Soap". My secret formulae is to combine it with our truly magic shaving oil. The foam obtained is creamy and I very much like the perfume and the post shaving impression. 

Please follow my advise for using the shaving soap. And after having obtained a creamy and rich lather, massage your face with the brush. Then after, after the "massage" motion, switch to a "painter" motion with your brush.  

Next time, we will discuss the shaving creams... 

 

Posted via email from Raz*War Social Echo