Thread: Soap disappearing quickly.

In my experience, glycerine-based soap pucks really dont need much soaking. Depending on the brand, hot water on the brush is enough. Those I have tried lasted a few weeks.

Hard soaps like williams can handle a bit of soaking since they are pretty hard. They dont dissolve as fast and they last a long time.

My 2 cents...

I agree that soaking the soap for that long might be the reason. Also, I've seen soapmakers suggested nuking the soap for no more than 10 seconds at a time. Could 40 seconds be too much at once?

Jordan

Nuking it for less than 40 seconds doesn't completely dissolve it...10 seconds does absolutely nothing.
Okay, I tried doing it last night using some boiling water in one cup, for the brush, and no water in the other cup, with the soap, and I was having an immensely hard time working up a proper lather, it just seemed to stay as suds despite a full half hour of trying and re-trying and re-trying and re-trying and re-trying...sometimes I just have bad nights, though, so I'll try again tonight and see what happens.

I think you making too much out of this thing, maybe your trying too hard. usually when I make my lather whether its a milled soap or glycerine based I just soak my brush under hot top water for maybe 30 seconds and then let the excess water drain off and depending on the brush maybe give it one medium shake and then put it to the dry soap and in 30sec or less I have enough lather to do 5 shaves and I've used classic soap with the same results. What kind of brush are you using? and size? Maybe hard water? Tell us more.

Originally Posted by Infectious

Nuking it for less than 40 seconds doesn't completely dissolve it...10 seconds does absolutely nothing.
Okay, I tried doing it last night using some boiling water in one cup, for the brush, and no water in the other cup, with the soap, and I was having an immensely hard time working up a proper lather, it just seemed to stay as suds despite a full half hour of trying and re-trying and re-trying and re-trying and re-trying...sometimes I just have bad nights, though, so I'll try again tonight and see what happens.

Sorry I wasn't clear. The instructions from the soap ladies was to nuke for 8-10 seconds, check it. Nuke again for 8-10 seconds check it again, etc and keep going until its melted. Just what I read.

I do well with a fairly dry brush (I shake it out pretty well). Then load on some moist soap until its pasty. Then I lather on my wet face. I'll flick the brush under the slowly running water to add moisture if needed. I've never had a problem making lather with soap. Maybe your water is the culprit.

Jordan

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I think you making too much out of this thing, maybe your trying too hard. usually when I make my lather whether its a milled soap or glycerine based I just soak my brush under hot top water for maybe 30 seconds and then let the excess water drain off and depending on the brush maybe give it one medium shake and then put it to the dry soap and in 30sec or less I have enough lather to do 5 shaves and I've used classic soap with the same results. What kind of brush are you using? and size? Maybe hard water? Tell us more.

It's...umm...the bottom-of-the-line, $7 Vulfix brush, the VS/1. It's my first brush, and I haven't had the money to spare to upgrade. The water in my house is extremely soft. I work my lather up in the cup.