Thread: Who is using glycerin?

"Personal lubes" are either:

"water based" -- Astroglide, and most other common lubes (including "Wet", I think)(they usually have lots of glycerin);

"silicone-based" -- "Gun Oil", "KY Intrigue", etc -- largely in sex shops (look for "siloxane" or "dimethicone").

[There are also hybrid products, which I haven't tried.]

They both seem to work for "enhancing" lather.

Charles

PS -- there's even a Wikipedia article !!!!!! --

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_lubricant

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I have never found it necessary, it is just fun...
.

Exactly...These posts about Glycerin have come up many times over the years, just like Glen said, It's not necessary, It's just fun, and that's a big part of this hobby.
If you want to experiment, Go for it. You should always have a bottle of Glycerin and a pump bottle of Kiss my face shave cream to help those less than adequate soaps. Too much rich creamy lather is never a bad thing. It's also a big help if you have very hard water.

A few of my personal favorites, and again, I don't need to do it, It's just fun....MWF + Musgo Real + 5 drops of Glycerin = Lanolin overload (Thanks Glen)

Recently, I did EJ Sandalwood shave cream, SRD Sandalwood + 5 drops of Glycerin...I could hardly contain the lather. It seemed to have a life of it's own.

Tabac Shave Cream in the tube + Tabac Soap + 5 drops of Glycerin.

Like Lynn always say's..."Have Fun"

It's been a while since I started this thread and my results have not changed at all! I continue to add it to my lather every single day. The posts seem to have mixed feelings, or some totally indifferent. I have pretty sensitive skin and I think that the difference it makes is exactly what glycerin is originally made for, which is a skin protectant. IMO the thickness the glycerin adds multiplys the protection of the lather, and give me personally less razor burn.

Originally Posted by asj1991

It's been a while since I started this thread and my results have not changed at all! I continue to add it to my lather every single day. The posts seem to have mixed feelings, or some totally indifferent. I have pretty sensitive skin and I think that the difference it makes is exactly what glycerin is originally made for, which is a skin protectant. IMO the thickness the glycerin adds multiplys the protection of the lather, and give me personally less razor burn.

I not only like glycerin in shaving soap, I melt down soap slivers and add glycerin to use for bathing. (How to Make New Bar Soap with Old Bar Soap | eHow.com) My skin gets real dry in the winter and the glycerin helps.

Originally Posted by hamilton946

I tried the direct method; 3-5 drops rubbed into the skin before adding lather and honestly didn't notice a difference. Is there a right way to do this? Anybody, anybody...?

Originally Posted by vitalMyth

used glycerin as a pre-shave oil today. let it soak in for 5 minutes before lathering. did not go well. will not do again. however, lanolin+glycerin added to my bowl lather has been fantastic for creating a REALLY dense, creamy lather.

Add it directly to your shave soap / cream / lather. It can help thicken the lather, add lubrication and prevent drying. it was the only way I would get the Williams shave soap to lather properly and stay relatively moist during the shave.

However, Glycerin is a humectant, meaning it easily bonds with water. It can actually draw moisture from the humidity in the air. So by its nature it lubricates thickens and prevents the lather from drying out by pulling the moisture together and holding it longer.

Used directly on your face before your shaving lather, will most likely draw moisture from the hairs themselves. This would defeat the purpose of trying to get them moist in the first place.

I simply melt a bar of glycerin bar soap into my shaving mug.

I use the direct face method and sometimes add it to certain creams or soaps that don't already contain it.

Here is a clarification on the direct face method.

The use of glycerin on the face can be effective but you must use about a quarter size in your palm, not just a few drops. Be generous, apply liberally directly to your face and then immediately apply the cream or soap right on top. It mixes great and keeps your face very slippery and protected.

It really works for me.

Enjoy,

Originally Posted by Hirlau

I use with all my soaps, 5-6 drops.

I use this quantity with shaving soap, it works great.

I have only used glycerin once and it was in my first uberlather. Not certain now, but I think it was AOS unscented cream with Tabac soap, a couple drops of glycerin and a splash of T&H 1805 AS. The lather exploded into a thick dense mass which quickly overtook the small pyrex bowl I was mixing it in. When I applied it to my face it was unbelievably thick and creamy and the blade just slid across my face. Without a doubt it was the best lather I have ever had and this is what prompted me to order a large scuttle so that I can use it for making uberlather. Can't wait for my XL-Scuttle to arrive.

I am surprised that it is so popular with other hard water shavers. I would think that anything that gets you to put more lather killing water into a mix is a bad idea. I tried it and had very dubious results, in general. Of course we have REALLY hard water (extra hard high iron well water), so my experiences may be a bit different.