Thread: Who is using glycerin?

I've been using glycerin shave soap from Em's Place.

1. would adding liquid glycerin or lanolin make a difference?
2. am I nuts for using this soap and should I move on to a better brand?

TY

Originally Posted by kleintax

I've been using glycerin shave soap from Em's Place.

1. would adding liquid glycerin or lanolin make a difference?
2. am I nuts for using this soap and should I move on to a better brand?

TY

1. I would say if it is a glycerine soap you should be fine without adding more. If not look at #2.

2. I can't judge a soap I have never used. Fortunately there are thousands to choose from. Why not just get a few of the big ones everyone talks about to compare? MWF, Tabac, Proraso would be a good start. Honestly in the end it is up to personal preference and the one constant every straight shaver can agree on is there are never too many X worth having, where X is a variable that represents almost anything shave related.

Mayhaps I will give a couple of other soaps a try. I suppose that IS part of the fun of this.

Thanx

Originally Posted by kleintax

Mayhaps I will give a couple of other soaps a try. I suppose that IS part of the fun of this.

Thanx

No problem... it is lots of fun experimenting and finding what makes you happy. That is one of the benefits of wet shaving in general is it opens the doors to what otherwise feels like a narrow set of choices down the typical supermarket aisle.

. . . and by the way; in what section of the drug store would one go to to find glycerin or lanolin?

Originally Posted by kleintax

. . . and by the way; in what section of the drug store would one go to to find glycerin or lanolin?

These days it seems I get everything through amazon. They have both liquid lanolin (don't get the putty) and good size bottles of high quality vegetable glycerine for under $6.

If you go to CVS or Walgreens, etc, just ask, they can hook you up. If you go to Walmart, it's over in the section with the pharmacy. Just ask the pharmacist. It's cheap, and at 4-5 drops per shave, it goes a long way.

If you have hard water, it helps to get a good lather. If you have soft water, you don't really need it, but could rub some on your face before lathering if you like.

Originally Posted by kleintax

. . . and by the way; in what section of the drug store would one go to to find glycerin or lanolin?

I don't get on with creams too well; with safety razors OK, but not with straights for some reason. I add just a navy bean amount of cream to the soap lather, then more water. Then instead of glycerin, I add a squirt of Glycerin & Rose Water, bought pre-mixed. It is true that adding more water after the glycerin bounces the lather up, and this amounts to the same thing. Another thing I have discovered is that getting the lather how you want it, then leaving it for 5 minutes and re-swirling gives it added creaminess. All this takes place in a very heavy pre warmed black granite mortar, which holds a low gentle heat for a very long time, making the whole process so much easier.