Thread: Canola Conflict

Originally Posted by pmburk

No offense to you Canadians or Canada, I always thought canola came from corn as another form of corn oil.

No offense at all, it's not like I'm sensitive about our canola

It's not corn, more like a small yellow flower with seeds. Obviously, I'm not a farmer, so here's some pics:

I have tried olive oil...many soaps have it in them. IT was ok. I also bought a pre shave oil... turns out it was mentholated...NEVER AGAIN! 2 drops rubbed on before I lathered up and before I was halfway through my WTG pass my eyes were watering and my nose was running. Not something I enjoy. I recently got a higher quality soap then my Williams or VDH and that made my shave a lot better

another to consider is coconut oil. also popular in shaving soaps it seems.

Originally Posted by bondpunk

I have tried olive oil...many soaps have it in them. IT was ok. I also bought a pre shave oil... turns out it was mentholated...NEVER AGAIN! 2 drops rubbed on before I lathered up and before I was halfway through my WTG pass my eyes were watering and my nose was running. Not something I enjoy. I recently got a higher quality soap then my Williams or VDH and that made my shave a lot better

Hmm. Olive oil for pre-shave? Heard it wasn't the right consistency (too gummy) for the job.

Update: found an expired 4 oz. container of avocado oil, of all things. I ate up all my almond oil (got a great deal on edible oils from VitaGlo.com). So I'm moving on to avocado. I can't say the canola hurt my skin's condition, though.

I refreshed my first shaveready str8 yesterday, on the chromium oxide pasted strop. It was only 2 shaves in but I thought what the hell, my strops are short and I'm usually left feeling like I should have done more where stropping is concerned so it was a very sharp 6/8th "Best Quality" Dovo. This time I used the same Mama Bear soap I've been working on for over two months now (gauging how fast I use up this popular melt & pour soap). I made it a thicker and stiffer lather, it was stiff enough to dry out sooner than I like. But it worked well, without a pre-shave oil. My face was actually very well shaven, very smooth and no real irritation... until the Lucky Tiger Aspen Aroma (alcohol-rich) after shave was applied! Then the redness came on. Not bad, probably should set rules for after shaves when using a new edge.

Next up avocado oil.

Originally Posted by AxelH

You.. you.. you Canadians.. the great con. You... you put your rape seed into my mouth, now it's infused inside all my cells.

Dude.

Reader, if you don't know what a rapeseed plant is then you might misinterpret this the same way I did!

Made my Friday; cheers!

Originally Posted by AxelH

Okay. I never wanted to use pre-shave oils.
....snip...
No irritation, no pink bloom, typical sting from alcohol-based aftershave but not the level typical of a fresh edge. Success. No next-day bumpiness or irritation. It worked.
....snip....
I hate using stupid vegetable oil before my quality shaving gear. What a cheap trick. But it worked very well.
....snip....
Please: pray for me.

The truth is that quality shave products are made from -- you guessed it
basic fats oils etc...

The magic (and expense) seems to be in the blending
and also in the fragrance.

Just buy and the smallest jar of oil because
it can go bad Rancid oil will give you a rash.

When you empty that shaker jar of hot sauce clean it,
find a right size funnel and fill it with fresh kitchen oil.

Folk that make salads can tell you a lot about oil.
The shape a drop makes on the surface of water
is interesting. Some oil makes a tight ball
while olive oil makes a much wider and thinner lens.
This may be partly why it is so good for greens.

Read the list of ingredients on a lot of products
cost them out and tell my why 25 cents of stuff
can cost $40+ on the ladies makeup counter.

Originally Posted by ezpz

another to consider is coconut oil. also popular in shaving soaps it seems.

Coconut Oil is definitely another viable option. You can find it at the local grocery. It comes in a ridiculously large container and is solid at room temp, so it is easier to work with and goes a long way. Low food grade price, for face grade application. As with most oils you will need to wash you face thoroughly afterwards, but if after the wash you apply a lotion or cream you won't have to worry about drying out. I have been using it now as part of my shaving routine for about 2 weeks, and no problem with acne.

Originally Posted by Artompkins

Coconut Oil is definitely another viable option. You can find it at the local grocery. It comes in a ridiculously large container and is solid at room temp, so it is easier to work with and goes a long way. Low food grade price, for face grade application. As with most oils you will need to wash you face thoroughly afterwards, but if after the wash you apply a lotion or cream you won't have to worry about drying out. I have been using it now as part of my shaving routine for about 2 weeks, and no problem with acne.

Interesting...
Do note that there is a difference between using a raw oil
as a skin balm and making soap with the same oil.

Inspect a saponification table or two.
Saponification Table and Characteristics of Oils in Soap
In the table note the bits on stable lather in the list:
Hard/Soft, cleansing, fluffy lather, stable lather, skin care.
Soaps made in part with palm oils and castor oil lather quickly.
Lather stability comes to play... cleansing is important
or less so depending on your skin type. Many shave soaps
are hyperfatted... so they have a bit extra skin friendly oil to ensure that all
the lye is reacted. Triple milling helps that last bit of alkali find
oil/fat to react with but this also explains why OLD pucks
of shave soap are often so enjoyable.

I would also +1 the notion of an oil for those that have
some (but not all) skin problems. Skin oil or sebum is not a "true" oil
but for some folk it can be softened and "cleansed" by oil
and help keep skin pores from clogging and getting infected.
Acne is well understood by the medical community, do see
a real doctor if you have or suspect a problem. Scars
are forever.....

BTW: Lanolin is a "sebum" and not directly reacted to make soap.
As a lotion or shave soap additive it can help some skin types.