Thread: What can I expect from a glycerin soap? Any difference?

I have never purchased a glycerin shaving soap, but recently was told about Mama Bear's and thought I might give it a try. Anything different I can expect than your average puck?

I have not tried Mama Bear's but I do have some Col. Conk which is glycerin based and it is very slick, its hard to hold lathering bowl if you get a little on your hands. If Mama Bear's is anything like that be sure to rinse your hand well before picking up your razor.

For one , doughboy68 is right about that, the other compared to tallow based, would be the moisturizing effect it has on the skin.
I typically add a few drops of pure glycerin to my soaps that aren't glycerin based , when building a lather . It will also help make your lather creamier

I love my old QED soaps.... they were glycerine based and worked very well. I HAVE noticed two issues with these cold pour soaps, one is that they seem to have less cushion... they are slick as all get out, but they don't protect the skin from the edge as well as the triple milled variety soaps, and two, they tend to vanish faster.... as in they melt away quickly.

I like both, and while triple milled is traditional, I am neither a prude nor a prune (fingers do funny things on a keyboard sometimes, with no involvement of the brain) regarding soap types, I use both. My only criteria is that I like the soap and it's scent. With my meager stockpile of QED soaps melting away as I use them, I may have to give Mama Bear soaps a try....

Regards

Christian aka

Kaptain "Christina also shows on the screen once in a while, if I'm typing in a hurry" Zero

I think the general rule is your basic and lower tier soaps are Glycerin based and your better soaps are milled. I've found the Glycerine soaps lather fast but the lather is less substantial and they don't protect as well.

Of course everything is relative and there are some Glycerine Soaps that are quite nice and some milled soaps that are terrible.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Of course everything is relative and there are some Glycerine Soaps that are quite nice and some milled soaps that are terrible.

Exactly, and there's no need to fret if you like one or the other... both are fine and all that matters is what YOU like. At the same time, just because it's this or that kind of soap, does not mean it's going to be a great soap. Colonel Conk does not garner too many great reviews, neither does Williams Mug soap. And we are also not mentioning the irritation factor, the fact that a particular soap might be great for one person and horrible to another, due to the ingredients.

So as much as I wish there could be this ultimate rule, nope... it's strictly buy and try, to see what works for YOU. If you need general advice as to the quality of the scent or what folks think of as quality, by all means ask. Just remember that no matter what someone else thinks of a product, YOU might come to a different conclusion. If everyone says it's terrible... the odds of you liking it will drop significantly, so there is value in asking the question, just not a guarantee.

The YMMV, unfortunately, always applies.

Regards

Christian

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

...they tend to vanish faster.... as in they melt away quickly.

Ugh, I better pass then. This is a major pet peeve of mine. I was talking to another member about how Trumper hard soaps tend to disappear too quick. I have gotten by with the rose, but I just shaved for the first time with the lime. Long story short, that fantastic smelling puck is in my shower now, I took the label off the wooden bowl with Goo Gone and threw a puck of DRH Windsor in it.

I use glycerin soap to wash my face. I then apply crown pre-shave and then soap or creme. I found that going on eBay and picking up 4 bars that cost about the same as one of the name glycerin soaps. Gives a nice base and helps my skin and makes the shave smoother.

I find glycerin soaps to be very drying for my face. The Bay Rum scented ones that I have tried are also irritating for my skin.

Conk amber and Musgo Real amber and orange together make a very good lather.