Why I mostly phased out tallow soaps

This post is not a comment on the quality of tallow soaps. Tallow soaps are great. In fact, initially I bought tallow soaps exclusively. But over time, some quirks in my shaving routine led me to having a better experience with vegetable-based soaps.

The first quirk is that I shave with a scuttle and my tap water is pretty hot. Over time and extensive testing, I came to realize that animal fat HATES a hot scuttle. The heat seems to really cook the fat down to nothing (some soaps disappear altogether) whereas my veggie soaps have no trouble being heated up. Couldn't tell you why, but I can say I have tested this on at least 60 different soaps.

Secondly, unlike many, I am a big user of pre-shave oil (especially Stirling & AoS). I love the slickness and slather it on before all three passes. So, whatever fat slickness I am losing from not using tallow, I am making up for in oil fat. So, I came to realize that if I want a hot lather with lots of slickness, veggie soap + oil is the way to go for me.

Now, if I'm cold shaving on a hot day, I still have lots of Stirling, Dapper Dragon and Ballenclaugh tallow soaps waiting in the wings. Those are all great products.

I used to think about the performance and any perceived differences I felt between tallow and non tallow soaps. I also used keep track of any differences I felt with pre shave routines.
I found that nothing made a difference as far as the pre shave went. Everything felt the exact same post shave and in the case of pre shave oil it actually felt better if I didn't use it. So I just shave after my shower.
As far as soap goes I found that either it works or it doesn't. Stirling is one of the best manufactures on the market today. They are also a class act as well. Good people.
I'm not saying to give up your routine because that works for you. We all have different skin and facial features and that is one of the main reasons you'll get just as many love its as you will hate its.

I have noticed over the years that my feeling change about stuff. I used to love creams but now don't like them. I used balms, lotions, and aftershaves but now very rarely. Now on occasion just a little drug store witch hazel or some aloe vera is all that i need.

Cheers,
John

OP - very interesting comment - I start using per-shave oil, homemade indeed, less greasy than what I we could find in the market. True that pre-shave oil and tallow shaving soap start to be too much... I will definitely try the combination with vegetable soap - I did it with shaving cream - It did bing much more protection.

More to follow


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I've heard that they've perfected vegetable based soaps. 8-9 years ago people lamented the passing of tallow with some of the UK high end soaps. I tried veg based back then and didn't like the performance. I've got some tallow soaps now, that work real well for me, but I'm strictly a cold water shaver. Might have something to do with it.

As for pre-shave oil, I never tried it. I've always been paranoid it would harm my badger brushes. I don't like putting 'stuff' on the pores of my skin anyway, and pre-post shave oils and balms are 'stuff' in my book. YMMV.

Continued good shaves with the veggie soaps and pre-shave oils.

Personally, I'll stick to tallow-based soaps as I don't use pre-shave oils and my main tallow-based soap has the best post-shave of any soap I have tried. :)

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I've heard that they've perfected vegetable based soaps. 8-9 years ago people lamented the passing of tallow with some of the UK high end soaps. I tried veg based back then and didn't like the performance. I've got some tallow soaps now, that work real well for me, but I'm strictly a cold water shaver. Might have something to do with it.

As for pre-shave oil, I never tried it. I've always been paranoid it would harm my badger brushes. I don't like putting 'stuff' on the pores of my skin anyway, and pre-post shave oils and balms are 'stuff' in my book. YMMV.

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I tried cold water shaving at your suggestion several years ago and the switch became permanent. I found that the various soaps were less finicky with cold water (cold water shaving to me means cold tap water and not refrigerated water). If I want my lather to be slicker I just wet my brush a little bit under the faucet.

If the water is real hot in a scuttle the lather can harden if you don't keep it wet.

I've sort of gravitated towards cold water shaves myself, for whatever reason it seems to result in less irritation for me. Also, I've discovered some veggie based soaps that really work for me.
Part of the fun of this hobby is the ability to, over time, really tweak and customize the shave experience.

Yes, everyone's shave routine is different depending on number of variables. It's only but experimenting that we find what works for us.

I found that assorted pre shaves did nothing for my shave so I don't use them. I face lather using cold tap water and found no problem using either tallow or veggie based soaps. I still have a preference for tallow based soaps though for some reason, slickness maybe.

Always nice when you do find a shave routine that works for you.

Bob

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Originally Posted by HopChugger

The first quirk is that I shave with a scuttle and my tap water is pretty hot. Over time and extensive testing, I came to realize that animal fat HATES a hot scuttle. The heat seems to really cook the fat down to nothing (some soaps disappear altogether) whereas my veggie soaps have no trouble being heated up.

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I wonder if there is a relationship between heating tallow and the process of rendering fat to make lard. Lard is a very stable product requiring no refrigeration. Fat decomposes quickly.

If the heat is changing the properties of the soap maybe it is getting too hot. I don't use a scuttle so I have no experience in this area.