It's a mystery to me

Going through some of my soaps last week culling the ones that I did not care for. Somehow I had 2 hard pucks of TOBS Jermyn Street shaving soap that never really gave me a really excellent lather and was always giving me a slight burning sensation. What to do considering I am a skinflint and hate to chuck 2 pucks of soap that I like the scent of. In a desperation move I grated both hard pucks pressing them into a container.

Been using it these past few days and the improvement in lather performance and disappearance of that burning sensation have put it back into my soap rotation. Absolutely no clue what the ell difference the grating made but it did. :shrug: If you are having similar problems with a soap, it may worth a try grating it before chucking it out.

Bob

Maybe it had something to do with letting it sit. I had one that i could not get good lather from. Left it open for 6 months. Now its much better. Glad it came around for you Bob.

Some soaps perform better after curing, Im sure ice read somewhere that MDC cure there soaps for 1 year before selling on. Savonnerie du moulin also recommend leaving the lid off to help cure.

Bob, maybe an ingredient that you are sensitive to has diminished over time :shrug:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

Some soaps perform better after curing, Im sure ice read somewhere that MDC cure there soaps for 1 year before selling on. Savonnerie du moulin also recommend leaving the lid off to help cure.

Bob, maybe an ingredient that you are sensitive to has diminished over time :shrug:

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These 2 pucks had been hanging around for at least few years in the Pyrex bowls I had placed them before I grated them. I tried one a few days before I grated them and got the lather and slight burning sensation that I had previously experienced. I can think of no logical reason for the change unless by grating them I released the evil spirits they may have been harbouring. ;) Whatever happened I am happy not to have to throw out 2 pucks of little used soap.

Bob

That's interesting that you were irritated by Jermyn Street, as that is their line for sensitive skin. I have a puck that I use now and again and it gives me fine shaves. Not 1st tier, but not bad either.

I have struggled to get a decent lather from TOBS hard soaps too. I always found a good soak before shaving in good hot water helped. I have never tried grating a soap before. I guess next time I get an awkward soap I will reach for the cheese grater.

I can understand why grating might help the lather, but why it gets rid of the sensation is a total mystery to me.

Thanks for sharing.

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Originally Posted by HopChugger

That's interesting that you were irritated by Jermyn Street, as that is their line for sensitive skin. I have a puck that I use now and again and it gives me fine shaves. Not 1st tier, but not bad either.

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Yes, that is a good point about it being touted as a soap for sensitive skin. I will say it is not the first that I would reach for since I don't separate soaps/creams into tiers. For me Arko and Palmolive shave sticks still work better as they are slicker.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

These 2 pucks had been hanging around for at least few years in the Pyrex bowls I had placed them before I grated them. I tried one a few days before I grated them and got the lather and slight burning sensation that I had previously experienced. I can think of no logical reason for the change unless by grating them I released the evil spirits they may have been harbouring. ;) Whatever happened I am happy not to have to throw out 2 pucks of little used soap.

Bob

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Indeed, grating soap relases evil spirts, only logical answer:p
One of the mods should make this thread a sticky.

Whatever it was, Bob, congratulations. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

Going through some of my soaps last week
..... Somehow I had 2 hard pucks of TOBS Jermyn Street shaving soap that never really gave me a really excellent lather and was always giving me a slight burning sensation.
.....
In a desperation move I grated both hard pucks pressing them into a container.

Been using it these past few days and the improvement in lather performance and disappearance of that burning sensation
.......

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Making soap is chemistry. A reaction between a fatty acid and a strong base.
It is possible that the chemical reaction was uneven or unfinished.

Grating a soap or milling it does remix the ingredients and may allow the chemistry to
finish.

You can do litmus paper tests to see if there is too much base.
Grating can redistribute salt that some add -- salt burns but at exactly the right amount calms.
Fragrance and stuff... some give me a rash... an old soap will be kinder to my skin.

Just grating allows air into the mix and the first application of water fills a lot of the
internal voids and makes picking up an abundance of soap allowing a richer lather
with more cushion and glide.

A tossable hard soap can thrive with a tiny half pea size bit of a shave cream like Proraso.
It works for Williams....

SUMMARY: who knows what you did that turned the corner, I do not.
ENJOY the shave.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Making soap is chemistry. A reaction between a fatty acid and a strong base.
It is possible that the chemical reaction was uneven or unfinished.

Grating a soap or milling it does remix the ingredients and may allow the chemistry to
finish.

You can do litmus paper tests to see if there is too much base.
Grating can redistribute salt that some add -- salt burns but at exactly the right amount calms.
Fragrance and stuff... some give me a rash... an old soap will be kinder to my skin.

Just grating allows air into the mix and the first application of water fills a lot of the
internal voids and makes picking up an abundance of soap allowing a richer lather
with more cushion and glide.

A tossable hard soap can thrive with a tiny half pea size bit of a shave cream like Proraso.
It works for Williams....

SUMMARY: who knows what you did that turned the corner, I do not.
ENJOY the shave.

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Of all the things I may want to know about soap making ain't one of them. I'd just like the soap I buy to work well out of the gate. Just thought I'd put out there what happened in this instance to me in case someone else was in a similar spot and was looking to try and improve the situation.

Oddly I will grating a soap and yet see no point in wasting, from my pov, good shave cream by mixing it with a non performing soap.
I'd as soon pitch the soap if it won't perform on it's own. Everyone has their own little foibles I suppose.

Bob