Thread: Soap stops working

I've been wet shaving for years. I've always noticed that my soap (presently Taylor of Bond St, but also L'Occitane) stops working when it's down to about 3/4 or 1/2 a cake. It just stops making a lather. When I try a new cake using same technique, I get a perfect, deep lather. I use a silver tip badger brush that I saturate with water, and I swirl the tips on the cake until lather just begins to form. Then to my face to finish whipping up the merengue. I then drain the water from the mug.

My suspicion is that the soap, with repeated wetting and draining, is depleted of some essential later ingredient. I live in NYC where the water is very soft...thus it may dissolve and deplete many ingredients from the soap.

Anyone have this problem? Why does my soap not last? Thanks!

I've never heard of this before so I can't suggest any solutions. You could do what I do and keep buying so many soaps and creams that you never come close to finishing any of them.

Jordan

my Taylor soap is down to 1/4 of the cake and works as fine as in the begining, I dont believe that is soaps problem
clean your badger brush with sampoo and try again

Originally Posted by instantcrow

...I've always noticed that my soap (presently Taylor of Bond St, but also L'Occitane) stops working when it's down to about 3/4 or 1/2 a cake. It just stops making a lather...

??? It's very strange. These soaps (TOBS Sandalwood and L'Occitane Cade) work perfectly for me from A to Z. I agree with Yannis: "clean your badger brush with sampoo and try again."

Viktor

instantcrow,

Obviously Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Dr. Strangelove) was right in supecting that the loss of one's vital purity of essence was a real problem. apparently your soap has lost its VPE. You have my condolences. I use the cheap stuff and believe it may have none to start with.

cheers, Bruce

The most obvious solution would be hard water, but you say your water is soft. However, any hardness in the water will cause soap scum to form which will certainly stop any lather forming. Have you tried scraping off the top layer of the offending soap?
I must say, I live in a very hard water area and I haven't seen any signs of this problem so don't know how valid this solution might be!

could be your environment. The soap may harden as it sits after opening making it harder to lather then when it is newer and has more moisture in it.

I think the soap was dried out. After some experimentation, I found that wetting the soap just prior to dipping the brush in fixed the problem. Probably just a water ratio thing. So much for years of experience...always learning. Thanks.