question about tgq creams and soaps

I happen to love the tgq soaps and creams. There is only one problem i have found. For some reason if i use pre shave oil they wont lather on my face. I build nice thick lather in my scuttle either with a soap or cream and as soon as i put the brush to my face it starts to dissapear. Does anyone else notice this problem. I use a bunch of different soaps and creams and the only other i have experienced this with is mitchels wool fat soap. Does anyone no why this may be. Is it something in the composition of the soaps or creams that doesnt agree with the preshave. If i use proraso preshave cream it doesnt happen only with oils and it doesnt matter witch oil i have tried a few. thanks for any answers that im sure you all will have.

I have no experience or knwledge that can help you, however I do know that there are a lot of folks over at the shave den that know the answer to your question theshaveden.com/forum. Please come on over and ask your question. I am not saying that folks here will not know the answer, I am simply stating that folks at the shave den know the answer.

Have you tried the TGQ without the oil?

Yes it lathers great without oil but i like to use it when i shave because the underneath of my chin area gets very irritated without it. I was really just curious as to what makes this cream or soap different from others that will lather right over it. I can use proraso preshave cream under it but to me it doesnt work as well. I love to be able to help support a family owned buissiness like tgq by buying there product especially because i like it so much. I will definately continue to use it but i was just wondering why it wont lather over top of oils.

IIRC TGQ soaps are not fat/oil based, but is glycerine based, perhaps the two are not compatible.

That sounds like it makes sense. I also use irisch moos and tabac regularly as well as proraso and body shop maca root creams. These must be all fat based products i would assume. I guess that would mean all glycerin based soaps and creams would have the same affect from oils.

For awhile I used pre-shave oil. However, I found that it provided no added value to my shave. Proper face prep and good lather were all that was needed. And yes, I use TGQ soaps.

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Originally Posted by importcarguy

That sounds like it makes sense. I also use irisch moos and tabac regularly as well as proraso and body shop maca root creams. These must be all fat based products i would assume.

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Well, glycerin based soaps are not incompatible with traditionally milled soaps or creams, they are both produced using similar ingredients and chemistry. However, they are "refined" in a different way. Glycerin based soaps contain higher glycerin levels than milled soaps and most creams, often close to 40%. The purpose of this, among other things, is to make the soap exceptionally mild on the skin. Because glycerin has no significant "surface activity" per se (i.e. it is not a soap as the organic tail is too short) it can only mediate the interaction between the salts of fatty acids ( the soaps in shaving soap) and water, it can thicken lather but not produce it. This is glycerin alone cannot be used to dissolve fats. This produces a handicap from the performance point of view resulting in a greater sensitivity to addition of other substances (oils); they form low volumes of extremely thick (too thick if you ask me) and often drier lather when used alone but they typically do not form good uberlather when mixed with other products, etc. If you leave traces of oils on your skin, this will affect their performance as the soap content is lower then in milled soaps or creams. I believe this is what some of you are experiencing.

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Originally Posted by importcarguy

I guess that would mean all glycerin based soaps and creams would have the same affect from oils.

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Yes, this is what you typically find with glycerin based soap. However, there are differences among glycerin based soaps as well and some react to the presence of oils better.

Al raz.