Thread: Cosmetic Chemist reviews Mitchell's Wool Fat Shaving Soap

If someone were able to confirm that there exists large quantities of plutonium in MWF, I would stop using it.

Otherwise,.... no way.

kindofstephen,

Have you done any tests on the soaps available that contain natural ingredients such as goats milk, etc.? Would be interesting to see how they stand. I too like MWF and Col. Conks glycerine lime, but am thinking of trying some of the natural ingredient soaps. Sounds like you are the man with the capabilities to test and evalute.

Originally Posted by DoughBoy68

kindofstephen,

Have you done any tests on the soaps available that contain natural ingredients such as goats milk, etc.? Would be interesting to see how they stand. I too like MWF and Col. Conks glycerine lime, but am thinking of trying some of the natural ingredient soaps. Sounds like you are the man with the capabilities to test and evalute.

It really depends more so on what the rest of the soap is made out of. The extra ingredients are usually added in levels between 1-5%, so they won't do much compared to the rest of the 95-99% of the ingredients.

for example a 100% saponified olive oil soap is going to be much more moisturizing and slippery than a 90% saponified coconut oil soap with 10% goats milk (or w/e). even if those goats are magical!

(on the downside the 100% saponified olive oil soap is going to be gloopy and not foamy at all though...)

I must say I appreciate the dissemination of information on the subject. People will continue to use the product they enjoy, but having these facts out there will always be helpful, as I'm sure we're all aware of the difference between marketing hype and reality. Scent is, indeed, an important part of the human experience and so I'm not surprised that many out there will choose a product that might age their skin slightly more rapidly if it smells nice. In the long run, a few years worth of skin aging aren't going to make that much of a difference when compared to relaxing, nice-smelling shaves. The relaxation and enjoyment probably keep you feeling younger, anyway.

This is good information for those who have extra sensitive skin. I sometimes get small breakouts of hives on my face, which I haven't been able to pin down to a shaving product or something else. Trying different soaps with different ingredients might be one solution to this.

Thanks jdto (i'm a fellow torontonian as well!)

You've managed to say what I've been trying to say in a much more eloquent fashion, so I thank you for that!

Interesting, you should check out the Martin De Candre shaving soap, which is one of the shaving soaps said to be very pure, doesn't have much of an ingredients list: Stearic Acid; Aqua, Coconut Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin and perfume. You can also buy it unscented.


And the Italian Cella: Cocos Nucifera Oil, Tallow, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Aqua, Potassium Carbonate, Parfum.

Both are pretty much my favorite shaving soaps, along with MWF

Originally Posted by kindofstephen

Thanks jdto (i'm a fellow torontonian as well!)

You've managed to say what I've been trying to say in a much more eloquent fashion, so I thank you for that!

Well, I work in marketing, so I have to be able to put things eloquently, especially when I'm calling out the marketing BS

Originally Posted by Blix

Interesting, you should check out the Martin De Candre shaving soap, which is one of the shaving soaps said to be very pure, doesn't have much of an ingredients list: Stearic Acid; Aqua, Coconut Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin and perfume. You can also buy it unscented.


And the Italian Cella: Cocos Nucifera Oil, Tallow, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Aqua, Potassium Carbonate, Parfum.

Both are pretty much my favorite shaving soaps, along with MWF

The Martin de Candre looks like a great soap, especially the unscented one. As you probably know parfum can be irritating to the skin, possibly phototoxic and cytotoxic depending on what type of "parfum" it is.

If the Italian Cella comes in unscented as well, I would recommend using that too!

Originally Posted by jdto

Well, I work in marketing, so I have to be able to put things eloquently, especially when I'm calling out the marketing BS

I tend to ramble like Abe Simpson...

Originally Posted by Theseus

Breathing the air outside can cause lung cancer over the long term. That doesn't mean that I spend my days holding my breath.

ofcourse not, it gives you cancer.

Thanks kindofstephen and jdto (FYI I’m out of Cabbagetown in downtown Toronto )

As someone cursed with extremely chemically sensitive skin - where less has always been more –as well as someone who finds the only purpose for the cacophony of scents is marketing and an annoyance this discussion is enlightening.

My shaving career can almost be characterized as a long quest to find products that perform without all the perfumes and other additives that give no useful added value to the task at hand. The holly grail is an unscented (hypo-allergenic) shave lubricant (aka cream/soap) that opens the pores, raises the beard and lets the blade glide effortlessly and close to the skin for the entire shave. When done with shaving I want an unscented product is applied as a soothing balm. Simple. No cacophony of scents and products alluding to doing all things for all people. Bottom line I couldn’t care less if all this came out of a spray can if it works.

Once the shave is done and admired I then have the option of throwing the doors open wide to my expensive collection of perfumes and potions to make myself feel good, even if possible even more manly, and smell purdy for the ladies.

Kindofstephen, you need to be applauded for your efforts in bringing science to the dark arts of shaving potions and welcomed here. Please keep posting. I would be interested in a short list of the necessary ingredients and what they add to a quality shave cream.