Soap maintenance?

Hi guys,

I was just wondering how the people around here handle their shaving soaps. Do you keep them open after use to air-dry? you put the lid back right after the shave? Does it matter for hard/soft soaps?

Really interested to hear about your routine.

I use soaps from start to finish when I open them. So most times they just stay uncovered. Sometimes I cover soft soaps, but not always.

If I want to preserve the scent, I'll cover. I don't think covering or uncovering makes a difference to scent or performance if you are using them daily.

All evidence has been buried. All tapes have been erased.

Like Bruce, keeping a soap uncovered will change it's scent, sometimes (for me) for the better. Other than deliberately leaving a soap open to reduce it's scent I use it and immediately close it. I have over 20 soaps in "use" right now so they can't be kept uncovered. Some soaps will change over time and not for the better. Cella is one that will change and darken in a few years; others take longer. Hard soaps are much longer lasting; I'm using one right now from the '70s that is tan and subdued in scent, but excellent. Soaps in tubes (cream) will sometimes age badly, I know that Ingrams once exposed to heat will NOT turn back into a cream but will stay like a thick liquid.

You asked about maintenance... If it's in a tub any unused proto lather just remains in the tub when I screw on the lid. After all, it's simply soap just waiting for the next use. Most of what I worked up comes out with the brush.

In the end it's up to you how you do it, but generally I'm not in favor of exposing soap to the air any longer than required to work up a proto lather. Lots of folks will disagree with me, and if they don't I'll be very surprised. Who's right? Everyone. As with many things in shaving, YMMV. Just do what you think is best and you'll be correct.

I hope that helps.

Hi guys,

I was just wondering how the people around here handle their shaving soaps. Do you keep them open after use to air-dry? you put the lid back right after the shave? Does it matter for hard/soft soaps?

Really interested to hear about your routine.

I wash out remaining lather first,then air dry the soap and put the lid back on later.

Thanks for the replies. I'm asking since I saw a post (don't remember who/where) saying something about soft soaps reacting badly to not being air dried before you close them up, and wanted to get some opinions from veterans.

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I don't believe that it's the way it's handled after use that affects soft soaps as much as just the temperature that it's stored in.

The Cella that "turned" on me was stored in the cabinet in the bathroom. Identical containers that were filled from the same block and stored in the refrigerator in the shop are still pristine, as are the other croaps out there. FWIW, older croaps with identical cabinet storage and use still haven't turned. I suspect that it's ingredients, production method, something other than storage and handling involved in it's early demise. Understand that it was in the cabinet for a few years and heat is generally the enemy; heat bringing on accelerated aging in general.

Don't a lot of the older soaps contain Parabens, which were used as a preservative?

All evidence has been buried. All tapes have been erased.

I leave my soap open until I finish shave and clean up then I put the lid on and under the sink it goes until the next shave

I also use a soap from start to finish and my favorite method is to invert the bowl/dish on a clean towel in the shave den.
Soaps retain their scents and stay well hydrated.

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Bruce,

I know Mitchell's Wool Fat uses Tetrasodium EDTA. Apparently it's a chemical to be avoided but who really knows.

3. Tetrasodium EDTA is a preservative that’s made from the known carcinogen, formaldehyde and sodium cyanide. (see how) It is also a penetration enhancer, meaning it breaks down the skin's protective barrier, going right into your bloodstream. Many companies trying to be "natural" will use Tetrasodium EDTA instead of parabens to preserve their products. In my opinion, Tetrasodium EDTA is just as bad.

Good to know about the chemical in MWF...I hadn't heard that, but have a few pucks on order.

I'll have to look into it. According to this, they are safe when uses in cosmetics. I'm guessing the levels are so low they don't cause issues. I read elsewhere on a MWF thread that it may be as low as 0.1%.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12396676

All evidence has been buried. All tapes have been erased.