1. Cool as heck beard you have! 2. The best shaving video I've watched ever. 3. No issues with the camera or music at all. 4. Great teacher!! Thank you!!
I love how laid back you are and it all just works! I worry too much over my soap making...I need to lighten up LOL. I've been soaping for about 2 years and might spend 6 months or more developing a recipe which is sometimes necessary but it's in the making that I get too uptight. You are fantastic...thank you for teaching me how to just "chill" you're amazing!
+MaryFrances C Thanks! I really try not to get too caught up in being perfect. While I want my soap to be the best it can, I've realized that much of that comes with time. It seems as though the recipes and the process just seem to evolve for the better as long as you suck with it. Have a great weekend!
Still my favorite shaving soap out of 23 different brands I've gotten from all darn near all over the world. Most are from the U.S.A but I have some from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Hungary, UK, Italy, Guam and Norway. I don't know why but it leaves my skin in better shape and I get a very close shave using a double edge safety razor. The Blades I like best are the Feather brand. The Dollar Shave Club has nice razors if you like multi blades also. The start of a good day for me is a professional Barber straight blade shave and beard trim along with a nice shoe shine that I treat myself with on special occasions. But that costs me $45 plus tips so I don't think it will ever be a daily indulgence.
RocckyRacoon31 Do you mean the bowl that I made the soap in? The temp of the soap only gets to about 140-150 degrees. That's an old Tupperware bowl. They were made very well...lol. As for the small jars, the soap is cool enough after a couple minutes of stirring that they stand up fine.
bought a few bats of your goat's milk soap and I love it.i have sensitive skin and it works great and I love the smell thank you so much will b ordering again.
Uncle Jon! - Wow. Thanks so much for making this video. 2 days before my birthday no less! I found it to be clear, succinct, simple, and a real pleasure to watch. Because it was made so easy to understand, and I too, have a real desire to make my own soap. (I'm in "The community."), currently (over)stocked with 29 soaps, and I have the raw ingredients to start making it myself. The online soapmaking community has a lot to show for preparation and caution, and it can become overwhelming - to believe in myself that I can tackle making soap - but your methods, actions, and ease, REALLY gives me confidence to take a chance. You used the same ingredients(NaOH, and KOH) that I will be using - so simple...No fears. Thank you. (And if I wasn't so damn back-logged with soaps - PIPE SMOKE, would be my purchase choice from your shop!)
Thanks! Yeah... I like to take the fear out of the process. It's not that there aren't precautions that we should take. But, it's not brain surgery either...lol. Let me know how it goes if you try it yourself :)
Well made Video !! Your style of narration is relaxing !! A little Blues helps soothe the soul !! Will check out your website. Keep up the great job !!
Hey uncle John. I do like that name. I do like your persona!! Keep it going!! It’s been a while since Covid-19 started. It’s been very depressing. Hubby and I retired so been busy in the house. But definitely want to start up again. Thanks for all information!!
hi I've been wanting to try a shave soap to see how I like it. after watching your video I went to you site and ordered 3 of your samples. can't wait to try them.
Really, neither process is extremely difficult. But, the bar soaps tend to be a little more forgiving because you aren't adding any extra stearic acid, which makes everything seize up so quickly.
I have been adding stearic acid to my soap recipes, and now I know why I have been having issues. It never used to be an issue, but here lately I have been trying to figure out what has been causing it. I make soap year round, so I don't think weather/climate is an issue. I purchased several bottles at once, so I am now wondering if it was just this batch of stearic that I purchased. I am always wondering what can cause an issue in one batch and not another (using exact same recipe). It's such a pain trying to figure out what it is, UGH! Thanks again for your video's. Most helpful :)
for more then 20 year i use a extreme simple anf fast metod ,scratch a good soap bar like Dove add two samall tea spoon whit Nivea cream ,melt whit very Little wather and mix well to create a thick texture put in some container let dry and ready by use the complete proces take 20 minutes
the plastic containers are fine as long as I don't heat them too long. Just long enough to melt the solid oils. The stearic acid being heated in the microwave isn't an issue either. What are your concerns with using the microwave? Just curious.
Just started watching your videos tonight from a link someone posted in one of my soaping groups, absolutely love all your videos (that I have watched so far, I am sure I will be watching more) I have been soaping for over 4 and half years now myself all cold Process, I thought about shave soaps often but anything i ever researched was hot process and just wasnt a thing I wanted to do, looked like a sticky gooey hot mess lol but thats just me lol. But your method makes this look amazing and do-able TY for sharing.... LOL of course now this means a whole new recipe for me to work on which I love the idea. and I love your personality & Just brutal honesty! its refreshing!! hahaha and had a good giggle over your video OF what you thought about butters in soap, then the next of you using Shea Butter! just a good giggle.. lol I use alot of butters and I couldnt imagine not using them lol but to each his own
@@unclejonssoap Ty so very much definitely one of my next projects to work on! and yes it helps alot so now I can work on the rest of my recipe and not have to stress I used too much of one or the other. TY for being a dear!
any Pucks, any hard soaps or ARKO Sticks will work? You can mix and match old soaps? to fit in any mug or cup that you like to use. like Mitchells' Wool Fat? Cut the bar soap up, put in a mug, cover the soap with a small amount of water, microwave for a minute or so? if it foams up, stop ? let cool you just went it to congeal' place in the sun, until soap hardens use dry brush more water i use Dove soaps there cheap and good wheelchair Larry Merry Christmas
Hi Uncle Jon! I love watching your soap making videos, especially the way you make them without measurements. But I wonder why most of your videos gets black & white!!
+Prakash Rajendran I'm not sure what you mean. I weigh everything. Some of the videos go black and white because I accidently hot the black and white effect button by mistake...lol. I make soaps better than I edit video 😂
Oops! My fault, I actually meant about the lavender bath soap making video when you added ultra marine color to the mix without the measurements.. BTW I like the way you make the soaps more than many other soap makers going crazy on measurements and numbering very seriously. And I like your beard too!!
+Prakash Rajendran ahhh..gotcha! Thanks! Yeah.. I know what the limits are on measurements for micas and such. I can go by feel at this point for stuff like that..lol. Sometimes, people over complicate things😁 Thanks so much for watching!
Thank you for the video. This is very similar to the shaving soap batches that I make. The only difference for me is my batches that are 13-23 lbs. at a time, so I do need to use a industrial grade stick blender to make sure that everything is mixed and there are no lye pockets. I use a large stainless steel ladle to put the soap into jars, but an ice cream scoop is an interesting idea.
for me, even with bigger batches, I don't have a need for the stick blenders. it just never gets that thick. The only time I use mine is with CP batches. I would like to find a lateral that is sized for the weight I put into my jars though. that would save a lot of time :)
+Irena Marchu that's cool. I've found that if I don't rush mine too much it does get a little smoother. I'll make another video if I get major improvement.
So I tried HP the first time I made shave soap and it was a disaster. Then I found your video and have only had successful batches using this method. Thanks so much for sharing because I would have thought HP was the only way to go!
Jon, extremely interesting never saw how its done. The hot process which other artisans seem to think is necessary you avoided all together. I think thats brilliant. Did you ever try it to see what kind of results you would get? Seem like an easy way to get the job done.
+Donald Youngner (Wet The Face) I did my first couple batches hot process and it drove me nuts...lol. So, I figured i would go against the grain a little and try it my way. And, it works! The thought of watching over a pot for hours at a time is overwhelming when I have the whole store to run.
Yep well I prefer doing it cool after seeing seeing some of the other cook up methods - was yo fiddly just wondering you have ever experimented with some clay in the recipe ie bentonite or kaolin for the slipperiness and lathering aspects.
Hi John. Thanks for watching! I used to use some classes in our soaps and I discovered something along the way... Clay shouldn't be needed in shave soap.. Not even stuff made at home. I find that too many people rely heavily on the clay to provide sickness in shave soaps. While it does do that, clay can also be drying in the skin and could potentially dull the razor. With the right recipe and oil proportions, you should be able to get a sick lather that holds up for several passes. Thanks for your question😁
Man I like his teaching style but he has real shifty eyes 😂🤣 kidding! Working on a shampoo bar myself right now, formulating and trying new recipes is my favorite part.
Hi Jon.. I've been looking for a good but not that expensive digital scale.... do you recommend any? - i have a couple that have gotten very good reviews, but i've noticed that sometimes when adding small amounts at a time, it won't register the amounts..they both do the same thing..what i mean by small amounts is pouring small dribbles of oil. the ones I have are supposed to weigh down to .05 oz, but I feel they are not very dependable.
Honestly, I just use the digital kitchen scales you can pick up at the big box stores. They work great for the bigger amounts. For something small like .10 or less, i tend to figure out the volume equivalent in ml and use a large syringe that has the numbers on the side. That works well for me. Otherwise, I would have to say that going to a scientific supply company for the scale would be the best bet. Or an additional scale like the coffee shops use to weight their shots would be good for that small amount. .
Quick question. I have watched other cold process modifications like this and was wondering if you don’t have to worry about volcanoes because the lyes are room temperature? Thanks
Hi Uncle John, Great videos. Can I ask why you added the lye at room temperature as you made a lot of effort to ensure the oils and the stearic acid were both quite hot? Also you said that you were feeling the bottom of the bowl to check the temperature. Was it getting hotter? Or were you waiting for it to get cooler before you put it in the jar? Hopefully these questions are not too silly. Thanks
sandra mckelvie hi there! The lye water wasn't actually room temperature. It just needs to sit long enough that it starts going clear again. I feel the bottom of the bowl while mixing to see how hot the soap is so that it's not too hot for the jars. Once I feel the temp is low enough, I can then start filling the jars without fear of warping them. Hope that helps!
Sodium hydroxide is mainly used for harder soaps like bath soap. Potassium hydroxide makes a softer soap. Originally, when soap was made with the brown liquid formed by soaking wood ash, the soap was softer and needed a much longer cure time. Soaking hardwood ash in water and then siphoning the resulting ;liquid off is the same (roughly) as potassium hydroxide. I would use only sodium hydroxide for bath soaps so the bar ends up harder and lasts a little longer. In shave soaps, we tend to use some of each type of lye so that we can control how hard or soft the soap ends up. A slightly softer soap is easier to load with your shave brush. Too soft, and you end up wasting a bunch of soap. So, we developed a ratio of about 60/40% so that the soap is soft enough to load easily but hard enough to withstand using the brush in the jar and not wash half the soap right down the drain. hope that helps! :)
Thank you for sharing! I have been trying to come up with a recipe for my hubby, I love ARiZONA shave soap consistency and have been trying to formulate a recipe. Did you use 50/50 of sodium and potassium? Thank you in advance!
Have you ever had any issues with storing soap or lotion in tin containers? I recently noticed my lotion is turning red in my aluminum tin container. Someone told me it's oxidation...chemical reaction and to never use metal on anything that is made with water.
+The Bearded Quaker yep. Anything water based at all will have some issues eventually with oxidation, rust, or just a general reaction. I only use tins for oil based stuff.
It not an issue because of "metal" as a generic term, more of a distinction of the TYPE of metal. And, as everything we create has various properties and chemical reactions, even something as basic as cooking is a chemical reaction. My family teases me that, for me everything is a science project, even when I'm just making coffee. When you understand those reactions you can use it to your benefit. And yes I make the best custom cup of coffee you will ever have. But I digress. Your issue isn't metal and water, it aluminum tin and the other ingredients in the lotion. Aluminum doesn't play well with most soap, lotion or other ingredients. Try switching to stainless steel, or a good quality plastic container and see if that solves the problem. 🤗
@@emerencespringer I use shaving soap ("Abschaum" from Schmiere) from a aluminium container/jar for quite some time now and never had any issues with oxydation. Ofcourse it depends on how the aluminium has been treated
Uncle Jon just found your site lots of great information was wondering if you could tell me where you get your jars looking for smaller ones like that? Thanks Carl from Michigan
Your videos are always very soothing Uncle Jon! How quickly does the mixture become non caustic? When the lye mixes with everything? Is there a cure time? Also interesting idea on the hot cold method
This video is very helpful, I already made my second batch following your method. One question, I notice that you didn't use stick blender to mixed, and it didn't reach trace, same as what I did, so this was ok if it doesn't trace? It only went to like mash potatoes consistency.
Yeah, it really doesn't trace in the same way that bath soap will. And this recipe will act differently each time depending on oil temperatures and other factors. There's no real need for a stick blender in my case because this soap gets pretty thick right from the start. But I will say that I now let the soap sit longer after I get it moved the first time. Then I keep mixing until the consistency gets smoother. Otherwise you run the risk of it separating some in the jar.
@@unclejonssoap so far so good, does not separate after 48hrs, zap test was ok too, I will have a test with the soap pretty soon. Thank you! Look forward to your videos.
No, I don't check the temperatures. As soon as the lye turns clear, I melt the stearic separately, then the solid oils. once all melted, I combine all three and stir like you saw. I never saw the need to check temps because it doesn't seem matter on this method. Although, I don't measure temps, other than by feel, in my other bath soap recipes either... lol. I just have a feel for it I guess.
hi John - love this video and you're awesome! Just a quick tip on Essential Oils (i know you said you don't follow what others do, but here goes anyway ;) you should wait until your mix is under 40°C (about 104F) until adding the E.O.'s otherwise you're wasting about half of them (burn off). And i think someone else asked but i can't find - how long 'til your bars are HARD? i found a similar recipe that says about 4 weeks?? thank you!
As long as you're under the flash point for those oils you're fine to add them whenever. But yeah.. you do need to watch temps a little. As for curing? I'm never too worried about that.. unless it's very humid and they're staying soft longer 😁
Hey Ive just seen your video. I have a few questions if you don't mind sharing. I'm curious to the curing process with your shave soap do you leave them open for 6 weeks. I like your idea as well thinking bout giving it a try.
+Gnome Beard thanks. I don't give a complete recipe for reasons started in a few videos. I try to guide where I can but wont be doing a recipe. Sorry about that. My goal is to actually get people to the point where they can make their own recipes. That's why I always recommend starting with bath soap. They are easier to make and help to get you ready to make shave soaps. I will be doing more videos soon where I talk about different oil properties and what they may or may not lead to shave soaps 😁
Uncle Jon's cool totally respect that. Thanks for the video though...very informative. I actually started my own company. We make beard balms, after shave balms, mustache wax and more. My next mission is artisan shave soap. I am trying to make something similar to Dr. Jon's Shaving Soap Co. Hardest thing for me is getting the right fragrance. Mixing and blending. I was only using essential oils, but I found that using fragrance oils is working really well. Only thing about fragrance oils is that you take a gamble when you purchase them. There's a lot of cheap fragrance out there. I can't stand that flowery baby powder smell you get from some of these companies. I've been spending a prettt penny lately.
+Gnome Beard understood. It can be tough when getting started with blending and finding quality fragrances. I really appreciate you watching! We also make beard balms, oils and stache wax. I like to make matching scents between the shave and beard stuff... Also pomade 😁
Uncle Jon's yes I saw that you do sell beard balms. Have you ever tried working with pine resin? The stuff is amazing! I really like how it smells and how it gives your beard a little more stiffness. It also helps train beard hairs if you want to style it a certain way.
I have seen on some forums that people will batch mix their Lye. Whats your feeling on that chief? Does it affect the Lye in any way doing that? Love the show and good job bud.
Batching lye water is ok for bath soaps. I find that for the way I make shave soap with no heat source I need the heat of the lye to some extent. For either, I wouldn't batch more than I'll use in a few days time.
@@unclejonssoap please let us know. You know, you're videos are so concise. You don't ramble about other things. By watching your videos I got the courage to try and make soap, it was a fail lol (but that's something I must not be doing right) what I'm trying to say is you're very helpful.
Stearic acid is found in beef tallow. But what if you're vegan? Does the stearic acid from the store always come from cows, or is there a vegetable origin for stearic acid? Could I replace it with cocoa butter?
Most people that don't want to use animal fats do fine. Stearic acid that you buy from most suppliers actually comes from palm oil. Then you can also use a lot of veggie based fats that are naturally high in stearic acid too. Although, I feel like you would benefit from adding additional straight stearic acid for any shave soap recipe.
NYtalk60 I generally go for about two days at the least. some, depending on fragrance, need a week or more to come together and lose some of the extra water.
Palm oil is often used as a tallow substitute. But, it's about your overall formulation and experimentation. There are many successful vegan soaps on the market.
Ok so hopefully I get this answered but why do some shaving butters/creams leave the sink/to be oily and what can I look for in purchase a product to insure that dont happen my old lady is always mad that the sink is oily also do ur product have this issue?
Hey there! So some shave butters are designed to be slick and keep the skin from drying but not lather. They will tend to leave an oily film. Most creams and soaps that are designed to lather with a brush have oils in them too but they don't leave an oily film. Although, all of them will leave some type of film usually that just needs to be wiped down a little even you rinse the sink out. But they clean easier than the butters. Our shave soaps do require the use of a brush to work up the lather. Hope that helps.
lol...I had a chuckle when you were talking about how you like to lather up your shaving brush, but you have huge beard...im thinking whats he shaving then... maybe keeping prince albert out of the forest...hahaha..
***** Yeah.. I don't shave much on the cheeks. The long beard looks funny to me if i go too low. Under the beard is harder for sure. I just have to use one hand to hold the beard out of the way while I shave the neck. It's ok with a DE razor but the straights are a bit harder...lol. The Pipe Smoke smells like a fresh cherry pipe tobacco with a hint of vanilla. Hope you like it!
Why are you guys hating on the HP? JK 🙂 I do both HP and CP. I’m curious about the soy wax. I’ve never used it before and I don’t really know what it does for the soap other than its Stearic Acid content, but I assume that’s not all it contributes since you used Stearic Acid also. I also like to experiment and try things other ways. I enjoy your videos, thank you!
+Janet McPhail lol.. not hating except I have so many things to do that I don't have time to wait for the cook 😁 . The soy is mostly for the stearic content. I also like the lather it provides in our bath soaps. Thanks for watching!
as far as I know, soap calc only allows for one lye. But, it only takes a minute to calculate one lye then the other. once calculated, just figure the percentage of each lye. If you look on my channel, I have a video where I show how I figure it out. Thanks!
Hi Uncle Jon!!! Question, never made this excited to try. I do CP soap so i have the knowledge, but never worked with stearic acid and its tiny balls in the package. Do i just measure and heat in the microwave like i would with the oils? Ty
Yes but you'll need a glass heart proof pitcher like mine and great the stearic separate. I just do 2 minute increments with about a minute break between until it's all liquid. Then melt the other oils and all everything together at one time. Should be good to go 😁
Wow this is great video that I've been looking for. I tried this method and now just wait the cure. But I prefer the soap in bottle pump, so does it can dilute with water? how much ratio? And is this needed clarity test?
So.. this is for a soft shave soap. If you want to go with liquid, you would have to change to all potassium hydroxide and then add water, preservative, and something to help stabilize it. I don't think a clarity test would matter. But, I have never tried to make a liquid shave soap, so i don't know how well that would work.
Jon, great video, thank you - you mentioned adding a little extra water to your recipe which seems to have made it easier to handle once the stearic reacts with the lye - do you just eyeball it or is there a specific amount of water as a % of oils that you are looking for? I know that SoapCalc allows you to input this information - thanks in advance and Happy New Year!
My original water content is at about 30% of the oil weight. So, for my batch a couple ounces (by weight) of water just seems to make things a little smoother. The water content isn't a huge problem if you go heavy as long as you don't go too nuts...lol. The water will eventually evaporate out any way just like bath soaps. I like to keep the water percentage low as I can so the cure times are a ittle quicker. But, sometimes, you just have to adjust for certain fragrance reactions and the stearic acid. Hope that helps.
Nope. It uses about the same ratios. It's not really a leave on product at all. With regular soap you scrub up and rinse off. With shave soap, you basically scrub ub, scrape it off with a blade and rinse. The only concern with scent concentrations would be if someone has very sensitive skin and using a blade to shave with. Hope that helps.
Most recipes I've seen for shave soap are HP. Do you know why that is? Since you only cure your CP for up to 1 week, I don't see the need for HP. Thanks for the great video, by the way.
Hey there! Thanks for the question. That was one of the reasons I made this video...lol. I wanted to show that the process doesn't need to be overly complicated. There's nothing wrong with either method for sure. I just hate when people tell me that the ONLY way to make this recipe is HP :) I can see some benefits from doing it either way. For me, since I make other products too, this makes more sense. And... I am never afraid to try something in a different way just to see if things can be done. The only thing I will say about HP vs CP for this recipe is that the HP might provide for a more consistent end result. But, there are a lot of factors that determine the outcome in either process. Temperatures, timing, materials, the soapers mood, etc.. Have a great day!
Thanks, Jon. I am all for simplifying. In fact, it is incredibly difficult for me to follow any new recipe exactly. I modify/attempt to improve it before ever trying it out!
was thinking of poss ordering a sample size. but didn't see any where to get a estimate on shipping cost. Might be something to look into for your site as estimate shipping cost.
Hi there. If you are in the US, shipping on a couple samples is $3. if you load your cart and go almost all the way through the checkout, it will show shipping on the left side. Thanks.
