Maximizing the Longevity of your Shaving Soaps 

I measure my soap precisely every time and immediately close the lid. The shave soap is never exposed to water or contaminants from a brush.

I just use my soap . I enjoy loading from the jar and dont care to stress about my soap. I will do small things to help it out if i can but im not loosing sleep over it . I also dont keep 20 soaps around so...

Your “process” makes SENSE, “CDB” (but, yeah, loading DIRECTLY from the puck is more FUN. 😕) BTW, where the heck does one get a “cosmetic scoop?” (Heck, who even knew such an implement existed? 😳)

Good One Chris 👍👍 💦💦🦑🦑

Hey Chris! You are absolutely correct about this subject. The reason soaps loose their scent, shrink, etc. is due to to water still remaining on the soap! Why do soaps dissipate?, because water does this naturally! If you scoop your soap into a bowl or mug, the soap in your container will last so, so much longer!! If you store a shave soap still wet, it will shrink and loose its fragrance. Water naturally dissolves it. Thanks for the videos!

the best for me $2.87 Neutrogena Original Amber Bar Facial Cleansing Bar with Glycerin, Clean- put in microwave for 20 seconds ,it will liquify ,pour into shaving bowl , let cool then just use brush to lather .It doesn't promote a big giant foamy face but gives you lubrication and skin protection . after all it is only what is on your skin that affects it not the foam on top of foam $2.87 it will last over a year

Where do u buy a cheap transfer spoon? Dollar store measuring spoon?

Hi Chris. After watching you and Tim I started scooping soap out with a little pipe tobacco spoon into a lather bowl and strictly bowl lathering. I’m sure my soaps will last longer and my lather has never been better!

100% on point Chris. I no longer load any soap from the container. I also have started writing the month and year on the bottom. Thanks Chris 👍🇺🇸

In these Inflationary Times. HERE IS AN EASY WAY TO DO IT MY FRIENDs Use any hard Bar Soap, Tallow or Glycerin based Soaps out there? To fit in any Mugs or Cups? Like" (Mitchells' Wool Fat or Arko Sticks. Just to name a few of them?) You can mix and match your old Soaps? Cut up the soap on a paper plate, pour your soap chunks with the shavings from the Paper Plate into a Mug, cover the soap with a small amount of water, and microwave your soap. For about a minute or so? Place a paper plate under your mug in case it bubbles out of your cup? If it foams up, STOP. The water keeps it from burning itself up. (DON'T OVER WATER YOUR SOAP??) Easy, does it? Let cool don't want to Crack the Mugs or Cups you're using? (You just want it to Congeal in your Mug or Cup') it is very hot and watery'''''. let it cool in PLACE'. after it cools, put it in a Sunny Window, until the Soap hardens? When using your soaps, use Dry Brush Less Water. It thickens the soap, making it easier to use on your face. Save your Money, spend it on your wife, don't listen to the shave Mafia. It saves me time and Money. Wheelchair Larry Happy New Year. Your Mileage may vary?

I think you might have sold me on this. I just need to get myself a bowl now. I didn't really get any bowls, since I sucked at mug lathering. My house was built in the 1860's. It is drafty, and the dust is never completely gone.

The one factor that you have overlooked is that natural sunlight kills fungal spores. So transparent containers will have less fungus. Just like you have experienced. A dark cabinet will favour mould growth. I am toying with the idea of fitting refills into transparent glass jars with airtight lids which can then sit on a shelf. Not direct sunlight, but natural light. Please do comment on whether I make scientific sense and whether I am headed for disaster. Thanks

Nothing wrong with your method. I've been wet shaving a long time and mostly load from the jar. I rinse upside down and dry on a wire rack upside down. I've never had a problem with any of my soaps.

oh you have to live aroung 12 years , I have to do much more around 35 years haha and my age is 75, so maybe not possible to end 5 % of all my soaps, but I am not worried , once I not here anymore on this earth , a lot of people are going to be happy with my soaps haha

what about hard puck soaps? do you like scrape the surface with a spoon and use the shavings? thanks

How much soap do you put in the bowl?

Great topic for a video, Chris. I don't think it's something many people think about, particularly when they first start out wet shaving, but with the amount you can end up spending on soaps, it's good advice. Thanks and keep up the good content!

Thank you for the tip I will do that for now on now I got to buy a shave bowl

Great review. 😊😊😊

I now only tub-load when I see "the ring of death"... Thanks for the video!

When I screw on my tubs I give them an extra snug and that seems to always keep them nice and fresh smelling

Great, thanks. I’m new to wet shave and I was looking for this sort of information. Not many other sources

I had purchased B&M's Leviathan last fall, and after using it for about 5 months it started getting a little odd in texture, but I thought nothing of it as an inexperienced wetshaver. Just checked it, and that sumbitch got mold on its mold. Thanks for the tip. Just shaved from the container on my first use for my kaizen soap. Think I should be ok so long as I don't do it again, or is it already gonna start the process way quicker?

Definitely food for thought. As you hinted at, I do find the load I get from the tub is better or more consistent than loading from a bowl, but I do kinda want these soaps to last for a while, and I definitely don't want to grow mold on them. So, I dunno, we'll see. Maybe I'll try to find a happy medium.

since I have around 150 soaps in my den , will do so , first clean all my soaps and then using a scraper , nice comment, regards robert .

Hey Chris. Awesome tips. If folks want to tub load, I recommend taking som plastic wrap, place it over the soap and just press/push down and around the walls of the tub thus sealing the sides. BTW, did you delete some of your shaving vids?

Great tips, I just started wet shaving and just ordered a bunch of shave soaps, I'll do this to them to keep them much longer thanks.

Absolutely right

Great tips Chris👍 I will remember to use them in my next shave. I overdid things on Saturday which meant my back went into spasm. It might be a while before I can stand long enough to shave. I think I might need a hedge trimmer when I next use a razor 🤣😂🤣😂

I was scooping rather than loading from the jar for those reasons. But, I've lagged sometimes and reverted back to off the jar :(

Something else affecting 'longevity' of a soap is the size of your brush. Especially if you use a soap-hogging monster-badger brush, how much suds do you discard after each shave? It's likely that you can squeeze out enough leftover lather to do another entire shave. A 19-22mm works just fine to cover your face in suds, and you won't have that near 50% lather waste you get from a floor mop-sized vanity brush.

Thnx Chris

Great Advice Chris! Man, that XXX soap looks old! Have a great week & stay safe out there!😎

I know what you are saying but some soaps are very hard to scope up. I.e. de dutch brand Vergulde Hand

for me the real problem is that I have so many soaps that I have to live approx 12 more years and I don't think will be on this earth for more than 5 years now , haha

I agree with you on this, but have to be honest, I only do it on selected soaps 👍🤓👍

Thanks for the tips! I recently changed to scooping as well because my soap collection keeps growing!! haha.

And this is why I scoop/scrap and bowl lather 100% of the time unless I'm using a shave stick. To each their own, you buy it, do what you want with it.

Thanks Chris absolutely great and helpful video. I watched mark every video he puts out and saw the mishap he had with that soap. I actually got some Mikes' Natural from a buddy at work who lathers from the container....I opened the other day since I really do not use it much and really looked and on bottom and sides was dark and mouldy I ended up emptying out and washing container in case I need it later. I have a question...I got 8 Stirling samples and they are wrapped in biodegradable plastic...once I open and grab a bit for my bowl and shave I rewrapped then wrapped again in a clingy plastic wrap until my tin containers get here to put em in (Unfortunately all I could find for a reasonable price right now)...will that be ok for the soap samples?

When I get a new soap, I get a piece of plastic wrap, drape it over the soap and squeeze it all down nice and even and no gaps along the edge between the soap and the jar. Everytime I get a soap out to use i make sure that there isn't any gaps, and if there is i press the soap down again to get rid of the gaps. I am a "load of the puck and face lather" guy. All my soaps have been ok so far, just thought I'd share what I do. But I must say your scoop out method is a 100% water free method. Thanks for sharing! Steve

This will be a good watch

Thanks for this, I've found that by blooming I get a much much better lather, BUT that really wears down the soap FAST, I'm going to have to try this tip for my soaps

Chris, Great tips. Thanks a lot. "scooping" method applicable to glycerin based soaps. I think you never used this type soaps. Thanks for taking time and sharing your knowledge

Good video . In what place of the house do recommend storing soaps? Thankx

When you spend the amount of money these crazy wet shavers do, does it actually matter? They will only be buying more soap than they can use anyway.

Thanks for posting this. I just had to throw out a Stirling puck that I had put into one of their tins. It filled the entire tin. I've used it maybe 3 times letting it dry after each. But it still developed little white moldy fingers where soap met the tin. I'll be buying scoops now.

Really good advice. I’m starting your method right now.

Excellent video, Chris. More people need to see videos like this. I have seen a lot of people tub load and it is just something that people do within the community, even people like Matt from Razor Emporium (and I did it for while, too, because of influences like this). But I watched a video about this from Tobin Fetters recently and that really opened my eyes because I had no idea about bacteria and other contaminants getting into the shave soap by your brush, water, and other means. Matthew Lawrence also did a more quantitative analysis of why he scoops by showing how many more shaves a soap will last if you scoop versus tub load, and it is quite a significant amount of shaves! I think points like this need to get out to the community more if people want to keep their soaps at their best, top of the line quality!

100%

WOW, it all sounds so very obvious. Therefor thank you very much for your great advice, I'm definitely going to apply it from now on. ! !

I load using the dry method so not Mutch water if any stays in my soap

What about hard soaps? Tabac, Williams, cella.etc? Do you load them in a mug then let them dry out?

Never thought of the moisture/contaminates.

I agree 100 percent. I only scoop and bowl lather. Moisture is never introduced into my soap tub.

Thanks! I am looking for a good lathering bowl. What bowl do you recommend?

Could you explain the process of using a hard soap as a stick? What do you do with the soap after rubbing it on your wet face in order to avoid ruining it? Thanks

I have a journal for so my soaps. I want them to last for years. Love this hobby.

I will definitely keep this method in mind when I'm done with my Stirling soap samples and move on to the full tub I ordered. I will probably also get a pack of their guitar picks for beard balms. I did not realize when I got the empty container just how big 6 oz is, so I would have a hard time getting the soap off while it's sliding all around in the container.

Nice tip. Especially for the bloomers. Thanks

Great video Chris, thank you! I wonder if the scooping method can be applied to the triple milled (or really hard) soaps as well.

@IAMCDB Another great content video.

that was a great video Chris. Learned a lot thanks.

Yep 👍 I agree I also bowl lather with a scoop of soap thanks for sharing !

Great video! If you dry your soaps in the restroom, you could be introducing fecal matter to the soaps. GROSS! Ugh! Flushing the toilet with the lid up is a pet peeve of mine. I actually do keep my soaps in a closet. 🤣🤣🤣

Great video! Very informative.

Excellent tips Chris! 👌

Great video, thank you for the recommendations

Thanks for the soap tips 👍🏾

If your going to dry your soap flip it upside down with a wash cloth underneath it

Great advice mate!

Good info!

Yo

Scoop!

Great video. 100% true! 👍🏻 Many, many years ago I ruined two soaps. Since, I never introduce a brush in a shaving soap any more. I always scoop out the desired quantity with a tea spoon. My soaps last forever.

The OCD is strong with this one... Heh! ;-)

Amen and Amen! Preach it brother!. You converted me a while back to scoop some out and load in a separate bowl. Chris, I found that loading the brush in a smooth bowl, much better than the ridged lathering bowls, if you want to face lather. More lathering on the face, and less in the bowl. I constantly experiment with different methods. One method was to bloom the little chunk of soap in a bowl, then rub the soap directly on the face, then face lather. Kind of like the shaving stick method. Currently prefer loading in a smooth bowl. :)

Do you ever have considered to vacuum seal those tubs you don't use regularly in order to keep the scent?