If you have followed the CBL story you will know that like most artisans, I enjoy experimenting with new ideas and have developed a few different “production” formulas since I first launched my original premium base. I have added hemp oil and even stout beer to my premium base, perfected a vintage tallow style soap called CBL Tonsorial, developed a new Master Barber base that brings all the best features of the premium base and Tonsorial base together in one frim puck, and I’ve even done a couple collaborations and bespoke projects along the way. …AND I have some incredible and exciting stuff coming soon.
With all that I’ve done and all I have planned, I thought it was important that I share my thoughts and philosophies on the making of soap and other shaving products and how it has impacted my formulations and some of the decisions I’ve made along the way (or may be making now
)
First, I must make absolutely clear that my opinions and philosophy are my own and don’t reflect the views of the TSC owners or forum as a whole. Second, I want to explicitly state that my opinion, philosophy and approach are my own and are supported by my own background, research and experience. Soap making is both science and art, as such there is room for disagreement on the “facts” and abundant room for artistic expression…This means I can be right without others having to be wrong.
In my opinion, making a great shaving soap or product starts with understanding what is important and what is not. To me this means a soap maker has to understand what characteristics are needed for a good shave, what characteristics are desired by the shaving community and the science behind achieving these properties and characteristics. You’ll notice I didn’t use the word “ingredient”, I used the word “characteristics” that is because one describes WHAT you need and WHY, the other only describes HOW you will achieve it. When it comes to making soap there a number ways for me to address the “HOW” but the WHAT and WHY are more fixed. I don’t consider it my job to change the desires of the wet shaving community or convince them they need something they don’t through creative marketing, I consider it my job to make what they want and I know they need. This concept of understanding what is important and what is not, extends beyond the soap and any other products being made to how it is packaged and marketed. I may not always get it right but I know my approach is a solid one.
My approach to soap making is fairly straight forward. I start with an idea of the key characteristics I want the soap to have, then look for the simplest way to formulate a soap that has those characteristics. For me, this meant starting with the best known (and most basic) vintage tallow and best known (and most basic) non-tallow soap formulations and building from there. I found that by mastering old school soap making techniques and being purposeful in how and when I use specific ingredients I could make a very good soap with the most basic and time tested ingredients. As I explored more and grew as an artisan (when I accepted the role of “artisan”) I began to incorporate more exotic and more “modern” ingredients. Experience and experimentation has taught me that the best CBL soaps are those that embraced the vintage soaps and soap making techniques that inspired and informed my early journey, and included a few carefully chosen “modern” additions. After attempting the more artistic approaches I have decided the science of soap is more to my liking.
My philosophy on “premium soaps” is a bit different than most. For starters, I think premium starts with ensuring the formula, ingredients and techniques being used to produce the soap work in concert to produce a soap that is ideally suited for the purpose it is intended…shaving. A difficult to lather soap that performs only modestly in most other categories relating to the shave, but provides excellent post shave moisturizing and skin nourishing properties CAN NOT be called a premium shave soap. This has shaped my view on the use of exotic ingredients and additives as well. I don’t consider a soap premium simply because it has a complex ingredient list full of exotic ingredients. If it is important it belongs, if it isn’t, it is label dressing meant to please the eye and fatten the wallet.
I don’t view soap as the enemy and I don’t think your skin needs repair or nourishing just because you lathered upon it with “regular” shave soap and shaved with an open blade. I know I can make a mild soap that easily forms a rich, creamy lather that is super slick, rinses clean and laves your skin feeling adequately moisturized – all by using basic ingredients and good technique. And I think that by adding purposefully chosen exotic or alternative ingredients, in the right amount and at the right phase in the process, it is possible to turn a good soap with good performance into a premium soap with excellent performance.
I don’t think a shave soap can or should be expected to do everything but comb your hair and brush your teeth. Not only do I question whether the ultra-exotic and complex ingredients showing up in some artisan soaps are being chosen more for their label appeal than lather enhancing properties, I don’t believe shaving lather is necessarily the best delivery instrument for the skin benefiting features these artisans claim these ingredients provide. To be honest, I don’t know or care what soap, that is lathered in a bowl, applied to the skin and shaved off is capable of delivering to the skin. ...and I’d venture a guess they don’t know any better than I do. Then again, all that matters (what is important) is that the experience is enjoyable and if the exotic, complex ingredients result in a more pleasing experience, who am I to judge. In my opinion however, the ultra-exotic ingredients belong in a topical applied post shave, not in a lather.
My philosophy on per-unit volume (how many ounces per tub/puck) is a little different from others too. I differ in two big ways, I don’t place a high value on little samples (Nice 1ounce sample like Stirling sells are AWESOME!) and I don’t subscribe to the “more is better” philosophy. I believe that offering my soaps in 2 to 4 ounces portions allows me to provide more variety at lower average prices. Since I am posting this on The Shaving Cadre it should be pretty obvious that none of my customers are buying my soap because they just ran out and are in need of more, they are buying because they want more variety…not volume. Deciding how to package and how much to include per-unit is not always a philosophical choice, it is often a business/financial one...so this issue is one that will continue to rage on the forums for eternity.
If you’ve done business with me/used my soaps, you’ve experienced my personal and professional philosophy in action.
With all that I’ve done and all I have planned, I thought it was important that I share my thoughts and philosophies on the making of soap and other shaving products and how it has impacted my formulations and some of the decisions I’ve made along the way (or may be making now
)First, I must make absolutely clear that my opinions and philosophy are my own and don’t reflect the views of the TSC owners or forum as a whole. Second, I want to explicitly state that my opinion, philosophy and approach are my own and are supported by my own background, research and experience. Soap making is both science and art, as such there is room for disagreement on the “facts” and abundant room for artistic expression…This means I can be right without others having to be wrong.
In my opinion, making a great shaving soap or product starts with understanding what is important and what is not. To me this means a soap maker has to understand what characteristics are needed for a good shave, what characteristics are desired by the shaving community and the science behind achieving these properties and characteristics. You’ll notice I didn’t use the word “ingredient”, I used the word “characteristics” that is because one describes WHAT you need and WHY, the other only describes HOW you will achieve it. When it comes to making soap there a number ways for me to address the “HOW” but the WHAT and WHY are more fixed. I don’t consider it my job to change the desires of the wet shaving community or convince them they need something they don’t through creative marketing, I consider it my job to make what they want and I know they need. This concept of understanding what is important and what is not, extends beyond the soap and any other products being made to how it is packaged and marketed. I may not always get it right but I know my approach is a solid one.
My approach to soap making is fairly straight forward. I start with an idea of the key characteristics I want the soap to have, then look for the simplest way to formulate a soap that has those characteristics. For me, this meant starting with the best known (and most basic) vintage tallow and best known (and most basic) non-tallow soap formulations and building from there. I found that by mastering old school soap making techniques and being purposeful in how and when I use specific ingredients I could make a very good soap with the most basic and time tested ingredients. As I explored more and grew as an artisan (when I accepted the role of “artisan”) I began to incorporate more exotic and more “modern” ingredients. Experience and experimentation has taught me that the best CBL soaps are those that embraced the vintage soaps and soap making techniques that inspired and informed my early journey, and included a few carefully chosen “modern” additions. After attempting the more artistic approaches I have decided the science of soap is more to my liking.
My philosophy on “premium soaps” is a bit different than most. For starters, I think premium starts with ensuring the formula, ingredients and techniques being used to produce the soap work in concert to produce a soap that is ideally suited for the purpose it is intended…shaving. A difficult to lather soap that performs only modestly in most other categories relating to the shave, but provides excellent post shave moisturizing and skin nourishing properties CAN NOT be called a premium shave soap. This has shaped my view on the use of exotic ingredients and additives as well. I don’t consider a soap premium simply because it has a complex ingredient list full of exotic ingredients. If it is important it belongs, if it isn’t, it is label dressing meant to please the eye and fatten the wallet.
I don’t view soap as the enemy and I don’t think your skin needs repair or nourishing just because you lathered upon it with “regular” shave soap and shaved with an open blade. I know I can make a mild soap that easily forms a rich, creamy lather that is super slick, rinses clean and laves your skin feeling adequately moisturized – all by using basic ingredients and good technique. And I think that by adding purposefully chosen exotic or alternative ingredients, in the right amount and at the right phase in the process, it is possible to turn a good soap with good performance into a premium soap with excellent performance.
I don’t think a shave soap can or should be expected to do everything but comb your hair and brush your teeth. Not only do I question whether the ultra-exotic and complex ingredients showing up in some artisan soaps are being chosen more for their label appeal than lather enhancing properties, I don’t believe shaving lather is necessarily the best delivery instrument for the skin benefiting features these artisans claim these ingredients provide. To be honest, I don’t know or care what soap, that is lathered in a bowl, applied to the skin and shaved off is capable of delivering to the skin. ...and I’d venture a guess they don’t know any better than I do. Then again, all that matters (what is important) is that the experience is enjoyable and if the exotic, complex ingredients result in a more pleasing experience, who am I to judge. In my opinion however, the ultra-exotic ingredients belong in a topical applied post shave, not in a lather.
My philosophy on per-unit volume (how many ounces per tub/puck) is a little different from others too. I differ in two big ways, I don’t place a high value on little samples (Nice 1ounce sample like Stirling sells are AWESOME!) and I don’t subscribe to the “more is better” philosophy. I believe that offering my soaps in 2 to 4 ounces portions allows me to provide more variety at lower average prices. Since I am posting this on The Shaving Cadre it should be pretty obvious that none of my customers are buying my soap because they just ran out and are in need of more, they are buying because they want more variety…not volume. Deciding how to package and how much to include per-unit is not always a philosophical choice, it is often a business/financial one...so this issue is one that will continue to rage on the forums for eternity.
If you’ve done business with me/used my soaps, you’ve experienced my personal and professional philosophy in action.
