Confessions of a Stovetop Soapmaker: An Interview with Mark Albert

Mark Albert is a passionate practitioner of the traditional wet shave, a fragrance connoisseur and an aspiring soap maker. He lives in upstate New York where he spent most of his career as a technology consultant. When he's not at work or with family, his hobbies include martial arts, firefighting, SCUBA diving, cooking, travel, and of course, all things shaving. He has been studying soap making for about a year and was gracious enough to share some of his passion, experience and knowledge with ShaveSplash. Without further ado, here's Mark....

How long have you been a collector of shaves soaps and fragrances?

I’ve always liked nice fragrances, but I didn’t really start my shaving soap journey until an on-line friend of mine in the wet-shaving community started sharing his journey and experiences last year.

What drew you to the hobby and what is it you enjoy most about fragrances and shave soaps?

Fragrances and soaps are sensory experiences – like food, and I love to cook.  One can always go to a restaurant for a great meal, but sometimes its nice to be able to make a special dish on your own.  The same is true for soaps.  A few weeks back, I wanted a soap with similar properties to the famous Martin de Candre (MdC).  I did a bit of research, and voila.  I had a soap that exploded on the brush with a rich, bubbly lather.  I then thought, maybe I’d like those same properties, but with a bit more glide.  I messed with the recipe a bit and…mission accomplished.

Fragrances are similar, but there is much more to learn to get good at it, plus, you need a really good nose.

What are the qualities you prize most in a shave soap?

First, a good soap needs to make bubbles that will allow the lather to retain its structure consistently across the shave.

Next, it needs a bit of cushion.  I tend to like a creamy consistency, something approaching almost a dense, whipped cream texture.  When applied, it should make your face feel like it being caressed by the brush. When shaving, the razor should be able to easily get at the skin, but the lather should dampen the razor so that minor changes in pressure and angle don’t cause nicks or weepers

Third is glide.  I’m actually surprised at how many soaps overlook this property, as to me, it’s the most important part of the soap.  If I’m shaving with a lather that is properly hydrated and I’m getting -any- sort of ‘vacuum’ or friction effect, that soap is not getting replaced.  I constantly read stories about experienced shavers complaining that their “angle specific razors” cause friction because the razor completely clear away all of the soap.  If so, then the soap is not properly engineered for that razor.

Fourth is the fragrance.  I go back and forth on this.  Sometimes, I like to have a soap that has a fragrance oil that matches an EDC/EDT/EDP that I like.  Sometimes, I like to go with something totally different. 

Lastly is post-shave feel/skin conditioning.  In the winter, I like a soap that has a healthy amount of light oils that permeate the skin and keep it moist.  I also like to add a little something that locks the moisture in, but doesn’t feel overly sticky or waxy.  In the summer, I don’t really need all that moisturizing and skin protection.  Come late spring, I want to feel clean and refreshed.  Nothing more.  

How do you go about selecting which fragrance and shave soap to wear on any given day? Do you tend to wear aftershaves, EDTs, EDPs, or all of them? Do you try to match soap fragrances and aftershave/cologne fragrances?

I can be pretty capricious in terms of the actual fragrance, but not in terms of my layering process…Hot water towel wrap, pre-shave, shave soap or cream, shave…alum (if needed), witch hazel (lightly scented), a light balm with hyaluronic acid, a bit of a blend of oils and nut butters I’ve created (without fragrance), and finally, fragrance.

If I’m using a shave soap with a fragrance oil based on an EDP I like, I’ll pair them together. If not, I’ll go a-la-carte. I don’t typically make or buy shaving soaps that overpower me with fragrance. Once I wash them off, the fragrance is mostly gone. More typically, my selection of EDT/EDP is based on my mood. I typically favor fragrances for one or more of the following dominant characteristics: Citrus, Amber Accord or Oud.

At what point did you think you might try your hand at creating your own soaps and fragrances?

Once I realized I could do it without blowing up my kitchen, I gave it a try.  Once the try was successful, I tried again.  Then, I went “all-in”.

How did you acquire the knowledge to design, formulate and produce your first shave soap? Where did you get the ingredients?

I started by asking friends in the know.  Then, I watched on-line videos and participated in on-line communities.  Now, my research is more about chemistry than recipes.  As to vendors, there are many on-line craft suppliers that focus on candle, soap, and fragrance supplies.  I buy from several sources.  High quality essential oils is the trickiest – and the most expensive part of the hobby.

Tell us a little bit about the soap making process.

Keeping it really simple, most shaving soaps are based on a few fats/oils (for a first batch, start with a combination of oils that are inexpensive and effective together, like Lard, coconut oil and castor oil), lye, water and fragrance: 

In a crock pot, you melt the fats (ratios and weights are important.  You’ll need a scale and measuring cups). 

In a separate vessel, you take some distilled water, add your lye (a combination of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide – again, measurements are important, and you need to get the ratios of the two lye’s right for the fats you are using.  Not to worry, there are free on-line calculators for that) and stir. 

When the oil is melted and the lye is dissolved, you gently and slowly pour the lye water into the oil and stir. 

You keep stirring until the mixture turns into a texture akin to petroleum jelly, and the PH is correct.

At this point you can stir in glycerin.  Let it get a bit cooler, and you stir in fragrance. 

Pour it into molds, let it cure for a couple of months, and…soap.

What is your advice for someone who would like to try their hand at the soap making hobby?

Do you like to cook?  It’s a lot like that, but you’ll need to wear goggles and wear rubber gloves.

What is your plan for the future?

I have a bunch of essential oils in my basement calling my name.  I already have a shave soap for the summer as well as for the fall.  I may make something rich, slick and creamy, with notes of Amber and Oud for next winter.