Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

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WetTheFace
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Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by WetTheFace »

Company: Smith Family Soap Works
Product: Lime Shaving Soap
Location: Murrieta, California
Website: http://www.smithfamilysoap.com


Every wet shaver when buying shaving soap knows if you see “Olive Oil” listed in the ingredients you normally would shy away from the product. The reason for this is olive oil tends to kill lather and if you find one that does have great lather it fades away very quickly. Well this has all changed now since finding Smith Family Soap Works. A family own company out of Murrieta, California that specializes in creating an array of Olive Oil products including a line of shaving soap.

Open since 2011 they currently have a ETSY store along with the traditional dot com producing handmade soapbars, lip balms, sugar scrubs, lotion sticks and the shaving soap line including the following scents: Bay Rum, Sandalwood, Lavender, Pomegranate and lime.

I selected lime for this review and when the parcel arrived I was very pleased to see a step-by-step guide for the beginner also included was a business card allowing you to call direct or visit the ETSY, Dot com and facebook page locations.

The tub is a standard plastic screw on lid type filled to a generous 6oz. After a close examination I found on the bottom that each tub or batch to be numbered mine is 289. We all know that the soap is the most important thing but in this case, I think the labels are begging for an update. Mostly text except for the company logo they definitely do the job but compared with today’s artisan labels one would tend to reach for the more graphically appealing labeled soap first. This is just my opinion which is worth two cents.

The scent of this soap is right on the mark for a lime but the strength is very light. When I was placing the soap in my lathering bowl I did noticed an increase and again when I started to lather but never reached the point to where I would have liked it to be. The ingredients for this soap is Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerin, Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan Oleate (emulsifier), Soy Bean Protein (conditioner), Lime Essential Oil, Titanium Dioxide

The lather is simply amazing. If you haven't seen the video to this article then do so now. I was able to create lather that was off the charts I called it “The mother of all lathers”. The brush was so full I could hardly see it’s handle. The coverage was great getting right into my beard having enough to do another 4 to 5 more passes if I wanted. The excellent slickness and glide allowed me to go over areas more than once without the irritation.

So, if you're looking for a shaving soap with exceptional lather lightly scented and overall great performance then this is the one for you. If I only had one thing to improve it wouldn’t be with the soap but the dot.com website. I’m not sure if they really use it as the company’s main communication tool but you can see the site could use a refresh from its 2013 debut. The soap blog stopped at March 2014 and some of the postings with links end up going nowhere (page not found). I for one would like to know what’s new for the Smith Family and do we have any new products coming out on the horizon. C'mon guys it's been three years.

Company: Smith Family Soap Works
Product: Lime Shaving Soap 6oz $12.95
Website:http://www.smithfamilysoap.com


Youtube Video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nVNxSCc3uY
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LimeTub.png (1.55 MiB) Viewed 5934 times
brothers
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by brothers »

Donald, thanks for the review. I checked the website and watched your video. I really like the looks of that lather.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
CMur12
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by CMur12 »

Great review, Donald, both written here and in the video.

I know that olive oil tends to provide good glide, but haven't seen it worked into a formula that provided good lather, until now, either. I'm more interested in glide/lubricity than I am in cushion, but this soap looks like it provides both.

I'm very sensitive to fragrances, so I'm always relieved to see soap scented with EO, especially when it's a citrus scent. Citrus EO is so volatile, that it is rarely as strong as I would like it in final form. Even so, a good shaving soap scented with lime EO is about as good as it gets for me.

I have a mega-cache of shaving soap already, but I might need to give this one a try.

Thanks for the review.

- Murray
brothers
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by brothers »

CMur12 wrote: I have a mega-cache of shaving soap already, but I might need to give this one a try.
- Murray
So true!
PS: I thought the labels, etc. are attractive, and Kathy's formula sounds like a breakthrough in shaving soap technology. I wouldn't change a thing. :)
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
WetTheFace
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by WetTheFace »

brothers wrote:Donald, thanks for the review. I checked the website and watched your video. I really like the looks of that lather.
It was amazing
brothers
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by brothers »

Got it - Lime scent is mild - badger and synthetic brushes confirm Donald's results - unique product - nothing like it - boar brush couldn't seem to handle it - this soap excels with synthetic and badger brushes. Believe this or not, it's true: today is the 6th time I've used this soap. I had just built the lather on my face and was getting ready to set the brush down and start the shave - doorbell rang, we had visitors so I quickly washed away the lather on my face and set the lather loaded brush on the counter - an hour and a half later I returned to the brush and it was still engulfed in lather - I repeated the face lathering and the lather was exactly as I had left it - thick and perfect - did not dissipate measurably after an hour and a half on the brush - results were perfect as usual - slick as I like it following the first and only pass - plus a touchup - all lather - no suds - ever---------> :!: Soap chemistry at its finest.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by brothers »

I tried to justify the use of a boar brush with this soap. I loaded the wet brush on the soap for 15 seconds, then took it to the face and for a long few minutes of vigorous lathering and it almost made it, but then it just collapsed. This soap doesn't work for me with a boar brush. Badger and synthetic brushes are crazy good, but my boar brushes are a waste of time trying to build a lather. Even though it didn't lather, I went ahead and shaved with it and the result was given a grade of D--.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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fallingwickets
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by fallingwickets »

No rose....wtf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D

instead, I'll will try the limes too

clive
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fallingwickets
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by fallingwickets »

p,s, i notice they gave up on blogging...they should hire gary :D
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fallingwickets
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by fallingwickets »

Soap came yesterday. I'm not a fan! The one thing I do give high marks for is the packaging which is a very very nice, wide mouth screw down jar.

clive
de gustibus non est disputandum
CMur12
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by CMur12 »

Clive, why are you not a fan?

- Murray
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fallingwickets
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by fallingwickets »

Murray, I didn't like the scent much. I didnt like the texture of the soap , but most importantly, I didnt like the lather. I'm a huge fan of a dry, thick lather. I had to use a lot more water than I like to get a lather going. if you'd like to give it a whirl, i would be happy to send the tub your way.

clive
de gustibus non est disputandum
brothers
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by brothers »

Yesterday I was thinking about my tub of Smith's Lime olive oil shaving soap. Fortunately I had a much better initial experience with this soap than Clive did. Can't explain it, just one of those YMMV situations, for sure. Recently I bought an 8 ounce bag of fresh menthol crystals on Amazon. A few days ago I was inspired by one of our forum members who added a bit of menthol to his shaving soap and reported that it was successful. I located my Smith's Lime and decided that today would be an ideal time to add menthol to my Smith's. Worked like a charm.

Here's what I did. Found one of those little plastic dosage cups that comes with cough syrup. Poured 1.5 teaspoons of Lime Essential Oil and a half teaspoon of menthol crystals into the little cup then heated it very carefully in the microwave - no more than just 8 to 10 seconds at a time. I set that aside and focused on the tub of shaving soap. Microwaved it no more than about 30 seconds at a time and then giving 30 to 60 seconds to rest, until it was liquid. My worst fear was that it would overheat, so I made sure I gave it enough heat to melt the oils but nothing near what would boil water. After a few minutes it had completely turned to liquid in the tub. I put it aside also and gave it several minutes, and I held two toothpicks side by side in my fingers and used them as a tiny spoon to stir and make sure there weren't any lumps in it. I made sure all of the menthol crystals had completely dissolved in the Lime EO, then I poured the mentholated EO into the melted shaving cream and again stirred the mix with toothpicks then I let it cool a few hours in the refrigerator.

The results made me very happy. I like a good solid menthol shock, and that's what I got. That was my intent in using 1/2 teaspoon of the crystals. The Lime EO was successful as a carrier for the menthol, and it also made a measurable increase in the lime scent of the soap. I had already shaved, but I face-lathered anyway. Did it make lather? Absolutely! Just what I was hoping for. The Smith's is back in its scheduled time slot to be used up from start to finish after I finish off a puck of Tabac and a currently undetermined quantity of unscented XPEC cream.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
WetTheFace
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by WetTheFace »

I love the idea and I'm glad it worked out now I have to try this myself
brothers
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by brothers »

fallingwickets wrote:Murray, I didn't like the scent much. I didnt like the texture of the soap , but most importantly, I didnt like the lather. I'm a huge fan of a dry, thick lather. I had to use a lot more water than I like to get a lather going. if you'd like to give it a whirl, i would be happy to send the tub your way.

clive
Clive and Murray, thirty shaves behind me with the Smiths and today it occurred to me that the thick rich and long lasting lather isn't slick. I'm all about slick. There's little or no cushion either. What I like best about using Smith's is the super-slick no lather touchup pass that I make by splashing water on my face following the single lather pass. The residual soap with water is where it shines the most for me. During the initial lathered up pass, it appears to be very dry about halfway through. It now occurs to me that it's not only dry, it's also just not slick and cushiony. Makes me think twice about continuing to use it now. Actually, this is one big reason I use my soaps and creams exclusively for long periods of time. It allows me to learn a lot about each soap over the course of several weeks or more. What do you fellows have to say?
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
pausted
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Re: Review - Smith Family SoapWorks / Lime

Post by pausted »

I agree, Gary. I use soaps or creams for long periods of time for daily shaves. It DOES allow one to find the pluses and minuses of that particular product.
Best regards,

Basil
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