+Paul Green Always allow whatever soap you use to air dry completely for a couple hours before you cap it, especially if you will not be using it for awhile!
Amazing info! Your love for the art of perfumery and soaps is genuine. I remember growing up in the 80's being fascinated by my dad's different fragrances and shaving gear. I wish I was doing same thing you doing unfortunately stuck in a different career. Anyway cheers to you. And look forward to purchasing your products.
This totally works!! I have some Gondolier and couldn't even smell the scent. I emailed Douglas about it and his response was, "Have you bloomed the scent?" I didn't know what that meant, he graciously explained it and I tried it. It worked!! Thanks, Douglas!!
Hi Douglas, I'm a soap maker from the Netherlands. I just wanted to tell you that your tips really help with my research! I'm always looking for ways to tweak my shaving soaps to perfection.
I only bloomed hard soap but after listing to this i'm blooming everything. I have just about all your soaps and didn't bloom them so much because they are softer. I love them all maybe I'll love even more blooming them. Thanks for the advise.
I've been putting hot water on the soap during my shower for 25 years, pretty much ever since I started using shaving soap. It was a tip given to me by a friend. This was more from a performance standpoint than scent, as I don't normally use boutique shaving soaps.
thanks for this tip about temperature, I didn't realise that hot lather shave better and bloom the odor. I bloom my lime HTGM and use a hot bowl and it was really great experience ! My bathroom still smell lime. And also it's great to have creator of a soap talk about what he think of soap, I understand better how to use and undertand my soap.
Doug, you get so very deep...yet all of this is important information for your customers. I do use this method with your soaps (I learned this in barber college). However, I am lacking the key knowledge to unlock your soap true potential in lathering. I end with a very usable lather...yet I feel you soap can provide a protection similar to a tallow based soap. I am searching for a video from your channel on how you do it. Thanks for these videos!
I guess what I am trying to ask; What is the proper soap to water ratio that unlocks your intended lather properties? For example; Mitchell's Wool Fat: Two minute load with a damp brush from a bloomed puck, take to a bowl, add 3/4 teaspoon of water...1/4 teaspoon at a time. This produces an ideal lather. What is the key to unlocking your soaps?
Todd F my philosophy has always been: when in doubt, add more water. There’s no one way to lather my soap like the woolfat or williams...it has a large enough sweet spot for personal preference.
Howdy Douglas. Great helpful video but you didn't mention how hot the water should be, what to do with the blooming water or do you load the brush in the tub or in a shaving bowl. Cheers
Hi there, just a quick one : Blooming the soap will for sure bring out the oils but wont we loose the ingredients gradually this way ? So great smell NOW, but no smell LATER on as the oils will be gone ?
I have been blooming my soaps for over 5 years and still have not lost scent. The essential oils are bound with the oils and butters in the base formula, not loose and bubbling up to the surface, so with every layer you go through, you can be sure there is fresh fragrance there. You can also dry bloom as well, check it out: th-cam.com/video/ol15RMb94Kc/w-d-xo.html Thanks for the comment!
Thank you, That is what i started doing from B&B Jim, I did not know it was blooming, and it absolutely enhances the whole lather. I am a noob, and i have just subscribed to your great youtube :)
Great information. But it also raise some new questions for this new DE shaver. How should we care for soap post shave? Just let it dry? Should we keep some moisture in the puck?
I have ( and love ) your Gondolier. My only complaint is that the scent strength seems to have gone down a bit. Admittedly, this is from an unbloomed soap. I was wondering if the scent strength might have gone down due to me not closing the lid properly or if it might need blooming. I am quite happy with your soaps and plan to get more soon, Do you have any suggestions. Your inventory is vast and I am trying to sort it out a bit. I do find that a strong scent profile brings me back more often. For reference, my favorite three non PAA soaps are Catie's Bubbles LPV, Barrister and Mann Seville, And Soap Commander Inspiration. My thoughts are to get three soaps, One citrus or fruity, one with deeper tones and then something... different. Any suggestions from your line would be appreciated.
+Michael Reed BLOOM IT! that's what this vid is all about! :) I recommend picking up our cologne samples that have matching soaps. Sense scent is subjective I always hesitate making a recommendation. Hope that helped and thanks for your support Michael! CHeers!!!!
May sound crazy, but just got a tin of your outstanding smelling & performing Cavendish soap. Would you advise putting water on top or summersing it or could I even put in on a heating pad?
+TNO73 you could use a heating pad but that seems excessive for a daily shave! Water on top is fine or throw the lid back on and put in a ziplock bag. Now immerse that in hot water for5-10 minutes. This technique of blooming is good for creams in a tube and jar creams as well! Thank for the support!
So, based on some of the comments, i put a teaspoon of hot water ON the soap for a few minnutes, do i put the cover on ? do i submerge the covered tin in hot water? thank you
Don't rely on the comments but as I say in the vid, a few tbl spoons of hot water on the surface of the puck. Allow it to remain there while you take a shower or at the very least 5 minutes. Email me if you have anymore questions! Shave On!
Can I try this with PAA Dapper Doc's Soap? In addition, can we wash out the bowl with the soap inside after we finish shaving or it will go bad? Thanks.
I start making lather inside the PAA with my boar brush. Foam, water, will fill the bowl with the soap. Right? After I finished my shave, can I put water inside the soap to rinse it before I close it ? I think it's clear now. PS: Congrats for PAA. AMAZING soaps. I can't understand why some people are against you, you made truly wonderful job with these soaps. Expensive here in Greece, but its worth it.
Thanks a lot. Can't wait to get another PAA. The scent and the performance are really top notch. And there is no tallow inside! That is the real thing! You made it without tallow.
T Rex ahh ok...hmmmm, thought I answered this? Sorry for the late reply bud! Yes, you can rinse out the soap after you have used it. Then allow it to dry for a few hours before you put the cover back on! Thanks for the support brother!
Hey Kamaal If there are any shave stores or barbershops you frequent there have them contact me! Thank you Kamaal and big ups to you as well my friend!
I agree with you on most points but I have to disagree on one. I am lucky enough to live near a shave shop and bought a soap without smelling it. Took it home, lathered up and I could not stand the smell. But I didn't want to waste. 2 pass on the face and 2 pass on the skull. By the end I had a splitting headache. Other than that, great video.
Raildawg01 sure, if you have a sensitivity to a scent where it's giving you a headache or skin reaction there's no fixing that. Listen to your body first.
Great tip, but a bit more focus in the video might make it more compelling +Douglas Smythe. This is an 11 minute video to explain a point that could have been made in a few minutes. My fear is that the point will be lost by those that are not patient.
Thanks for your worries! :) i do state in the ytube title that this is on Blooming and pointers. It is done in the same spirit as or podcast so anyone familiar with my usual output will hang in there...i hope. As for Focus, what's that? :) thanks for the crit! ( feel like im back in art school! Ha ha ha)
I agree with you on your point on reviews, and it annoys me as well people who use a shaving soap once and write the review in the same day. For me I think you should use a shaving soap more then once before publishing a review, that is why I don't publish so many reviews as it needs time to test shaving products properly. However if I'm buying and I would sniff in the store and I really got the idea ow this smell disgusting then I'm just not going buy it, as after lathering the shaving soap there is no refund ;) And it also helps me buying less hahaha, although it doesn't work very well as I don't come across many disgusting smelling shaving software.
I have bloomed my soaps and loved it (only bloom for a couple of minutes). However, I do agree with everyone here saying that the soap loses it’s strength by doing it. Maybe someting like 40% of what it was as a new.
Turre Tuntematon what do u mean by strength? As a soapmaker i have the luxury of endless soap. That said I have experimented with this concept for years! I have allowed soaps that lived on my shower floor for weeks, pooling water to dry out for a few days and they still performed great and the scent never weakened.
Douglas Smythe Strength as how strong it smells. No, I don’t have a limitless supply of soap as you. I expect the scent to last at least a year as strong as it was as new. Blooming seems to make it weaker. YMMV
Turre Tuntematon scent can fade with certain scents naturally but from all my tests I have seen no difference with soaps that are bloomed to soaps that have not. What I mean when I say I have a limitless supply is, that I can actually test these theories, and I have. Another thing some people said was blooming effected PH...so i tested that too. It does not. Here is a vid about that if you are interested in: th-cam.com/video/RZrGLQr0QcQ/w-d-xo.html
This is why someone with more experience should review your scent's. No offense to the wet shaving crowd but just reading off the notes doesn't do anything for me, I can read lol. Have you ever thought about giving a verbal description of some of your soap's? I know there is a conflict of interest in there but it would be nice to know what it does on the skin.
slosh11111420 hey bud, thanks for watching! I don’t really understand what you are asking however? I do my best to describe my scents and even offer a scent chart. I truly think our aftershave sample vials are the beat route when choosing an unfamiliar scent. I’m really unclear on the conflict of interest or the skin part?
I was just meant you can't really review your own scent's but with cologne you can easily find someone giving a decent description of the scent and how it works on at least their skin. With the wet shavers they just kind of read of the notes and shave lol not really being perfume reviewers. Anyway I got plenty of samples and found out for myself.
slosh11111420 ahh ok, yes it can be tough, scent is so subjective and the unknown element is body chemistry, which will be different for everyone. Luckily, some of the Frag channels have caught wind of what we’re doing and have done some great reviews! Expect more with our recent release of EDPs! :)
To be honest. I don’t know if I can stand to bloom your soap “Chocolate Bourbon” if that damn soap would smell better bloomed I would most likely get a spoon and eat it.
Hello. New subscriber. I must admit my guilt. I have never bloomed. There it is, I said it. I plead ignorance. At 59 years old I didn’t know. Now I do. I hate sage. Yuck. Thank you.
![How To Create Lather Using Ultra Premium CK6 Formula by Phoenix Shaving [How To Lather Shave Soap]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0HZXRcHOSqM/mqdefault.jpg)
+Paul Green Always allow whatever soap you use to air dry completely for a couple hours before you cap it, especially if you will not be using it for awhile!
Amazing info! Your love for the art of perfumery and soaps is genuine. I remember growing up in the 80's being fascinated by my dad's different fragrances and shaving gear. I wish I was doing same thing you doing unfortunately stuck in a different career. Anyway cheers to you. And look forward to purchasing your products.
This totally works!! I have some Gondolier and couldn't even smell the scent. I emailed Douglas about it and his response was, "Have you bloomed the scent?" I didn't know what that meant, he graciously explained it and I tried it. It worked!! Thanks, Douglas!!
Hi Douglas, I'm a soap maker from the Netherlands. I just wanted to tell you that your tips really help with my research! I'm always looking for ways to tweak my shaving soaps to perfection.
Glad to be of some help Carola and happy soaping! I'd love to try some of your soap some time! :)
I had no idea bout blooming. I have a feeling this is going to make me enjoy my Cavendish and Lime soaps A LOT more.
That was a great video. I truly appreciate now the effort you go through to give us great products
I only bloomed hard soap but after listing to this i'm blooming everything. I have just about all your soaps and didn't bloom them so much because they are softer. I love them all maybe I'll love even more blooming them. Thanks for the advise.
Also try dry blooming for softer soaps th-cam.com/video/ol15RMb94Kc/w-d-xo.html
This was actually really interesting, you sir are a great talker! Looking forward to blooming my soaps (and creams!).
sweou hey thank you Sweou! Be sure to watch my vid on Dry Blooming Methods too! Thank you for watching!
I've been putting hot water on the soap during my shower for 25 years, pretty much ever since I started using shaving soap. It was a tip given to me by a friend. This was more from a performance standpoint than scent, as I don't normally use boutique shaving soaps.
thanks for this tip about temperature, I didn't realise that hot lather shave better and bloom the odor. I bloom my lime HTGM and use a hot bowl and it was really great experience ! My bathroom still smell lime. And also it's great to have creator of a soap talk about what he think of soap, I understand better how to use and undertand my soap.
Awesome points and awesome video brother! I love how your soap pops after you bloom them.
Doug, you get so very deep...yet all of this is important information for your customers. I do use this method with your soaps (I learned this in barber college). However, I am lacking the key knowledge to unlock your soap true potential in lathering. I end with a very usable lather...yet I feel you soap can provide a protection similar to a tallow based soap. I am searching for a video from your channel on how you do it. Thanks for these videos!
Todd F thanks bud, but i don’t understand your question?
I guess what I am trying to ask; What is the proper soap to water ratio that unlocks your intended lather properties? For example; Mitchell's Wool Fat: Two minute load with a damp brush from a bloomed puck, take to a bowl, add 3/4 teaspoon of water...1/4 teaspoon at a time. This produces an ideal lather. What is the key to unlocking your soaps?
Todd F my philosophy has always been: when in doubt, add more water. There’s no one way to lather my soap like the woolfat or williams...it has a large enough sweet spot for personal preference.
Thank you for your prompt replies. Easy enough; add more water. Sweet.
Very informative video Douglas! Now it is time for a shaving video!!
Howdy Douglas. Great helpful video but you didn't mention how hot the water should be, what to do with the blooming water or do you load the brush in the tub or in a shaving bowl.
Cheers
Hi there, just a quick one : Blooming the soap will for sure bring out the oils but wont we loose the ingredients gradually this way ? So great smell NOW, but no smell LATER on as the oils will be gone ?
I have been blooming my soaps for over 5 years and still have not lost scent. The essential oils are bound with the oils and butters in the base formula, not loose and bubbling up to the surface, so with every layer you go through, you can be sure there is fresh fragrance there. You can also dry bloom as well, check it out: th-cam.com/video/ol15RMb94Kc/w-d-xo.html Thanks for the comment!
Thought so :) Just placed my first order to try them !
Thank you, That is what i started doing from B&B Jim, I did not know it was blooming, and it absolutely enhances the whole lather. I am a noob, and i have just subscribed to your great youtube :)
Great information. But it also raise some new questions for this new DE shaver.
How should we care for soap post shave? Just let it dry? Should we keep some moisture in the puck?
Paul Green always allow soap to air dry completely before putting lid back on!
I have ( and love ) your Gondolier. My only complaint is that the scent strength seems to have gone down a bit. Admittedly, this is from an unbloomed soap. I was wondering if the scent strength might have gone down due to me not closing the lid properly or if it might need blooming.
I am quite happy with your soaps and plan to get more soon, Do you have any suggestions. Your inventory is vast and I am trying to sort it out a bit. I do find that a strong scent profile brings me back more often. For reference, my favorite three non PAA soaps are Catie's Bubbles LPV, Barrister and Mann Seville, And Soap Commander Inspiration.
My thoughts are to get three soaps, One citrus or fruity, one with deeper tones and then something... different. Any suggestions from your line would be appreciated.
+Michael Reed BLOOM IT! that's what this vid is all about! :)
I recommend picking up our cologne samples that have matching soaps. Sense scent is subjective I always hesitate making a recommendation. Hope that helped and thanks for your support Michael! CHeers!!!!
May sound crazy, but just got a tin of your outstanding smelling & performing Cavendish soap. Would you advise putting water on top or summersing it or could I even put in on a heating pad?
+TNO73 you could use a heating pad but that seems excessive for a daily shave! Water on top is fine or throw the lid back on and put in a ziplock bag. Now immerse that in hot water for5-10 minutes. This technique of blooming is good for creams in a tube and jar creams as well! Thank for the support!
Big Shave Scuttle! great video Doug.
EPIC INTRO!!! Blooming like coffee nice!
Classic old school video!
So, based on some of the comments, i put a teaspoon of hot water ON the soap for a few minnutes, do i put the cover on ? do i submerge the covered tin in hot water? thank you
Don't rely on the comments but as I say in the vid, a few tbl spoons of hot water on the surface of the puck. Allow it to remain there while you take a shower or at the very least 5 minutes. Email me if you have anymore questions! Shave On!
Can I try this with PAA Dapper Doc's Soap?
In addition, can we wash out the bowl with the soap inside after we finish shaving or it will go bad? Thanks.
T Rex you could, but i recommend the dry method with our newer, softer soaps th-cam.com/video/ol15RMb94Kc/w-d-xo.html
T Rex i don't really understand your second question however, sorry. Can you clarify?
I start making lather inside the PAA with my boar brush. Foam, water, will fill the bowl with the soap. Right? After I finished my shave, can I put water inside the soap to rinse it before I close it ? I think it's clear now.
PS: Congrats for PAA. AMAZING soaps. I can't understand why some people are against you, you made truly wonderful job with these soaps. Expensive here in Greece, but its worth it.
Thanks a lot. Can't wait to get another PAA. The scent and the performance are really top notch. And there is no tallow inside! That is the real thing! You made it without tallow.
T Rex ahh ok...hmmmm, thought I answered this? Sorry for the late reply bud! Yes, you can rinse out the soap after you have used it. Then allow it to dry for a few hours before you put the cover back on! Thanks for the support brother!
I almost never bloom my shaving soaps. I don't need to. I always get good lathers and shaves both with hard and soft water.
TheRichie213 great, but this is about boosting up the scent not latherbility
TheRichie213 here is another way to boost the scent too, Dry Blooming: th-cam.com/video/ol15RMb94Kc/w-d-xo.html
Do you bloom it every time you use it or only when it 's brand new? Thanks.
Every time sir!
Great thank you. I'm looking forward to ordering some CaD soon to bloom, lol. Hopefully I can get it this time around:).
Sorry to go off topic , however where can i purchase Synergy 2.0 CaD Shaving Soap, please post the link :)
phoenixartisanaccoutrements.com all the shave soaps on the site are our new 2.5 formula! Thanks for subscribing and happy shaving!
Are the Phoenix the 2.0 or are all the brands the same company with the exception of the Razzorock?
Just the Phoenix!
love your videos. but you need to get your wonderful product to us in jamaica. continue with hour beautiful work. bless up from jamaica.
Hey Kamaal
If there are any shave stores or barbershops you frequent there have them contact me!
Thank you Kamaal and big ups to you as well my friend!
I sure will do. I am suffer without your wonderful products here my brother. if I purchase from you Web site will you ship to jamaica
Kamaal Rahimtula we ship all around the universe my friend!
that's a relief you will be hearing from me for the new year. thank for your time my brother .
Kamaal Rahimtula word!
Do you bloom the puck everytime or just when its new?
Every time!
I agree with you on most points but I have to disagree on one. I am lucky enough to live near a shave shop and bought a soap without smelling it. Took it home, lathered up and I could not stand the smell. But I didn't want to waste. 2 pass on the face and 2 pass on the skull. By the end I had a splitting headache. Other than that, great video.
Raildawg01 sure, if you have a sensitivity to a scent where it's giving you a headache or skin reaction there's no fixing that. Listen to your body first.
How long do you have to bloom for?
Let it bloom while you shower. (3-5 minutes)
As far slickness I think kiss My Face shaving cream is the best . If a soap smells good is not enough to make its a good soap.
Great tip, but a bit more focus in the video might make it more compelling +Douglas Smythe. This is an 11 minute video to explain a point that could have been made in a few minutes. My fear is that the point will be lost by those that are not patient.
Thanks for your worries! :) i do state in the ytube title that this is on Blooming and pointers. It is done in the same spirit as or podcast so anyone familiar with my usual output will hang in there...i hope. As for Focus, what's that? :) thanks for the crit! ( feel like im back in art school! Ha ha ha)
Wait... your suppose to boil potpourri?
And I agree on the people give up on soaps to quick.
Adventures with Conrad not boil but heat
I agree with you on your point on reviews, and it annoys me as well people who use a shaving soap once and write the review in the same day. For me I think you should use a shaving soap more then once before publishing a review, that is why I don't publish so many reviews as it needs time to test shaving products properly.
However if I'm buying and I would sniff in the store and I really got the idea ow this smell disgusting then I'm just not going buy it, as after lathering the shaving soap there is no refund ;) And it also helps me buying less hahaha, although it doesn't work very well as I don't come across many disgusting smelling shaving software.
You seriously need to put a warning on Cavendish to do not eat lol. I think it's my favorite scent of all time.
That was a Lil bizarre but I loved it
You've seen Busta's vids right?
Douglas Smythe yes sir I have. He is a trip
I have bloomed my soaps and loved it (only bloom for a couple of minutes). However, I do agree with everyone here saying that the soap loses it’s strength by doing it. Maybe someting like 40% of what it was as a new.
Turre Tuntematon what do u mean by strength? As a soapmaker i have the luxury of endless soap. That said I have experimented with this concept for years! I have allowed soaps that lived on my shower floor for weeks, pooling water to dry out for a few days and they still performed great and the scent never weakened.
Turre Tuntematon and who is this “everyone” you are referring to? Lol
Douglas Smythe Strength as how strong it smells. No, I don’t have a limitless supply of soap as you. I expect the scent to last at least a year as strong as it was as new. Blooming seems to make it weaker. YMMV
Turre Tuntematon scent can fade with certain scents naturally but from all my tests I have seen no difference with soaps that are bloomed to soaps that have not. What I mean when I say I have a limitless supply is, that I can actually test these theories, and I have. Another thing some people said was blooming effected PH...so i tested that too. It does not. Here is a vid about that if you are interested in: th-cam.com/video/RZrGLQr0QcQ/w-d-xo.html
This is why someone with more experience should review your scent's. No offense to the wet shaving crowd but just reading off the notes doesn't do anything for me, I can read lol. Have you ever thought about giving a verbal description of some of your soap's? I know there is a conflict of interest in there but it would be nice to know what it does on the skin.
slosh11111420 hey bud, thanks for watching! I don’t really understand what you are asking however? I do my best to describe my scents and even offer a scent chart. I truly think our aftershave sample vials are the beat route when choosing an unfamiliar scent. I’m really unclear on the conflict of interest or the skin part?
I was just meant you can't really review your own scent's but with cologne you can easily find someone giving a decent description of the scent and how it works on at least their skin. With the wet shavers they just kind of read of the notes and shave lol not really being perfume reviewers. Anyway I got plenty of samples and found out for myself.
slosh11111420 ahh ok, yes it can be tough, scent is so subjective and the unknown element is body chemistry, which will be different for everyone. Luckily, some of the Frag channels have caught wind of what we’re doing and have done some great reviews! Expect more with our recent release of EDPs! :)
To be honest. I don’t know if I can stand to bloom your soap “Chocolate Bourbon” if that damn soap would smell better bloomed I would most likely get a spoon and eat it.
A taco is not a taco without cilantro. Warm water in any soap before your shower does the job.
Hello. New subscriber. I must admit my guilt. I have never bloomed. There it is, I said it. I plead ignorance. At 59 years old I didn’t know. Now I do. I hate sage. Yuck. Thank you.
Scott Johnson welcome aboard my friend!
Douglas Smythe thanks. Now instead of just being an idiot I’m a Blooming idiot.