Shaving Soap – Inspired by my Dad

Shaving Soap is where it’s at!

For all the right reasons, shaving soap is the way to go.  It’s traditional, it’s hip. It’s luxurious, it’s green.  Shaving Soap seems like an obvious if you want to reduce your footprint and get back to a more simple lifestyle.

Simple Living

I was raised very simply.  My mom grew a garden and canned it all to feed our family through the winter (hence my garden and herb fascination), and my father was a water well driller.  He still is.  He knew the map of the regional underground water system through experience.  He designed and built his first hydraulic well pounder, and saved for many years to purchase his new-to-him drilling rig, which he still has.  One of my favorite thrills as a young girl was using dynamite to blow out the bottom of dry wells.  It was incredible to feel the earth shake beneath me!!

My dad is very driven and very resourceful.  I think get a lot of that from him.

Discovering Bentonite

One evening, when I was in the process of formulating my shaving soap, I was talking with my dad about my business and the learning curve of small business. When I mentioned the shaving soap recipe trials, he said, “You know what you outta put in your shave soap?  Bentonite clay, that would do it.”

My dad has worn a beard my entire life.  He shaves his neck once a week for church.  He does this dry.  He knows nothing about shaving creams…but, he was spot on about bentonite clay.

My dad, Joe Mayes, was born and raised on a farm near the tiny town of Lovell, Wyoming, smack in the middle of the Big Horn basin.  The Big Horn basin is a large supplier of bentonite clay.  Bentonite is a fine clay material formed by the decomposition of volcanic ash deposited millions of years ago in an ancient inland seaway.  Wyoming bentonite likely originated from intense, explosive volcanism associated with the emplacement of the Idaho batholith (Yellowstone volcano).  My dad grew up riding motorcycles on these hills of bentonite.  He knew them like he knows the water table.

As I mentioned before, my dad is also a water well driller.  Bentonite is the “mud” used by drillers to lubricate the drill bits.  Bentonite has colloidal properties and is highly absorbent.  It swells to at least 7 times it’s volume when it comes in contact with water and creates a gelatinous, viscous fluid.  This makes it easier for well drillers to grind down through hard layers of earth.  Bentonite clay, originally known as ‘mineral soap’ or ‘soap clay,’ also creates a fantastic layer for a silky, smooth, comfortable shave.

Our Shave Soaps

I remember my dad coming home from 15+ hour days of working in the sun, covered in a layer of bentonite clay. He did this day in and day out from early Spring through late Autumn.  People needed water, so he made sure they got it.

We still need water.  We need clean water.  We need safe water.  We need to purchase products with minimal impact to the resources that sustain us.  Ditch the can of shaving cream.  Try a bar of our Shaving Soap!  Made with love, in honor of a long time, simple living, hand-shake deal making,  Montana water well driller…who wears a full beard!