# Salt Bar - Powder vs. Fine vs. Coarse?



## aeiou_- (Oct 30, 2016)

I want to make a salt bar, but I would like advice!

Recipe:
90% CO 76
10% Castor Oil
20% Superfat
Aloe vera juice instead of water
dead sea salt that I found for cheap. 50%-100%?
tiny bit of activated charcoal for grey color. keep it simple. 


I have not decided on EO, but I may go unscented. 

The main reason for the post:
I found a place that sells salt in powder form. I was wondering what it would do for the soap to use powdered salt instead of fine. I've seen all sort of grain sizes used for bars. The salt will melt in hot water, so is it just preference?


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## CTAnton (Oct 30, 2016)

I can only share from personal experience...stay away from the coarser ground salts.The grains can be sharp as razors....ask me how I know...


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## snappyllama (Oct 30, 2016)

Sorry, you do not want to use dead sea salt. It will ruin your soap. 

For salt bars, I like to use fine to extra fine sea salt. Large grains can actually cut you with their sharp edges. I supposed you could use powdered salt though I haven't seen that. Good luck and let us know if it works out!

I've made and liked that base recipe. My preference is 50% salt, but that's totally up to you!  If you hsven't made salt bars before, I highly recommend doing them in individual molds. If not, you'll need to watch it like a hawk and cut as soon as you can - generally between 1-4 hours. Otherwise you'll end up with a too hard/crumbly mess.


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## Obsidian (Oct 30, 2016)

I sliced up my chest using coarse salt, stay away from it. You don't want to try grinding coarse salt either, then you have tiny sharp salt instead. I use fine sea salt or pickling salt.


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## Arimara (Oct 30, 2016)

Obsidian said:


> I sliced up my chest using coarse salt, stay away from it. You don't want to try grinding coarse salt either, then you have tiny sharp salt instead. I use fine sea salt or pickling salt.



This is the truth. Pink Himalayan salt should also be out of the question, no matter how fine it is ground. Believe me I tried.



snappyllama said:


> Sorry, you do not want to use dead sea salt. It will ruin your soap.
> 
> For salt bars, I like to use fine to extra fine sea salt. Large grains can actually cut you with their sharp edges. I supposed you could use powdered salt though I haven't seen that. Good luck and let us know if it works out!
> 
> I've made and liked that base recipe. My preference is 50% salt, but that's totally up to you!  If you hsven't made salt bars before, I highly recommend doing them in individual molds. If not, you'll need to watch it like a hawk and cut as soon as you can - generally between 1-4 hours. Otherwise you'll end up with a too hard/crumbly mess.



I wish I had that kind of luck. I used a loaf mold, 50% salt and STILL had soft-ish soap after two days. High coconut oil soaps are soapy bullies for me.


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## IrishLass (Oct 30, 2016)

snappyllama said:


> Sorry, you do not want to use dead sea salt. It will ruin your soap.


 
Ditto what Snappyllama said^^^. Dead Sea Salt is great for things like salt scrubs, but don't use it for salt soap- it will turn it into a soft, weepy mess. The reason why is its mineral makeup- it's very high in magnesium and potassium salts and very low in sodium chloride, unlike other salts such as regular sea salt or table salt, which are high in sodium chloride. Also- don't use Epsom Salts for salt soap for the same reason (it's very high in magnesium and/or potassium salts).


I've never used powdered salt, but as Snappyllama said if you try it, let us know how it turns out! 

I myself like to use fine sea salt. I agree with the others- stay away from course salt unless you don't mind scratches/torn skin.


IrishLass


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## cmzaha (Oct 30, 2016)

aeiou_- said:


> I want to make a salt bar, but I would like advice!
> 
> Recipe:
> 90% CO 76
> ...


This is the recipe I have used for years but I use and 15-17% superfat. You will get better lather and I also use aloe, but some oatmeal for a bit of scrubbie. Using Dead Sea Salt will give you a very waxy feeling bar the weeps horrifically like IrishLass mentioned. Extra fine Himalayan will work, gray salt is not good and save your money if you ever want Hawaiian black salt. It is Pacific sea salt and charcoal


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## aeiou_- (Oct 30, 2016)

Thank you, everyone! I'll stay away from dead sea salt. I will post pictures when I make them sometime this week.


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## BrewerGeorge (Oct 31, 2016)

You can make super-fine salt yourself at home by dissolving it in distilled water and boiling the water off on the stove.  As long as it's boiling vigorously and you're stirring, large crystals will never form.  I do this occasionally to turn kosher salt into popcorn salt.


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## Susie (Oct 31, 2016)

BrewerGeorge said:


> You can make super-fine salt yourself at home by dissolving it in distilled water and boiling the water off on the stove.  As long as it's boiling vigorously and you're stirring, large crystals will never form.  I do this occasionally to turn kosher salt into popcorn salt.



That's very smart!  How long does that process take?


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## dixiedragon (Oct 31, 2016)

I don't mind the extra-fine Himalayan. It's a good exfoliant. But the regular sea salt is smoother.


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## cmzaha (Oct 31, 2016)

BrewerGeorge said:


> You can make super-fine salt yourself at home by dissolving it in distilled water and boiling the water off on the stove.  As long as it's boiling vigorously and you're stirring, large crystals will never form.  I do this occasionally to turn kosher salt into popcorn salt.


Years ago my aunt used to do this with sea water from Catalina. That was before sea salt was popular.


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## BrewerGeorge (Oct 31, 2016)

Susie said:


> That's very smart!  How long does that process take?



Depends on how much, how strong is your fire, and how wide your pan.  Roughly the same time it would take to boil a pan dry.  I've never done more than 2 or 3 ounces to fill the popcorn shaker, which is about 10 minutes on my stove.


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## cmzaha (Oct 31, 2016)

BrewerGeorge said:


> Depends on how much, how strong is your fire, and how wide your pan.  Roughly the same time it would take to boil a pan dry.  I've never done more than 2 or 3 ounces to fill the popcorn shaker, which is about 10 minutes on my stove.


I know this is a stupid question I should know, but I have not eaten popcorn in many years. I was told by my oral surgeon that popcorn is the worst thing in the world for our gums. What is the difference with popcorn salt? Yep I could look it up but easier to ask


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## BrewerGeorge (Oct 31, 2016)

cmzaha said:


> I know this is a stupid question I should know, but I have not eaten popcorn in many years. I was told by my oral surgeon that popcorn is the worst thing in the world for our gums. What is the difference with popcorn salt? Yep I could look it up but easier to ask


Popcorn salt is _really_ small so it sticks to the kernels better.  You can pay Morton a couple bucks for a 1/4 cup in that light blue shaker, or you can make your own from kosher for about 5 cents.


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## penelopejane (Nov 1, 2016)

BrewerGeorge said:


> You can make super-fine salt yourself at home by dissolving it in distilled water and boiling the water off on the stove.  As long as it's boiling vigorously and you're stirring, large crystals will never form.  I do this occasionally to turn kosher salt into popcorn salt.



You can also use a mortar and pestle to grind it finer.


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## Catastrophe (Nov 2, 2016)

Arimara said:


> This is the truth. Pink Himalayan salt should also be out of the question, no matter how fine it is ground. Believe me I tried.



Eek, why avoid the Pink Himalayan?  Does it hurt?  Dangit, I ordered 5lbs of fine ground haha


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## Arimara (Nov 2, 2016)

Catastrophe said:


> Eek, why avoid the Pink Himalayan?  Does it hurt?  Dangit, I ordered 5lbs of fine ground haha



You will have 5lbs of a wonderful seasoning to cook with and a nice additive for a really scrubby salt bar. :-? I'd use it for food. I hear it's really good for you. :mrgreen:


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## Catastrophe (Nov 3, 2016)

Arimara said:


> You will have 5lbs of a wonderful seasoning to cook with and a nice additive for a really scrubby salt bar. :-? I'd use it for food. I hear it's really good for you. :mrgreen:



:cry:  It would take us 7 lifetimes to use all that salt LOL.  Hubby hates salt, so I never cook with it.  I've had a Himalayan salt grinder for 5 years from Costco that isn't even half empty.

But...I went to a local bulk store this afternoon and picked up some fine sea salt, and I can now say I've made my first batch of CP soap in 12 years.  It stayed pretty easy to pour, and I used these molds.  Finished pouring it about an hour ago and it feels pretty firm right now.  Definitely not a rock yet.

Maybe I'll use the Himalayan on my feet :think:


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## fuzz-juzz (Nov 3, 2016)

You can always try brine soap. 
It will contain less salt but it will still be nice salt soap.

I didn't like scrubiness and high CO in normal salt bar so I started making brine soaps.
While some of the salt still crystallizes it's not as bad.
Even one made with dead sea salt was OK, but I didn't use high % (maybe 10% of oil weight). I use my normal soap recipe and salt has little effect on bubbles.


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## seven8soap (Nov 3, 2016)

I've used disolved salt in soap making and it rusted my stick blender. I would want to make a whole round of salt soaps if I were to try it again.


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## Arimara (Nov 3, 2016)

Catastrophe said:


> :cry:  It would take us 7 lifetimes to use all that salt LOL.  Hubby hates salt, so I never cook with it.  I've had a Himalayan salt grinder for 5 years from Costco that isn't even half empty.
> 
> But...I went to a local bulk store this afternoon and picked up some fine sea salt, and I can now say I've made my first batch of CP soap in 12 years.  It stayed pretty easy to pour, and I used these molds.  Finished pouring it about an hour ago and it feels pretty firm right now.  Definitely not a rock yet.
> 
> Maybe I'll use the Himalayan on my feet :think:



I don't use a lot of salt myself. I think scrub is a good idea though.


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