# Sea water soap



## RobertBarnett (Aug 2, 2016)

Well, I am going try something new. I am going to Bodega Bay, Ca and spend the day eating fish and chips and collecting sea weed, sea water and sand. Then I am going come home and make a bar of soap using the sea weed that I am going to dry and powder, the sea water that i am going to filter and the sand. I am going to call it the Bodega Bay Special.

What do you think? No you can't have any of my fish and chips 

Robert


----------



## KristaY (Aug 2, 2016)

Well, since there's no fish & chips for me, no opinions for you, lol! I sooo love good fish & chips......

I actually saw something just like this a couple of years ago but for the life of me I can't remember where. You Tube? Someone's blog? Here? All I can remember is it turned out very cool looking and the process they used worked out well. They did the same thing you plan to do ~ gathered seaweed, sea water and sand then made the soap.

I guess it's a good thing you withheld the fish & chips since I gave you no valuable info whatsoever.....:shifty:


----------



## soapygoat (Aug 2, 2016)

I saw a soaper's video on YouTube just a couple weeks ago that used sea water for the liquid and included sand (I can try to find it again if anybody is really dying to see it). The bars came out looking lovely. So at least 2 of your 3 ingredients should be great. I'd be curious to hear what impact the seaweed has.


----------



## RobertBarnett (Aug 2, 2016)

I saw the video on YouTube that is what gave me the idea.

Robert


----------



## Susie (Aug 2, 2016)

I have made soap with sand, I would never repeat that.  I do, however, love some saltwater soap.  We do not have seaweed down here for me to try that.


----------



## cmzaha (Aug 2, 2016)

I HATE soap with sand, and my plumbing probably does not appreciate it either. I received one in a swap and it was AWFUL. Seawater perfect and I am sure the seaweed will work. You can replicate the sand with some salt and color the layer you want to look like sand. I have also used burdock root powder mixed with salt to make a sandy looking layer


----------



## HowieRoll (Aug 2, 2016)

Susie said:


> I have made soap with sand, I would never repeat that.



Having seen it a couple times recently on my internet soaping travels, I've been curious about sand in soap.  I wondered if it:

A)  Was nicely exfoliating and left your skin feeling freshhhh
B)  Was exfoliating, but not nicely so and took the epidermis clean off
C)  Made a gritty mess in the shower
D)  Left sand in places one normally tries to wash it out of

Your post made me wonder if it is B, C, D, a combination of them, or None of the Above?

Robert, I'd love to see photos if you make it!  I'm not sure how practical sand in soap is, not having tried it, but I do like the visual effect it leaves.


----------



## Obsidian (Aug 2, 2016)

I've used nori in soap. I soak a sheet in the water from the recipe then blend it really well in a bullet blender. I generally sieve out the solids before adding the lye, they get blended into the oils. I really like it in salt bars, would love to try fresh seaweed in a salt soap.


----------



## CaraBou (Aug 2, 2016)

Don't forget to bring binoculars to Bodega Bay.  It is a famous stopover site for sea- and shorebird migration, which should already be starting despite the fact it is still summer to the rest of us  :mrgreen:


----------



## Cindy2428 (Aug 2, 2016)

Colloidal oats make a great sand substitution. I believe the video I saw was with Ariene A from Canada. I was fortunate enough to meet her in Indy when she spoke at the Guild Conference last year. She was nice enough to gift me a bar of her local sea water and kelp bar.  It was a wonderful bar of soap.


----------



## Susie (Aug 3, 2016)

HowieRoll said:


> Having seen it a couple times recently on my internet soaping travels, I've been curious about sand in soap.  I wondered if it:
> 
> A)  Was nicely exfoliating and left your skin feeling freshhhh
> B)  Was exfoliating, but not nicely so and took the epidermis clean off
> ...



B, C, D!!!  Not a pleasant experience, not even a tolerable one.


----------



## cmzaha (Aug 3, 2016)

^^^agree with Susie. Miserable soap


----------



## HowieRoll (Aug 3, 2016)

Thanks Susie and cmzaha - as longtime soapmakers, I value your advice and think I'll be avoiding sand in soap!


----------



## The Efficacious Gentleman (Aug 3, 2016)

I think that the coloured salt idea is cool, but it will mean making a salt bar and not a usual bar of soap.


----------



## dixiedragon (Aug 3, 2016)

Would you make a seawater bar of soap the same as soliesife? (sp?)


----------



## cmzaha (Aug 3, 2016)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> I think that the coloured salt idea is cool, but it will mean making a salt bar and not a usual bar of soap.


I have a bar I make with 25% Himalayan salt brine using .08% additional salt. I use 60% coconut, 15% castor, any oils to make up the additional 25%. I do not like butters in salt bars due to the bubble killing factor


----------



## RobertBarnett (Aug 3, 2016)

Thanks all for the comments the sand is out, more salt us in.

Robert


----------



## Susie (Aug 3, 2016)

dixiedragon said:


> Would you make a seawater bar of soap the same as soliesife? (sp?)



I used a straight seawater for water substitution on one, then I bumped the salt up on the next with some sea salt added (about 10% or so) on the next.  I much prefer the straight seawater, my hubby prefers the augmented amount.  Neither of us like salt bars.

I have also made "seawater" using the salt we use in our saltwater aquarium.  I mix it exactly as the directions specify, and use it as a straight substitution for the water.  It acts identically as real salt water.  This is much more practical for me, as I now live over three hours from the coast.

I do use a higher CO percentage in these, with a higher SF for me, than my normal soaps.  It helps with the lather.  I normally do not make soap with butters, so avoiding them is no problem.


----------



## RobertBarnett (Aug 3, 2016)

I never thought is using aquarium ocean mix. That is actually a good idea as you can make it with distilled water, and control how briny it is and you don't have to worry about impurities and contamination.

Thank you I like that.

Robert


----------



## Arimara (Aug 3, 2016)

HowieRoll said:


> Thanks Susie and cmzaha - as longtime soapmakers, I value your advice and think I'll be avoiding sand in soap!



I'm still wondering why anyone would want to put sand in soap in the first place if they're actually going to use the soap.


----------



## shunt2011 (Aug 3, 2016)

Arimara said:


> I'm still wondering why anyone would want to put sand in soap in the first place if they're actually going to use the soap.




I've not understood that concept either.


----------



## HowieRoll (Aug 3, 2016)

Arimara said:


> I'm still wondering why anyone would want to put sand in soap in the first place if they're actually going to use the soap.



I've had the same questions!  It seemed like it would create a real mess all around, but I've seen a few "sand in soap" photos lately (ironically I'm in the midst of concocting a beach-themed soap for a gift) and have been drawn to the visual effect.  Since some people put pumice stone in soaps (again, not something I've personally tried), I wondered if sand was a similar concept but kept coming back to the fact it would get into everything, including one's nether region, and that's been confirmed by more than one on this thread.  So, um, I'll pass!


----------



## Susie (Aug 3, 2016)

It is the whole, "I'm going to re-create the entire beach!" idea that appealed to me.  Sand is a bad idea, just a really bad idea.


----------



## crispysoap (Aug 3, 2016)

I have made a sand soap before, and found it really good at removing dirt (after gardening) from my hands. To be fair it's not something I would ever want to use in the shower


----------



## RobertBarnett (Aug 3, 2016)

Exfoliant 

Robert


----------



## Susie (Aug 3, 2016)

Oh, it exfoliates...oh how it exfoliates.  And it is such a joy to remove from damp skin and nether regions.


----------



## Arimara (Aug 3, 2016)

HowieRoll said:


> I've had the same questions!  It seemed like it would create a real mess all around, but I've seen a few "sand in soap" photos lately (ironically I'm in the midst of concocting a beach-themed soap for a gift) and have been drawn to the visual effect.  Since some people put pumice stone in soaps (again, not something I've personally tried), I wondered if sand was a similar concept but kept coming back to the fact it would get into everything, including one's nether region, and that's been confirmed by more than one on this thread.  So, um, I'll pass!



I get pumice in soap. It's not as hard a rock as much of the sediments that make up sand. Would you really want fine to coarse grains of quartz "caressing" you in the shower? I'm not saying pumice would be a better shower soap as I'd leave it for feet. :mrgreen:


----------



## lenarenee (Aug 3, 2016)

KristaY said:


> Well, since there's no fish & chips for me, no opinions for you, lol! I sooo love good fish & chips......
> 
> I actually saw something just like this a couple of years ago but for the life of me I can't remember where. You Tube? Someone's blog? Here? All I can remember is it turned out very cool looking and the process they used worked out well. They did the same thing you plan to do ~ gathered seaweed, sea water and sand then made the soap.
> 
> I guess it's a good thing you withheld the fish & chips since I gave you no valuable info whatsoever.....:shifty:


 
If memory serves me well, Ariane Arsenault made a seaweed soap.


----------



## Susie (Aug 3, 2016)

I think you might be referring to this one:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moT4x0AFY6I[/ame]


----------

