Salt bars
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jcandleattic
Well-Known Member
Most other oils are not as good in salt bars because the salt inhibits lather. Coconut however is one of the only oils with will give a nice stable lather in salt/saltwater. Which is the main reason it is the main oil in salt bars.
FGOriold
Well-Known Member
I love salt bars and have 2 recipes that I use for them. One uses 50% coconut oil and the other uses 79% combo of coconut and babassu oils. Both lather well. I love how salt bars make your skin very silky after using them. Salt bars either have to be poured into individual molds, molds with dividers or if poured into a loaf mold, must be cut within a few hours of pouring the soap. Otherwise you will have a crumbly mess.
Coconut oil 80%
Shea butter 15%
Castor 5%
15% superfat
Whole cow's milk as the water phase
Fine salt (sea salt or plain table salt) 25% of the oil weight
Refreshing, not drying, lots of bubbly lather. I would do this one again, keeping the CO above 75% for sure.
The 25% salt works fine. Although I know some people use a lot more, this amount of salt was easy to mix into the batter, has made a rock hard bar, and is easy to cut.
I poured the batter into a slab mold, allowed the soap to gel, and cut right when the soap was no longer soft to the touch. They bars cut nicely and beveled cleanly with a vegetable peeler.
I am not really convinced the castor adds much to the party, so I think it could be omitted. On the other hand, it certainly doesn't hurt anything. Next try, I might try substituting less expensive lard for the shea and see how that goes.
Shea butter 15%
Castor 5%
15% superfat
Whole cow's milk as the water phase
Fine salt (sea salt or plain table salt) 25% of the oil weight
Refreshing, not drying, lots of bubbly lather. I would do this one again, keeping the CO above 75% for sure.
The 25% salt works fine. Although I know some people use a lot more, this amount of salt was easy to mix into the batter, has made a rock hard bar, and is easy to cut.
I poured the batter into a slab mold, allowed the soap to gel, and cut right when the soap was no longer soft to the touch. They bars cut nicely and beveled cleanly with a vegetable peeler.
I am not really convinced the castor adds much to the party, so I think it could be omitted. On the other hand, it certainly doesn't hurt anything. Next try, I might try substituting less expensive lard for the shea and see how that goes.
Good to know everyone, thank you. Ive made a few 100% co with 100% salt and really like them but was curious.
DeeAnna, I think ill give the lard/coco(and milk, oh la la) a try, that sounds like a nice combo. How do you find the 25% salt compares to the 100% during use?
DeeAnna, I think ill give the lard/coco(and milk, oh la la) a try, that sounds like a nice combo. How do you find the 25% salt compares to the 100% during use?
I have not used 100% salt, so I can't say from personal experience. I do like to read, though. :razz: What I learned is a mixed bag -- some say a high salt percentage (75-100% or even more) cuts the lather more than they'd like, some say it doesn't affect lather. Some say higher salt % makes the soap harder to mold and cut, others don't mind. Some say the higher % makes the soap too crumbly and difficult to cut, others don't have a problem.
My decision to go with 25% was based on a post by IrishLass a few years ago who ~had~ tried different percentages. She felt 25% salt gave her all the benefits of a salt/spa bar without as many of the disadvantages, especially molding and cutting difficulty and crumbliness.
But, as always, when talking about things soapy, YMMV.
My decision to go with 25% was based on a post by IrishLass a few years ago who ~had~ tried different percentages. She felt 25% salt gave her all the benefits of a salt/spa bar without as many of the disadvantages, especially molding and cutting difficulty and crumbliness.
But, as always, when talking about things soapy, YMMV.
Here are some pics of the salt bars. The orange color is plain, dry paprika that I sprinkled in and on the top of the batter. I was playing with the idea of the salt bar being a rock. I guess maybe that works, if I squinch my eyes a little and pretend. :think:
The first pic is of the salt bar lather -- it starts out creamy followed by large fluffy bubbles. I enjoy the lather, and it's still a young soap. The second pic shows the bottom of the unwetted bar so you can see the texture of the salt grains embedded in the soap. I like how the soap is slightly translucent from the gel.
The first pic is of the salt bar lather -- it starts out creamy followed by large fluffy bubbles. I enjoy the lather, and it's still a young soap. The second pic shows the bottom of the unwetted bar so you can see the texture of the salt grains embedded in the soap. I like how the soap is slightly translucent from the gel.
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Very nice looking bars. Im surprised thats only 25%. The texture looks about the same as my 100%s, which i was not expecting. Though i think you may have gotten a cleaner cut. I havent had a problem cutting them, but I do it when still hot and tend to get loose salt on the outsides of the bar. It looks like you havent had that problem, unelss the bottom pic is of a washed bar.
I love the paprika effect too. That bottom bar immediately reminded me of quartz rocks where they fade into white and copperish. You have me convinced. If i can get the same look and benefits at only 25% and with other oils it seems like a no brainer.
I think ill try 75 co, 25 tallow, 25 salt and maybe 100% goats milk and see how that goes. Ill post when ive tried it.
I love the paprika effect too. That bottom bar immediately reminded me of quartz rocks where they fade into white and copperish. You have me convinced. If i can get the same look and benefits at only 25% and with other oils it seems like a no brainer.
I think ill try 75 co, 25 tallow, 25 salt and maybe 100% goats milk and see how that goes. Ill post when ive tried it.
"...the bottom pic is of a washed bar..."
I used a slab mold, and that is the surface direct from the mold. But the cut sides are just as clean. I waited (way past my bedtime!) until the gelled soap had firmed up enough so it didn't yield to light finger pressure, then cut.
The edges on the bar in the photo have been beveled -- the edges should be irregular/rough if the bar was too hard or crumbly. But it pared up nicely. Worked slick.
Have fun -- I hope your soap turns out as nice or nicer!
I used a slab mold, and that is the surface direct from the mold. But the cut sides are just as clean. I waited (way past my bedtime!) until the gelled soap had firmed up enough so it didn't yield to light finger pressure, then cut.
The edges on the bar in the photo have been beveled -- the edges should be irregular/rough if the bar was too hard or crumbly. But it pared up nicely. Worked slick.
Have fun -- I hope your soap turns out as nice or nicer!
I saw a nicely cut soap bar here. I am looking forward to try my first salt soap. Still planning in progress and getting ideas here.
Just a little question on the salt. I got myself some cooking sea salt for the purpose. It fine grain salt. I use the sale to make salt bath scrub (soak in abit of oil). It feels okay on my body but still abit too coarse for the face. Will you guys still blend the salt to make it finer?
Just a little question on the salt. I got myself some cooking sea salt for the purpose. It fine grain salt. I use the sale to make salt bath scrub (soak in abit of oil). It feels okay on my body but still abit too coarse for the face. Will you guys still blend the salt to make it finer?
Ruthie
Well-Known Member
DeeAnna, I'm interested in your use of whole cow's milk. Is there something special about the cow's milk, or was it just what you had?
Hoegarden -- If it were me, I would use your salt just as it is. I don't think there would be anything wrong with making it finer, but I'm not sure it would make much difference to me. The salt is not really abrasive in a salt bar, as it is in a scrub. If I rub the salt bar directly against my skin, I might feel a scratchy grain or two, but the salt grains dissolve pretty fast, so the surface of the bar stays fairly smooth. From my reading, some people do use a coarse salt and like it, but quite a few seem to like the normal fine-grained "table" salt best. The only caution I have read about is to NOT use is a Dead Sea salt, because the minerals in that salt will make the bar wet and nasty.
Ruthie -- I just wanted to try a milk soap, and cow's milk was what I had in the kitchen. I froze the milk briefly to a slushy consistency before adding the lye, and I also included the milk fat in my lye calculation. I liked how it worked out -- no unpleasant surprises or smells, and the color of the finished soap stayed light. Even though I hear goat's milk has more benefits it also is quite a bit more expensive for me. I always have fresh "cream line" (not homogenized) cow's milk from our local micro-dairy in my fridge, and I want to use it more in my soaps.
Ruthie -- I just wanted to try a milk soap, and cow's milk was what I had in the kitchen. I froze the milk briefly to a slushy consistency before adding the lye, and I also included the milk fat in my lye calculation. I liked how it worked out -- no unpleasant surprises or smells, and the color of the finished soap stayed light. Even though I hear goat's milk has more benefits it also is quite a bit more expensive for me. I always have fresh "cream line" (not homogenized) cow's milk from our local micro-dairy in my fridge, and I want to use it more in my soaps.
paillo
Well-Known Member
The paprika effect is gorgeous! Really beautiful bars!
I use 80 percent CO, 15 percent shea, 5 percent castor, superfatted at 20 percent, and salt at 80 to 100 percent of oils. Have been playing with some exotic salts, which I love - if they're really expensive I use half and half with sea salt. I split the liquid between distilled water and either goat milk, buttermilk or coconut milk. I also always add a clay or a mix of clays. Kaolin, French pink, green or yellow, Aussie red, Aussie black, sea clay or glacial clay. I pour in individual molds. I sell more salt bars than anything else, especially for facial use, and I'm a total fan of them, use them personally more than anything else
I use 80 percent CO, 15 percent shea, 5 percent castor, superfatted at 20 percent, and salt at 80 to 100 percent of oils. Have been playing with some exotic salts, which I love - if they're really expensive I use half and half with sea salt. I split the liquid between distilled water and either goat milk, buttermilk or coconut milk. I also always add a clay or a mix of clays. Kaolin, French pink, green or yellow, Aussie red, Aussie black, sea clay or glacial clay. I pour in individual molds. I sell more salt bars than anything else, especially for facial use, and I'm a total fan of them, use them personally more than anything else
Lotus
Well-Known Member
This is a great thread. I was intrigued when I first read this a few days ago. And then, I started noticing "Himalayan salt" everywhere I went, afterwards. I'm thinking about it. : )
FGOriold
Well-Known Member
I use fine grain pink Himalayan sea salt in some of my salt bars and in emulsified salt scrubs. I love it and it adds a nice pink color too.
