Benefits of a salt bar?

[Dumfrey]

I will defer to the experts, but when I have made mine, they do sweat for a few days. And the dry texture is significantly different than the non-small bars I have made.

 

[Obsidian]

@Deborah Long for some reason, salt bars are prone to ash more then others.
I've had ash so thick it couldn't be scraped off.
Gelling your bars will help some. You could also try covering your mold in cling wrap and leaving the soap in the molds for a few days if using a individual mold.

 

[Deborah Long]

@Obsidian - I kept the bars on the heating pad for an hour with it turned on. Both molds were covered, one with a box (the round one) and the rectangles with waxed paper. I sprayed both molds with alcohol before covering and trying to gel. *shrugs* We'll see if it gets worse or better... I'm not too worried. Ash doesn't bother me, personally, that much, it's just a little ugly! lol

 

[penelopejane]

@Obsidian - I kept the bars on the heating pad for an hour with it turned on. Both molds were covered, one with a box (the round one) and the rectangles with waxed paper. I sprayed both molds with alcohol before covering and trying to gel. *shrugs* We'll see if it gets worse or better... I'm not too worried. Ash doesn't bother me, personally, that much, it's just a little ugly! lol

I really don’t think you need a heat pad with salt bars. You might have over heated them a bit. Or it could be that you poured at too light an emulsion.

I used to get swirls like that and I prevent them by soaping warmer, pour at a light but definite trace and don’t use salt with additives. Not sure which one actually fixed the problem.

Did your salt have additives?

 

[penelopejane]

I recently used table salt with an anti-caking agent for my first salt bars. It was the only fine salt I could find where I live. How do you think that will affect my soap? (It was actually that or fine Himalayan salt, and I have read warnings here about Himalayan, so opted for the other.)

You might find the anticaking agent produces white swirls in your soap. If it’s a white salt bar you probably won’t notice it but if you colour it they may show up.
I used iodised salt in the beginning with anticaking agent and it’s even worse. Dissolve some in water and you’ll notice the difference. Pure sea salt in water is totally clear.

It won’t effect the soap it’s just a small aesthetic issue.

 

[Deborah Long]

@penelopejane - I used only what was in the recipe I posted. (with mica for color) I tried to pour at medium trace, but that was hard to determine once I had added the salt! lol It all seemed really think and goopy! (not like soap that has seize, rather like the consistency of mud, maybe?) I didn't get cracking with the heating pad, but I *was* trying to get the soap to gel. I have such an issue with individual molds and not gelling...

 

[penelopejane]

@penelopejane - I used only what was in the recipe I posted. (with mica for color) I tried to pour at medium trace, but that was hard to determine once I had added the salt! lol It all seemed really think and goopy! (not like soap that has seize, rather like the consistency of mud, maybe?) I didn't get cracking with the heating pad, but I *was* trying to get the soap to gel. I have such an issue with individual molds and not gelling...

I meant did the salt itself have additives - like iodine or anti-caking agent. That sometimes leaves swirls.
Salt bars heat up all by themselves. They shouldn’t need a heat pad. Overheating doesn’t always appear as cracks. It can cause swirls or crumbling soap too, given the right conditions.

Mud like consistency sounds about right!

 

[Deborah Long]

I meant did the salt itself have additives - like iodine or anti-caking agent.

Well, I have soda ash, not swirling so much. That may have been the OP, sorry. But yes, I did check and the salt I used has Tricalcium Phosphate in it. Do you think that would contribute to the ash? Or the heat contribute to the ash?

 

[dibbles]

I use individual cavity molds for salt bars and I definitely need to put them on a heating pad and keep insulated to get them to gel. I cover the open side with cling wrap to reduce air exposure, and when I leave them like that for a couple of days, that seems to reduce the ash. I also think that switching from 75-80% salt to 50% helped. I do still usually get some amount of ash, though. Seems to be the nature of the beast. Unfortunately. But at least the ash doesn't form on the sides touching the mold - only on the exposed side.

 

[Deborah Long]

I also think that switching from 75-80% salt to 50% helped.

Thanks for that! I'll try reducing my salt next time... I've never used a salt bar, so this is an adventure for me, at least!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Out of curiosity, why would you market a soap that you think is too drying to men?

Hi - only just saw this question sorry. I was just talking to family about this very thing today. I'm thinking more of men who are farmers, fitter/turners, factory workers etc who get sweaty and grimy. They strike me as 'salt bar' type people. What @Dawni said is pretty accurate. Personally I don't like them, and my family were asking why i would put salt in - wanting to know the benefits. They had never heard of salty soap. I was struggling to come up with a reason as to what the benefits are.

@Dawni - the salt bars were made 22nd Feb - and my sister in law used one about a month ago and said she thought it was a bit drying. She loves all my other soap so is kind of my main 'tester'. She is prone to eczema/psoriasis and usually finds my soap good for her skin (20% CO in all my recipes).

 

[TheGecko]

Hi - only just saw this question sorry. I was just talking to family about this very thing today. I'm thinking more of men who are farmers, fitter/turners, factory workers etc who get sweaty and grimy. They strike me as 'salt bar' type people. What @Dawni said is pretty accurate. Personally I don't like them, and my family were asking why i would put salt in - wanting to know the benefits. They had never heard of salty soap. I was struggling to come up with a reason as to what the benefits are.

No worries, we all have busy lives.

I like salt soap for my feet in between pedi visits. Going through menopause and then developing late onset Type II Diabetes, my feet started drying out more. I used a salt scrub (SAO and Sea Salt) followed by a moisturizer for several years, but it was a bit of a PITA as I had to wash the excess oil off and clean the tub so no one would fall. My sister got me a Salt Bar from a craft fair and it was really nice, but she couldn't remember who she bought it from and I tried one from the store, but it just dried my skin out more. My salt soap is still 'young' which is why I am only using it right now, but I'm loving it. It gently scrubs off the dead skin and then I follow up with a moisturizing lotion.

I do have some folks trying out my "Hands-On" soap...it's basically my regular soap recipe, unscented, dark colors, with a bit of pumice in it for extra scrubbing power. So far the results are favorable insofar as men can be...'it doesn't stink', 'it doesn't smell like a girl', 'it cleans the paint, dirt, grease off', yeah the color is okay'. LOL

 

[Nona'sFarm]

What is wrong with using fine grain Himalayan? I made salt bars to give to my girlfriends and used pink kaolin clay and pink Himalayan.

I got 5 lbs of it for free using Amazon points and if I don't use it making salt bars it will still be around after I am gone!

Another option for your Himalayan salts are bath salts, make bath salts for gifts.

 

[penelopejane]

What is wrong with using fine grain Himalayan? I made salt bars to give to my girlfriends and used pink kaolin clay and pink Himalayan.

I got 5 lbs of it for free using Amazon points and if I don't use it making salt bars it will still be around after I am gone!

Use it for cooking.
Get a grinder and use it as table salt.

 

[penelopejane]

Well, I have soda ash, not swirling so much. That may have been the OP, sorry. But yes, I did check and the salt I used has Tricalcium Phosphate in it. Do you think that would contribute to the ash? Or the heat contribute to the ash?

I thought the white swirls on your soap in post 60 could be a form of ash.

Tricalcium Phosphate adds calcium to food. I’d dissolve some of your salt in water and see if it leaves the water totally clear. Then add some lye and see if it still stays clear. If it stays clear it should be ok in soap. I don’t know if it effects soda ash.

Gelling soap and covering it (plastic or alcohol) for a week stops soda ash for me. Might not work for you as it is effected by the environment and soap recipe.

 

[shunt2011]

When I make salt soap in individual molds, I cover with plastic wrap and a towel or box. I spray them well with 91% alcohol before covering. I then put them in a warm oven as I cannot get my soaps to gel in individual molds. I leave them alone for 24-48 hours. When I unmold them, I spritz well, put them between two pieces of that sticky food film (drawing a blank on the name), or two pieces of plastic wrap and leave them be for about 3-4 days. I too use 50% salt in most bars. I get very little ash this way. I use to get it really thick. When I make them in a loaf mold I unmold at 3 hours or so, cut then do the same. Spritz and cover and let them be.

 

[Quilter99755]

Okay, fellow soapers, I am a CP virgin no more. I finally decided to step out of my usual HP and try a soleseife bar. The batch was with 40% lard, 25% OO, 20% CO, 10% CB and 5% Castor with a 5% SF. Some of the bars did not come out of the molds very well and one broke in two pieces. It does have a whitish cover which I suppose could be ash, or it could be that my sea salt had iodine in it (did not mark the container and know that both with and without iodine is available ). At first I was going to do a salt bar, then switched and now can't remember why I did??? Must have had a good reason at the time. At least I have one CP batch under my belt.

 

[Dawni]

Okay, fellow soapers, I am a CP virgin no more. I finally decided to step out of my usual HP and try a soleseife bar. The batch was with 40% lard, 25% OO, 20% CO, 10% CB and 5% Castor with a 5% SF.

I lost my CP virginity to a soleseife too hehehehe

I'm curious about the lather with you using lard in soleseife. I hope I remember to ask for an update after cure lol

 

[Quilter99755]

I lost my CP virginity to a soleseife too hehehehe

I'm curious about the lather with you using lard in soleseife. I hope I remember to ask for an update after cure lol

Love it!

I scraped a few of the "ripples" off the sides of the bar tonight and was surprised at the lather...I didn't think it would be much at this stage. My hands felt very clean and rinsed, but now after an hour, they are a wee bit on the dry side. I'll keep some notes as it ages and try to come back to this thread.