Curious about salt bars, want to try one before making batch

[green soap]

I have been reading about salt bars in here for a while, did not pay that much attention until someone mentioned (sorry, forgot who it was) that she/he makes salt bars using mostly CO superfatted to 20% or so, and that this makes a very nice facial soap.

On my last market experience I had a couple of customers ask specifically for facial soap. I was not sure how that was different than a conditioning soap. I guess it is? What makes a soap a facial soap rather than a bath soap?

In any case, I would like to make some, but my mold size gives me 10 bars and I want to make sure I like it first. My concern is salt getting into nicks and cuts in the skin and burning. Is that a problem for any of the salt bar users here?

I could go to a store and purchase (gasp!) a bar of soap (have not done that in a while), but I have never seen salt bars in any of the stores I shop at. Where can I find one? I am near a large metropolitan area, so we have lots of choices, I just don't shop much.

I have another question about salt bars. Reading that some use as much salt or almost as much as the weight in oil, I figure the salt has to add a lot to the total weight. What is the difference in the weight of the whole loaf? So you just cut thinner bars if you want to maintain a certain weight per bar of soap?

Lots of questions, but this is the right place to ask, isn't?

 

[steve4soap]

I first tried ZUM's salt bar and loved it.
http://www.amazon.com/Zum-Bar-Sea-Salt- ... B000HLH6EA

The salt doesn't irritate nicks or cuts as long as you use large kosher salt or sea salt.

My salt bars seem to be more dense than my other soap.

 

[dieSpinne]

Just a tip... You may find it worth your while with salt bars to invest in a mold that makes individual bars instead of trying to cut them from a loaf.
The salt-soap sets up very quickly and tends to get crumbly; better to do an end-run around the entire situation by molding the bars whole and just popping them out of the mold 24 hours later. Then weigh them and calculate a cost per ounce as normal.

As for measuring the salt in your batch, you can add up to 100% of the mass of the saponified Coconut oil in saltbars and still have a reasonable lather.
This means if you have a 100% CO bar with 20% superfat, then you can add as much salt as CO that is BELOW the superfat, or 80% of the total mass of CO. If you add other things to the bar for label appeal, you will need to experiment with your salt content to figure out where the breakpoint for that recipe is before your lather starts to become sparse and unstable.

 

[IrishLass]

Re: Curious about salt bars, want to try one before making b

What makes a soap a facial soap rather than a bath soap?

I'm not sure since I haven't used soap on my face for years (not even my own)- just lukewarm water and an exfoliating cloth. All I know is that soap and syndets dry my face out too much (the water and cloth method does not). Soap doesn't bother the rest of my skin, though.

My concern is salt getting into nicks and cuts in the skin and burning. Is that a problem for any of the salt bar users here?

Yes. Both my Hubby and my BIL report stinging on their faces when they've used my salt soap if they had nicks (although as an anecdotal aside, Hubby said that continued use of my salt soap healed his nicks quicker than normal). Also- my sis, who is a marathon bike rider (which I think may have something to do with it), does not like using my salt soap in her 'nether region' because it stings her there.

I make my salt soaps with Sea Salt from Bob's Red Mill. I probably should mention that the stinging occurred with my salt soap made with 100% salt as per my oils. Nowadays, I like to use only 25% sea salt as per my oils. I don't know my new version stings, though, because once bitten twice shy- my guys have gotten used to not using it where they shave anymore, and my sis avoids her nether region. As for myself- my salt soap has never stung me anywhere unless I had the rare nick or a cut on my legs from shaving, but I haven't had any of those in a while to test my newer version out on.

I could go to a store and purchase (gasp!) a bar of soap (have not done that in a while), but I have never seen salt bars in any of the stores I shop at. Where can I find one? I am near a large metropolitan area, so we have lots of choices, I just don't shop much.

My healthfood store sells salt soap, so you may want to check your local healthfood or natural foods stores.

I have another question about salt bars. Reading that some use as much salt or almost as much as the weight in oil, I figure the salt has to add a lot to the total weight. What is the difference in the weight of the whole loaf? So you just cut thinner bars if you want to maintain a certain weight per bar of soap?

Lots of questions, but this is the right place to ask, isn't?

Yes, the salt does add extra weight. I don't sell, so I don't have a certain weight I need to maintain or anything like that. I just cut them the same size as my other soaps. But you may want to do what dieSpinne suggested- getting some indy molds instead of trying to cut from a loaf. Salt bars are tricky buggers to cut, especially if you wait too long.

IrishLass

 

[green soap]

Did I ever tell you guys how much I appreciate this forum?

These are very useful replies. I think we have a Zum in downtown Pasadena, but I thought they were MP. Do they CP? Would salt behave differently in CP than MP? It is worth buying a bar in any case, even though I will not know how much salt they used.

The only other molds I have used (semi-successfully) are tofu containers with some oil rubbed on the inside. I get all sorts of lines and recycled symbols on the soap, which still needs to be cut in half to get two good size bars (4-5 oz in regular soap). They do not come out pretty enough to sell but this would answer my questions, and I do test before selling of course. I just have to shrink my recipe to 1/4 of its regular size, a little harder to measure, but no brain surgery.

Irishlass, thanks for the detailed response. I might try my first batch with 25% salt, and I can use Trader Joes sea salt, which I always have on hand for cooking. 25% still seems like a lot to me. Maybe the smaller amount of salt will make it easier for me to cut it in half if I use the tofu container. I want to try it before I invest on more molds, since my present molds work fine for all the soaps I have made.

 

[steve4soap]

These are very useful replies. I think we have a Zum in downtown Pasadena, but I thought they were MP. Do they CP? Would salt behave differently in CP than MP? It is worth buying a bar in any case, even though I will not know how much salt they used.

ZUM does in fact cold process their soaps.

"Yes, we make soap the old fashioned way-from scratch. Zum Bars are made from a combination of fats (natural oils) with a lye solution until a process of saponification takes place. Saponification is a chemical process, which converts a fat into soap by reaction with an alkali (also known as "lye"). Saponification occurs as the raw materials are combined, stirred and neutralized. As a result of this process, a very important by product emerges-Glycerin, which is a natural skin softener and the foundation of all natural soap. "

 

[Dragonkaz]

Re: Curious about salt bars, want to try one before making b

I have been reading about salt bars in here for a while, did not pay that much attention until someone mentioned (sorry, forgot who it was) that she/he makes salt bars using mostly CO superfatted to 20% or so, and that this makes a very nice facial soap.

... I suspect that was me.

On my last market experience I had a couple of customers ask specifically for facial soap. I was not sure how that was different than a conditioning soap. I guess it is? What makes a soap a facial soap rather than a bath soap?

For me it's about having a facial soap that's not drying. My salt bars are 20% SF and after washing my face with then, there's no tightness ... a great feeling.

In any case, I would like to make some, but my mold size gives me 10 bars and I want to make sure I like it first. My concern is salt getting into nicks and cuts in the skin and burning. Is that a problem for any of the salt bar users here?

I make my salt bars in individual moulds, due to it setting up quickly ... about four hours and if left any longer it can be very difficut to cut.

I've never had a problem with salt irritating my skin. I use table salt, as it's fine and therefore exfoliates gentle.

I could go to a store and purchase (gasp!) a bar of soap (have not done that in a while), but I have never seen salt bars in any of the stores I shop at. Where can I find one? I am near a large metropolitan area, so we have lots of choices, I just don't shop much.

I suspect you'd need to buy a salt bar from a soapmaker like us. Maybe go to a market to see if any local soap seller have them. I bought my first salt soap this way.

I have another question about salt bars. Reading that some use as much salt or almost as much as the weight in oil, I figure the salt has to add a lot to the total weight. What is the difference in the weight of the whole loaf? So you just cut thinner bars if you want to maintain a certain weight per bar of soap?

The amount of salt is discussed on this forum often, so before making my first salt bar I researched threads on this forum and the '70%' salt seemed to be about the average, and that's the amount I use.

A local beauty salon sells my soap ... and my salt soap sells well as a facial bar.

To use my salt soaps ... which are made in silicon muffin moulds, I wet my face, wet the soap and then gently rub the base of the muffin over my face. The lather is good, then I wipe it off with a wet face cloth.

 

[green soap]

Thanks Steve and dragonkaz!

I was thinking that when I go to the ocean to swim, my skin feels very soft afterward (well, after I wash the salt off), so I can understand the softness feeling with salt.

The silicon muffin molds are a good idea. I am glad you are selling these well. 70% table salt, wow. I suppose If I use my little tofu trial molds i can do a couple different concentrations, 25%, 70% and see what I prefer. I am sure it will take a little tinkering and testing before and if I put them on the market.

Thanks for the help everybody!

 

[adoptapitbull]

Since the price of CO is relatively high, what do you charge for a bar? Is there room for much profit?

 

[Fragola]

Since the price of CO is relatively high, what do you charge for a bar? Is there room for much profit?

Salt is cheaper though ...

 

[Dennis]

Re: Curious about salt bars, want to try one before making b

Also- my sis, who is a marathon bike rider (which I think may have something to do with it), does not like using my salt soap in her 'nether region' because it stings her there.

You're right about your sister. It's the bike causing it, not the soap. I also ride long distance and can confirm the trials of riders, male and female. Makes me wonder sometimes why we do it, but I do love the bike. Millions spent on different saddles, creams, riding shorts, on and on. What a great sport.
8)

 

[Soapy Gurl]

I will chime in on a facial bar. I made one my friend was in love with. I added lighter oils, like apricot, grape seed. Clay, oily skin gets green and tea tree EO, normal skin gets rose clay. I like a little exfoliant, but a soft one. Very finely ground loofah is great. Or you can step it up to ground apricot seed. No fragrance oil, just EOs. Lavender is good, very soothing for the skin.

I get the ZUM catalog, they make soap in big wood slap molds and had swirl them, it is pretty cool. I would order one off Etsy though. Those are soapmakers like us!

 

[fluffysuds]

I made some several weeks ago and I usually use 100% salt to oils & at the time it didn't look like enough salt so I put more in and don't you know it they hardly lather lol. I'll have to rebatch these babies in a new batch I guess. They were so cute too some I put coffee in them wahhh

 

[green soap]

I have been lucky to try salt bars and decided I am making them as soon as my silicone molds get here. This means this coming week.

I wanted to know if any of you have used the following colorants for salt bars and what has your experience been? would you use more or less than in regular soap?

Alkanet, paprika and anatto infused in oil.

Indigo crystals (added to the lye water).

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Francis]

Re: Curious about salt bars, want to try one before making b

Hubby said that continued use of my salt soap healed his nicks quicker than normal).
IrishLass

IrishLass, it makes perfect sense that your salt bar heals nicks quicker since salt is bacteriostatic. Your hubby is a very observant tester.

 

[Mellifera]

Do you cure your salt bars (all coconut, 20% superfat) for 4-6 weeks? Just curious, if, since they set up so fast, anything else aobut them is different.

 

[Cirafly24]

I find my salt bars are best after a longer cure, maybe 8 weeks. I use 100% CO, 20% SF, 75% of the oil weight in regular table salt. Once I have it in the mold, I set my oven at 170 degrees, put the soap in, and turn the oven off. After 2 hours, I take it out and cut it. At this point it's set up hard, but still soft enough to cut into bars without crumbling.

 

[Dragonkaz]

I leave my salt soaps for 3-4 months to allow them a good cure time.

 

[saltydog]

I leave my salt soaps for 3-4 months to allow them a good cure time.

I also like this amount of cure time.

 

[Mellifera]

Thanks. I just made some, 90% coconut oil, 5% castor, 20% SF, 85% kosher salt. The first thing that surprised me was that the oil turned bright orange when I added the lye solution. The only other time I had that happen was when I added dead sea salt to my lye--that batch started out deep red, and cured to off-white.

Anyway, they came out white and smooth and solid. I tried one to feel the texture, and it doesn't seem scrubby at all. We'll see after a cure how it goes. Thanks!