Emulsified Salt Scrub and Firmness Over Time

[Midnight_Sun]

About a week ago, I made my first emulsified salt scrub. Initially it was quite soft. After a few days it seems to have firmed up. It’s not rock solid and it’s still very usable, I can scoop it out and it melts somewhat on the body, but it’s quite firm in the container. I wanted a sanity check on if this is expected or if it’s a sign of something I did incorrectly or a formulating issue. Thank you very much.

My recipe was:
* 20g E-wax
* 8 g Stearic Acid
* 15 g Shea Butter
* 45g Grapeseed Oil
*10g Coarse sea salt
* 40g Fine sea salt
* 2.8g Fragrance oil
* 1.38g Phenonip

My reference was Humblebee and Me’s seaside emulsified salt scrub (linked).
https://www.humblebeeandme.com/seaside-emulsified-salt-scrub/

 

[AliOop]

I've not made salt scrubs in a really long time, but my go-to sugar scrubs always firm up within a few days.

The majority of recipes from HB&M are reliably good in my experience. One thing to consider is that shea butter in scrubs tends to go grainy with the frequent temperature changes in the bath/shower area. If you don't mind that graininess, or if you store the scrub in small containers that are used up quickly, then this recipe will probably be a nice one. If you want it to be a bit softer, you can slightly reduce the stearic acid, or slightly increase the grapeseed oil. Make one small change at a time, and keep notes so you can recreate that perfect scrub once you find the sweet spot.

 

[Midnight_Sun]

Thanks @AliOop ! Good to know I’m on the right track.

 

[DeeAnna]

I agree with Ali's advice -- tweak the liquid fat or the thickener if you only want to alter the firmness of the product.

A temptation might be to also play with the % of emulsifier, since the emulsifier also affects the firmness. But I learned the hard way that changing the emulsifier % will also affect how much of the fats will wash off the skin when you rinse.

If you're happy with how your skin feels now after rinsing -- just the right amount of fats left behind -- then the emulsifier proportion is in the right range. Increasing the emulsifier % will leave less fat on the skin after rinsing; reducing the emulsifier will leave more fat on the skin.