Is it me or salt soap "melts away" much faster tha

[aab1]

Good explanation. I use rather fine sea salt and do find them exfoliating, they are like rubbing a gentle sand paper against my skin, not harsh or painful in anyway, but definitely exfoliating.

Could it be that your salt is super super fine? Or do you mix in the salt until it dissolves, if that's even possible? What I do is mix my soap until trace, then add the salt and just gently stir with a spatula (no electric mixer once I've added the salt) just enough to combine and immediately pour the soap, this way the salt doesn't dissolve and remains in crystals.

It could also be due to my soap not being cured for a long time meaning the soap gets used up faster and exposes the salt crystals. I hope they will keep this "gentle sandpaper feel" once cured because I like it!

Thanks

 

[carebear]

even bars made with simple table salt gets smooooth like marble..

 

[Sunny]

I agree, mine last too long.

 

[IrishLass]

Could it be that your salt is super super fine? Or do you mix in the salt until it dissolves, if that's even possible? What I do is mix my soap until trace, then add the salt and just gently stir with a spatula (no electric mixer once I've added the salt) just enough to combine and immediately pour the soap, this way the salt doesn't dissolve and remains in crystals.

Nope- I don't dissolve my salt. I add it to my batter in the same way as you- at trace with a spatula, and then I pour immediately into my molds. I use the fine sea salt from Bob's Red Mill. It's not superfine or anything special like that- just fine. Keep in mind, though, that I only add 25% to 30% of salt per my weight of oils. But even when I used to make them with 100% salt way back when, they were still not exfoliating to me.

When they are sitting high and dry in my soap dish, I concede they do feel somewhat powdery and ever so slightly rough, but as soon as the water hits them, they turn all nice and smooth like marble or polished stone, and just glide right over my skin.

IrishLass

 

[Dragonkaz]

What are salt bars per say and why are they desirable? What do they do? I have heard of sugar scrubs and sugar scrub bars but not salt bars and what they do? Wouldnt that be drying to the max? Is it a hand bar or a body bar?

My salt bars are 100% CO with 70% salt (plain table salt) and superfatted 20%. They are great facial bars and I've been using mine on my face to remove makeup for well over a year. I still use a moisturiser, but after using the salt bar to cleanse my face, my skin feels amazing, no tightness it all.

I have to make salt bars regularly, as they're popular with my regular (and new) buyers alike. I cure them for at least three months and they last and last and last!

 

[Soap Techniques]

My salt bars don't last a long time in the shower either, not longer than 2 weeks. I let them cure for 2-3 weeks and they are not drying at all. The bars are VERY hard, but my other soaps of the same size last longer in the shower.
My salt bars are 100% CO with 30% salt, SF @ 20%.

 

[krissy]

My salt bars don't last a long time in the shower either, not longer than 2 weeks. I let them cure for 2-3 weeks and they are not drying at all. The bars are VERY hard, but my other soaps of the same size last longer in the shower.
My salt bars are 100% CO with 30% salt, SF @ 20%.

salt bar need to cure for a long time. nothing will ever make your soap last longer or be even better than a good formula and a long cure. 2-3 weeks is no where near long enough if you want it to last.

 

[Hazel]

I let my salt bars cure a minimum of 3 months. I'm using a bar now that's about 18 months old.

I think it's going to last forever.

 

[carebear]

My salt bars don't last a long time in the shower either, not longer than 2 weeks. I let them cure for 2-3 weeks and they are not drying at all. The bars are VERY hard, but my other soaps of the same size last longer in the shower.
My salt bars are 100% CO with 30% salt, SF @ 20%.

That's quite a low level of salt for salt bars, Perhaps that's why.

 

[IrishLass]

My salt bars don't last a long time in the shower either, not longer than 2 weeks. I let them cure for 2-3 weeks and they are not drying at all. The bars are VERY hard, but my other soaps of the same size last longer in the shower. My salt bars are 100% CO with 30% salt, SF @ 20%

I use 30% salt in mine with 100% CO, but my superfat is about 13%, and I cure them for much longer than 2 or 3 weeks (more like 2 or 3 months). I also add milk to them as part of my liquid, and they last forever.

Maybe we should take size into consideration since smaller bars get used up quicker than larger bars. How big are your bars? I cut mine to cure out on the thick and chunky side. My fully cured bars are just a little under 1.5 inches.


IrishLass

 

[Dragonkaz]

My salt bars don't last a long time in the shower either, not longer than 2 weeks. I let them cure for 2-3 weeks and they are not drying at all. The bars are VERY hard, but my other soaps of the same size last longer in the shower.
My salt bars are 100% CO with 30% salt, SF @ 20%.

Fata I agree with whats been written above. A good cure is important if you want a quality bar of soap. It can be tough waiting for your soap to cure, but it's worth it and it does mean you get the benefits of a better conditioning and lasting bar.

Just because a bar of soap feels hard, doesn't mean it's cured.

I wait six weeks before using or selling my regularly soap, three months for my salt soap and between five and six months for my castile soaps.

 

[Soap Techniques]

My salt bars don't last a long time in the shower either, not longer than 2 weeks. I let them cure for 2-3 weeks and they are not drying at all. The bars are VERY hard, but my other soaps of the same size last longer in the shower.
My salt bars are 100% CO with 30% salt, SF @ 20%.

That's quite a low level of salt for salt bars, Perhaps that's why.

That could be the reason... I like to use only 30% salt in my bars because of the lather - I get more bubbles this way. But probably this means my salt bars wash away faster...

The lather I get using my 100% CO soap with a 1:1 salt/oil ratio:

100% CO with 60% salt as per oils

100% CO with 30% salt

 

[Soap Techniques]

Maybe we should take size into consideration since smaller bars get used up quicker than larger bars. How big are your bars?

They measure 3.25" x 2.5" x 1" when cut. But like I said, my other soaps (not salt bars) of the same size last longer in the shower.