Lather from salt bars

[lenarenee]

I've experimented for a couple of years and haven't yet found the secret formula that predictably and consistently gives me the lather I want: stiff, fine lather that's similar to shaving cream. (I also swear that the fragrance oil also has a play in the type of lather the bar makes - Arabian Spice from BB is one of them)

Sometimes its the young bars that make shaving cream lather, and sometimes not. Same with differing salt amounts. Does anyone have any idea what the secret is to always getting the shaving cream type of lather?

 

[dixiedragon]

So if you use the same FO, do you typically get the same type of lather? I haven't made enough salt bars to know.

 

[lenarenee]

Arabian Spice always did, then the formula changed and now I don't consistently get the shaving cream texture. (Arabian spice is a favorite around here and I go through a lot of it) and there are others that do seem to influence the lather to some degree but can't say for sure. Salty Mariner tends to be more shaving cream, but not Sweet orange chili pepper. (those scents never make it past the 6 month mark - they get snatched up)

 

[lenarenee]

I also keep waffling between using 100% co, or 95/5 co and castor - trying to see if the castor makes loose and larger bubbles. I don't see a correlation yet. Same with differing salt amounts - although I've never done more than 60% salt.

And I don't care for shea butter in it, didn't feel any skin benefit whatsoever and did reduce amount of lather, although it was shaving cream texture.

 

[dibbles]

I've posted this before, so you may have already seen it but a long cure with salt bars makes a big difference - at least from what I've seen. https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/cure-time-doubters-a-visual.62723/

 

[jcandleattic]

I've posted this before, so you may have already seen it but a long cure with salt bars makes a big difference - at least from what I've seen. https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/cure-time-doubters-a-visual.62723/

I agree.

I found a salt bar I made in 2009 a couple months ago, and OMG it was FABULOUS!!
No, I'm not suggesting cure for 9 years! LOL just agreeing that patience is a virtue and you will thank yourself if you give salt bars a nice long cure like most do with 100% OO bars.

 

[lenarenee]

Yes the forum has several posts where people talk about a very long cure makes fantastic or fabulous salts bars - but they rarely explain if they're talking about mildness or lather.

The lather in the picture Dibbles has is not the kind I want although its the kind I most often get - big and loose...and sometimes just too much of it.
I'm trying to get the tiny, tight, stiff, (like stiff peak egg whites!) lather.

Dibbles, are you willing to give some details about your recipe? How much co and salt you use?

 

[Obsidian]

I don't get big loose bubbles like Dibbles, mine is more tight and compact but I wouldn't call it egg white like.
I use 80% coconut, 20% olive oil with 35-50% salt. Cure at least a year for the best, thickest lather.

 

[dibbles]

I use 80% CO, 5% castor, and 15% oil of choice. These both had olive. 20% SF and 70% fine sea salt. The younger one in the picture grew up and became a lovely bar of soap. When I say a long cure benefits a salt bar, definitely there is an improvement in lather. But just like any other soap, milder too.

 

[shunt2011]

My recipe is similar to Obsidian. I use 80% CO, 15% Avocado and 5% Castor. 35-50% Salt. Get a nice creamy lather. I guess similar to egg whites maybe a bit thicker. I also use Coconut Milk for half the liquid.

 

[DeeAnna]

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/cure-time-doubters-a-visual.62723/

Okay, this makes me want to try salt bars again. I'd forgotten about this, Dibbles. Amazing difference.

 

[cmzaha]

This is a sample of the lather from a salt bar made May 15, 2017. It is 85% CO, 10% Castor, 5% SAO with a 17% superfat 100% fine Salt

 

[lenarenee]

cmzaha that is much closer to what I'm shooting for! I pulled out a plain jane salt bar I made about 4 months ago and gave it a wash and got the nice shaving cream lather. I have some very young salt bars (month old) I'll try soon for comparison (I made 2 batches today and washed all the dishes so my hands are done with soap and water).

I've never done 100% salt; wonder if that affects the size of the bubble.

 

[Lin19687]

I can only tell you about my young salt bars 2 months old
100% CO, 17% SF, 50% salt and I get small bubbles like cmzaha but not as many. Mainly due to it being a young bar.

I have another, same age, with 20% cocoa butter, and it is a bit more creamy. BUT not worth the extra $$ for CB , IMHO

ANOTHER bar that is 100%, 17% sf, 75% salt and it is not lathering as well but it is only a few weeks old. Still feels nice I had to use it because it has Sandlewood FO in it

 

[SoggyBottomSoaps]

Whenever I make salt bars I use milk as my liquid instead of water. I have noticed that this helps boost the fat content of my soaps and makes my lather much richer and helps create more bubbles. I typical use 100% coconut oil at 18% SF and my salt weight equals my weight in oils.

 

[Lin19687]

Ohh I forgot, I use 1/2 of the water in lye, then other 1/2 is yogurt after cook. I HP This may be why I have creamier lather

 

[cmzaha]

It may not have showed up, but the lather from mine is very thick, not fluffy bubbles. I find any added fats from milk deter some lather. Right now I cannot play with my bar to much since my hands have decided, after 20+ yrs to break out with eczema pretty bad and salt bars sting....

 

[HowieRoll]

In thinking about this post, I took a salt bar into the shower today that was made on Oct. 18, 2017. The recipe is::

80% coconut oil
10% avocado oil
10% castor oil
17% SF
60% oil weight in salt (Fine Pacific Sea Salt from Costco)
30% lye concentration, with 1/2 liquid as water, 1/2 liquid as coconut cream
EO combination of lavender, ylang ylang, rosemary, and geranium

One thing I noticed is that the amount of water introduced to the bar played a big part in what the lather looked like. When I used my really wet hands to generate lather and allowed mist from the shower to spray lightly over my hands/soap while lathering up, the lather was really fluffy. But when I shook my hands out and blocked the shower from misting on the soap the lather got really creamy and more stiff-egg-white-like.

I have no doubt that the recipe/cure time plays a role in lather, but I also wonder if how the bar is used in the shower will contribute, too. It took my husband a couple of months to figure out the ideal amount of water to have on his shaving brush when using the shave soap I made for him so that he could get the really thick, creamy lather he wanted. That same shave soap could lather several different ways based on a few factors (water quantity, brush stroke speed, number of strokes, etc.)! So maybe there's an optimal way to use soap in the shower to also manipulate lather how one wants it?

 

[Lin19687]

@cmzaha do you think Coconut milk would be a better alternative to Yogurt ?

 

[cmzaha]

In thinking about this post, I took a salt bar into the shower today that was made on Oct. 18, 2017. The recipe is::

80% coconut oil
10% avocado oil
10% castor oil
17% SF
60% oil weight in salt (Fine Pacific Sea Salt from Costco)
30% lye concentration, with 1/2 liquid as water, 1/2 liquid as coconut cream
EO combination of lavender, ylang ylang, rosemary, and geranium

One thing I noticed is that the amount of water introduced to the bar played a big part in what the lather looked like. When I used my really wet hands to generate lather and allowed mist from the shower to spray lightly over my hands/soap while lathering up, the lather was really fluffy. But when I shook my hands out and blocked the shower from misting on the soap the lather got really creamy and more stiff-egg-white-like.

I have no doubt that the recipe/cure time plays a role in lather, but I also wonder if how the bar is used in the shower will contribute, too. It took my husband a couple of months to figure out the ideal amount of water to have on his shaving brush when using the shave soap I made for him so that he could get the really thick, creamy lather he wanted. That same shave soap could lather several different ways based on a few factors (water quantity, brush stroke speed, number of strokes, etc.)! So maybe there's an optimal way to use soap in the shower to also manipulate lather how one wants it?

How it is used does make a difference. Mine will act the same as yours when more water is introduced or as you say, with less water more egg white typ stiff, which just adding a little of water will fluff it up. I do use coconut milk at times, but looking back at recipes I never used yogurts, gm etc. I was going through some of my old recipes and going to revisit a couple of them.