marine salt?

[Obsidian]

I was mixing up a batch of salt water today for my hermit crabs using instant ocean, its a product you use for salt water aquariums. Got me wondering if I could use it in a brine bar or salt bar?

I can't find any info on the mineral content but its supposed to have more minerals then plain sea salt made for eating. I suppose this means its more like dead sea salt which could ruin the soap but I still have to wonder. I have a big box of this stuff and it will take me years to use it all up with just the crabs.

 

[shunt2011]

I would just do a small test batch to see what happens. I'm not familiar with that. If you do, let us know how it works.

 

[Susie]

I have made soap with actual sea water with no problems. I doubt that stuff is much different. I think my hubby has some around here somewhere...I may have to try it, just to see.

ETA-Found it, mixed it. Working on a recipe.

 

[notapantsday]

Are minerals in your soap really desirable though? Magnesium and Calcium will both prevent the soap from lathering and just create more scum.

Minerals aren't easily absorbed through the skin anyway, especially if you rinse them off after a few minutes. If you eat enough minerals, they will be transported to wherever they're needed. Our body is actually pretty good at this, we have all kinds of special proteins and ion transporters for that.

 

[Susie]

The difference in having hard water and making soap with sea salt(or Instant Ocean) is enormous. There are way more minerals in there than magnesium and calcium. Sea water makes a lovely hard bar of soap. Hard water just makes scum.

The purpose of making soap with sea water is to have a different soap, not to absorb minerals. Try it, you might like it.

Which is sort of the point...you might like it, but you will never know unless you try it. Chemical equations will never tell you if you will like the soap or not. Soapmaking is both a science and an art.

 

[notapantsday]

There are way more minerals in there than magnesium and calcium.

But they are the most common (after sodium, of course). If you use sea salt with more minerals, you will mostly just get more magnesium and calcium. And most of us are using distilled water to avoid just that.

Just saying. Obviously, I haven't tried this special kind of sea salt but I doubt anyone else here has.

 

[Seawolfe]

I cant see how sea salt (made from evaporated ocean water) and marine salt can be much different. The one thing I will say is that I know that Instant Ocean has to take pains to have none of the metals that are bad for invertebrates like copper. I would be perfectly happy to use it in my soap - let us know if you notice a difference.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

But they are the most common (after sodium, of course). If you use sea salt with more minerals, you will mostly just get more magnesium and calcium. And most of us are using distilled water to avoid just that.

Just saying. Obviously, I haven't tried this special kind of sea salt but I doubt anyone else here has.

Especially likely in a manufactured product made to mimic sea water. It's likely not to have the trace minerals that are in actual sea water. Heck, for that matter "sea water" isn't even a constant thing across the world, but is dependant on the local geology and biology. That's one of the reasons the water is a different color in the Caribbean Sea than in the Aegean, which are both different from the dark saphire of truly deep water away from shore.

 

[Susie]

But they are the most common (after sodium, of course). If you use sea salt with more minerals, you will mostly just get more magnesium and calcium. And most of us are using distilled water to avoid just that.

Just saying. Obviously, I haven't tried this special kind of sea salt but I doubt anyone else here has.

You know, brine soap has a name...Solseife. I am not the first to make soap with sea water, nor will I be the last. However, I will let you know how this particular sea salt mixture does in soap after it cures.

 

[Obsidian]

I don't want to use it because of the mineral content, I was just looking at it as another source of salt for salt bars since I have more then I really need for the hermit crabs.

Susie, are you making Solseife? If so, I'll try making regular salt bar but it will be couple days, need to go oil shopping.

 

[Susie]

I mixed the Instant Ocean to the directions on the box, then used a straight substitution for plain water. I poured it into individual silicone molds because I remember how hard the last batch of Solseife was. I don't really care for salt bars, but Solseife is lovely.

 

[traderbren]

I'm curious to see how your soap comes out. I believe we still have salt from our reef tank we took down a few years ago. Not sure why we kept it. :/

 

[CTAnton]

The salt that I received for free which was an animal mineral supplement was very brown in color...the minerals were of such a high concentration as to color the soap.Soaping with it in salt bars gave me a pool on top of the bars for weeks. I'm thinking if your Instant Ocean is white or off white the additional minerals should not make for a problem....just my 2 cents...

 

[Susie]

I'm curious to see how your soap comes out. I believe we still have salt from our reef tank we took down a few years ago. Not sure why we kept it. :/

That's why we had some. My hubby had a reef tank a while ago. I inventoried what he has on hand to see what we need to make it a functional tank again, probably as a Christmas present.

ETA- Yes, Instant Ocean is very white.

 

[Susie]

Update-Unmolded the bars today after freezing for an hour (ungelled, and in individual molds). Came out very nicely. When I sprayed water in the molds, I got lots of lather. That is always a good sign.

If I had to do it over again, I would probably use about double (if not more, but I would start with double) the Instant Ocean concentration to get more in there. I missed that good hard bar.

 

[Obsidian]

I picked up some coconut oil today so I'll make my test bars in the next day or two.

 

[Obsidian]

I made my salt bars tonight. Basic 80% coconut, 20% safflower with 20%SF and I'm beginning to wonder if it will turn out ok.
Added 50% salt at thin trace, blended well and poured into individual molds. By the time I poured the last bar, the batter had curdled and separated badly. Poured the mess back into the bowl and blended to medium trace, when I stopped blending, it would separate again. Eventually it got thick and stayed together but once I got it poured again, it thinned back out. Its not separating, at least not yet so cross your fingers it hardens ok.

 

[nsmar4211]

I have trouble with Instant Ocean attracting moisture/getting full of water no matter how I store it, I was thinking it has something weird mineral wise in it. My puffer seems happy with it even though its mush now before I mix it in.... I was considering using it up in soap to make room for some fresh stuff but the water grabbing property scared me off... following this with interest!

 

[Obsidian]

I was reading on their web site about how it attracts moisture and should be stored in a air tight container. I'm going to move mine into a empty lye bucket before it gets any damper.

The soap is no longer curdling and it finally starting to get thick but a bit of oil has risen to the surface. I've mixed it back in and all seem ok for now. Really hoping this doesn't make a mushy, weepy soap.

 

[Obsidian]

The soap is a complete failure. It did set up some and its zap free but its extremely soft, like room temp cream cheese. If it lathers, I might use it like soap dough but I have a feeling it will end up in the trash.

Susie, looks like you did the right thing with yours by using a small amount for your brine. I won't be experimenting anymore with this salt, I'll leave it for the crabs.