Moist salt bars

[rainycityjen]

I cut two batches of 100% coconut w/ 20% SF, 50% salt bars about 10 days ago. Tried to put some paper labels on last night and the soap seeped some kind of moisture onto the inside of the label. (Not a ton, just enough to darken the paper in the inside creases.) Is this probably evaporated water or SF? Doesn't zap.

Just trying to gauge if this is normal for salt bars as they're my first batch. (BTW one is Tea Tree EO and the other WSP Shea & Coconut FO. Both with this issue.)

 

[Chefmom]

All the soaps that I make with salt from my "little bit of salt" to full on 50% salt of oil soaps will go through a period of seepy weepy where beads of salty moisture are on them. They usually stop in a couple of weeks and are fine by the time they are done curing. When used for the first time sometimes they need a use or two before the lather really kicks in. I think it's because too much salt is on the outside and needs to be washed away to allow the soap to lather as it should.

 

[Seawolfe]

Did you use pure salt? or something with odd minerals like dead sea salt? The later is known to cause weeping. But if its regular salt, just try to keep them in a low humidity area and let them sort themselves out. I live in a very dry area so I don't usually see it in my 80% salt bars, but one wet winter I did for a while.

 

[cmzaha]

Is it oil? I quit a long time ago with 20% superfat because my soaps were always oily even with my 100% salt. With only 50% salt you have a lot of leftover oil in the bars to absorb. It is not al all normal for my 100% salt bars with a 15-13% superfat. I love salt bars over any other soap

 

[Obsidian]

Are you in Seattle? Is it raining at the moment? High humidity can make salt bars weep, try placing a small fan in the room where the bars are or using a dehumidifier.

 

[rainycityjen]

Could be a little humidity, I am in Seattle! I usually keep my bars down in basement where it's cooler and dry but brought them upstairs to work on packaging.

I used regular, fine grain sea salt. Checked my method and recipe and I don't believe any calculation errors. But possible SF is a bit high at 20% perhaps?

By the way I have noticed the initial lack of lather. I took a test bar to the bath and have been slowly wearing off the top layer. It's getting a bit better but not what I would expect from 100% coconut, yet.

 

[cmzaha]

it can take a min of 6 months cure to realize the full potential of a salt bar with 12 months even better. The longer the better for salt bars. I have some that are 2 yrs old before I started using them and they are lucious. Longer the better for salt bars

 

[Sagebrush]

I'm in Seattle too and I have trouble with weepy salt bars when the weather isn't dry. My packaging is paper, so sometimes I have to repackage when it's really bad. A few times at my market this winter, all my other bars stayed dry but my salt bars were attracting the moisture from the air all day!

 

[Obsidian]

There is nothing wrong with your recipe or SF, salt bars are notoriously weepy in humid areas. I would tuck them away for a few months and not wrap until they are completely cured.

 

[paillo]

There is nothing wrong with your recipe or SF, salt bars are notoriously weepy in humid areas. I would tuck them away for a few months and not wrap until they are completely cured.

I store mine in open plastic bins with cheap white rice, separated in layers of perforated parchment paper (wax paper will just get wet). It really helps. After months of cure, it's easy to brush off the rice and package. I'm still trying to get it right after many experiments with rice and protective papers, but perforated parchment paper does the best by me.