Please tell me about salt bars

[DeeAnna]

Iodized salt (table salt aka sodium chloride with iodine added) is fine in this type of soap. The amount of iodine in the salt isn't enough to cause problems. People don't use it when canning food, because sometimes the iodine can darken some foods. But I've used iodized salt interchangeably with canning salt (fine-grain plain sodium chloride) for soap making.

Dead sea salt, on the other hand, contains large amounts of various minerals. Some of these minerals will react with soap to form insoluble, sticky soap scum. Other minerals can make the soap permanently soft. So I'd avoid dead sea salt for soap making.

Same goes for any other "salt" that isn't sodium chloride (table salt). For example, epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) is another salt that people sometimes put in soap, to their regret.

 

[Servant4Christ]

Iodized salt (table salt aka sodium chloride with iodine added) is fine in this type of soap. The amount of iodine in the salt isn't enough to cause problems. People don't use it when canning food, because sometimes the iodine can darken some foods. But I've used iodized salt interchangeably with canning salt (fine-grain plain sodium chloride) for soap making.

Dead sea salt, on the other hand, contains large amounts of various minerals. Some of these minerals will react with soap to form insoluble, sticky soap scum. Other minerals can make the soap permanently soft. So I'd avoid dead sea salt for soap making.

Same goes for any other "salt" that isn't sodium chloride (table salt). For example, epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) is another salt that people sometimes put in soap, to their regret.

I knew you'd come to the rescue! Thank you for continuing to educate me. Seriously. You even once saved me from epic failure (soap scum) back when I was considering using maple sand in soap. I still have the pictures of the results from the testing you walked me through.

 

[KimLynn]

I made my salt bars using the recipe from Becky Zepeda in the May/June issue of Willow and Sage.

84% coconut oil
8% almond oil
8% cocoa butter
Water to lye ratio was 1.2 to 1
Sea salt was about 44% of the weight of the oils, and added at trace.

I used round and oval cavity molds and the soap turned out beautifully. I started using and giving away at about the 5 week point, and my only issue with them is that I’m in a very humid climate and this summer has been brutal, so the bars sweat in the shower.

I put the coarse sea salt into one small section of the mild on the bottom, so it shows on the top when unmolded. It smooths out pretty quickly with use, and I’ve never had it scratch me.

I’m extremely pleased with the recipe and results.

 

[ackosel]

I made my salt bars using the recipe from Becky Zepeda in the May/June issue of Willow and Sage.

84% coconut oil
8% almond oil
8% cocoa butter
Water to lye ratio was 1.2 to 1
Sea salt was about 44% of the weight of the oils, and added at trace.

I used round and oval cavity molds and the soap turned out beautifully. I started using and giving away at about the 5 week point, and my only issue with them is that I’m in a very humid climate and this summer has been brutal, so the bars sweat in the shower.

I put the coarse sea salt into one small section of the mild on the bottom, so it shows on the top when unmolded. It smooths out pretty quickly with use, and I’ve never had it scratch me.

I’m extremely pleased with the recipe and results.

Thank you for sharing your recipe and feedback. I'm hoping to have time for making a batch of salt bars in the next few days.

 

[Tammyfarms]

I also use Obsidians recipe which has been shared. Something that hasn’t been mentioned is that salt soap is awesome for eliminating body odor. I usually make a high lard soap and while it’s really gentle and lovely there are times that I need a little extra help with body odor. Salt soap is always in my shower during the summer. I have a few friends that request it for the same reason.
When you pour the salt in the batter it will thicken quickly, I don’t recommend using more than one color. Mix the color in the batter before adding the salt. Uncolored it makes a lovely white bar.
My personal experience is that a long cure is really beneficial, I didn’t like it at all at 6-8 weeks, it was ok at a 3-4 months, better around 6 months and after a year is awesome.
I don’t scent mine as I primarily use EOs and they just don’t stick.
Looking forward to hearing your experiences. Have fun!

 

[Frijoles]

I saw an unusual sort of salt bar in this video by Holly's Soapmaking on YouTube; she used only 10 percent salt, which is an amount often dissolved into the liquid for a soleseife bar, but she added it to traced batter instead. I'm planning to try it!

I've made this recipe and it's lovely. She uses 50% coconut oil and 12% SF with 10% salt.

I've also made the one that Lisa from I Dream in Soap shared, using 60% coconut oil and 15% SF with 40% salt, and it was nice as well.

I'm wondering how much less coconut oil and superfat I could use with just 10% salt. Calculating from the recipe Lisa shared, 60% coconut oil for 40% salt would be 15% coconut oil for 10% salt, but that seems too little to get bubles/lather in a salt bar.

I'm also wondering if adding sugar helps with bubbles/lather in a salt bar. Thanks.

 

[ackosel]

I also use Obsidians recipe which has been shared. Something that hasn’t been mentioned is that salt soap is awesome for eliminating body odor. I usually make a high lard soap and while it’s really gentle and lovely there are times that I need a little extra help with body odor. Salt soap is always in my shower during the summer. I have a few friends that request it for the same reason.
When you pour the salt in the batter it will thicken quickly, I don’t recommend using more than one color. Mix the color in the batter before adding the salt. Uncolored it makes a lovely white bar.
My personal experience is that a long cure is really beneficial, I didn’t like it at all at 6-8 weeks, it was ok at a 3-4 months, better around 6 months and after a year is awesome.
I don’t scent mine as I primarily use EOs and they just don’t stick.
Looking forward to hearing your experiences. Have fun!

I heard that as well, that salt bars help with body odor. Of course, *I* don't have body odor, but I have teenagers who could use some help in that department.

Thank you for your input. I'm planning to use annatto infused olive oil as 100% replacement for the olive oil in the recipe as my colorant. Hoping that results in a pale yellow bar.

Thank-you for the unscented recommendation. I also only use essential oils. Might as well not waste it in a long cure where it'll fade anyway.

Off topic just a little, I bought a big bulk bag of paprika powder at Winco yesterday with no intention of using any of it in food...

 

[ackosel]

I've made this recipe and it's lovely. She uses 50% coconut oil and 12% SF with 10% salt.

I've also made the one that Lisa from I Dream in Soap shared, using 60% coconut oil and 15% SF with 40% salt, and it was nice as well.

I'm wondering how much less coconut oil and superfat I could use with just 10% salt. Calculating from the recipe Lisa shared, 60% coconut oil for 40% salt would be 15% coconut oil for 10% salt, but that seems too little to get bubles/lather in a salt bar.

I'm also wondering if adding sugar helps with bubbles/lather in a salt bar. Thanks.

I recently made my first batch of soap with sugar and am amazed at the difference it made in lather! I make goat milk soap exclusively, but the added sugar really boosted the bubbles. I'm planning to use sugar and milk in my salt bars. I'll use cavity molds to cut down on the chance of overheating. I'll let you know how it turns out, if I remember in a year!

We are just too busy at the moment for me to make soap, but hopefully I can find a non-urgent job to neglect long enough to make soap in the next week or so!

 

[AliOop]

I'm planning to use sugar and milk in my salt bars.

Salt bars are normally high in coconut oil, so you don’t need to add sugar for them to be very bubbly.

 

[ackosel]

Salt bars are normally high in coconut oil, so you don’t need to add sugar for them to be very bubbly.

Well, that simplifies things. Thank you!

 

[melinda48]

I've made this recipe and it's lovely. She uses 50% coconut oil and 12% SF with 10% salt.

I've also made the one that Lisa from I Dream in Soap shared, using 60% coconut oil and 15% SF with 40% salt, and it was nice as well.

I'm wondering how much less coconut oil and superfat I could use with just 10% salt. Calculating from the recipe Lisa shared, 60% coconut oil for 40% salt would be 15% coconut oil for 10% salt, but that seems too little to get bubles/lather in a salt bar.

I'm also wondering if adding sugar helps with bubbles/lather in a salt bar. Thanks.

I use Lisa’s recipe exclusively and love it! I get plenty of bubbles and have not experienced any dry skin issues with this recipe. I do have to plan to cut in just about 3 hours after making.

 

[CecileBC]

Hi ! This thread was so interesting that I got into it straight away.
I made a salt bar, which I have tried yesterday after a four week cure. I found it a little too cleansing in the way that it left my face a bit dry and "tight" - I have sensitive skin - while it left a slight "oily" feel on the body.

Do you think it comes from the high CO content, or from the salt ?
Here is my recipe:
- 85% CO
- 5% Castor oil
- 10% avocado oil
- 50% of oil weight of salt (I used sea salt from Bretagne called Sel de Guerande)
33% lye concentration
20% superfat

Is my superfat not high enough to counterbalance the high CO ?

Thank for your advice

 

[ackosel]

I made my salt soap a week ago. I don't think I stirred the salt in well enough, because there were a couple salt clumps in the batter when I poured it. I hope that didn't ruin it!

It got a heavy layer of soda ash on top, and was crumbly when I beveled the top edge. The sunny yellow color paled to more of a bright pastel shade. Still very yellow.

My recipe was:

85% coconut oil
10% annato-infused olive oil
5% castor oil
50% fine sea salt
16% superfat
30% lye concentration
No scent

Salt was hand stirred at medium trace.

 

[ackosel]

Hi ! This thread was so interesting that I got into it straight away.
I made a salt bar, which I have tried yesterday after a four week cure. I found it a little too cleansing in the way that it left my face a bit dry and "tight" - I have sensitive skin - while it left a slight "oily" feel on the body.

Do you think it comes from the high CO content, or from the salt ?
Here is my recipe:
- 85% CO
- 5% Castor oil
- 10% avocado oil
- 50% of oil weight of salt (I used sea salt from Bretagne called Sel de Guerande)
33% lye concentration
20% superfat

Is my superfat not high enough to counterbalance the high CO ?

Thank for your advice

Since I have never made (until last week) or used salt soap, I cannot answer your questions, but I'll take a wild guess that the soap will be much better after another 6 months of aging.

It sounds like you are describing salt soap similarly to how @DeeAnna did - that maybe it's just not a soap your skin will like. I'm anxious to try mine!

 

[Ekuzo]

Hi ! This thread was so interesting that I got into it straight away.
I made a salt bar, which I have tried yesterday after a four week cure. I found it a little too cleansing in the way that it left my face a bit dry and "tight" - I have sensitive skin - while it left a slight "oily" feel on the body.

Do you think it comes from the high CO content, or from the salt ?
Here is my recipe:
- 85% CO
- 5% Castor oil
- 10% avocado oil
- 50% of oil weight of salt (I used sea salt from Bretagne called Sel de Guerande)
33% lye concentration
20% superfat

Is my superfat not high enough to counterbalance the high CO ?

Thank for your advice

Give it more time, I'm sure it will get milder. Ackosel gave a great advice, wait at least 6 months.

I made my salt soap a week ago. I don't think I stirred the salt in well enough, because there were a couple salt clumps in the batter when I poured it. I hope that didn't ruin it!

It got a heavy layer of soda ash on top, and was crumbly when I beveled the top edge. The sunny yellow color paled to more of a bright pastel shade. Still very yellow.

My recipe was:

85% coconut oil
10% annato-infused olive oil
5% castor oil
50% fine sea salt
16% superfat
30% lye concentration
No scent

Salt was hand stirred at medium trace.

That yellow is great, I really hope it stays like this - even though it's not very likely

 

[AliOop]

Hi ! This thread was so interesting that I got into it straight away.
I made a salt bar, which I have tried yesterday after a four week cure. I found it a little too cleansing in the way that it left my face a bit dry and "tight" - I have sensitive skin - while it left a slight "oily" feel on the body.

I agree with the advice above to let it cure a lot longer. My salt soaps are way too cleansing in the first few months; they get much milder around 8 mos and are heavenly at a year. I have some that are two years old and are amazing.

 

[ackosel]

I went ahead and just washed my hands with a sample bar of salt soap at one week, partly to try it out and partly to see if I could wash the heavy soda ash off. I was blown away by the amount of lather it already has! It has more lather than any other soap I've made so far, though I usually use 20% or less coconut oil in my regular soaps. I did notice that slippery, "oily" feeling on my hands after rinsing that I think was from the salt. I'll bet that goes away with a very long cure. About half the soda ash washed off.

 

[Ekuzo]

I went ahead and just washed my hands with a sample bar of salt soap at one week, partly to try it out and partly to see if I could wash the heavy soda ash off. I was blown away by the amount of lather it already has! It has more lather than any other soap I've made so far, though I usually use 20% or less coconut oil in my regular soaps. I did notice that slippery, "oily" feeling on my hands after rinsing that I think was from the salt. I'll bet that goes away with a very long cure. About half the soda ash washed off.

Could that 'oily' feeling be due to the high SF? I haven't made salt soap and I'm just curious at this point

 

[ackosel]

Could that 'oily' feeling be due to the high SF? I haven't made salt soap and I'm just curious at this point

It reminded me of the feeling of softened water.

 

[CecileBC]

Thank you all for your kind answers !
@ackosel I love the colour of your soap !