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.