Salt bar- post #10,000!

[Yooper]

I just used my first salt bar.

It was 80% CO, 20% OO, 50% salt, and 20% superfat.

It's only a tad less than four weeks old, but I just had to try it!

The first impression was awesome- Creamy rich bubbly later that felt like silk on my skin. I said to myself immediately, "Oh, I have to make more of this right away!" (I only made four large-ish bars in my first batch).

I used it for shaving, and it was great. It felt wonderful on my face.

Then, once my shower was over I noticed that even though I didn't feel "dry" or "tight", I did feel a little too "squeeky clean" if that makes sens.

I have, um, mature skin but it's not particularly dry. I'm assuming that a longer cure will help, but since I'd like to make some more right away I was hoping for some ideas on keeping that same wonderful quality of soap, but making it more conditioning (i.e. less cleansing).

I have searched the forum, and the whole internet(!) and found that there are as many thoughts on this as I suspected!

I guess what I'm asking is what others use for the % of oils (lowering the coconut oil, I suspect) but still get that great lather. I've seen some use shea butter, for example. What would be the lowest % of coconut oil to use and still get plenty of that rich lather? And would more olive oil be the way to go, or something else like lard or sweet almond oil?

And.........while I'm at it :mrgreen:, what % of salt do YOU like? I know some say 25% and others even 100%- but why?

I've been out of the shower for about an hour, and didn't moisturize at all since I wanted to see how it was. Weirdly, the skin on my body is soft and a bit dry- but my face is perfect! Plump, soft skin around my eyes (where it's got a few crow's feet) and my face feels like silk. So I don't want to change it much- I just want to not feel quite so overcleaned, if that makes sense.

 

[tbeck3579]

I embedded my regular soap in the standard salt bar recipe (80/20) for decoration. Salt is harsh and I knew my skin wouldn't take kindly to it at full strength (all salt bar with no conditioning). I don't know if it will be what I want because I just made it yesterday. The initial hand wash with the salt soap only was what I expected -- it sucked out every bit of moisture from my skin without adding anything. That doesn't happen with my standard soap recipe when I'm washing the soap molds/pots. I'll need to wait for the cure before I can judge the results, but I'm hoping for the best of both worlds.

 

[Lion Of Judah]

most soap makers have different oil and salt percentages that they like that works for them . that squeaky clean feeling you get means the CO too high for you . you can lower it and still get rich lather because the CO is still at a high %. i personally make my salt bars at 70% CO with my salt at the same weight , and my SF is 20%. i add castor at 10% , mango butter, almond oil and wheat germ oil to make up the 30%. to date i have not had any complaints from those that have tested my salt soap. it will come down to you finding a nice percentage that works for your skin .

 

[Obsidian]

I too have mature skin and use the exact same recipe you do. There is no way I can use any salt bar at only 4 weeks, give it a 4 month cure then compare it. The difference is huge and a 1 year old salt bar is absolutely the best. Because of the long cure, I make a batch every couple of months so I'll always have properly cured salt bars ready for use.

I prefer 35%-50% salt, I have hard water and any more salt then that makes the bars hard to lather.

 

[cmzaha]

I have old skin and use 80/20 coconut /castor, 17% superfat and a min 3 month cure. But then, my skin loves salt and is not in the least drying to me. I use fine pacific sea salt which is what I grew up playing in. With my itchy eczema, growing up I spent every minute I could in the ocean. Now I bring the ocean to my shower. If I still had my boat I would be bringing home Catalina Sea Water.

 

[Seawolfe]

Remember that salt inhibits lather and cleansing. I once read that a salt bar made of no coconut and Palm "lathered liked a block of plastic". So my guess is that if you up the salt, you decrease the lather and the cleansing, making all that coconut less harsh.

I would try upping the salt or lowering the coconut to see. Maybe put some Shea in there. But a decent cure might make all the difference on these.

 

[IrishLass]

Soap is a very individual thing, but for what it's worth, I like to make my salt bars with 100% CO, 25% salt ppo, 100% coconut milk as my liquid, and a 13% s/f. It's a formula I settled on after much trial and error. My recipe before all of my mad tweaking consisted of 100% CO, 100% salt and 10% s/f, which I felt was nice enough, but I wanted more lather and conditioning. The salt soap I settled on fits the bill perfectly for the likes of me.


IrishLass

 

[BlackDog]

I just made my first salt bar and used exactly that recipe except I subbed 100% coconut milk with a 15% SF. I have no advice to offer but just wanted to say thanks for posting - I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for when I eventually try mine out if I need to tweak it!

 

[green soap]

I make two types of salt bars, one at 50%, and the other at 25%. I use both Pacific sea salt, and himalayan salt.

If I use coconut milk, I calculate how many extra grams of fat this adds, and reduce my SF% accordingly. My default SF% is 20%. I have used coffee, goat milk, aloe vera juice, and herbal teas of different persuasions. I still have not tried beer/salt soaps, and I love both beer soap and salt soaps. Hmmm sounds like a plan.

Forgot to add I use 100% CO for my 50% salt soaps - the other salt % is mostly CO as well.

 

[Obsidian]

I still have not tried beer/salt soaps, and I love both beer soap and salt soaps. Hmmm sounds like a plan.

Beer is very nice is a salt bar, almost as good as coconut milk.

 

[aprice522]

I too felt the same way with my overly squeaky feeling skin at a 4week trial. I'm putting it back up to cure and put in a reminder in my calendar to check in 3 months!

 

[spenny92]

I use 50% salt, 90% coconut and 10% castor @ 20% SF and I love them. They actually leave my skin silky soft and conditioned, not drying to my skin at all. And that's using them when they haven't even cured for 4 weeks... I'm impatient and normally use them after a few days, and I'm not sure I can tell much of a difference between the new, not cured bars, and my older salt bars (over 4 week cure) - that's just me.

 

[Yooper]

I use 50% salt, 90% coconut and 10% castor @ 20% SF and I love them. They actually leave my skin silky soft and conditioned, not drying to my skin at all. And that's using them when they haven't even cured for 4 weeks... I'm impatient and normally use them after a few days, and I'm not sure I can tell much of a difference between the new, not cured bars, and my older salt bars (over 4 week cure) - that's just me.

It seems like several people comment on the 10% castor oil with the 90% coconut.

I think I'll try 80% coconut, 10% castor and 10% shea(?) or olive oil. I have to check my supplies of shea butter. And 50% salt again (that seems great), and 20% SF.

I think using beer as the liquid would be great, as well. I am a brewer, and I have several beers on tap right now that are light-ish in color.

 

[Spice]

I have old skin and use 80/20 coconut /castor, 17% superfat and a min 3 month cure. But then, my skin loves salt and is not in the least drying to me. I use fine pacific sea salt which is what I grew up playing in. With my itchy eczema, growing up I spent every minute I could in the ocean. Now I bring the ocean to my shower. If I still had my boat I would be bringing home Catalina Sea Water.

Is salt bars good for eczema?

 

[Spice]

I make two types of salt bars, one at 50%, and the other at 25%. I use both Pacific sea salt, and himalayan salt.

If I use coconut milk, I calculate how many extra grams of fat this adds, and reduce my SF% accordingly. My default SF% is 20%. I have used coffee, goat milk, aloe vera juice, and herbal teas of different persuasions. I still have not tried beer/salt soaps, and I love both beer soap and salt soaps. Hmmm sounds like a plan.

Forgot to add I use 100% CO for my 50% salt soaps - the other salt % is mostly CO as well.

First question is how do you calculate the fat in the coconut milk? And, do you do the same for the goat milk? I wanted to make a goat milk soap, if I do I would have to calculate for the fat?

 

[Spice]

I use 8% french gray salt salt and that's it. When I made the salt bars at 50% they were too scratchy for me. In my picture you can see the salt.

 

[cmzaha]

Is salt bars good for eczema?

It is for me. I have had severe eczema since a kid, and my skin loves the cleansing, healing properties of salt

 

[shunt2011]

Salt bars are my personal favorite. I use them on my face and body. It has helped eliminate my breakouts almost completely. I still get it sometimes but rarely. And when I do it clears up much faster. I use mostly CO, Avocado, Castor and just recently added a bit of shea to test out and 20% SF with 25% Sea Salt (sometimes 30%). Love Love Love them.