Salt Bars Breaking while usage

[agirlhasnoname]

Why are my salt bars splitting into two? While it hasn't happened to my own bar, my friends who have been using it have complained.
My recipe is roughly this
Coconut oil 70%
Rice bran oil 30%
Superfat 20%
Salt - same amount as coconut oil (70% of oil wt)

What am I doing wrong?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Did you do a simple pour, or colours? How long did they cure for, how long did you wait to cut? What are the dimensions of the bar?

I find that the last slivers do tend to break towards the end of lifr

 

[agirlhasnoname]

A simple pour. Add alknet. Cure for the usual 4-6 weeks. Individual, 3*2 inch rectangle mould.
Mine crack towards the end too, but apparently friend's broke midway.

 

[penelopejane]

I cure salt bars for 6 months minimum but mine don't have as much CO as yours. I use 40% CO and they don't break.

 

[BattleGnome]

I find salt bars are just brittle. My one color bars break midway, I thought it was the nature of a salt bar

 

[shunt2011]

Mine will break but not until it's a fairly small piece. Sometimes they break in half but don't crumble. Do 80% CO and 40% Salt. I think it's the nature of them with the salt.

 

[Cellador]

What type/size of salt did you use? In my experience, coarser salt makes for a more fragile bar.

 

[agirlhasnoname]

I cure salt bars for 6 months minimum but mine don't have as much CO as yours. I use 40% CO and they don't break.

Does it lather without a high % of co? Does it retain fragrance curing so long?

The salt was medium fine (pink salt) I would say? Like many here mine breaks off towards the end too. Just wondered if there was anything I could do, like reduce the amount of salt, to reduce the chance of breakage.

 

[cmzaha]

The salt was medium fine (pink salt) I would say? Like many here mine breaks off towards the end too. Just wondered if there was anything I could do, like reduce the amount of salt, to reduce the chance of breakage.

Not sure what you are calling medium fine. Salt bars should always be made with x fine to fine or they become very abrasive. If using Himalayan Pink salt I will only use x fine. My salt bars will break when they become very thin but only then. My recipe is 80% CO with 100% salt aged min of 6 months

 

[Seawolfe]

I find if I make my bars a full inch thick (so 2" x 4" x 1") they don't break till the end when they are super thin. Same for my cavity molds - its better if I fill them completely.
And I had less breaking when I used fine salt rather than fine & kosher mixed. My recipe is 80% CO and 80% ppo salt. But they do all seem to break when they are mostly used up and quite thin.

 

[IrishLass]

I use 100% CO, 100% coconut milk as my liquid, 25% fine sea salt ppo, 13% S/F. Mine will break only when it is a tiny, thin sliver. When I used to make them with 100% fine sea salt, they seemed to break a little earlier.


IrishLass

 

[penelopejane]

Does it lather without a high % of co? Does it retain fragrance curing so long?

Yes i think it lathers well but we are not lather freaks so I'm not sure what others would think. If you use enough FO and it's a good one it will last. I have soaps 2 years old (not salt bars though) and the fragrance (BB champagne at 15ml per kg oil) is still there. I have tried Sea Spray and salty sailor but won't use them again as they accelerate and lose their scent.

They need a long cure as they tend to weep every so often for a few months.
My bars are 1 1/4 inches thick and they do tend to break when there is a very thin sliver left.

 

[Skatergirl46]

Why are my salt bars splitting into two? While it hasn't happened to my own bar, my friends who have been using it have complained.
My recipe is roughly this
Coconut oil 70%
Rice bran oil 30%
Superfat 20%
Salt - same amount as coconut oil (70% of oil wt)

What am I doing wrong?

Are you talking about when they’re new, or after usage when they’re thin and small?

I do 50% salt and mine don’t break. ...at least not until they’re a thin sliver.