Two rebatchs & salt bar

[Hazel]

Have you tried it in soap yet?

 

[BakingNana]

As a side note, a couple of days ago I was at Whole Foods getting spirulina and an "earth girl" was standing there. She asked me what I was going to use it for, and got the soap talk. She just about jumped up and down with excitement at the idea of kelp/algae in soap. She thought it would be great for her skin. She said she puts kelp or spirulina in all her food. Don't think she'd have cared if it smelled fishy!

 

[Stinkydancer]

Nice salt bars Hazel. It looks like you are learning some things the hard way! It makes you better in the end!

Your kitty is awesome!

 

[Hazel]

Thanks! But I'd rather learn them the easy way. :wink:

I really don't know what went wrong. Maybe I had false trace? But at least I learned how to save a batch.

 

[Stinkydancer]

We all learned the hard way!!! Easy way is no fun. LOL

 

[Hazel]

Right...there's nothing like the excitement of carefully planning, measuring, mixing and blending, then the heady rush of panic when you realize something has gone wrong.

After that comes the begging and pleading with the soap gods to intercede and save the batch, followed by hissy fits, hair pulling, screams of frustration and then the slow sinking into the numbness of despair.

Yup! Definitely more fun.

I should add that after all of this, I recover and start planning my next batch.

 

[Stinkydancer]

Oh hun after 10 plus years of soaping- it's always the same. You just know when that batch has gone wonky.

Only difference is there is no more panic- there is just a big OH CRAP! Sigh...

Like you said- you just move on and go to the next.

 

[Hazel]

Actually when I wrote that I was trying to be humorous. I guess I wasn't.

 

[Stinkydancer]

Nope you were!

 

[dubnica]

What is so special about salt bars?

 

[Best Natural Soap]

Salt bars are so wonderfully fabulously great for your skin!!! They leave you feeling soft and silky and smooth-
They have scrubby texture, and they make you feel moist.
The bars are REALLY hard, too. Nice lasting power. They feel like river rocks as they get used.

 

[Deda]

You'll love your salt bars more if you let them cure the full month.

 

[dubnica]

Salt bars are so wonderfully fabulously great for your skin!!! They leave you feeling soft and silky and smooth-
They have scrubby texture, and they make you feel moist.
The bars are REALLY hard, too. Nice lasting power. They feel like river rocks as they get used.

Hmmm... it makes me want to try it....where can I find good recipe for it?

 

[BakingNana]

There are recipes out there....a Google search will return a few. But basically it's a very high percentage coconut oil (I use 80% coconut and 20% castor), but some even use 100%), and 20% superfat in the calculations. The amount of salt you add depends on what you like, but seems to range anywhere from 50% to 100% of the weight of the oils. I add 75% of the weight of the oils in fine sea salt.

I mix in the salt with a silicone spatula at a medium trace. I pack it into the molds, then put them in the oven which has been preheated to 170 degrees and TURNED OFF. I let them sit in there about 4-5 hours and then cut them as they are still slightly warm. I use a very thin (boning) knife and cut slowly, but I still manage to lose at least 1 bar out of every 8. They need to cure at least a month as Deda said. Seems to take (mine, at least) that long for them to be nice and hard.

Using a salt bar in the shower IMO gives the benefits of bath salts in the shower. Whether you use the bar by running it over your skin or lather it up in a washcloth, you'll be amazed how good it feels. Of course, you wouldn't to wash "everything" with it, if you get my drift!

I just got my 8 bar cutter from TOG, so I'm planning to try it on my next batch of salt bars to see if I can get all 8 out of a loaf! (sorry, didn't mean to write a book here!)

 

[Hazel]

dubnica - I made my first batch by using this tutorial. I do want to say that I'm not too sure about the 60% salt. It doesn't seem very scrubby. My second batch I used 70% salt but I haven't used it yet so I can't compare them right now.

"removed tutorial link - it's gone"

I just got my 8 bar cutter from TOG, so I'm planning to try it on my next batch of salt bars to see if I can get all 8 out of a loaf! (sorry, didn't mean to write a book here!)

Great! Please let us know how it works. You don't have to apologize for writing so much. I found it interesting and helpful. I didn't know you could put them in an oven. Thanks for the info.

 

[dubnica]

OK so I made this salt bar last week and I already used it and I have to say that you guys were right. Salt soap IS great! I used fine sea salt, next time I will use coarse kind to make it scrubbier.

 

[Sunny]

I wouldn't say that coarse salt makes the bar "scrubbier" but I do like the texture much more than fine salt.

 

[Hazel]

dubnica - looks good. Did you use a scent?

 

[dubnica]

dubnica - looks good. Did you use a scent?

I used eucalyptus/mint. It smells good.

 

[Hazel]

Wow! I bet that would wake you up in the morning.

I use mints in lotions, massage bars and soap but I've never used eucalyptus even though I love the scent. Where do you get your eucalyptus?