What Do You Like About Salt Bars?

[Dawni]

Test it. It might be ok. But it is just not worth the risk in soap. It is really lethally sharp in soap and can draw blood.

I'm hoping it is. I gave most away last Christmas to family and told them to report to me but most haven't used theirs haha. I have to check the other batch I made with it, the one when I ran out of regular salt. I'll report back. Thanks again

 

[Clarice]

I take mine to light trace because the salt stays in suspension through the bar if I do that. Yours will still make soap.

Ah - so I might find that my salt drifts to the bottom of the bars (the tops as they come out of the molds? Thanks!

 

[JasmineTea]

When talking to my daughter recently about the salt bars I'd sent her, she commented that she'd had to unclog the bathroom sink less often since using the salt bar at the sink. Using the salt bar was the only different thing she'd been doing. Prior to that, she was using just a normal bar of my homemade soap. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[penelopejane]

When talking to my daughter recently about the salt bars I'd sent her, she commented that she'd had to unclog the bathroom sink less often since using the salt bar at the sink. Using the salt bar was the only different thing she'd been doing. Prior to that, she was using just a normal bar of my homemade soap. Has anyone else experienced this?

No I haven’t, sorry.
I used to have a problem with soap scum so I use citric acid in all of my soap which prevents/greatly reduces it.

 

[shunt2011]

I've not noticed any difference in my plumbing using regular soap or salt soap.

 

[melinda48]

When talking to my daughter recently about the salt bars I'd sent her, she commented that she'd had to unclog the bathroom sink less often since using the salt bar at the sink. Using the salt bar was the only different thing she'd been doing. Prior to that, she was using just a normal bar of my homemade soap. Has anyone else experienced this?

Have never had any clogging issues with my soaps. I have just begun using citric acid after learning of its many benefits.

 

[cmzaha]

I did have plumbing problems before lowering my superfat. I now call out the plumber at least a third less that when I first started making soap. I use Tetrasodium EDTA in all batches

 

[Kathy Heiner]

No I haven’t, sorry.
I used to have a problem with soap scum so I use citric acid in all of my soap which prevents/greatly reduces it.

How much citric acid PPO do you use? DO you add it to your lye water after it has cooled. Thx

 

[penelopejane]

I use 1% ppo. I add it to the water and dissolve it before adding the lye. If I masterbatch the lye is warm. But you can do it with warm or cold lye.

 

[Clarice]

I have been on a salt "tear" lately and last night I made another batch with the attached recipe from The Spruce Crafts.

Because I had recently received indigo crystals (Jacard from Dharma Trading) and in The Nerdy Housewife (?) book she showed Indigo morphing into a beautiful purplely color, I decided to add indigo infused in aloe juice to to my additional liquid, which in this case was aloe juice (I MB my lye, so added liquid needed to reach lye concentration)

I used 75% salt per oil weight.

This puppy took FOREVER to trace, and even this AM when I cut it was really really soft (hard enough to stay in a loaf and slide out of my mold, but soft enough to deform with a prodding finger.

Was this an adverse reaction to Indigo? Prior to making this I made a non-salt batch with the same indigo and it hardened beautifully.

I will put this away on the "at least six month" shelf

Any thoughts as to what went amiss?

 

[smengot0]

Yep waiting overnight would require a saw. I cut my 100% salt bars within 45-60 minutes. Usually the 45 min mark is what works for my recipe. In my opinion there is nothing better than a 2-3 yr old 100% salt bar. I have one that I use once in awhile that is 5 yrs old. I don't want it to go away so I don't use if often

2-3 years? 5yrs? Wow!! That is old....lol. How do you manage to be sooo patient?

 

[Steve85569]

2-3 years? 5yrs? Wow!! That is old....lol. How do you manage to be sooo patient?

Easy. I have boxes full of soap and soap from a swap or two.
We can only use so much soap.

 

[Mississippi soapmaker]

No I haven’t, sorry.
I used to have a problem with soap scum so I use citric acid in all of my soap which prevents/greatly reduces it.

How much citric acid do you use?
Thanks.

 

[amd]

How much citric acid do you use?

Answers below from post 168 & 169

How much citric acid PPO do you use? DO you add it to your lye water after it has cooled. Thx

I use 1% ppo. I add it to the water and dissolve it before adding the lye. If I masterbatch the lye is warm. But you can do it with warm or cold lye.

 

[penelopejane]

I have been on a salt "tear" lately and last night I made another batch with the attached recipe from The Spruce Crafts.

Because I had recently received indigo crystals (Jacard from Dharma Trading) and in The Nerdy Housewife (?) book she showed Indigo morphing into a beautiful purplely color, I decided to add indigo infused in aloe juice to to my additional liquid, which in this case was aloe juice (I MB my lye, so added liquid needed to reach lye concentration)

I used 75% salt per oil weight.

This puppy took FOREVER to trace, and even this AM when I cut it was really really soft (hard enough to stay in a loaf and slide out of my mold, but soft enough to deform with a prodding finger.

Was this an adverse reaction to Indigo? Prior to making this I made a non-salt batch with the same indigo and it hardened beautifully.

I will put this away on the "at least six month" shelf

Any thoughts as to what went amiss?

What was your lye concentration?

 

[Clarice]

Hi @penelopejane it was 30%.

I peeked at them today (coUldn’t stay away) and they have formed up but are no where near as hard as my other salt bars.

 

[shunt2011]

That's an odd recipe for salt soap. I would think palm would affect the lather some. All the salt soaps I've made over the years have at least 80% CO and only 15% other, generally avocado and a bit of castor. Interesting to see how it comes out.

 

[Clarice]

Thanks @shunt2011

I found it on The Spruce site and decided to give it a go.

I LOVE the indigo color so I may just make a 80% CO batch so I can satisfy my need for blue.

Does the 30% lye concentration sound good?

Thanks. Clarice

 

[shunt2011]

@Clarice - that should be okay. Sometimes salt soap moves faster so I do tend to use more liquid with them.

 

[Clarice]

I know about moving fast! I had one turn to almost concrete so maybe I will up the water a bit in an abundance of caution! Thanks @shunt2011