Salt bar: which do I add first, the salt or the colorant?

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loopyloop

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Hi. I will use some Himalayan pink salts in my next project and alkanet. I am after 2 or 3 shades of colour as layers, so how would I achieve that? Do I put the colour in first and then add the salt in 3 separate containers, or do I put the salt first, then add the colour , pour one layer, add moe colour, pour the next layer in the mould and so on?
Would the salt get coloured also, or will it still show pink?
Many thanks.
 
My answer is purely conjecture. I have only made 1 batch of salt bars and I did not color them.

I used 100% salt. When I added the salt, the soap got very thick. I think it would be hard to get your color worked in all the way. I think I would seperate the soap into 3 containers, color them, then add the salt.
 
It totally depends on if you are using 1 color or several. If mixing several I make the batter and divide it then color then add salt (divided equally). If one color I just add the color to the salt and mix it well then add to the soap batter. I love salt bars and make a lot of them. I use 50-75% salt.
 
Your pink salt will still be pink. Are you using an alkanet infusion?

I did a gradient salt bar, with turmeric, so it was in a powder. I followed this tutorial > http://thesoapbar.blogspot.ca/2012/07/gradient-soap-tutorial-emily-shieh.html?m=1. I got the lye and oils to very thin trace, added the salt, mixed it in well. Then split off the first portion of the soap batter, added turmeric and mixed well - then went on from there per the tutorial. Worked a treat - wasn't sure if it would.

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I seperate my batter and salt, add color then add the salt just before I am ready to pour the layer. As mentioned above you will not be able to color the himalayan pink salt other than shades of pink. I have done blue with himalayan pink but the pink usually peeks through since it is very hard to color all the salt
 
No, no infusion, just alkanet powder. Thanks for the info, very nice bars. Something like them, yes.
Also, I plan on using 10% cocoa butter... Any experience, anyone, with cocoa butter in salt bars?
 
I generally use avocado and castor. I have used shea butter. I would think adding cocoa butter you'll have a really hard bar of soap maybe even faster than just mostly CO. I've not tired it myself though. I'm sure someone has and will pipe in.
 
Besides 80% CO, 5% castor, my other 15% has been olive oil, hemp oil, shea butter & sweet almond oil. Cutting the bars is hard enough, I think Id be afraid of cocoa butter - but if you're using individual molds, give it a try. I love them all, but I keep coming back to the olive oil ones.
 
No, I plan on using a wire to cut a loaf. Have done salt bars before in individual moulds. Easy, but find them boring. Besides, I need a colour gradient, can't do that in individual moulds.
 
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I want to make a pink salt soap. Is it just a matter of adding some salt in before pouring or does salt soap require a extra or special additive? Basically, can I just use my recipe of CO, Olive and Shea butter? And then just add the salt? Thankyou kindly
 

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