A way to smooth salt soap before giving/selling?

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soap_rat

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I make salt soaps in individual molds as well as a loaf mold, and as we all know, the edges can be very rough from the salt crystals. Has anyone developed a way to pre-smooth the soap--without bathing with it? :D

Also...samples. I will have samples of soap at an upcoming craft fair, and I think people will be interested in trying salt soaps before they buy (they'll have to walk over to the bathroom with it, I'm not allowed to stock the bathroom with samples). Should I have tiny, scratchy crumbly individual pieces, or a few full-size bars that I hope people will bring back, and I'll let each bar dry before loaning out again?

Thanks!
 
I make salt soaps in individual molds as well as a loaf mold, and as we all know, the edges can be very rough from the salt crystals. Has anyone developed a way to pre-smooth the soap--without bathing with it? :D

Also...samples. I will have samples of soap at an upcoming craft fair, and I think people will be interested in trying salt soaps before they buy (they'll have to walk over to the bathroom with it, I'm not allowed to stock the bathroom with samples). Should I have tiny, scratchy crumbly individual pieces, or a few full-size bars that I hope people will bring back, and I'll let each bar dry before loaning out again?

Thanks!

I would worry that they wouldn't bring them back to you!

Also, try spritzing your soap with rubbing alcohol to give your bar some shine! It might make the texture a bit glossier.
 
I use a potato peeler and smooth the edges of my salt bars. It works pretty well. I also would have small sample sizes for customer to use. It grosses me out to see a bar of soap and lots of hands using it. I've been to shows where another vendor has placed a bar of soap and they just look nasty to me.
 
Yep I agree on the small samples. The share bar makes me want to go all Jack Nicholson from As good as it gets when he tosses out the bar of soap after one wash. I'm not a germaphobe but sharing soap bars with strangers doesn't appeal.
 
Thanks for the replies! I'd like to go back in time and use a potato peeler on them, darn it! Maybe a Dremel tool...

I felt a little squicky about the idea of handing around "used soap," but I also grew up when public bathrooms still sometimes had bars of soap, or I've worked in a place with the pumice bars. As long as no one's hair is in the soap I'm fine, it washes clean--I'd rather touch public soap than the faucet to turn the water back off!
 
I'm with Shunt and others on not wanting to share a bar with strangers. I think small crumbly ones would be fine, even if not pretty.

I usually unmold my individual molds as soon as they're set up and still soft enough to smooth the rough edges with a thumb.

I've also been making some requested primitive 'fossil' salt soaps, and rinsing these between my hands until they are as smooth as a polished stone before drying them on a rack. They're pretty cool!
 
I grew up around communal bars of soap in public bathrooms, too; the reason they don't exist any more is that that's disgusting. I think you'll make a very bad impression by doing it that way. Small individual testers is the way to go.

Honestly, I've never heard of allowing people to test soaps. Either they know they like the way it smells or not.
 
I use that brownie mold for samples too, but mostly I just cut up end bars or badly cut ones into small slivers for samples for people to take to the bathroom. A few times I took the time to print tiny labels and put the slivers in tiny bags, but WAY too much trouble!
 
Paillo, your fossil soap sounds neat. I've been wanting to get a great trilobite fossil, make a mold from it, then use it for soap. However, if you get there first maybe I'll just buy a mold from you!

I was just testing the waters on the shared soap, I'm not insisting on doing it! I just felt like sharing what grosses _me_ out.

Some people have written about how skeptical people can be about salt bars (on this forum, I was skeptical for over a year before I made one!) so samples seemed a good idea. And once you accept something free from me, you are obligated to buy bwah ha ha ha! No, of course not, but studies show that people DO feel that obligation.

Thanks again everyone!
 
I think having samples for people to try your salt bars is a good idea. The name salt bar just doesn't do it justice. I know I had to try it to understand what's so nice about it. In fact, I thought it was a little crazy when I first read here about them. So that would make me wonder if potential customers would 'get it' without trying a sample.
 
I've been trying to figure out whats so great about salt bars, I haven't been here long but have seen a lot of talk about them.
 
Lin and Kazmi, I was just like you. "Whats the big deal? Salt. Whatever." It's not as amazing as winning the lottery, but the lather is completely different--absurdly fluffy if you use a pouf. It seems to wash almost any skin type nicely, the 20% superfat seems to keep skin happy. My friend with adult pimply skin says it's helped her a lot. I also love how the speckling looks someone stone-like and then they wear down to looking like rocks.
 
Smoothing Salt Bars

I make my HP salt bars in a silicone mold with 12 rectangular cavities so only the tops are rough. Less than an hour after making them they are firm, but with a light warmth. That is when I use my planer and smooth the tops. It does have waste but I want a smooth bar. Someone shared a tip with me today - they suggested setting aside some of the soap with no salt and to smooth that over at the end. I am definitely going to try that next time so I won't have the waste.

Someone asked what is so great about salt bars. I thought I would hate them. I have extremely dry sensitive skin. I have made both 50% salt bars and 75% salt bars - and have only used the 50%. They make my skin feel awesome - including my face. And, the lather is incredible. If I could only make one soap - it would be this soap. I used 80% coconut oil, 15% avocado oil, 5% castor oil and 20% SF. I held back 2 ounces of the avocado oil to add after the cook.

Attached is a picture of my "Santa's Chimney Bricks" HP 50% salt bars.

Santas Chimney Bricks.jpg
 
I to am hooked on salt bars. I've had acne since I was a teenager now 54 and they have made a world of difference in my skins since I started using them 3 years ago. I have converted many over to using them. I too use 80% CO, 15% Avocado or Olive and 5% Castor. 20-25% superfat (just did a 25% to see what it would be like).
 
I knew joining this forum would be bad for me. Here less than a day and I'm already finding lots of new stuff and things to think about! :D

I never knew Salt Soap existed and I, for one, would definitely want to try that before I purchased it. Immediately my mind thinks it will be a very rough and exfoliating bar of soap. However, my brain also tells me that the salt bar would be very nice. I have a saltwater pool and I know how much different my skin feels after swimming in it as opposed to my mothers chlorinated pool.

I must looki into this further.

As for your samples, I think having tiny little pieces that people can try would be a great idea. It doesn't take but a sliver to wash your hands with.
 
Dale, generally speaking a salt bar will get very smooth and hard like a rock. I've only made one salt bar that is even the least bit scratchy and I actually love it. The brand of salt I used doesn't seem to dissolve as fast so it is exfoliating.
Seems almost everyone loves a salt bar, try making a small batch for yourself. Its a good excuse to make more soap:) If you do decide to make a salt bar, do research first though as salt bars have some rules to follow.
 

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