About to make 1st salt bars (update- new question)

[kittywings]

OK, I'm GOING to make my first salt bars today... I was about to go for it but now I have all these things I'm not sure about. :shock:

I'm thinking of doing 100% coconut oil, with a 20% superfat of castor oil but now I'm not sure how to figure it out on soapcalc because it only lets you have the totals up to 100%. Do I need to just figure it out for coconut oil and then just add the castor oil in myself without it being on the page?

I felt like I had more questions, but now I can't remember them... DRAT![/b]

 

[TessC]

I'm not clear on what you're wanting to do, so forgive me if I come across as dense, lol. I'll blame it on a lack of caffeine. Are you wanting to make a soap that's 20% castor and 80% coconut oil? I personally wouldn't do it, 20% castor in a CO soap is way overkill.

The reason SoapCalc is only letting you go to 100 is that it's based on the percentages of the various oils in your soap, so 100% is it. The superfat is separate from the oil percentages, you enter the superfat percentage you want in the "Super Fat %" box over in the top right corner, above the fragrance box and below the button labeled with a "4". A 15-20% superfat is what most people seem to do for salt bars, so you're right on track there.

 

[zeoplum]

Up top where it says "Superfat %", enter 20.

And then you'll have subtract some of your 100% Coconut to sub Castor. But honestly? I don't think you'll need it because you'll have TONS of bubbles.

zeo

 

[heyjude]

A few weeks ago I made my first salt bar with 95% coconut, 5% castor oil , a 20% superfat and 80% ppo salt.

After all the fabulous things I've read about salt bars, I can't wait till it's cured to try it!!

Jude

 

[Dixie]

I wouldn't waste the castor oil, your going to get ooodles of bubbles without it, that's why you use coconut oil in salt bars.

Don't forget to allow for the extra volume of the salt.

Cant wait to see your pics!

 

[TessC]

There are different formulas fr the salt/volume, but I used the one I read somewhere (I forget where) and it worked perfectly.

Took my mold capacity and multiplied that by 80% to get the oil amount to use, then by 80% again to get the salt amount to add, worked perfectly and filled the mold exactly.

If you want to add something to your salt bar oils besides CO, you can use some shea or mango butter instead of the castor.

 

[kittywings]

OK... HOLY SEIZING!

Basically, right after I posted I decided to start... figuring that I would just do the recipe on soapcalc as 100% coconut and since the other oils were superfatting anyway that it didn't matter what their SAP properties were.

Well... because I also apparently got out my crack pipe, I decided to add a floral FO to my oils BEFORE mixing with the lye solution. I guess I was having a "it won't happen to me" moment. I didn't heat the oils, and I added the lye solution while it was still pretty hot. Right as I poured in the lye, I realized that I hadn't lined my mold yet. I made sure they were pretty much mixed through and ran over to try and line it really fast. I turned away for a second and looked at the pot... SOLID! I hadn't even added the salt yet!
I had a "YOU'RE NOT GONNA DIE ON ME!" moment and turned the heat on to try to melt it down and called the husband over to line the mold. He was kicked off of that job after about a minute and be took charge of the "soap mashing." It didn't melt all the way, but it got to an applesauce consistency at which point I added the salt. We then had mashed potatoes. He made sure the salt was evenly distributed and I glopped it into the mold.
That was about 5 minutes ago... I can feel it getting hot again and I think the gel is going on... though the top bits are pretty crumbly. I guess I can always brush them off if they don't "become one" with the rest of the soap.

I still don't know what possessed me to add a floral FO before the lye.

I also ended up doing castor and olive oil for the superfat... 1/2 and 1/2 and I added those oils at the beginning.

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't waste the castor oil, your going to get ooodles of bubbles without it, that's why you use coconut oil in salt bars.

Don't forget to allow for the extra volume of the salt.

Cant wait to see your pics!

ditto what Dixie said and have an extra mold ready ( found this out the hard way , the first time I made salt bars. Have fun ,I hope they turn out exactly as you want them too

 

[TessC]

With CP soap, adding superfatting oils at the end is pretty much futile. I know the soaping books I checked out prior to trying my first batch insisted that you add your superfat oils of choice at trace, but after further investigation and reading a lot of rational and well-reasoned opinions to the contrary, I've seen the light and everything goes in at the beginning.

The saponification process is not complete at trace, lye is indiscriminate, and you can't choose which oils are left unsaponified unless you HP. It's a lot easier and less stressful to just tally all of your oils on SoapCalc or whatever software you're using, that way there's no guesswork involved and no risk of forgetting to add your extra oils at trace and ending up with lye-heavy soap.

 

[kittywings]

Phew! Well, the Soap God's were on my side! I just cut the bars (I still can't believe how fast that was) and I must say that I really REALLY like how they look!

I ended up doing:
2 lbs. on coconut oil
3.2 oz. castor oil
3.2 oz. olive oil
"Flower Shop" FO

Here's a pic:

 

[Milla]

holy moly what a save!! Thank goodness you have a wonderful hubby who jumps to your service when needed!

They look great!!

p.s. just can't stop looking at your kitty avatar and laughing. I show it to everybody!

 

[artisan soaps]

..

 

[carebear]

OK... HOLY SEIZING!

Basically, right after I posted I decided to start... figuring that I would just do the recipe on soapcalc as 100% coconut and since the other oils were superfatting anyway that it didn't matter what their SAP properties were.

Well... because I also apparently got out my crack pipe, I decided to add a floral FO to my oils BEFORE mixing with the lye solution. I guess I was having a "it won't happen to me" moment. I didn't heat the oils, and I added the lye solution while it was still pretty hot. Right as I poured in the lye, I realized that I hadn't lined my mold yet. I made sure they were pretty much mixed through and ran over to try and line it really fast. I turned away for a second and looked at the pot... SOLID! I hadn't even added the salt yet!
I had a "YOU'RE NOT GONNA DIE ON ME!" moment and turned the heat on to try to melt it down and called the husband over to line the mold. He was kicked off of that job after about a minute and be took charge of the "soap mashing." It didn't melt all the way, but it got to an applesauce consistency at which point I added the salt. We then had mashed potatoes. He made sure the salt was evenly distributed and I glopped it into the mold.
That was about 5 minutes ago... I can feel it getting hot again and I think the gel is going on... though the top bits are pretty crumbly. I guess I can always brush them off if they don't "become one" with the rest of the soap.

I still don't know what possessed me to add a floral FO before the lye.

I also ended up doing castor and olive oil for the superfat... 1/2 and 1/2 and I added those oils at the beginning.

Well, you've answered my question about whether or not one can HP salt bars LOL!

 

[LJA]

OK... Well... because I also apparently got out my crack pipe, .

Hee. Glad they came out so well. Go you.

 

[kittywings]

So... I went over to my mom's tonight to clean her house since her maid is in Europe (I asked her if she was going to cut the maid's pay since she obviously seems to be making too much ) and I need soap supplies. I was telling them of my salt bar adventure and they were riveted (at least in my mind). I went into their computer room and pulled up the picture of it and then left. A short bit later I went back in there and my mom was at the computer and she said "you not gonna try to sell THAT are you?!? That was one of the ugly ones, right?" :cry:

 

[zeoplum]

Way to take the wind out of my sail Mom!

:roll:

 

[LJA]

Booo, Hisss. Mean mom. They look great.

 

[heyjude]

Who ya gonna believe, mom or your fellow soapers??

(um, in this case the answer is obviously, us!!)

Jude

 

[Milla]

sounds like my mom. They just expect so much sometimes!

I really liked your salt bars! Holy save Batman!

 

[kittywings]

OK, so I decided to look at my posts to figure out how long it had been since I made these... thinking it had to be about 4 weeks ago and I could use one tomorrow (ahem... tonight? ), and I look at the date of the first post... 8 days?!!! COME ON!!! Why does time take so long when you're waiting for soap to cure?!!

:x :x :x

BTW- I called my mom out on what she said and she maintains that (I think I have this right) she thought I was talking about two batches (?) instead of the one that was saved. This still doesn't explain why she trash talked the picture. :evil: I gave her one the other day... WE SHALL SEE!

(btw- I gave her the ugliest one )