beads of sweat on salt bar cp soap

[cece_em]

it's me, the novice cp soap maker!

i had my first ever batch of salt bar last sunday. it has been curing for at least two days. here's my recipe:

oils used (total of 390 grams):
313 grams coconut oil
58 grams olive oil
19 grams castor oil

20% superfat
a little over 35% coconut milk (% of oils)
i cannot access soapcalc.net as of the moment, but it's the lye calculator i used. i believe the lye was around 54.12 grams. bottom line: i followed the recommended amount of lye, but i added less than a teaspoon coconut milk for my liquid.

additives:
253 grams rock salt (the kind of salt my mother uses for cooking).
essential oils

how come my salt bar sweats like this? is this normal? can weather be the culprit? here in my place (southern part of the Philippines), it's very warm during the day, and at night, it is cool. right now, it's raining. i have no dehumidifier.

or did i do something wrong?

i started unmolding my soap 3 hours after i had it in the mold. the mold was a simple flexible thin plastic cup with plastic lid. i put the lid on when i was waiting for the soap to harden.

attached is the latest photo of my sweaty salt bar.

i am very sure i did not use dead sea salt and epsom salt. these salts are not sold in our public markets.

p.s. i know the zap test is not accurate, but i tried to taste the sweat, and no zap.

thank you in advance to those who will share their honest opinions.

 

[shunt2011]

I checked your recipe and it should be okay. It could be several different things causing your problem. Condensation from being in a plastic bowl with a lid on, your EO's or high humidity. I would let them sit for a couple days and see if it reabsorbs. Are you sure you used the right kind of salt? I generally use either table salt with no iodine or sea salt (most times).

 

[seven]

it's normal. i live in a humid place too (s.e. asia), and some days my salt bars sweat. if you can, place them in a dry environment far from the bathroom. during the day, place them near a blowing fan. at one point it should stop (the sweating). i have no idea when tho.

 

[Seawolfe]

I know how freakishly humid it gets in the Philippines, and my vote is the humidity. Try blotting one bar off and put it in a pan of dry rice - if it doesn't start to sweat again I would bet that the humidity is the culprit.

My only other thought - is the rock salt that you used iodized?

And the zap test is what I use - I think its more accurate that some pH test kits out there

 

[cece_em]

the salt i used is plain old coarse rock salt, typically used for cooking. i didn't use iodized salt.

tips and advice taken :smile: thank you @Seawolfe, @seven and @shunt2011

 

[paillo]

Mine occasionally sweat before they're fully cured if it's hot and humid. I too am guessing your issues is the humidity. I second the idea of storing them in a plastic bin of dry rice until they stop sweating, that's something I often do. And I ALWAYS store my glycerin soaps in rice just to prevent stickiness and sweating.

 

[Skatergirl46]

Mine occasionally sweat before they're fully cured if it's hot and humid. I too am guessing your issues is the humidity. I second the idea of storing them in a plastic bin of dry rice until they stop sweating, that's something I often do. And I ALWAYS store my glycerin soaps in rice just to prevent stickiness and sweating.

Great tip! Thank you.

 

[cece_em]

Update:

I placed my salt bars inside plastic bags with rice. My salt bars do not sweat but once i take it out of the plastic bags, they sweat again.

It maybe just the humidity.

 

[paillo]

Did you leave the bags open so air can circulate? I would try paper lunch bags instead so the soap won't condense inside the plastic bags.