First Time Salt Bar

[dibbles]

UPDATE: After letting my bars cure, I've been using one of them for the past couple of weeks. Tbh, I'm not thrilled about how they turned out. They're too hard and I can't feel the salt when I use it. I did some research and it turns out that I should be doing 20% superfat, where as my original recipe uses a 5% sf. I'll try it again at 121g lye and let you know how it goes.

I love salt bars, but as cmzaha said, they need a longer cure. This post shows the difference.
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/cure-time-doubters-a-visual.62723/

 

[shunt2011]

@Zen Pretzel I like Carolyn use a 17% SF and I cure mine for at least a year. I'm just now using my salt soap I made last March. I used powdered sea salt in these and I'm really liking them. I use salt at 50%. I don't care of them with a higher content. I've tried everything from 35-100% over the years. Salt soap is one of my personal favorites.

 

[ShirleyHailstock]

I made salt bars about 5 months ago and they are wonderful. I love the feel of them on my face. I don't feel the salt either and I did not expect to.

 

[Zen Pretzel]

Very cool. Getting some good ideas here. I'll give it a go at 17%. I'm also going to experiment with salt at 50% 75% and 100% to see what I prefer. I am planning on letting the rest of the batch cure for at least six months. I just wanted to test one to see if I like it and want to make more. Thanks!

 

[Zen Pretzel]

I made two batches of salt bars today at 17% sf. They had 100% and 75% salt as a percentage of CO. It took a long time to trace. I know salt bars need a minimum of six months cure time to reach their potential, but how long should I wait to test one to see if what I'm doing is working? I want to make several batches of salt bars but I don't want to waste fragrance oils and six months of cure time on a recipe I don't like.

 

[atiz]

I made two batches of salt bars today at 17% sf. They had 100% and 75% salt as a percentage of CO. It took a long time to trace. I know salt bars need a minimum of six months cure time to reach their potential, but how long should I wait to test one to see if what I'm doing is working? I want to make several batches of salt bars but I don't want to waste fragrance oils and six months of cure time on a recipe I don't like.

Well, I'm of the impatient kind, but I tend to try it as soon as it's safe (~ a day after making). It won't have as much lather / won't be as mild as it is going to be 6 months later, but it will be "working" -- i.e., it'll be soap. Salt bars are great

 

[Rsapienza]

I made two batches of salt bars today at 17% sf. They had 100% and 75% salt as a percentage of CO. It took a long time to trace. I know salt bars need a minimum of six months cure time to reach their potential, but how long should I wait to test one to see if what I'm doing is working? I want to make several batches of salt bars but I don't want to waste fragrance oils and six months of cure time on a recipe I don't like.

You can test whenever you choose, however, I find that waiting at least 12 months or so (if not longer) is when they reach their full potential. The difference between a couple weeks and 12 month is like night and day. You would think you had a totally different bar of soap. I personally have tried many salt percentages and 50% is my preference.

 

[penelopejane]

One of the other things that can cause crumbling salt bars is if the batter isn't taken far enough to trace so that the salt settles to the bottom of the mold - either individual molds or a loaf mold. Try taking the batter to medium trace and see if that solves the problem for you.