Getting ready for Salt Bars

[loriag]

I soaped earlier and bars are in the molds. I did the 80 % CO and 20 % OO, 20 % SF (My regular soap recipe has 56 % OO and I like it so I decided to keep this mix simpler. It was very fluid (soaped with lye at 95 and oils at 103) and next time I could easily use colours and do simple swirls with this. I was surprised how I had to SB a bit to get it to a thin to medium trace. I did the 38 % water. I used 35 % salt of my oils in half and 50 % salt in the other half.
Over all a good experience! Now to wait till tomorrow and see how the soap pops out of the molds.
This was my first time using ROE. It seemed to colour the soap beige but was lightening up and is lighter now a few hours later. First time using Love Spell FO and it is OK. I can see some salt granules on the top of the soaps I am hoping that means that it is mixed well from top to bottom. Thanks for all your thoughts.

 

[rjuconnfan]

I do CP soap. When I did a quick search on psoriasis and soap I can see there is allot of recommendations for using Himalayan pink salt. I just picked up both Himalayan and Sea Salt from Costco.
I am going to eventually try both in soap. I have also seen allot of recommendations to leave salt bars cure for at least 8 weeks and longer for a nicer creamier lather.

yes, the pink salt is interesting. I have some but it is very coarse, in a grinder. Is yours more fine, or will you have to crush or somehow break it down? It was suggested here by a poster not to grind it as it will be sharp. I will be looking for 'softer' versions of this salt.

Thank you everyone for all the excellent information. I can not wait to make this! I really find it interesting. Good to know about the long cure time. I won't be selling but I will have to be patient for myself! All the better to get started now.
Does the type of salt/coarseness impact how much to use? I am thinking the canning salt suggested sounds good, as well as the pink salt.

 

[loriag]

yes, the pink salt is interesting. I have some but it is very coarse, in a grinder. Is yours more fine, or will you have to crush or somehow break it down? It was suggested here by a poster not to grind it as it will be sharp. I will be looking for 'softer' versions of this salt.

I picked up nice fine ground Himalayan pink salt at Costco. You want to use fine from what I have read around the forum. I have not made a batch yet. People use course for decoration on top ( I have read online some people like the course in the soap).
How much salt to use is a good question. I have seen anywhere from 25 % of your oils to 100 % of total batch weight. I used 35 % and 50 % of my oil weight for the batch I made today. I did this so I could see which I prefer of the two. I may try 75 % and 100 % next. I want to see what these turn out like first.

 

[cmzaha]

Eight weeks is really not enough cure time for salt bars in my opinion. I would not recommend the Himalayan from Costco is salt bars I am afraid you will find it scratchy. Another salt I do not recommend, if anyone shops in Winco Stores, is their fine sea salt. It is extremely prickly and wasted 2 batches of my Dead Sea Mud Salt bars. I now have over 20 bars to use up using a bath puff. For my eczema I find any salt works including good old table salt and the fancy salts are a waste of money other than for cooking. Also never waste money on Hawaiian Black Lava Salt it is just Pacific Sea Salt infused with Activated Charcoal. As for Himalayan helping psoriasis I would think soaking in a tub with it would help much more that a salt bar that is going to wash down the drain.

Dead Sea salt will not only make weepy bars they will be very waxy feeling with zippo lather. I have used it successfully at 5% with at least a year cure. I have also experimented with palm trying to make a longer lasting salt bar, but it tended to adversely affect lather.

I forgot to mention I never use less than 100% salt and sometimes more. In 8 years of making salt bars there is not much I have not tried resulting in good and bad. Never Never grind salt to use in salt bars it can actually cause lacerations and abrasions to the skin. So please always use nothing over fine salt, xfine is even better. Regular table salt will usually make a salt bar that is smooth like a river rock after it is used for awhile.

 

[BattleGnome]

Does the type of salt/coarseness impact how much to use?

The coarseness of the salt dictates how it will feel on the skin. A coarser salt will feel scratchy and may irritate sensitive skin. I have also read that a coarse salt might actually cut you which is not a reaction most people want in the shower.

 

[CTAnton]

Be aware that pink Himalayan salt can be razor sharp and I really don't know if if the ultra fine is OK.I decorated a salt bar with large crystals and I got a picture back of a friend bleeding.

 

[melibee]

Don't use the pink salt from Costco as is without grinding it further. Maybe I'm just super sensitive, but my salt bars made with that shredded my skin. It's like showering with broken glass. Use fine sea salt or pulverize pink into a powder.

I do CP soap. When I did a quick search on psoriasis and soap I can see there is allot of recommendations for using Himalayan pink salt. I just picked up both Himalayan and Sea Salt from Costco.
I am going to eventually try both in soap. I have also seen allot of recommendations to leave salt bars cure for at least 8 weeks and longer for a nicer creamier lather.

 

[melibee]

Honestly, soap isn't going to do much at all for your psoriasis. My BF has it, and while he does enjoy using my soaps, the ONLY thing that is going to help (if youre avoiding medication) is dietary changes. If you figure out your triggers (his are some food colorings, tomatoes and red wine, among a few others), you will have much better luck keeping it at bay. It's autoimmune.

I just want to find a salt bar that helps my psoriasis as it gets really sore and irritated in hot weather, and we are just now getting hot weather.....I am dreading it. Don't want to use steroid creams again or the other stuff that is cancer causing! If I can find a homemade soap and other creams etc. to hold it at bay will be very happy. Thanks for your help with getting started at soaping.

 

[Obsidian]

I also agree that 8 weeks isn't near long enough cure for a salt bar. For me, minimum is 4 months but I rarely use them that early. I much prefer a year or even longer. Once in awhile I find a salt bar that has been hiding for over 2 or 3 years, they are amazing.
I recently found one that close to 5 years, still haven't used it but will soon.

I'm really surprised you had issues with winco salt @cmzaha, I've used it for years and it always makes nice smooth bars. I wonder if our stores have different suppliers or if its just batch variance? I've used my big bag up so I'm using different salt now. Might have to pick up more and see if its different.

 

[loriag]

Thanks for all the advice on the Himalayan Pink salt. I generally like exfoliation but do not want to have tiny abrasions.
I unmolded my salt bars today. A little sticking, flaking on a few round bars, but not too bad and the hearts came out very nicely. I was surprised they were still a little soft on the edges when I unmolded. I will try my hardest to weight for a good long cure, but I may sneak the smallest round for a wash earlier.
Thanks again everyone.
A Himalayan Pink salt is ok to use in a bath salt is it not? I would be mixing it in a smaller percentage with epson salts ( 3/4 c epson and 1/8 c pink) . I saw several recipes online with it and wanted to have the kids at church make a simple recipe for their Mom's.

 

[cmzaha]

Don't use the pink salt from Costco as is without grinding it further. Maybe I'm just super sensitive, but my salt bars made with that shredded my skin. It's like showering with broken glass. Use fine sea salt or pulverize pink into a powder.

Do not grind salt, you cannot get it all ground, at least with most home use grinders, and it will still leave sharp shards, that can be even sharper than the original.

.
I'm really surprised you had issues with winco salt @cmzaha, I've used it for years and it always makes nice smooth bars. I wonder if our stores have different suppliers or if its just batch variance? I've used my big bag up so I'm using different salt now. Might have to pick up more and see if its different.

The Winco salt I had was in the bulk section of the store, was that where yours was from? Could simply vary from batch to batch since I had purchased it before and it was fine. This absolutely feels like little prickly needles or fine cactus on your skin.

A Himalayan Pink salt is ok to use in a bath salt is it not? I would be mixing it in a smaller percentage with epson salts ( 3/4 c epson and 1/8 c pink) . I saw several recipes online with it and wanted to have the kids at church make a simple recipe for their Mom's.

Soaking in Himalayan in the tub would be wonderful especially mixed with Epson salts.

Your salt bars look really nice. Congratulations and I hope you like them

 

[loriag]

Thanks cmzaha, the salt bars seem a little soft yet, I am thinking it has to do with the 38% water used. They have allot of time to harden!

 

[soapmaker]

A coffee grinder works well to grind pink salt. Makes it powdered.

 

[penelopejane]

A coffee grinder works well to grind pink salt. Makes it powdered.

If you are going to go against all the advice and use Himalayan salt in soap add it to only one individual bar and test it.
Then you won’t waste a whole batch of soap.

 

[loriag]

If you are going to go against all the advice and use Himalayan salt in soap add it to only one individual bar and test it.
Then you won’t waste a whole batch of soap.

That is good advice, for right now I have no plans on making anymore! I want to see how the sea salt bars cure and feel. My signature line at the bottom reads- Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Words I like to think I live by. I appreciate this forum and everyones advice. I appreciate succeeding because of you all! Thanks for making happy soaping.

 

[penelopejane]

This was my first time using ROE. It seemed to colour the soap beige but was lightening up and is lighter now a few hours later. First time using Love Spell FO and it is OK. I can see some salt granules on the top of the soaps I am hoping that means that it is mixed well from top to bottom. Thanks for all your thoughts.

You add ROE to the oil - a tiny tiny amount (check DeeAnna’s links) it’s about 1/8th of a tsp per 4 litres of oil. I’m away and can’t check that but it is a tiny amount. Then shake the oil. It won’t colour your soap.

 

[Obsidian]

@cmzaha it was the WinCo bulk sea salt I had. Purchased a few pounds a couple years ago. Maybe it's changed since then.
I'm using fine sea salt from the dollar store now or plain canning salt.

I've never tried Himalayan salt but I did grind course salt once, ended up slicing my chest open. Threw the whole batch away.
Scratchiest salt I ever used is real salt. It's pink much like the Himalayan but it contains small particles of hard red clay, feels like sand in the soap and can also cut.

 

[loriag]

You add ROE to the oil - a tiny tiny amount (check DeeAnna’s links) it’s about 1/8th of a tsp per 4 litres of oil. I’m away and can’t check that but it is a tiny amount. Then shake the oil. It won’t colour your soap.

ROE was added to my oils for just the batch of soap. I actually follow DeeAnna's instructions from her site. My total oil weight for the batch was 360 g so the ROE added was .36 g. Don't think I am reading that wrong but if I am please let me know as I don't want to wreck my batches even as small as they are. The percision scale I bought gives me the accurate weight.
From her link - "Kevin Dunn recommends 1.0 g ROE for every 1000 g oils (0.1% ppo) to be added when making soap. He found it to be an effective "natural" treatment for rancidity (DOS, dreaded orange spots) in soap. He suggests an even more effective but less "crunchy" combination of 1.0 g ROE and 0.5 g tetrasodium EDTA powder for every 1000 g oils."
Now I was actually wondering if I add ROE to my new bottles of oils, do I have to add it to the batch. Now how would one add it it coconut and palm, melt them down and add, than let them harden again? I have just started using ROE and EDTA. I wasn't sure if I should use EDTA in a sea salt soap, so I just thought I would leave it out.

 

[cmzaha]

A coffee grinder works well to grind pink salt. Makes it powdered.

NO it does not grind it well. It will leave tiny sharp shards. Why risk it?

 

[rjuconnfan]

I am going to use plain table salt for my first time...Does it matter iodized or not? Canning salt is also very fine I noticed when I checked in the store..but not sure it results in any different or better outcome. Thank you everyone for all the awesome feedback.