Soleseife curing

[oconnorkm]

I've read that salt bars are best if cured 6+ months.
Is that same true for Soleseife soap, since it has so much less salt?
I'm experimenting with a recipe that has 70% Coconut oil, (76 degree), and 10 % each of Cocoa Butter, Avocado Oil, and Castor Oil.

 

[MelissaG]

I've never heard of soleseife soap. Whats it for? Is it just a salt bar?

 

[oconnorkm]

Soap Queen says: "Soleseife (or brine soap) is the German name for soap made with salt water. Brine soap is a fantastic alternative to the standard salt bar. The salt is dissolved into the lye water leaving a smooth-textured, creamy white, extremely hard bar of soap" Soleseife: pronounced zo•luh•zigh•fuh

It is made with much less salt than a salt bar, and all of the salt is dissolved in the lye water.
I just unmolded the ones I made last night. I think I may have my salt measurements off, as not all of the salt dissolved. I made them in individual molds, so unmolding was easy. They were not as hard as my regular salt bars (45% salt), but I'm hoping they cure nicely.

I'll post some pics soon.

 

[MelissaG]

Soap Queen says: "Soleseife (or brine soap) is the German name for soap made with salt water. Brine soap is a fantastic alternative to the standard salt bar. The salt is dissolved into the lye water leaving a smooth-textured, creamy white, extremely hard bar of soap" Soleseife: pronounced zo•luh•zigh•fuh

It is made with much less salt than a salt bar, and all of the salt is dissolved in the lye water.
I just unmolded the ones I made last night. I think I may have my salt measurements off, as not all of the salt dissolved. I made them in individual molds, so unmolding was easy. They were not as hard as my regular salt bars (45% salt), but I'm hoping they cure nicely.

I'll post some pics soon.

Interesting to know. Thank you.

 

[cmzaha]

I've read that salt bars are best if cured 6+ months.
Is that same true for Soleseife soap, since it has so much less salt?
I'm experimenting with a recipe that has 70% Coconut oil, (76 degree), and 10 % each of Cocoa Butter, Avocado Oil, and Castor Oil.

Since you are using such a high amount of CO I would certainly age a min of 6 months. I make my soleseif bars with 35% CO or preferably PKO mixed with shea, lard, and other soft oils aging 4-6 months. I do not find that salt makes a big difference. A 12+ makes any brine, salt or high butter bar even better. Also, if a little undissolved ends up in your soleseif bar it is no big deal, it will be finer salt than you would have in a true salt bar and dissolves as you use the bar. But do cut as soon as set or you may not be able to cut your bars. This issue is really trial and error.

On the other hand, my salt bars are 85% CO/PKO split without any butters or lard, the remaining 15% is 10% castor and 5% liquid oil. I always use 100% extra fine salt, usually Pacific sea salt or a mix of Pacific sea salt with table salt. Never never Himalayan Pink Salt. FYI I have been making salt bars since I started making soap so I can say I probably made every mistake there was to make with salt bars.

ETA: I just reread your post. Make sure you dissolve your salt before adding it to your lye. I am not sure from your post if you did that first. Also, water will only dissolve a 25% salt load and will dissolve better in warm to hot water. If using warm or hot water remember to cool the water back down before adding your lye or you risk a volcano. Soleseif bars are a good time to incorporate Himalayan Pink Salt if you want to use Pink Salt since you are using dissolved salt crystals. I used to always keep a big jar of it on my salt to have ready for use. Do not use the bottom sediment that you will see, it is undissolved minerals and clays which are scratchy.

 

[oconnorkm]

I made 1b recipes. They made 6 bars 3.2" x 2.2" x .94" (my mold size) plus a little more that I spooned into 1 and a half silicone cupcake liners. The first couple of bars, I could pour, but the last couple, I was spooning into the molds. I wasn't super thick, and I could smooth out the tops (mostly).

The black one is colored with 1T activated charcoal and scented with WSP's Sandalwood Patchould FO. The scent hasn't morphed at all, which I am very please with, since I don't often have good luck with FO's.

The white one is scented with an old WSP Crafters Choice EO blend called Orange Cucumber , and is delightful! They don't seem to carry that one anymore, though.

There are a few small air bubbles, especially on the ones poured last.

I also think the superfat on these is too high. 20%. I used a similar SF that I used for salt bars, which have WAY more coconut oil.

Oh, btw the recipe that I ended up using for the black one was:
20%SF, 38% water
50% Cconut Oil 76
10% Cocoa Butter
20% Olive Oil
10% Castor Oil
10% Avocado Oil

This one is more firm than the white one,
which was 70% Coconut oil, (76 degree), and 10 % each of Cocoa Butter, Avocado Oil, and Castor Oil.
17% SF. 40% water

 

[dmcgee5034]

This sounds to me like like something @Zany_in_CO could chime in on. This soap sounds like her faux seawater in ZNSC… Zany?

 

[Zany_in_CO]

This soap sounds like her faux seawater in ZNSC… Zany?

Nope. Not the same thing. Far from it.

Although I've never made Salt Bars or Soleseife (Brine Soap) bars, my understanding is Soleseife takes less salt (up to 26%) than Salt Bars (up to 100%) and far more salt than the minimal amount used to make the Faux Sea Water that is meant to harden the ZNSC. Read more here:

https://lovinsoap.com/2015/09/how-to-make-soleseife-or-brine-soap-salt-water-soap/

 

[dmcgee5034]

Nope. Not the same thing. Far from it.

Although I've never made Salt Bars or Soleseife (Brine Soap) bars, my understanding is Soleseife takes less salt (up to 26%) than Salt Bars (up to 100%) and far more salt than the minimal amount used to make the Faux Sea Water that is meant to harden the ZNSC. Read more here:

https://lovinsoap.com/2015/09/how-to-make-soleseife-or-brine-soap-salt-water-soap/

Thank you for that clarification @Zany_in_CO

 

[PaintyLiz]

Since you are using such a high amount of CO I would certainly age a min of 6 months. I make my soleseif bars with 35% CO or preferably PKO mixed with shea, lard, and other soft oils aging 4-6 months. I do not find that salt makes a big difference. A 12+ makes any brine, salt or high butter bar even better. Also, if a little undissolved ends up in your soleseif bar it is no big deal, it will be finer salt than you would have in a true salt bar and dissolves as you use the bar. But do cut as soon as set or you may not be able to cut your bars. This issue is really trial and error.

On the other hand, my salt bars are 85% CO/PKO split without any butters or lard, the remaining 15% is 10% castor and 5% liquid oil. I always use 100% extra fine salt, usually Pacific sea salt or a mix of Pacific sea salt with table salt. Never never Himalayan Pink Salt. FYI I have been making salt bars since I started making soap so I can say I probably made every mistake there was to make with salt bars.

ETA: I just reread your post. Make sure you dissolve your salt before adding it to your lye. I am not sure from your post if you did that first. Also, water will only dissolve a 25% salt load and will dissolve better in warm to hot water. If using warm or hot water remember to cool the water back down before adding your lye or you risk a volcano. Soleseif bars are a good time to incorporate Himalayan Pink Salt if you want to use Pink Salt since you are using dissolved salt crystals. I used to always keep a big jar of it on my salt to have ready for use. Do not use the bottom sediment that you will see, it is undissolved minerals and clays which are scratchy.

If you shouldn't use pink salt in a salt bar where it is undissolved, why can you use it in a soleseif bar where it is dissolved making contaminants more accessible to affect the chemical reactions necessary? This doesn't make any sense to me. I know you said, don't use the residue on the bottom, but I can't believe that 100% of the extra minerals, etc will fall to the bottom. They might, I suppose, but it seems optimistic to think so.

Since I'm a newbie, I'm sure there's something I'm missing, so would appreciate clarification

-edit - I did a little more reading, is it because it's too abrasive to have undissolved? So it's not a chemical thing, it's a texture thing.


Thanks!