What's the Deal with Salt Soap?

[TeriDk]

Salt soap

Hey soapers, I made my 2nd batch of salt soap since I've read so many good things about it. But, this time I used 100% CO with coconut milk for part of the water. Here's where i wonder if it's gonna work. I used canned coconut milk, shook it but not having used can milk before, when I open it I saw coconut cream (wasn't milk for sure) so not knowing I measured the cream and then mixed the lye with distiller water. I used half water, half milk or so I thought. Soaping went fine but when I went to store the remaining milk, I scooped a bit out and found coconut water...yikes, I think. Do you think my soap will be ok? It's setting up well, pretty hard 2 hous later and I used a 15%SF. I've heard of water discount but is 50% too much?


Thanks for enlightening me.

 

[Hazel]

It should be fine since you dissolved the lye in water. There shouldn't be any issues as long as the lye was thoroughly dissolved and blended well into the oils. It just means there is less water to evaporate out of the soap. Someone once mentioned she reduces the water amount by 50% when she makes castile batches. The stronger lye concentration helps the batch to reach trace more quickly.

Also, you didn't really use a 50% discount because you used the concentrated coconut in place of of the blended coconut milk. I think this just might add some extra creaminess to the lather. I think it sounds like you're going to have a very nice salt batch.

Please let us know how it turns out.

 

[TeriDk]

It should be fine since you dissolved the lye in water. There shouldn't be any issues as long as the lye was thoroughly dissolved and blended well into the oils. It just means there is less water to evaporate out of the soap. Someone once mentioned she reduces the water amount by 50% when she makes castile batches. The stronger lye concentration helps the batch to reach trace more quickly.

Also, you didn't really use a 50% discount because you used the concentrated coconut in place of of the blended coconut milk. I think this just might add some extra creaminess to the lather. I think it sounds like you're going to have a very nice salt batch.

Please let us know how it turns out.

Thank you Hazel. It cut nicely and when I washed it off my hands, I loved it
already. Here's a photo. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/204/imagesgr.jpg/

 

[Hazel]

Very nice! You did a great job with it. I like the two tone layer and how you did the top. Is it creamier with the concentrated coconut? Did you scent it?


Also, I hope you don't mind. Your link didn't work so I fixed it.

 

[flavapor]

It should be fine since you dissolved the lye in water. There shouldn't be any issues as long as the lye was thoroughly dissolved and blended well into the oils. It just means there is less water to evaporate out of the soap. Someone once mentioned she reduces the water amount by 50% when she makes castile batches. The stronger lye concentration helps the batch to reach trace more quickly.

Also, you didn't really use a 50% discount because you used the concentrated coconut in place of of the blended coconut milk. I think this just might add some extra creaminess to the lather. I think it sounds like you're going to have a very nice salt batch.

Please let us know how it turns out.

Thank you Hazel. It cut nicely and when I washed it off my hands, I loved it
already. Here's a photo. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/204/imagesgr.jpg/

That does look great! and thanks Hazel for the dog pics!

 

[TeriDk]

Very nice! You did a great job with it. I like the two tone layer and how you did the top. Is it creamier with the concentrated coconut? Did you scent it?


Also, I hope you don't mind. Your link didn't work so I fixed it.

Thx for the fix. Have problems with imageshack on my iPad. This is a lilac salt soap. Non-colored soap on top. The color is alkanet powder mixed with a bit of oil before adding.

Thinking of making one with kelp powder since it has a bit of an ocean smell.

 

[flavapor]

I just made some too! It was very easy, so I am thrilled.

I put Ocean Breeze FO in which I know seizes like the devil, but that was what I wanted it to do. I used some blue ultramarine to get a pale blue and had set some aside and left it white. Once the blue was in the mold I poured the remaining FO into the white with a little white mica/TD and added it on to the blue. The just for Sh*ts and giggles I dusted it with crystal colored glitter specs.

It looks great! I wish I would have had a little more white on top, I was shooting for a 75/25 ratio and ended up with more of a 85/15. The white has "waves" so I am calling it Seaside.

I hope I can wait the month to use it!!

 

[Hazel]

TeriDk -

I've used kelp powder in CP and it stunk for weeks. I couldn't believe how bad it smelled.The nasty smell did eventually fade. Of course, this is just my opinion that it smelled bad. Someone else might like the scent of kelp powder. It did add slight coloring and a little exfoliating texture.

I put Ocean Breeze FO in which I know seizes like the devil, but that was what I wanted it to do. I used some blue ultramarine to get a pale blue and had set some aside and left it white. Once the blue was in the mold I poured the remaining FO into the white with a little white mica/TD and added it on to the blue. The just for Sh*ts and giggles I dusted it with crystal colored glitter specs.

It looks great! I wish I would have had a little more white on top, I was shooting for a 75/25 ratio and ended up with more of a 85/15. The white has "waves" so I am calling it Seaside.

I hope I can wait the month to use it!!

Sounds beautiful! Are you going to post pics? (hint...hint)

 

[krissy]

y'all have put me in the mood to make some salt soaps now....

 

[Kleine Teufel]

To answer a question from a little further up in the thread... Salt soap should be cured for 3 months. It can be used sooner, but isn't as good as it is with a full, 3 month, cure.

As for salt bars, I just did 25 bars the other day. I'll probably do another batch or two like that here soon, since they have such a long cure. The only thing I've noticed is that I don't like using it constantly. After about a week of using only salt soap (20% SF, 80% salt, 100% coconut oil) my skin starts to get dry.

 

[flavapor]

I will give it a shot. I am not sure I know how.


It didnt work, I browsed my photos and clicked, but it didnt load. What did I do wrong?

 

[Hazel]

To answer a question from a little further up in the thread... Salt soap should be cured for 3 months. It can be used sooner, but isn't as good as it is with a full, 3 month, cure.

I mentioned curing on the first page. :wink:

To be fair, I did say 2-3 months.

I will give it a shot. I am not sure I know how.


It didnt work, I browsed my photos and clicked, but it didnt load. What did I do wrong?

Did you click "host it"?

 

[Kleine Teufel]

Ha, my memory sucks. I just saw that someone asked how long cure time was and didn't look back in the thread (neither did they apparantly, so at least I'm not the only one, LOL).
I've found for my personal use, I don't have a problem with them after a month, but they do definately dissolve faster, lol. For sales/trades, however, I stick with 3 months.

 

[flavapor]

nope! Didnt know what that was. Let me try again

You must provide a valid auth token or dev key. see http://code.google.com/p/imageshackapi/ ]

The above is what popped up when I hit host it. Do I have to hit the IMG box above also? [/img]

 

[Hazel]

nope! Didnt know what that was. Let me try again

You must provide a valid auth token or dev key. see http://code.google.com/p/imageshackapi/ ]

The above is what popped up when I hit host it. Do I have to hit the IMG box above also? [/img]

I don't know what that is but did you try requesting a key? A lot of members use photobucket if that helps you. Please let me know what they say about a key.

Ha, my memory sucks. I just saw that someone asked how long cure time was and didn't look back in the thread (neither did they apparantly, so at least I'm not the only one, LOL).
I've found for my personal use, I don't have a problem with them after a month, but they do definately dissolve faster, lol. For sales/trades, however, I stick with 3 months.

I've noticed that in long threads. People join in further into the discussion and ask questions that have already been answered. Speaking of a bad memory - there are times I have to go back and reread a thread from the beginning because I've forgotten what was discussed previously.

 

[flavapor]

nope! Didnt know what that was. Let me try again

You must provide a valid auth token or dev key. see http://code.google.com/p/imageshackapi/ ]

The above is what popped up when I hit host it. Do I have to hit the IMG box above also? [/img]

I don't know what that is but did you try requesting a key? A lot of members use photobucket if that helps you. Please let me know what they say about a key.

Ha, my memory sucks. I just saw that someone asked how long cure time was and didn't look back in the thread (neither did they apparantly, so at least I'm not the only one, LOL).
I've found for my personal use, I don't have a problem with them after a month, but they do definately dissolve faster, lol. For sales/trades, however, I stick with 3 months.

I've noticed that in long threads. People join in further into the discussion and ask questions that have already been answered. Speaking of a bad memory - there are times I have to go back and reread a thread from the beginning because I've forgotten what was discussed previously.

I did request a key and it wont let me log on. I will try photobucket. I am as good at computers as you are at flying a 747 thru a hurricane in an ice storm!

 

[flavapor]

ok, so I set up a photo bucket acct, now what do I do?
edit lets see if this works

http://s1078.photobucket.com/albums/w481/plquail/


HA it worked. The one on the far right is the salt bar

The first one is a m&p swirl
second is a whipped soap swirl
third one is some seriously ugly soap that was a failed swirl rebatched to give me that lovely dog crap brown color, so I wet felted it. Now its a scrubby soap thats at least nice to look at.

 

[Hazel]

Yay! I'm glad it worked.

Your salt bar is lovely. I like the layer look and how you did the top. I can see a little bit of the sparkles. "Seaside" is a good choice for a name. You do great swirls, too. The MP swirl is especially gorgeous with all the vibrant colors.

Now that you can post your pics, I expect to see many more from you.

 

[flavapor]

Yay! I'm glad it worked.

Your salt bar is lovely. I like the layer look and how you did the top. I can see a little bit of the sparkles. "Seaside" is a good choice for a name. You do great swirls, too. The MP swirl is especially gorgeous with all the vibrant colors.

Now that you can post your pics, I expect to see many more from you.

Oh, yes! Did you see the purple and yellow in the background of one of the pics? Thats my current disaster. Never hardened. It was a rosemary,lemon,lavender scent with the thin line being spirulina. Looks great, smells great, just dont pick it up! Its like jello goo.

Its my moms favorite scent and it was for part of her mothers day basket that is gonna be minus one bar of soap!

I just made some spearmint eucalyptus swirl soap with green and black swirls, I think there is too much black in it, will find out tomorrow I guess, and I made a multi color swirl that seized so its gonna be a colorful gloppy mess.

 

[Hazel]

No, I didn't see it so I went back and looked again. How old is it? Maybe it will harden after a long cure. I had a batch like it but it eventually was usable. It never got real hard but I could pick it up.

Gloppy mess sounds good. You never know - it could turn out wonderful.