Yup, 'nother Salt Question !

[SimplyE]

For those of you salting, I have read that a salt bar is creamy and a salt bar is exfoliating. I assume that for the creamy, the salt is added/dissolved in the water/liquid before adding the lye, and for exfoliation, it is added after trace and before molding. Is this a personal preference and is this how both of these salt methods work? This is a fascinating area for me now...as well!

I would love to hear opinions on this. I was unable to really find anything in searching "how's" and "why's".

Thanks!

 

[jadiebugs1]

when i made my salt bars i added the salt (about 80% of weight of oils) to the mix at light trace. I've never heard of doing it the other way to make a salt soap. I think that adding a LITTLE salt to the lye mix is to boost lather (or is that sugar??). The salt bars produced a creamy lather, but as for exfoliation? Only the salt particles that didn't dissolve completely give me a little scratch once in a while. Hope to hear others' responses to this question too!

 

[donniej]

Sharon,
You use 80%salt? That is to say, if you had 100 ounces (in weight) oils that you'd use 80 ounces (also weight) salt?

I've never used salt and am pretty new to soap, just curious.

 

[MikeInPdx]

I haven't made proper salt bars yet, but I do add salt to my vegetable shortening recipe. It makes for a harder bar. I add sugar to boost lather.

 

[jcandleattic]

For those of you salting, I have read that a salt bar is creamy and a salt bar is exfoliating. I assume that for the creamy, the salt is added/dissolved in the water/liquid before adding the lye, and for exfoliation, it is added after trace and before molding. Is this a personal preference and is this how both of these salt methods work? This is a fascinating area for me now...as well!

I would love to hear opinions on this. I was unable to really find anything in searching "how's" and "why's".

Thanks!

True salt bars are really not that exfoliating. they are more creamy and smooth. To get and exfoliating bar you should try making and Apres Glo bar. They don't lather hardly at all, but are great for exfoliating. I've never made one, but I've heard that the process is similar to CP.

Not sure if there is anything about it on this forum, but if you check other forums, there should be directions and explanations.
HTH
J

 

[kwahlne]

I haven't made proper salt bars yet, but I do add salt to my vegetable shortening recipe. It makes for a harder bar. I add sugar to boost lather.

How much salt would you add if you are just trying to harden the soap?

 

[MikeInPdx]

How much salt would you add if you are just trying to harden the soap?

Well....I have found that 1 teaspoon ppo makes a firm bar and takes away the rubbery feeling from shortening bars. 1 tablespoon makes them like a rock.

Either way, I predissolve the salt in a little reserved water. Works fairly well.

 

[meliblom]

The salt is added at light trace. It will get THICK! It's very manageable though.
Salt is not added to the water since it is such a large quantity of salt. The water would not be able to dissolve it all. The bars may feel grainy at first, but once they get wet they get really smooth, a bit like a river rock. They are also very hard. The lather is very creamy, a bit lotion-like. Fine grain salt will not be truly exfoliating in a salt bar.
People may use 50%-100% weight salt to weight oils. I do 100%, but am going to do 80% next time.
It's easiest to do salt bars in individuals molds. I, along with many others, prefer Tony's molds for these. No worrying about cutting at the right time so you don't have crumbly bars. Also, no handing hot soap when you have to cut the log, and these puppies get HOT!