Soleseife or Brine Soap

[Candybee]

This recipe has been going around at the Dish and it looks like something I would like to try:

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/SpecialtySoapRecipes/fl/Soleseife-or-BrineSalt-Water-Soap-Recipe.htm?nl=1

 

Its not the same as a salt bar where you add the salt to your soap batter. For brine soap you add the salt to your lye water. You use a regular soap recipe and it doesn't have to be high in coconut. Some folks at the Dish tried it and liked it.

 

Just wondering if anyone here has and how it worked for them and what they think.

[ProudMarineMom]

I made some and definitely prefer it over the regular salt bars.  The ones I made were just too scratchy for me.  This is much nicer and smooth like a CP bar.  I used NG Sea Salt and Lotus Blossom and it accelerated on me pretty quick.  Unfortunately, I was stupid and used a FO that I have not used in CP.  That is a bath salt fragrance for me.

 

Notes that I took when researching:

 

1.  Coconut oil is really the only oil that will lather / bubble in salt water so use a high CO recipe.  I did use some PKO but will probably stick with straight CO next time.

 

2.  Use a high superfat, like 20%.  Some people (like me) are sensitive to CO.  I'm also assuming the brine water is also somewhat drying, like swimming in the ocean.  So, a good superfat should help with that.  I did 15% and will definitely increase next time but it wasn't too bad.

 

3.  Use individual molds.  Like salt bars these puppies get very hard.  I think you would have to use a hack saw or something to get through a loaf.  There might be a sweet spot where you can cut.  I just used my BB 9-bar square silicone mold and didn't have to worry.  Might pick up the rectangular mold.

 

4.  Don't use dead sea salt.  Other sea salts, especially Pink Himalayan, work just fine,  This note I picked up from salt bars and I assume the same would be true here.  From what I have read, not personal experience, dead sea salt causes CP soap to become a gooey, slimy, sweaty mess.  Since I have read this numerous times on different forums and articles, I'm assuming it's true.  Like lye and aluminum.

 

I had some Pink Himalayan in medium size and used that for the brine water.  It mostly dissolved in the water but I did have to strain out some bits.  If found my little sample bag of the fine Pink Himalayan salt and am going to try that in the next batch instead.  Saltworks also has Pink Himalayan salt powder.  Not very expensive for 5 lbs and free shipping.  I assume the powder is the same thing just finely ground.

 

I'm liking these little bars and am wanting to add them.  I like the term Soleseife, sounds better than Salt Bar.  I haven't seen a lot of salt bars, well any actually, around here so those may be regional.  I disliked mine (the salt bars not the brine bars) so much I didn't even want to give to testers.  

 

Let us know how they worked out for you.  I think these can be fun bars to make.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Candybee]

Thanks for your input Proudmarinemom. I plan to make some when I get some time. I was planning to use coconut oil but you should not have to use a high amount like a salt bar. The soapers who tried it posted that you have to cure the brine bars for at least 4-6 months or you don't get any lather. Just think of them like curing castile. A long cure and they will be awesome.

 

Something you said about your salt bars being scratchy-- are you using fine grain salt? Thats the only kind I use. Its not scratchy at all. The bar feels like a smoothe polished river stone. You shouldn't be having any scratchy salt bars. I think it must be the salt you use. I wouldn't even use medium grain unless you want an exfoliation soap. I know some soapers like to use a larger grain. I remember when I was first researching making salt bars that you should use a fine grain. I know about the dead sea salt. But I have read some have successfully used dead sea salt as a percentage of their salt. I don't know how much would be a good percentage thou as I have not tried it.

[ProudMarineMom]

I think I used just regular sea salt that I got from Wally World.  Could be that it was not fine enough or maybe I used too much salt.  I didn't like them and there were not smooth.  I think I accidentally ordered some fine sea salt from Salt Works so will give it a another try and see if they turn out better.  Thanks!

[Candybee]

I'm lucky the local health food store has bulk items. They sell fine grain sea salt in one of their bulk bins for about $ .75 cents a lb. I've been using it in my salt bars and its very nice. The salt grains are similar to table salt, very small, almost powdery.

[CareBear]

salt bars - I make a lot...

 

- they are not scratchy once you get past the top layer - more marble-like, actually.  

- the salt/brine is not drying.  actually I find salt bars with as much salt as the equivalent weight to the oils less drying than eithout the salt.

[Soappy Bubble]

i've made them and love them! I used a recipe similar to the one in the article, and they had a lot of bubbles right away ( during the first week of cure), I was a bit leary because the coconut in that recipe wasn't anywhere near the 80% of the average salt bar. I increased the super fat from 5% in the article to 7% and was worried about that being too little since my normal salt bar is 20%. I didn't find this drying at all, which really surprised me.So I would say this is a fun experiment, and something new and different.

[Candybee]

Soapy bubble- the recipe in the article is not a salt bar recipe. Salt bars and brine bars are two different soaps altogether. The brine soap or soleseife is a regular soap you use brine water as your liquid. You can use your regular bath soap recipe for making it and don't need to increase your superfat. Think of making your normal bath soap recipe and using sea water instead of distilled. Hope that clears up any confusion.

[Soappy Bubble]

Candybee, sorry if I wasn't clear, I am aware of the difference between the two. I made the Soleseife brine bar recently, that is what I  was talking about, only mentioned the salt bars as a comparsion......

Edited June 26, 2014 by Soappy Bubble

[Candybee]

Awww... I see what you were talking about now. Thanks for clearing that up and sorry if offended you. Was not my intention.

[Soappy Bubble]

Not offended at all, think you would really like these Soleseife bars, they are very different than the regular salt bar. Best was to see is make a small batch!

[Candybee]

They are on my ever growing to do list!

[Candybee]

Almost 3 years later..... I still haven't gotten around to making a brine soap! Had to dig up this thread just to remember what the soaps were called!