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what's the deal with salt bars?


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OK - call me outta da loop but what's the deal with salt soap bars? I really like the idea, don't get me wrong (just another thing for me to try ;) ) but I can just see me trying to sell these to my customers...

"why a salt bar?" the customer questions.

"duh hu - I dunno," I reply in my best Bevis voice....

Now I know salts have good properties to them but why in a soap bar? Is it like taking a salt bath in the shower?? I personally don't like salt scrubs as they are too harsh for my skin... sugar scrubs are a bit better... could you make a sugar bar?? I dunno - I've got a show in 10 days that is known to be populated by a "trendy" crowd so I'm just thinking of stuff to make quick... :D

Thanks for the educashon ;)

Life & Light!

Tish

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Thanks Eugenia! I wasn't sure if they needed a further cure or not - I've been seeing that people put these in the oven for an hour or so then cut right away and let them cure. I do CPOP most of the time and only cure my finished soaps for a week-10 days before wrapping/selling them so I wasn't sure if this was like that or not. How long should I cure them after I make them? Can you make these with fine grain sea salt or just table salt (I don't use table salt in my cooking so I don't have any :( just kosher and sea salt for BB stuff :) ).

Thanks for the info!

Life & Light!

Tish

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I'm not E, but I can help :). These soaps should be cured as long as a regular bar of soap as they contain lye. I have read on here people using all types of salt. Some have luck w/ other salts, other than table salt, and some don't. I've only used table salt so I can't tell you if sea salts will work.

As far as table salt goes, you want uniodine salt. Walmart carries it for approx .40 a can. When using this salt its nothing like a salt scrub, so you may just love these bars after all! They're very smooth, and non-abrasive.

I've only made 3 batches. When I made the soap, I had just enough time to clean up my mess, and in 20 minutes I cut the batch. I don't put mine in the oven. Mine is still warm when I cut it. By the time I'm done cutting they start to set up and it gets harder to get my tool through the soap. Now this is just my experience w/ the 3 batches, I used a slab type of mold w no dividers so I needed to be able to cut through this, that's why I had cut them so soon after making them. Salt bars get as hard as a rock real quick.

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Yes, I should clarify all types of salt .... DSS, sea salt, iodine and uniodine table salt, and very fine bath salts.

I can only speak for the table salt... if you use this type your bar will be VERY smooth, not scrubbie at all. E said it best.... creamy like lotion :yes: (in so many words :P)

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Thanks for the info! I have pounds upon pounds of fine sea salt and I use kosher salt to cook with (I just like it better than table salt). I figured I'd use 80% Coconut oil and 10% castor oil and 10% cocoa butter as these are the oils I have the most of and order regularly. If I'm reading correctly, I just do the same amount of salts as I do oils - mixed in after trace and plop it in my mold. If I remember correctly I can do up to 5% superfat and I don't want to do a water discount with these like I do my CPOP soaps... I just want to make sure I have all my facts straight before attempting this - my luck it will become soap on a stick and I'll need a saw to cut it! LOL I use log molds lined with thicker plastic (my own creation) so I may have to use the table saw! LOL JK I guess that's one way to get the saw clean! lol

Thanks guys! I just love this board! :)

Life & Light!

Tish

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Thanks Eugenia! I wasn't sure if they needed a further cure or not - I've been seeing that people put these in the oven for an hour or so then cut right away and let them cure. I do CPOP most of the time and only cure my finished soaps for a week-10 days before wrapping/selling them so I wasn't sure if this was like that or not. How long should I cure them after I make them? Can you make these with fine grain sea salt or just table salt (I don't use table salt in my cooking so I don't have any :( just kosher and sea salt for BB stuff :) ).

Thanks for the info!

Life & Light!

Tish

Tish am I reading this right? You are wrapping and selling your CP bars 7-10 days after making? They really need to cure longer than that. CPOP just speeds up the gelling process, doesn't make it a quicker cure. Only HP does that, and even with HP you should let them cure a while.

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Now, correct me if I am wrong. I certainly don't know anything about salt bars but isn't 80 % coconut oil kind of high?

OK I am new to this whole soap thing but I *think* I can actually help here.

In a normal soap yes but in salt bars you want a really high amount of coconut, IMHO at least 60%. No it's not drying to your skin, from what I understand coconut is the only oil that will give you lather in salt water. But even then you will still need a lot of coconut to get that little bit of lotion'y lather you get with a salt bar.

(trust me it's actually not drying, as a mater of fact my skin feels softer after using a salt bar)

Karen B

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OK I am new to this whole soap thing but I *think* I can actually help here.

In a normal soap yes but in salt bars you want a really high amount of coconut, IMHO at least 60%. No it's not drying to your skin, from what I understand coconut is the only oil that will give you lather in salt water. But even then you will still need a lot of coconut to get that little bit of lotion'y lather you get with a salt bar.

(trust me it's actually not drying, as a mater of fact my skin feels softer after using a salt bar)

Karen B

Now I guess I am going to have to read about salt bars. Like I said I don't know anything about them.

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Tish am I reading this right? You are wrapping and selling your CP bars 7-10 days after making? They really need to cure longer than that. CPOP just speeds up the gelling process, doesn't make it a quicker cure. Only HP does that, and even with HP you should let them cure a while.

I really don't know how to answer this as it seems like you are second guessing my processes. Processes that I've been useing safely and effectively for several years. I'm not trying to come off as a 8itch here - but that's how I feel. I would NEVER sell an unsafe product to anyone. I test every batch before I sell them. Do I wrap every CPOP batch after 7-10 days? Pretty much - yes. Do I sell them after 7-10 days? Sometimes yes. I do I guess what you would call HPOP. These are bars of soap that I *cook* in the oven and they come out great! Most people that I've talked to aren't familar with this process so I generally refer to this as CPOP as most people understand this process - I just do mine for a bit longer than average. Do I tell people to wrap/sell their CPOP soaps after 7-10 days - no because I don't know what oils they are using nor how long they left them in the oven. Some batches I leave only in for a short period of time on heat - these bars I let cure for two weeks, then wrap, then sell after two weeks more. But my "HPOP" bars are safe to use right out of extended time in the oven (They are in my oven in the mold for 14 hours - only cooked for part of that time - and then cut then I heat up the oven again and put the cut bars in the warmed oven for another 12 hours - I only warm for area warmth - not to gel again - it's hard to explain...) but I cure them further so they can harden and as an added safe guard. These bars I wrap at 10 days and still usually sell after two weeks - but they are perfectly good bars at 10 days (after two days in the oven) to safely sell and use (they even have a good lather and smell wonderful!).

Please next time before coming after someone about their methods ask them how they do their process. Or form it in the form of a question or something kinder. I have been told by my customers and fellow soapers alike that I make beautiful bars that are kind to the skin (heck - the reason why I make soap is because 3/4 of my family have *super* sensitive skin - not alot of FO soaps in our shower!). I know this is a message board and it's hard to tell tone of voice behind words that is why I chose to explain myself and my methods rather than get all pi$$ed off and blow up at you. I don't mean to sound condisending or 8itchy... just telling you how I make my soaps, how proud I am of them, and how your comments make me feel. I'm doing this publicly because you chose to air your comments as such.

If anyone has questions on my process and would like to learn more - I personally love it - feel free to PM me.

Now as for salt bars - after reading more about them, this isn't something I can "HPOP" but I'm still going to make a few small batches this weekend to use at a show in October - I think that is the proper amount of curing time from what I've read - maybe I will figure out a way to have them cure faster - maybe I'll hate making them and will never do them again... only time will tell... ;)

Life & Light!

Tish

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Tish, HP and CPOP are totally different. In hot process, whether

it's crockpot or oven, your oils saponify during the cook. The

"cure" time is for water evaporation, resulting in harder bars.

When you make CP and put it in the oven, you are forcing gel and

speeding the saponification process. These bars may cure more

quickly than standard CP, but not in 7-10 days. I find that all my

soaps benefit from a longer cure period. When I was new, I tended

to wrap my soaps far too early, resulting in a less than tight package

(cigar bands and shrink bands/wraps).

Soap becomes milder, harder, and longer lasting over time.

These are facts, not my opinion. I cure my soaps for a minimum

of six weeks before offering them for sale and find that a good water discount is just as effective as CPOP, with less warping.

e

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When I make CPOP, I cut next day and use on myself. No zap cause they have already cured in the oven. Same as HP, just a different way to HP.

Anyway as far as salt bars go use all Coconut oil and the same amount salt as oil. Pour into mold at light trace. Place mold in 175* oven for 1 hr., remove and cut right away. The salt and heat speeds up the process and they are ready to go next day. Hard as a rock and no zap, sudz, creamy and easy. Use all coconut for the most suds and it is not drying in this process.

Check out the soap dish forum and search salt bar, you'll find lots of different threads.

http://www.soapdishforum.com/forum/index

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