Salt Bars...how often to use??

[HelenW]

I recently made a batch of salt bars, everything went fine and they are curing. Tested for zap and did get anything but a salt taste on my tongue that lasted awhile. I tried a small piece and got a beautiful lather and was quite pleased with myself. LOL The next day I washed my hands with the salt bar and again nice lather, I continued using the bar that day but I noticed later in the day that my hands were quite dry feeling and then the worrying started. Did I do something wrong or should salt bars only be used sparingly and NOT on a continuous basis? I have read where salt bars are NOT drying, but my skin sure felt dry. I did 28 oz. CO and 4 oz. Shea Butter, 10 oz. water, 5.4 oz. Lye, sea salt, RT in 180 F oven for 1.5 hours. Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

[Angel91805]

Salt bars are (very hard to explain) exfoliating (without the grit) "polish" bars and should be used in the shower after washing with your normal soap. Not at the sink for washing your hands. Once is great.....over and over in a day is drying.

Donna

[Buttercup]

I found them to be too drying, but they would probably be good for oily skin.

[CareBear]

OK, here I have to differ.

1. I've never found my salt bars to be "gritty" or rough after the first use. In fact, mine get kinda polished and quite smooth.

2. I find them milder than many other soaps - different oil combos give different results tho, as with different levels of superfatting

3. Some people use them on their faces.

[Bonne]

Aren't they superfatted quite a bit higher than regular bars?

Your recipe looks like average 5% superfatting, but I've noticed others

doing 13-15%. Carol? what are yours done at?

[CareBear]

I actually did mine at 5%, with 75% CO & 25% shea and I really find them gentle. But I don't seem to have an issue with CO at all (others do) since my favorite regular soap recipe has 30% CO (weird cause I have super dry skin....).

ETA: I think many superfat salt bars at 15%, especially if using 100% CO

[HelenW]

Salt bars are (very hard to explain) exfoliating (without the grit) "polish" bars and should be used in the shower after washing with your normal soap. Not at the sink for washing your hands. Once is great.....over and over in a day is drying.

Thanks, now that makes sense, and makes me feel happy that I did not screw up. LOL

Aren't they superfatted quite a bit higher than regular bars?

Your recipe looks like average 5% superfatting, but I've noticed others

doing 13-15%.

I have not mastered the Lye Calculator and just input my figures and hoped for the best. :embarasse

with 75% CO & 25% shea and I really find them gentle

I think many superfat salt bars at 15%

I think that will be my next experiment.

Thank you all for your responses, that have been both encouraging and very helpful.

[MarieJeanette]

I make my salt bars with a 15% superfat. They are made with 100% coconut oil, and it's easy to figure out if you use the SoapCalc (I love the SoapCalc, especially the part about it being free! ). In the box located in the upper right section of their webpage where it says 'Superfat/Discount %, delete the '5' that they have there as default and just type in '15' instead. It will calculate the proper lye amount for you to use in your recipe. :smiley2:

I don't find my salt bars drying at all, and my DH and DS use them on their faces every shower they take, but some people I've given them away to are more sensitive to them and say the bars sting their skin when they shave with them. I put it all down to the fact that people have diferent skin likes and dislikes and so I give those particular people my Castile's instead, which they love and drool over.

MarieJeanette

[dirtybirdsoaps]

Hmmmmmm.....maybe a stupid question but how long have they cured for? I know with mine I will TRY them the next day on my hands and yes they will be VERY drying but after I let them cure for about a month they are GREAT. I have really dry skin and eczema to top it off and I use mine EVERY day and my skin's never felt better. A LOT of my customers feel the same way. Also after the first use I never have a gritty feeling the bar is actually really smooth almost like an ocean stone.