Think I stuffed my salt bars!!

[hellen]

Hi Guys,

I've just made my first batch of salt bars. I forgot to add fragrance, I just dumped the salt in and stirred for a little while, superfatted at 15% and NOW I read the salt bar tutorial and realise I should NOT have just dumped the salt in.

Also, I think most are superfatting between 5-10% and mine is a whopping 15%. I am soooo disappointed in myself that I didn't read more carefully.

I used 75% CO, 10% Apricot Oil, 10% Castor Oil and 5% Cocoa Butter.

Gawd....I am so hoping an angel helps me and allows these ones to work out.....I was so excited to try them.

Thanks for letting me vent,

Hells

[pjb31apb]

:awww:Awww hon don't feel bad. I know there are a lot of soapies out there that polks say are a disaster, but they are actually very beautiful. Remember, there is no one right or wrong way to make soap (except aleays add lye to h2O and the lye liquid to the fats! LOL) When I make salt bars, I just dump all my salt in at trace and mix it up and mine have come out fine. Cut your bars and see what you end up with.

[thesoapbox]

I just dumped my salt right into the soap as well. Mixed it up and molded it. I used Coconut, Shea and a tad of lard. However, mine did not harden at all after 3 hours and I still was able to cut into them at the 4 hour mark. Not sure why mine didn't harden within the hour as many have attested to. But they are nice now. Can't wait to see how they hold up in the shower.

Angi

[sudsnwicks]

Hellen, I pretty much just dump my salt in too. I didn't read the tutorial and didn't know there was a better way for it. Since my salt bars have worked out, I guess it must be okay?

I don't think there is anything wrong with superfatting these at 15%, neither do I know for sure if most of us here are doing only 5-10%. Personally I chose 5% (after trying higher superfats) but that's because I have hard water from a well, and the higher superfat simply didn't produce sufficient lather. I don't need a whole lot of lather, and found it to be enough especially if I use one of those netted sponges. But DH likes to have a lot of lather and he doesn't like to use those sponges.

Angi, perhaps yours didn't harden as quickly compared to what others have experienced, due to their not gelling? When my salt bars don't gel, it can be a few days before they're even firm enough to unmold, let alone cut.

[thesoapbox]

That is probably what happened. I always see a nice gel with my castille soaps but when I did these salt bars and my shea soap and then my coconut, olive and lard soap, I didn't see any gel at all.

They are nice and hard now though

Angi

[hellen]

Thanks for all your replies....I feel better.

I have cut them, they stuck to the cutter though. They actually remind me of coconut slices. Is that what they are meant to look like? The salt appears to have sunk mostly to the bottom. They are reasonably hard but not hard emough for me to try one in the shower as yet. I'm going to let them cure for about 4 weeks and then see how they are to use in the shower.

Right now I think if I tried one the bottom layer just may seperate....hehehe

I will keep trying though......

Cheers,

Hells

[sudsnwicks]

Hellen, how thick was the trace when you poured? If the salt sank to the bottom you may have poured at too thin a trace, or maybe not stirred it up sufficiently. Don't worry, these aren't the easiest things to make (my 1st try, the salt wasn't spread out very evenly either) but if you just let it sit and cure a few weeks, it should be fine to use.

[Barbara AL]

The reason my gell so fast is that I put mine in the oven at 170 degrees for 30 minutes to gell and they get hard fast that is why I can cut them in an hour.

Barbara