Table Salt....

[lovemylabs]

I'm still working with my batch of Bath Salts. I'm now on my second recipe and they are still clumping. Anyway, I was telling my husband about it and said "I wonder if I should add a little more Dendetric Salt." He asked "What is this stuff? Let me see it." Then chuckles and says "How much did you pay for this?" I asked "why" and he proceeds to tell me it's sodium chloride...or the common table salt. I (of course) told him "no way". Sure enough...that's all it is. So for those of us that didn't know this already....when we need Dendetric Salt....just go for the ole' salt shaker and save money! Good Grief...Here I waited for this shipment to arrive and it was on my shelf all the time! If anyone has any insight as to how I can get my salt to dry out, let me know...Otherwise, I'll add a little more table salt!

[lovemylabs]

Side note on the above comment: Make sure it is non iodized salt.

[ProudMarineMom]

Well, all salt is basically Sodium Cloride. I think most of the differences are the sources of the salt, such as the Dead Sea, the size of the grain, how it's harvested or how the salt crystals are formed.

If you look up Dendritic Salt on the Snowdrift Farm website, they have a link to their 'Ask The Chemist' page that explains how dendritic differs from regular salt. They main benefit from the special crystalization being that dendritic is 2-1/2 times more absorbant. Now, I'm definitely not a Chemist, so can't verify it as fact. But, they have the same explanation I've seen elsewhere on the web.

Curious as to how the table salt worked....

[LovelyLathers]

I agree with ProudMarineMom. There is a difference and it does make a difference in the final product. Dendritic salt does not clump and holds the FO scent better. Household salt clumps fast and doesn't hold as much moisture.

[lovemylabs]

Thanks guys...but after posting, we looked at our recipe and decided to add another 10% of each of coarse sea salt, fine sea salt and epsom salt...laying flat on tray to dry. Hopefully that will work this time. Decided to not add any more dendetric salt until we see what the dead sea salt and epsom mix does. If it's still clumpy, then I'll add a T of dendetric salt.

[Reg]

I am not an expert here, but table salt usually has some sort of anti-caking agent (look at the ingredients on your table salt, and most of the time you'll see at least one more ingredient besides salt). My understanding is that anti-caking agent prevents salt from absorbing moisture (which is supposedly why it's not good for you to consume). I was grocery shopping today and saw a box of pickling salt, so I had to inspect it. It claimed that it has no other stuff, just salt, but it did not have an official list of ingredients on the package at all.

What is in your recipe that it gets that wet? I only made bath salt once, and it was epsom salt, sea salt, a few drops of food coloring and a few drops of essential oil, then shake well. Nothing clumped, and nothing was moist in that concoction. I am just curious, but you don't have to tell me if that is your trade secret.

[lovemylabs]

Hey Regina...No trade secret. Here is my recipe...and as we're looking it over, we're assuming it's the glycerin....let me know your thoughts:

1 lb Dead Sea Salt (1 cup each coarse, and fine)

2 lbs Epsom Salt (Approximately 3 cups)

2 T Baking Soda

3 oz Dendetric Salt (4 T)

2 T Liquid Glycerin

.375 oz of FO

Few drops of liquid dye

We blend the salts together very well along with the Baking Soda. Then we add the FO directly to the Dendetric Salt, mix well and add to the salt blend. We mix together the dye, glycerin and fo, add to the batch, blending well and then lay out on freezer paper (which is sitting on top of large cookie sheets) to "dry" (which it never does).

So...after all that, do you think it's the glycerin also and/or too much? I remember I made bath salts on a regular basis with our old business, but can't for the life of me remember the recipe...I know it was basic and we never had any issues. Thanks so much

[LovelyLathers]

The glycerin maybe what is stopping it from drying out and why it is clumping. Glycerin attracts moisture..

[Reg]

I have never tried using glycerin in bath salts, but like the PP said, glycerin attacts moisture. What is the purpose of glycerin in this recipe, is it to make it a bit moisturizing? I wonder if using a light oil instead would work better. I know I've seen recipes that called for some light oil .

[lovemylabs]

I believe we got this recipe from BCN...I can't remember, I'll have to go check. I'm assuming the Glycerin is for moisturizing. I have also seen recipes with oils in them. So, I did a search to find "basic" dead sea salt recipes and all have the same, but has no oils, butters or glycerin in them. I really wanted to add a little bit more moisturizing properties to the salts, as I tried these and they are wonderful. They just clump something awful.

[Reg]

I saved this recipe from a book I had checked out from the library recently (I can find out the name of it if you need it). I haven't made these myself, so I have no idea if this would clump at all, but the recipe is small enough to try this out without wasting too much in case you don't like it. Also I don't know what concentrated sea salt is, never heared of it before.

Stress-Relieving Bath Salts

1cup (237 ml) Epsom salts

¼ (59 ml) cup concentrated sea salt

1 (5 ml) teaspoon sweet almond oil or apricot kernel oil

A few drops of lavender or other relaxing scent (optional)

Mix the salts together, then stir in the almond or apricot kernel oil, a few drops at a time, until it’s evenly distributed. Add the essential oil if desired. Use ¼ cup (59ml) of salts per bath, adding them under running water.

Shelf life is 2 to 5 months.