I get the about.com newsletter of David Fisher's soap and candle making column in my email once a week. This past week he talked about how to make a Salt Soap which I had already been making for years, but he talked about using less salt as an option.
It came at a pretty specific time where I had been thinking that my bars were too laden with salt because when I cut them, they got a bit crumbly. I love sea salt soap. It soothes, conditions and feels all around fantastic on my skin. It wakes up my pores, cleanses them and I feel glowey. It doesn't do that for everyone, because my husband hates them. Says it makes his skin itch. I don't understand that. I've never heard that from anyone else.
I have been making salt soap by using the same amount of oils to salt, so yesterday I made a test batch of salt soap but made with 80% sea salt instead of 100% salt to oils. Instead of one hour in the oven on and one hour in the oven off, I tried 1 1/2 hrs in oven on - 1 1/2 hrs in the oven off and then waited 30 minutes before cutting. They were not that different to cut, a little smoother. We'll see. I go back to my studio today or tomorrow and I will be able to tell once they have had the chance to cool completely.
I love the idea of using less salt to change the consistency of the soap. Next week, I will try a 50% salt-oil ratio and see what I like the best.
What's your favorite salt-oil ratio?
It came at a pretty specific time where I had been thinking that my bars were too laden with salt because when I cut them, they got a bit crumbly. I love sea salt soap. It soothes, conditions and feels all around fantastic on my skin. It wakes up my pores, cleanses them and I feel glowey. It doesn't do that for everyone, because my husband hates them. Says it makes his skin itch. I don't understand that. I've never heard that from anyone else.
I have been making salt soap by using the same amount of oils to salt, so yesterday I made a test batch of salt soap but made with 80% sea salt instead of 100% salt to oils. Instead of one hour in the oven on and one hour in the oven off, I tried 1 1/2 hrs in oven on - 1 1/2 hrs in the oven off and then waited 30 minutes before cutting. They were not that different to cut, a little smoother. We'll see. I go back to my studio today or tomorrow and I will be able to tell once they have had the chance to cool completely.
I love the idea of using less salt to change the consistency of the soap. Next week, I will try a 50% salt-oil ratio and see what I like the best.
What's your favorite salt-oil ratio?
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