Teach Soap

I've heard others talk about making soap with lots of salt in it (a salt bar) and I'd like to give it a shot. I read this on the blog of Great Cakes Soap Works: "Most people who make salt bars on a regular basis recommend anywhere from 80-90% coconut oil with 15-20% superfat, and salt can be added at up to a 1:1 ratio with the amount of oils."
For those who have made salt bars, does this sound like a good place to start formulating? Any particular oils that pair well with the coconut (or the opposite....DON'T work well in these bars)?
I know one key is being able to cut them soon after making them (within a few hours) before they get too hard.
Also, I know not to use Dead Sea Salt. I have Kosher salt on hand....would that work alright?

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

I've made salt bars before and used 95% coconut 5% castor with a sf of 15%. I used 50% salt, and they worked out fine. You'll want to cut them about 45 mins after pouring. They'll still be warm, but wait any longer and they'll be too hard.

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www.facebook.com/Semplice-Naturals

Thank you, Semplice!
Also, what skin type is best suited for using salt bars?

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

The lather is really creamy - almost lotion-like. I'm sure most skin types would benefit from them!

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www.facebook.com/Semplice-Naturals

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

Do all coconut bars have to be cut so quickly after pouring, or just ones with salt?

For those that use the salt bars... what happens when you wash over an area with a cut? Wouldn't that sting?

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Yeah that's what I thought - that they would sting. I was thinking of making some for my feet now it's summer here, but my feet usually have little cracks or cuts on them (like today when I stood on a blooming rock outside thanks to the kids relocating them from the garden to the concrete!), and have already stood, barefoot, on salt on the ground (making bath salts) - - OUCH!

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

I've made them with 85% of the oil weight in salt, and 20% of the salt was Dead Sea Salt! In other words, you can use DSS, maybe not 100%, but if there is a benefit, it can be included. There's a SoapQueen post about DSS salt--she says it works, and I took her at her word and tried it.

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Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
Like us: http://www.facebook.com/AvitalsApiaries

For my salt bars, I use BB's blue silicone mold...the squares. That way I don't have to worry about watching the time and cutting them before they get too hard.

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Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
Like us: http://www.facebook.com/AvitalsApiaries

I used my BB 9 bar baltic birch mold for my salt bars. Can't wait for them to finish curing!!!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

If a salt bar is mostly formulate as coconut oil, what do most people use for the remaining oil portion? Would putting a small amount of a butter (like shea) make much a difference in the final feel of the bar? Or is not really noticeable at that point (since there is so much coconut oil)?

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts