The "white gold" of the earth, as salt is also called in our latitudes, can serve more than just in the kitchen as a spice or preservative. No, it has always been used effectively in body care, cosmetics and medicine!
Sea air cures for lung patients, salt baths for psoriasis / neurodermatitis or for blemished skin and acne. Gentle salt peelings for a fresh complexion, body scrubs to tighten the connective tissue, or simply fragrant bath salts for a relaxing bath in the evening are on everyone's lips.
The high proportions of sodium chloride, as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and bromine, which have a positive effect on the regeneration of the skin due to their anti-inflammatory effect.
This means that salt and brine soaps are also suitable for sensitive skin.
So there are good reasons to let this "treasure" unfold its effect in soaps too!
Here is a small 1x1 of the
much-loved care treasures:
General information on salt and brine soaps
!!! Salt / brine alone cannot spoil !!!
Unless it contains impurities.
Boil and filter seawater beforehand because of germ contamination: it is true that many microorganisms do not survive the saponification process, but safe is safe.
Every soap recipe is suitable in and of itself!
Brine soaps are not necessarily suitable for the OHP process!
The use of salt / brine in an OHP soap is called "salting out" and is used to produce core / cleaning soap.
It is therefore counterproductive to use it in a hand soap in the OHP process.
Hand soap made with salt / brine in the OHP process is rubbery to the touch.
Do not use iodine / fluoride-containing salt, Dead Sea salt or Epsom salt!
Iodine promotes the satchel (high iodine number).
Fluoride and Epsom salts also speed up the satchel.
Dead sea salt is very water-binding - hygroscopic.
Dead Sea salt contains a high concentration of metal compounds, primarily magnesium, which also accelerate the satchel.
The mineral compounds in the dead sea salt hinder the saponification process or partially cancel out the NaOH / KOH effect.
Salts suitable for saponification!
Table salt without additives, fine / coarse.
Himalayan salt, ancient salt, sea salt, fleur de sel.
With herbal / flower soaps, one mixed with dried herbs / flowers can also be used.
It is best to use fine salt in salt soaps!
Since the grain of salt is retained here, coarse or sharp-edged salt crystals can lead to undesirable irritations and injuries.
Salt and brine soaps can dry out the skin!
Higher under-leaching (UL) or lye deficiency (LU) - earlier excessive greasing: We recommend at least 12%.
Use oils / fats that are highly moisturizing and nourishing: cocoa butter, shea butter, olive oil, almond oil, apricot kernel oil, etc.
Salt and brine can reduce the soap's shelf life!
High oleic (ho) oils such as safflower / safflower oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, etc.
Use long-lasting fats / waxes: lanolin / wool wax, berry wax, jojoba oil, beeswax and much more.
Use fast-moving oils / fats sparingly: max. 10% of the GFM, or omit.
Salt and brine inhibit the formation of foam!
Increase foam fats as a percentage: 40% and more.
Use foam boosters such as: castor oil, sugar, starch, kaolin, clay, lanolin (wool wax). Mixed saponification (80/20 or 90/10) has proven itself.
Salt and brine like to "swallow" scents!
Leave unscented.
Increase fragrance by 1-2% (please pay attention to the manufacturer's dosage instructions).
Salt and brine bright colors!
Leave unstained.
Dose the desired color a little higher.
In the case of salt soaps, the salt is used as an additive!
The total quantity / weight increases, i.e. the volume of the "complete" soap glue - salt soap glue.
Therefore, the glue mixed with salt should be weighed again to determine the required number of shapes.
Calculate the amount of salt required for the desired amount / weight of total soap glue (e.g. pound guy).
Salt / brine soaps become (very) hard and therefore tend to break or splinter!
Reduce the lye liquid only slightly or not at all.
Salt / brine soaps get nice and hard even with a higher amount of liquid (30-35% based on GFM).
Use single forms.
In the case of block molds, it is advisable to cut the still warm soap with a wire (for experienced cookers).
Salt / brine soaps require a longer maturing time!
At least 8 weeks, approx. 6 months to 1 year are recommended.
Improves foam formation.
Soap becomes milder.
Salt / brine soaps draw water!
Store in a cool and dry place.
Let dry well after use.
If it is too warm and / or humid, small salt balls or "velvety fur" form on the surface of the soap.
These are initially only a cosmetic problem, but indicate incorrect storage.
In the long run there is a risk of sacking!
Salt soaps
Salt soap is used when the salt, undissolved, is stirred into the emulsifying soap paste as an additive.So not as a lye liquid!
The amount used is usually between 25% and 100% based on the total amount of fat!
However, up to 300% can be used as an amount!
Yes, read and be amazed - 300% on the GFM !!!
Calculate the amount of salt:
1st rule of three:
Divide the total amount of fat by 100%.
Multiply the value obtained by the desired percentage to be used (e.g. 25%).
This value gives the required amount of salt in grams.
Throughout:
Total amount of fat: 100 x salt in% = amount of salt in g
Weight of soap glue + amount of salt = total weight of salt soap glue
Example calculation:
25% salt to 600 g total amount of fat
600 : 100 = 6
6 x 25 = 150
Required amount of salt 150 g
600 g + 150 g = 750 g salt soap glue
Total amount of fat + salt = total weight of the soap recipe
2. Calculation of the total weight:
Calculation of the required amount of salt for a certain total weight of the salty soap glue.
Throughout:
Lye liquid g + total amount of fat g + salt g = total weight of salt soap glue / 100%
How does the salt get into the soap?
All there is to do is ...
Stir the salt, fine or coarse, thoroughly into the soap glue that is already easy to draw.
The glue should be poured quickly into the mold, preferably individual white molds, to prevent the salt from settling.
In the case of block molds, the soap should be cut with the help of a wire while it is still warm (no guarantee !!!)
Use of small amounts of salt:
Some people have already asked themselves while reading some soap recipes on different blocks and forums:
What are the 1-3 teaspoons of salt in the soap glue? Does that do what?
Yes, it brings something!
The following:
The addition of a small amount of salt, 1-3 teaspoons or more, depending on the total amount of fat, can give a "soft soap" the necessary "hardness"!
The hardness value of the selected / compiled soap recipe can be quickly determined in the soap calculator under the heading "Soap properties - hardness".
If the value is below 29, the finished soap counts as "soft" soaps.
"Soft" soaps are soaps that contain a high proportion of animal fats such as lard, goose / duck wax, and / or a high proportion of liquid oils such as sunflower oil-ho, rapeseed oil-ho, safflower oil, etc.!
Mixed saponification can also benefit this!
"Soft" soaps have the "flaw" of being washed out faster than soaps with a high hardness value!
Action:
The salt is dissolved in the lye liquid and this is added to the fats / oils as usual.
or,
At the end, the salt is stirred into the thickened glue as an additive.
Fine salt usually dissolves while stirring.Coarse salt, on the other hand, can achieve a great "snowflake effect" in that the not completely dissolved grains show up as loosely distributed white dots in the soap bars.
A great design option, especially for winter soaps.
Brine soaps
As the name suggests, brine soaps are mixed with brine ("saturated" salt solution) as the lye liquid.
To make brine yourself you need at least.Water and a salt of your choice.
- Caution, not every salt is suitable - see above -
Definition brine, saturated:
Water enriched with salt (salt solution), which contains dissolved salt up to "saturation", is called - as much salt as it can absorb.Residual salt that cannot be absorbed "precipitates".Salt crystals remain at the bottom of the vessel!
Chemically:
"Saturated" brine consists of 74% water and 26% salt!
100 g brine, saturated = 74 g water + 26 g salt
Production of the brine:
As always, there are several ways to achieve this:
1. The simple one (My preferred):
Take a bottle, preferably with a large opening.
Fill in 2-3 cm of salt and pour warm distilled water over it.
Water.Please do not fill the bottle completely, salt water needs more space than water alone. I've already burst a bottle because I filled it too full and closed it too quickly.
When all the salt has dissolved, add another 1 cm of salt and wait until it has dissolved.
Repeat until salt remains on the bottom.
Voila - the "saturated" brine is ready!
Wait until the brine has cooled down and close the bottle.The required amount can now be withdrawn.
Then with a little salt and distilled water.
Fill up with water.
Brine supply secured !!!
2. For mathematicians:
Calculate the amount of water required.
Divide the amount of water by 74.
Multiply the obtained value by 26.
This value gives the amount of salt in grams which is required to produce a saturated brine for this soap.
Calculated amount of water + calculated amount of salt = saturated brine.
Throughout:
Amount of water: 74 x 26 = amount of salt in g water + salt = saturated brine
Example calculation:
required amount of water = 100 g
100: 74 = 1.3513 / 1.351 (rounded)
1.351 x 26 = 35.126
required amount of salt = 35 g (rounded)
100 g + 35 g = 135 g brine
Amount of water + salt = saturated brine for the selected soap recipe
Calculation of water - brine ratio (brine weight) for finished brine:
Multiply the amount of brine by 0.74 = amount of water contained in g
or,
Division of the amount of water by 0.74 = required amount of brine, saturated in g
Sample calculations:
100 g "saturated" brine - how much water does it contain?
100 x 0.74 = 74 g
Water content of the "saturated" brine = 74 g
100 g required water - how much brine required?
100: 0.74 = 135.135 g
"saturated" brine required = 135 g (rounded)
This is you now, the correct calculation method for adding brine as lye liquid!
But let's be honest - who, as a hobby cooker, makes these circumstances when it can be easier?
3. Divide by 3 ("almost saturated" brine):
Calculate the amount of water required.
Value obtained by 3 parts.
The result corresponds to the required amount of salt in grams for an "almost saturated" brine for the desired soap recipe.
Calculated amount of water + calculated amount of salt = "almost saturated" brine
Throughout:
Amount of water: 3 = amount of salt in g
Salt + water = "almost saturated" brine
Example calculation:
Required amount of lye liquid = 100 g
100: 3 = 33.3333 g
required amount of salt = 33 g (rounded)
100 g + 33 g = 133 g brine
Amount of water + salt = "almost saturated" brine for the selected soap recipe
As can be seen in comparison with the exact mathematical calculation presented above, this calculation option, in the calculation example, lacks 2 g of salt for the "saturated" brine!
If you want to have it exactly, you can do the math, it's too time-consuming for me!
How brine becomes soap
It should be noted here that it can be difficult to dissolve the NaOH in a liquid consisting of pure "saturated" brine.After the lye has cooled down, a white coating can usually be seen on the bottom of the vessel.This is "precipitating" salt.
Therefore:
The NaOH can be quickly trickled into the brine: a higher caustic temperature supports the dissolving process.
The amount of liquid should not be reduced too much: When reducing the liquid, the mixing ratio should not fall below 1: 1.4 (liquid / brine).
The less liquid, the less brine as additional liquid.
Stirred well and the lye liquid must be added to the oils through a fine-meshed sieve.
- If there are no other additives, brine turns milky-white. -
Possible use concentrations:
It is not absolutely necessary for the lye liquid to consist of 100% brine.Even a partial use achieves beautiful results.So you can adapt the brine content in your soap to the finished soap according to your wishes and requirements.A small amount of brine in the lye serves the same purpose as a small amount of salt in soap glue.
- see above: use of small amounts of salt -
Here are the most common u
Based on the amount of liquid:
100% brine as lye liquid: - 150 g brine = 150 g lye liquid (total amount)
50/50 (half / half): - 75 g liquid + 75 g brine = 150 g lye liquid (total amount)
Ratio 1: 2: - 2 parts brine + 1 part liquid or vice versa
Calculated lye liquid: 3 = 1/3
Amount received x 2 = 2/3
2/3 brine / liquid + 1/3 liquid / brine = lye liquid (total amount) 3/3
Example calculation:
150 g lye: 3 = 50 g (1/3)
50 g x 2 = 100 g (2/3)
100 g brine / liquid + 50 g liquid / brine = 150 g (3/3) lye liquid (total amount)
Other:
130 g brine + 20 g liquid = 150 g lye liquid (total amount)
Based on the amount of NaOH:
Ratio 1: 1.1: - liquid / brine or vice versa
Calculated amount of NaOH in g = 65 g
Calculated amount of lye liquid (total amount) in g = 125 g
NaOH x 1.1 = NaOH solution liquid (minimum amount for dissolving, should never be below!)
Calculated lye liquid in g - solution liquid in g = residual liquid in g
Example calculation:
65 g x 1.1 = 71.5 g NaOH solution liquid
125 g - 71.5 g = 53.5 g residual liquid
71.5 g brine / liquid + 53.5 g liquid / brine = 125 g lye liquid
Ratio 1: 1.4: - liquid / brine
Calculated amount of NaOH in g = 65 g
Calculated amount of lye liquid (total amount) in g = 125 g
NaOH x 1.4 = solution liquid NaOH (ideal amount for dissolving in brine!)
Calculated lye liquid in g - solution liquid in g = residual liquid in g
Example calculation:
65 g x 1.1 = 91 g solution liquid NaOH
125 g - 91 g = 34 g residual liquid
91 g brine / liquid + 34 g liquid / brine = 125 g lye liquid
Of course there are many other mixing ratios too! You decide which one suits you for your soap recipe.
The information contained here has been compiled by me to the best of my knowledge and belief. Since nobody is error-free, it is advisable to do your own research on this topic.
Natural remedies are not a substitute for a doctor!
All content without guarantee, subject to change !!!
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