If you're a beginner in the world of cold process soap, or just someone who is curious about the handmade soaps you see, you may wonder about salt soaps. What they are, how and why they're used or made, what makes them different, and so on.

Salt soap is formulated a little differently from a traditional cold process soap, and there's a good reason for that.

Adding salt to soap changes more than just the appearance of the finished bar. Salt affects the way the soap lathers, how hard the bar becomes, and even how the soap feels on your skin. Because of that, we have to make some adjustments to the oil combination to create a bar that is enjoyable to use.

And I'm talking about Sea salt here, which is commonly used to create soap that gives more of a spa-like effect. These soaps are also great as a foot soap.

Let's take a look at what makes salt soap different and why these recipes are formulated the way they are.

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What Is Salt Soap?

Salt soap is cold process soap that has salt added to the soap batter before it is poured into the mold.

The amount of salt can vary quite a bit depending on the type of salt bar you're making. Some recipes use a relatively small amount of salt compared with the oil weight, while others use much larger amounts.

You'll sometimes hear the term "salt bar" used for recipes containing a moderate amount of salt, while a "100% salt bar" generally refers to a recipe where the amount of salt is approximately equal to the amount of oils by weight.

These aren't necessarily two completely different types of soap, but the higher the salt content, the more dramatically it affects the way the soap behaves.

And this is where formulation becomes important.

Recommended Products: Himalayan Chef Fine Grain Sea Salt

What Does Salt Actually Do to Soap?

One of the first things you'll notice about salt soap is how quickly the bar becomes hard.

Salt encourages the soap to form a very firm, dense bar. This can be especially nice if you like a bar that feels substantial in your hand and doesn't turn mushy easily when sitting in the shower.

Salt can also give the finished soap a smooth, almost silky or slightly scrubby feel depending on the type and amount of salt used.

But there's a tradeoff.

Salt reduces lather.

That doesn't mean salt soap doesn't lather. It absolutely can. But instead of the large, fluffy bubbles you might get from a regular coconut or palm-based soap, salt soap tends to produce a dense, creamy, lotion-like lather. This is why they are great for a spa-like experience.

The more salt you add, the more noticeable this effect can become. But beware of using a salt soap on sensitive areas (ladies), or open cuts and scrapes. It is salt, afterall.

This is one of the biggest reasons salt soap recipes are formulated differently from ordinary soap recipes.

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Why Do Salt Bars Have So Much Coconut Oil?

This is probably the biggest question beginners have when they first start looking at salt soap recipes.

You may see a salt bar recipe with 50%, 60%, or even more coconut oil and wonder why anyone would want that much.

After all, coconut oil is known for producing a cleansing bar, and most soapmakers learn early on that very high amounts of coconut oil can make a soap feel overly cleansing or drying.

But salt changes the equation.

Because salt suppresses lather, we need an oil that is especially good at producing lather to help compensate for that effect.

Coconut oil is excellent at producing cleansing, bubbly lather.

So while you might use a much lower percentage of coconut oil in an everyday soap recipe, a salt bar can benefit from a considerably higher percentage.

Think of it this way:

Salt takes some lather away → coconut oil helps bring some of that lather back.

That's one of the fundamental ideas behind salt bar formulation.

Of course, that doesn't mean you have to use 50% coconut oil. There are many ways to formulate salt soap, and the amount of salt, the other oils being used, and the desired feel of the finished bar all play a role.

But higher coconut oil is common for a reason.

 

So Why Is the Superfat Usually Higher?

Here's another thing that can make a beginner stop and look twice at a salt soap recipe.

You may see superfat levels of 10%, 12%, or even higher.

For someone accustomed to making a regular cold process recipe at around 5% superfat, that can seem excessive.

But again, we're compensating for the way the recipe is formulated.

Remember that high coconut oil percentages are commonly used because salt reduces lather.

Coconut oil is also a highly cleansing soapmaking oil. When you combine a high percentage of coconut oil with salt, the finished bar can potentially feel more cleansing than a typical soap formula.

Increasing the superfat is one way soapmakers can formulate for a gentler skin feel.

Superfat simply means that the recipe is calculated with more oil than is theoretically needed to react with all of the sodium hydroxide.

For example, a 5% superfat means the recipe is calculated so that a portion of the oils remain unsaponified.

A 12% superfat is a larger margin.

This is why you'll often see high coconut oil + high superfat together in salt soap recipes.

They're working as part of the same formulation strategy.

It's not that salt soap requires a particular superfat percentage. There isn't one magic number that every salt bar needs. It's about balancing the cleansing properties of the oils with the way you want the finished soap to feel.

What About the Other Oils?

This is where salt soap gets fun to formulate.

You don't have to make the entire recipe out of coconut oil.

Other oils and butters can be used to change the feel of the finished bar.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is a popular choice for adding conditioning qualities and contributing to a mild, creamy soap.

It doesn't produce the same type of big bubbles as coconut oil, but it can help balance a high-coconut formula.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is another beautiful option for salt soap.

It contains a variety of fatty acids and is often used in soapmaking formulas where the goal is a more conditioning, skin-loving bar.

Since salt and coconut oil are both influencing the finished soap in one direction, adding oils such as avocado can be a nice way to bring some balance to the formula.

Shea Butter

Shea butter contributes hardness and a rich, creamy feel. But I would use this at a lower than usual percentage because we're already getting a hard bar from the salt.

It's also a useful way to add some luxuriousness to a salt bar without relying entirely on liquid oils. 

You do not have to use Shea butter in your salt soap. I like to use Shea butter in just about everything I make so that's why I talk about it here.

Castor Oil

Castor oil is particularly useful in recipes where lather needs some help.

It doesn't create big bubbles by itself, but it can help support and stabilize the lather created by other oils.

This can be especially helpful in salt soap because we're already dealing with salt's tendency to reduce lather.

Salt Soap vs. Regular Cold Process Soap

Here's a simple way to think about the difference.

	Regular Cold Process Soap	Salt Soap
Salt	Little or none	Added intentionally
Coconut oil	Often moderate	Often higher
Superfat	Often around 5%	Often higher
Lather	Can be bubbly and fluffy	Usually denser and creamier
Bar hardness	Depends on formula	Usually very hard
Cure	Still needs a proper cure	Still needs a proper cure
Formulation	Balanced around desired properties	Adjusted to compensate for salt

The important thing to understand is that salt doesn't replace the need for good formulation.

It actually makes formulation more important.

Recommended Products: Himalayan Chef Fine Grain Sea Salt

Does Salt Soap Exfoliate?

This depends on the type and amount of salt you use.

Fine salt can provide a very subtle texture, while larger salt crystals can create a much more noticeable scrub. Though I would be careful using larger crystals that can end up being uncomfortably scratchy on the skin. If you're specifically looking for exfoliation, the size and shape of the salt crystals matter.

And if you have sensitive skin, a heavily scrubby salt bar may not be the best choice.

However, don't assume that every salt bar is an exfoliating soap.

A finely ground salt bar can feel quite smooth on the skin, especially once the salt dissolves during use.

What Are the Benefits of Salt Soap?

Salt soap has a few characteristics that make it appealing to soapmakers and customers alike.

A Very Hard, Long-Lasting Bar

Salt helps create an exceptionally hard bar.

This can be a big advantage in the shower, where softer soaps can become mushy if they're left sitting in water.

Of course, proper drainage is still important. Even a very hard soap will last longer if it can dry between uses.

A Different Kind of Lather

Salt soap isn't generally about huge, fluffy bubbles.

Instead, you're more likely to get a dense, creamy, almost lotion-like lather.

Some people absolutely love this texture because it feels different from a traditional bubbly soap.

A Unique Skin Feel

Salt soap has a distinctive feel that is difficult to duplicate with an ordinary soap recipe.

Depending on the formulation, the bar can feel smooth, dense, creamy, and slightly silky.

That's part of what makes salt soap so interesting.

Simple Ingredients

At its most basic, salt soap doesn't require a long list of specialty additives.

You can make a beautiful salt bar with a relatively simple combination of oils, salt, sodium hydroxide, and water.

That doesn't mean every salt soap needs to be complicated.

Sometimes simple is better.

What Kind of Salt Should You Use?

Not all salt is created equal for soapmaking.

You can use several different types of salt, but it's important to pay attention to the particle size and any additional ingredients.

Fine sea salt is a popular choice because it dissolves relatively easily and provides a smoother finished bar. 

Recommended Products: Himalayan Chef Fine Grain Sea Salt

Dead Sead salt is NOT a good choice here, due to it's mineral content it can cause all kinds of problems in cold process soap.

Coarser salt will give you a more textured bar and may feel considerably more exfoliating.

Avoid heavily processed salts containing ingredients you don't want in your soap, and check the label if you're unsure.

And remember: salt is not the same thing as sodium lactate.

Sodium lactate is commonly used in soapmaking as a hardening and processing aid, but it doesn't turn a regular soap recipe into a salt bar. For a salt bar you do not need sodium lactate. 

When Do You Add the Salt?

For cold process salt soap, the salt is generally added to the soap batter before pouring.

There are different approaches to when and how the salt is incorporated, and the best method can depend on the recipe.

One important thing to remember is that salt can cause the batter to become firm fairly quickly. You'll want to pour into mold pretty quick after adding your salt.

That means you don't want to make a complicated, slow-moving design and then discover that your batter has suddenly turned into mashed potatoes.

For a first salt bar, I'd keep the design simple.

Once you understand how your particular recipe behaves, you can experiment more.

Does Salt Soap Need a Cure?

Yes.

This is an important one for beginners.

Just because a salt bar becomes extremely hard very quickly doesn't mean it is immediately ready to use.

Hardness and cure are two different things.

A salt bar can become firm enough to unmold surprisingly quickly, but the soap still benefits from a proper cure.

Cutting will be hard. If pouring into loaf mold you will want to cut bars a lot sooner than the usual 24 hours. A few hours is good, check that the loaf is hard to the touch and not sticky on the sides. If you wait too long to cut it can be incredibly hard and can break the wire if you use a wire cutter.

Using cavity molds is a better choice, especially for beginners. With a cavity mold you can go ahead and leave the bars to harden for 24 to 48 hours before you pop them out.

During curing, water continues to evaporate and the soap's overall qualities continue to develop.

So don't confuse "hard enough to unmold" with "fully cured."

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Salt Soap Isn't Just "Regular Soap With Salt Added"

This is probably the biggest takeaway I want beginner soapmakers to remember.

If you want to make salt soap, don't simply take your favorite regular cold process recipe, add a bunch of salt, and expect it to behave the same way.

Salt changes the characteristics of the soap.

It can reduce lather, increase hardness, change the texture, and affect how quickly the soap batter sets.

That's why salt bar recipes often have:

More coconut oil → to help compensate for reduced lather

Higher superfat → to balance the cleansing nature of a high-coconut formula

Supporting oils and butters → to improve the overall feel of the bar

A carefully chosen amount of salt → to get the desired hardness and texture without making the bar unpleasantly scrubby

Once you understand why these changes are made, salt soap becomes much less intimidating.

The more you understand what each ingredient is doing, the easier it becomes to look at a recipe and understand why it's formulated that way—and how you might change it to create the soap you want.

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A Few Beginner Salt Soap Tips

If you're ready to try your first salt bar, keep these things in mind:

Start with a simple recipe. Salt soap doesn't need an elaborate design.

Keep an eye on your batter. Salt can cause the soap to firm up quickly. Add it last, then pour soon.

Cutting will be hard. If pouring into loaf mold you will want to cut bars a lot sooner than the usual 24 hours. Using cavity molds is a better choice, especially for beginners.

Don't be afraid of higher coconut oil. In a salt bar, it's there for a reason.

Don't automatically use a low superfat. High coconut oil and salt are a different combination from a typical soap recipe.

Choose your salt carefully. Fine salt will give you a very different experience from coarse crystals.

Don't skip the cure. A hard bar isn't necessarily a cured bar.

And most importantly, run your final formula through a reliable lye calculator any time you change your oil percentages.

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Final Thoughts:

Salt soap is a great example of how fascinating soap formulation can be. Once you understand the relationship between the ingredients, you can start moving beyond simply following recipes and begin creating formulas based on the qualities you actually want in your finished bar.