When it comes to skin care, are all salts created equal? Not according to a study done by the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, which tested the effects of “common salt” (like table salt) vs. the effects of Dead Sea Salts.
Testers took once daily baths for a controlled amount of time, and the results came back in favor of the attributes of the Dead Sea salts, particularly in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris (a skin condition involving rapidly dividing, overactive cells that causes patchy, scaley skin). The study also concluded that bathing with any type of salt can benefit skin conditions like psoriasis, however the high concentration of chloride and bromide in salts from the Dead Sea have a particular impact on certain skin conditions.
I love a bath salt scented with a soothing essential oil like Lavender or Lemongrass, or the exfoliating power of a salt scrub scented with an invigorating fragrance like Energy or Juniper Sage. Bramble Berry carries a wide range of sea salts, including Dead Sea (Medium Grain is on sale this month!), Pink Himalayan, and Brazilian. Check out some of the salt soaks and scrubs that I’ve made in the past. Remember, you can always sub any salt in these recipes. You can put Dead Sea Salt in them all! =) What’s your favorite way to use Dead Sea Salts?
1- Quick Stocking Stuffers: Salt Scrub Recipes, 2 – Sea Salt Foot Scrub For Mom, 3 – Summer Strawberry Salt Scrub
4- Simple Easter Scrub, 5- Tub Time: Goatsmilk Bath Tea 6 – Pretty in Pink: Salty Cold Process
This post seems to indicate that you can use Dead Sea salt in CP soap. I made a batch of my tried & true recipe 5 weeks ago; split it in half and made salt bars with Himalayan salt. The other half of the soap, I made Dead Dea Salt Bars.
I am already using the first soap, but the Dead Sea Salt bars are still very soft…Will they ever cure and become soap?
Thank you!
Hi Sly!
That’s interesting! Salt bars can be tricky. I have heard feedback from soapers that salt bars made with Dead Sea Salt is even trickier, because it is said to draw moisture from the air. This could by why your bars are not setting up properly. It’s hard to say if they will set up, but I would recommend giving them a few more weeks before giving up on them. You may also want to check the Teach Soap Forum, and see if anybody has more feedback regarding making salt bars with Dead Sea Salt 🙂
Teach Soap Forum:
http://www.teachsoap.com/forum/index.php
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
Do you have any suggestions for helpful additives to CP soap for psoriasis? I’d like to make a special batch of soap for my Dad. I’ve found a few references here and at BB about Evening Primrose Oil and some hints that ingredients like goats milk might be good, but it would be great if I could make a batch that would be helpful and not hurtful. And I’d like to avoid putting in stuff that don’t do anything to help, or would be destroyed by the CP process. Thanks for any advice you can give!
Good morning, Elizabeth!
While we cannot claim any additives will help psoriasis (or it would be considered a drug claim by the FDA), but there are certain extracts that have been known to having skin-loving properties. Here are a few that I would recommend:
Aloe Extract: https://www.brambleberry.com/Aloe-Extract-P4938.aspx
Mallow Extract: https://www.brambleberry.com/Mallow-Extract-P4935.aspx
I hope that this helps! =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
OK – I’ll give those a try. I also have some carrot extract that might be nice. Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth!
Bet sure to let us know how it turns out. If you get any fun pictures of your batch, be sure to share them with us on Bramble Berry’s Facebook page. =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry
What a neat project! I never thought about using salt in soap – I think the weeping would drive me crazy. But now it’s got me thinking about adding body scrubs to my line. So many ideas, not enough time! 🙂
~Evie
Thank you so much for sharing this! As a psoriasis sufferer, I’m almost ready to go back to a steroid cream. I’ve baked it off with sunshine and UVB theray in the past, but if I can make something to alleviate it without risk of sunburn and without steroids, I’m all for trying it. Thanks again :o)
Ooh. Looks amazing.
I have a random question.
When using vegetable glycerin, which powder do you believe to make the best thickener?
Xanthum gum, guar gum, kaolin clay, or oat flour?
It depends what you’re trying to do with it. What are you trying to make?
I plan on making a 100% natural facial cleanser. Have you heard of Burt’s Bees Orange Essence Facial Cleanser? That’s the type I’m making.
Oops! That’s my post above. I meant to sign in as The Enchanted Bath 🙂
Linda
I have heard great things about Dead Sea salt too Anne-Marie, so I was glad to see this post. I tried your Baked Dendritic Bath Salt recipe a while back, but personally I found I really preferred bath salts made with Dead Sea salt. It’s really great stuff 🙂
Linda
So, would using salt work in Melt and Pour soaps as well? I love the idea of the granularity of the coarse salts… especially as an exfoliant. Wondering also about how coarse is too coarse.
Hi Alex!
Melt and Pour Soap and salt don’t really go well together, they end to get all soft and gummy and make the surrounding soap gummy. But if you wanted to try it in a small batch, you could let us know how it turns out for you. If you were wanting a scrubby recipe to use with Melt and Pour Soap, I’d try out this sugar scrub:
Neopolitan Sugar Scrub:http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/melt-and-pour-soap/neopolitan-sugar-scrub-2/
~Becky with Bramble Berry
Thanks! My regular salt bars never weep, but I use kosher salt for those. It seems like the bars that weep are the ones with coarser grains, whereas the “table salt” grind doesn’t.
I was putting off trying DSS again because one soaping site said my soap would turn to mush. Maybe others are repeating that misinformation. Thanks for correcting it! I really love salt bars, so it’s great to be able to add to the repertoire.
I’ve always heard you can’t use DSS in CP soap. I tried it once, and it seemed fine, though it did weep a lot while curing. What’s the scoop? Was my one time test a fluke, or is it recipe dependent? I’d love to use it more!
Thanks!
All salts weep a lot while curing. I use them in soap though will admit I prefer the Himalayan Sea Salts in salt bars. =)
Great post! Was Hawaiian sea salt tested in this study? I’m curious since the Alea salt has red clay in it.
It was not =) I do love Hawaiian Sea Salt (especially in Chocolate!) =)