Salt soaps

What is a salt soap?

Just what it sounds like! A soap with salt (Sodium Chloride) mixed into the batter. Here at Rivelin Valley, we use sea salt (Maris Sal).

Why would I want to use one?

Ever been to a natural brine spa, or even just been for a swim in the sea and noticed the way your skin feels refreshed in a different way than it does after your day-to-day bath or shower? Well, it’s the salt that makes that difference, and approximately 25% of the content of our salt bars is salt extracted from the sea.

Are there any other benefits?

Yes! This type of soap is naturally harder and longer lasting than a bar with no salt in, so you get even more of that fresh feeling!

Is my salt soap sweating??!!

No! But don’t be surprised if you notice water droplets on the surface of any salt soaps you’re storing before use. You may remember from your school science lessons that salt attracts water droplets from the air around it, and this is the same reason that the holes in salt shakers tend to become blocked up as the damp salt granules stick together. It’s most likely to happen in more humid environments, so if you do plan on keeping your salt soaps for a little while before using them, I find it best to store away from the kitchen or bathroom.

What varieties of salt soap are available?

At the moment we produce sea salt bars scented with Lemon, Peppermint or Grapefruit essential oils. The bars are coloured either with calendula petals or cosmetic grade clay. Additionally, there is a bar with no added fragrance, which we call “Gritstone Edge“ and which is coloured with cosmetic grade Activated Charcoal. We have created special edition gravestone versions of this soap as well!