# Color - Pigment for homemade soap



## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

A lot of people use powdered color. You need to experament with the color by adding a little to a small amount if water and pouring it in the sink or on a white plate.


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## bee crazy (Oct 6, 2005)

*Somewhere over the rainbow!*

now your entering into a whole new world of soap. We use natural clays and fibres to color our soap. But did you know that the colors differ with the ph of the soap at the time you put them in?
When making a marbled soap I hold back about 10% of the batch to color after light trace. Scent the soap not to be colored and pour half if it into the mold. Add half of your colored soap on top of what you molded in long thin strings. Add the rest of the batch of soap then the rest of the colored soap on top of that in long strings. Leave as is or you can Take a thin knife and cut though the soap once or twice but that's all. If you over do it the color of the soap gets muddy. That's it. It take some time to get a recipe for color down. Take lots of notes. Your mistakes will keep the family in soap of years.


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## Brandy (Dec 3, 2005)

Grant,
I've been doing a lot of soap recently and by your mention of the Almond Joy I'm thinking you've found the Miller Soaps. I've done a lot with the Cocoa Powder for the natural browns in the swirls, also Paprika and Tumeric for more natural colorants. Cinnamon for beige, Curry for yellow peach, Cayenne for salmon, all natural. Then you can go for the oxides which only take a small amount but are not natural. It's up to you what you want. 
I only got 1 oz. sizes of the oxides and they were only $3 each. Will last a very long time IMO. Be careful, it's as bad an addiction as Beekeeping!!!!


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

Thanks, Brandy, but your warning comes too late. I'm having a blast...and I'm addicted.

I'm still not happy with my coloration.

I bought Crafter's Choice liquid pigments through Wholessalesuppliesplus.com The marbled soap is coming well, and yes, I've found Miller's site where I made Almond Joy. But I was really hoping for more striking colors. I add them at trace and give a good stir prior to molding the soap in a large "brick." But the colors just don't seem to jump out. And the colors are expensive. $5.95 for a 2.5 oz. tub. And I'm using the whole tub in the batch. 

My batches start out around 88 ounces of fats/oils, and on average, about 36 ounces of water and 12 ounces of lye. Everything is run through a SAP calculator. Maybe I'm not using enough color...but holy smoke! Those tubs are expensive. My best coloration comes with the swirling, but I'm looking for more contrast. Maybe it's just not possible.

I'll try some of the natural coloration spices, which would be my preference. Cocoa makes a lovely brown soap. I'll try the other spices. Thanks.

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## Brandy (Dec 3, 2005)

I haven't used the liquid colorants so I can't help you there. I use the Oxide pigment's and Ultramarine's and have been very happy with them. They are only $3 for the l oz. size but I only use from 1/8 -1/4 teaspoon for my swirl color which is only 1 -1 1/2 C. My batches are still in the 55 oz. range right now. This means more batches, more combinations of scents and colors, and basically more time to play!!

I'm sure you'll figure out with the Paprika and Tumeric that you can add more color since it's pretty subtle. Another herb that really pack's some color is Spirulina Powder for greens. It's beatiful but a little goes a long way. Also The French Clay's, Green and Red are natural colorants. 

Don't know which color your really after but you might just try an oxide for that color the next time you order supplies. 

And remember, I did add the caution statement about "addiction"!!


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

Yes, you did warn me.

Do you have a favorite supplier for these additives?

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## Brandy (Dec 3, 2005)

I found The Pigment Lady who knows more than I will ever know or understand about colorants with different sampler packs etc.. Then I found a closer source in Denver at Colorado Organic's that also had the same colorants, 5% off at the time so I got them from them. Will depend who's closer to you for shipping but they aren't heavy!!


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

I haven't time to chase down other options on pigment. I'm still a little miffed why my liquid color hasn't really shown itself. I was adding it at trace.

Then I decided to mix the color into the lye water prior to pouring it into the oils.

Viola! Sure 'nuff! Hot dog! What a difference it made. Probably because the liquid pigments were water based. 

I have to use these up, but I'm going to try some other dry/powders.

Grant
Jackson, MO (still addicted)


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## Brandy (Dec 3, 2005)

Gotta love it!!


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