Teach Soap

Hi folks

I just wanted to share some colour experiments I have made recently as I have found a lot of very useful information on this forum.

Pansies v. Lye
I mashed some pansies with water to make a lovely deep purple coloured water. However once I added the NaOH I wasn’t expecting the resulting bright orange colour. What this photo doesn’t show is that once the orange lye was added to the oils, the colour returned to the usual cream colour you’d expect when not adding any additional colour! Back to the drawing board on this one…



Carrot Soap or Pumpkin Soup?
I used this lovely bright orange carrot juice but once mixed with the NaOH it turned that dirty dark orange colour. When the lye was mixed with oils, it turned this pumpkin soup colour. Not what I was after and I don’t think I’ll be giving this one away somehow!

The colors may change again as they cure. Please let us know the final products.
Love your experiments!
Welcome to the group!

PS- that color is fine - I have some that I sell that are close to that shade even after they cure. No one seems to mind.

Also, if you want less color morphing - sometimes I mix my Lye with a small amount of water, then mix with the oils and then add the juice or colored stuff after everything is mostly mixed. ( as part of the total water measurement.) You get less reaction with the Lye that way. It doesn't help everything, but it can help some things.
Keep up the experiments!

Most herbs will discolor to brown over time added to CP soap.

I've used a tiny bit of unrefined palm oil in CP for a soft carrot like color.

Some people have had good luck infusing rattanjot for purple color.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I think the orange tan color actually turned out very lovely - and there's something to be said for marketing the whole exotic, natural colorant angle of the bars. Wrap 'em up nice and people will love them. Strange color or not (and I think it's great!), handmade soap is still a beautiful and thoughtful gift.

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Happy Soaping!

Anne-Marie
blog: www.soap-queen.blogspot.com
supplies: www.brambleberry.com

Coooooool!

I agree - the pumpkin color is lovely!

Wow...every color a beautiful in my book. Some will change with curing, but if you could do a swirl with a different batch, like leave it natural, maybe a funnel swirl, no matter what color it does or doesn't turn to will be an eye catcher. Congrads!!