Teach Soap

Hello MagicHands (and everyone else!),

Your soaps are such vibrant colors. Do you mind sharing what you use for colorants? I have some fabulous soaps now--it's official, I'm totally addicted--but so far, they are only their natural color.

TKB Trading has some great POP micas that will give you bright colors.

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

Thanks Soapbuddy. I'll try them. Do you ever use any natural/botanical additives for color?

I've been using herbal colorants exclusively - the colors are subtle and natural looking, I've been very happy with them.

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Kim

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

Sorry I didn't see this sooner!

I use a wide variety of colorants - depending on the soap, it could be Labcolors, clays, botanicals, micas, oxides, or ultramarines. I use them in combination a lot, too. (I don't use the TKB micas, though.)

If you tell me which specific soap you're curious about, I'll tell you what I used.

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http://www.magichandsworkshop.com
http://www.magichands.etsy.com
http://www.magichandsworkshop.blogspot.com

Thanks everyone!

I wasn't wondering about a specific soap of MagicHands, I just think all of the colors are beautiful.

Kim, what botanicals do you use? I have tried a couple with limited success. My alfalfa powder colored well, but the color resembles, well, bile. I tried beet root powder for red, but when added to lye water, it turns yellow. I then mixed the beet root powder with glycerin and added at trace and now have red globs in my soap. I'm going to rebatch that one! Can you share your favorite with how and when you add it?

Thanks,
Summer

I have spotty luck at best with food coloring, like the Crystal Light would use - I haven't used it in years.

Mostly I use oxides and ultramarines, but I also use mica and Labcolor dyes. It all depends on the effect you want, whether you need the color to stay put, etc. Some colors fade in UV light, some morph during the soaping process...

If anyone wants to play with colorants, I highly recommend getting the Brambleberry Sample Packs of either the pigments or the micas - they're just enough to play with and see what you like.

_________________
http://www.magichandsworkshop.com
http://www.magichands.etsy.com
http://www.magichandsworkshop.blogspot.com

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

how much paprica would you use PP of soap to get nice color? Would it change the lather or texture of the soap?

I put paprika in the liquid oil to infuse ahead of time, then strain it out - it has a scratchiness I don't like. You can use about a teaspoon per pound of oil.

Remove it when your oil is orange - you'll get a pretty peach color in your soap.

_________________
http://www.magichandsworkshop.com
http://www.magichands.etsy.com
http://www.magichandsworkshop.blogspot.com

Oy, I just made a batch with annato root powder--another bust. I was hoping for purple and got grey specks. I'm officially off of botanical colorants. Oxides and ultramarines, here I come!

I did order the Brambleberry sampler and I really need to sit down and practice using color period, liquid colors are best for me at this time...easier to use.