Teach Soap

Hi. I am so unsure how to use the micas and oxides that I have just stayed away from them. Yes I have watched the color episode on SQTV but for some reason my head will just not get it.

I love the ease of the liquid but do not have all the beautiful selections to pick from. Can anyone help me with how easy or hard they are to use? And "lakes" too? Thank you so much. I would really like to venture on past the non bleeding liquids and into some new territory.

I love my micas and oxides...I usually mix them with a small amt of glycerin...or alcohol...I find them easy to use..... ..never used lakes before ..

_________________
Deb.....


If you blow in a dogs face he gets mad....take him for a car ride ..and he sticks his head out the window....

So Debb do you mix them with a bit of glycerin BEFORE you pour it into the WHOLE glycerin amount?

For oxides I use a tiny bit of oil. For ultramarines I use a small amount of glycerin. For micas I use alcohol. Lakes are oil based colorants. They mix the best with a tiny bit of oil. FD&C Colorants are water based, so glycerin works better with them. Be aware the FD&C Colorants or Lakes may bleed in your soap.

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

I only use a tiny bit of glycerin to mix.....I don't use anymore then that...

_________________
Deb.....


If you blow in a dogs face he gets mad....take him for a car ride ..and he sticks his head out the window....

I prefer to mix my micas with water, and I use glycerin for my oxides.
They key with any powder is to make sure that every last little bit is suspended in your liquid (whatever liquid you choose).

Micas are the easiest to work with of the two, a little water or alcohol mix thoroughly until there is no powder left.

Oxides tend to be more tricky as they require more effort to suspend. A hand mixer is ideal here, but failing that I like to pour glycerin right onto a countertop and add a little powder (Usually a 3:1 glycerin to powder ratio is good) and work it back and forth, forth and back with a 4" putty knife. When you can spread that color puddle out really thin and not see any little dots, you know she is ready to go. I then use the knife to drag the liquid off of the edge of the counter into a bread pan, pour it from the pan into whatever container you want to store it in. I store oxide mixes for months at a time, just remember to carefully stir up anything that has settled to the bottom and you will be fine.

The next thing when mixing your own colors is to start low, you are working with unique concentrations of pigment and it can be easy to over do it and have a soap that washes out blue or whatever color you are using. I suggest when first starting out adding oxides by the drop until you find the color you want.
Micas are much less likely to wash out or bleed, but you should be aware that they can. Some micas have an oxide mixed in to create a contrasting background for the mica color. Names like Antique silver, or copper or even green can have a black mixed in that will bleed if you add to much.

How do you know if you are adding too much? Use your spoon or whatever you are mixing as your gauge. Generally speaking, you want to be able to see your spoon just under the surface of your mixture. Also (as I mix a lot of colors) I like to use a blank white index card and dribble a couple of drops of my colored soap on it to see how it looks ( I even store the ones I like in a little card catalog to refer to later, and help make sure I am making the same color strength I did before.). With a little practice you will be working with different levels of transparency in no time.

_________________