Teach Soap

Ok, I need your input on Lab Colors! Ins and outs, good and bad, advantages, disadvantages, your experiences, all that good stuff! I hear they need a preservative, but not if they are kept in the fridge. I hear they bleed. That's ok. What would be a good starter collection of colors to get? What do/can you store them in once they are diluted? Thanks!

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Rachel
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I haven't used lab colors, but for a starter collection I would go with black, red, blue, and yellow because you can use the color wheel with those and get most of the other colors you're looking for by mixing those colors

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Tamra
New to soaping, long time crafter and artisan, avid learner of new things!

Why not use micas? They don't bleed like LabColors do. BB has some gorgeous mica colors.

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

Lab Colours are SO easy to use. No mixing with alcohol or glycerin, no powders, no chance of little flakey chunks of colourant.. just a few drops and you mix. That is there biggest benefit. I use them on soaps that only have one colour, or I pair it with a mica (so one layer is mica, one layer is lab colourant). The downside of Lab Colours is how much they bleed. For example I have a soap that's layered white, light blue, and light green, and after a month or two the top is a bit off white, and the bottom is just solid light blue. So that's frusturating. I say if your making a soap all one colour, go for the lab colours, they are so easy! If your doing intricate swirls and details, stick to the oxides, micas or liquid oxides (I love liquid oxides as well).

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Nikki @

There is a huge difference between making a life and making a living; which one are you making right now?

I will add that some micas are so beautiful and then you go to use them and they come out COMPLETELY different, even in M&P. Like BB's Cellini red. It's so pretty out of the bag, but as soon as you mix it, it instantly turns a bright orange. I knew this when buying it so I use it for the orange, but just a heads up that some colourants are decieving. A local supply store has a brilliant hot pink colour and it goes this awful violet. And some others go grey. So that is a downside of micas.

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Nikki @

There is a huge difference between making a life and making a living; which one are you making right now?

Thanks everyone! Now I have an even better understanding. Marula Tree - you're not diluting at all? Just adding the color straight into the melted soap? Would you be willing to share a photo of the bar that has the bleeding?

I guess I'm just not really a mica kinda girl which is weird because I love glitter and shimmer like there's no tomorrow. I think the expense holds me back a little too. When I win the lottery...

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Rachel
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I believe the lab colours I have are already diluted, and I add only a few drops. A little goes a long way. I'm not sure I have any soap of that variety to take a picture of, I learned my lesson awhile back and then ended up using all the ugly soap or giving it to my parents hahaha. Just picture a really pretty bar of soap with pretty layers, and then it all blending together and making your bar one solid colour.

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Nikki @

There is a huge difference between making a life and making a living; which one are you making right now?

My understanding is when you get a 10ml bottle of labcolor, you dilute it with 8oz water. Then voila you have 8oz of color which is brilliant!

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Rachel
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After years of using other colorants from a variety of vendors, about six weeks ago I bought my first set of lab colors. They take some getting used to -- the combinations are NOT what we remember from grade-school or high school, but it's the only way to get "brilliant" -- really bright colors in M&P. Yes, they do bleed and I'm careful when I use them. I bought the mixing guide (recipe book) with the basic set and I'm glad I did. I just did several July 4th red, white and blue collections -- gorgeous, truly. Before Lab Colors, I couldn't get a vivid purple. Can now.

I still use micas and occasional other liquid colorants for multi-color projects.

They don't need preservatives if you refrigerate them. I diluted mine the first day and have the bottles sitting neatly on a shelf in my refrigerator. I was too timid using them at first, so used to other colors turning too dark so quickly. Now, instead of a drop at a time (mine are diluted in 8 oz of water), I use 3 ml at a time for the most part. And, the color possibilities are endless.



Connie

Those daisies are very nice Connie!

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

Thanks, Ginger

I've not read any of this, so glad I found this site! I ordered labcolors, but had no idea you needed to dilute them and refrigerate. I'm hoping they come with some literature, as I'm new to this and need all the help I can get. I ordered from BrambleBerry, so feel confident they will work well. Do you transfer into another container when you dilute? Haven't received them yet, so not sure how big they are. The more I get into this, the more I realize there's a lot of details I still need to learn before trying to sell!

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Maltese Mom

I'm confused. I read that Labcolors from BB already have water in them, so you don't have to dilute, then I read an article they have that explains how to and that you should. Which way is it??

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Maltese Mom

My labcolors arrived and I read the directions! I can't wait to try them

Thanks, Everyone

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"Soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul!"