# Coloring with cocoa powder?



## Zing (Oct 12, 2018)

I just made soap colored with cocoa powder and it's a beautiful brown.  I am impatient waiting to test it in 3 weeks and have questions for the forum.  Does it turn lather or washcloth brown?  Does it have a scent?  I can't really smell cocoa, just the peppermint essential oil I used.  I used 2 Tbsp per pound of oil.  Thanks!


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## dixiedragon (Oct 12, 2018)

Some people say they get a very light scent. I, personally, don't. It probably won't stain your washcloth, but you may get tan or off-white bubbles. 

Congrats on your soap!


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## Richard Perrine (Oct 12, 2018)

Check this thread:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/cocoa-powder.3259/


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## shunt2011 (Oct 12, 2018)

I use cocoa powder all the time. I personally like the Hershey’s dark.  I’ve never noticed and scent carry over. If too much is used it will color your washcloth but I’ve not had it stain. It washes out.


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## Misschief (Oct 12, 2018)

I've used unsweetened dark baking chocolate and cocoa powder in one of my soaps, along with Chocolate Fudge FO with peppermint; it's my granddaughter's favourite soap. I've never had an issue with staining.


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## Arimara (Oct 12, 2018)

shunt2011 said:


> I use cocoa powder all the time. I personally like the Hershey’s dark.  I’ve never noticed and scent carry over. If too much is used it will color your washcloth but I’ve not had it stain. It washes out.


 Agreeing. I've mis-measured this before.


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## Alfa_Lazcares (Oct 13, 2018)

I can smell it but most people dont.


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## cmzaha (Oct 13, 2018)

I really like the brown color cocoa powder gives, but  get no smell from it


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## Dawni (Oct 13, 2018)

I have used a local, unbranded cocoa powder in the single successful batch of soap I've managed to make (I've made only 3 btw) and there is a very faint "dessert" smell (it doesn't come off as specifically chocolatey, at least to me) ... Not sure if it's because of the kind of powder I used but maybe it being unscented also helped.

I used 1.5 tsp (very small batch) and added it after the cook. It's still curing so I have no idea yet if mine will color lather or stain towels. What I'm worried about is if the powder will feel scratchy.


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## soapmaker (Oct 13, 2018)

I usually use cocoa powder to colour soap that a little chocolate smell would fit in, like Mocha Latte.


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## Zing (Oct 13, 2018)

Thanks, all.  And @Misschief, your soap is beautiful.


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## Misschief (Oct 13, 2018)

Zing said:


> Thanks, all.  And @Misschief, your soap is beautiful.


Thank you.


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## KimT2au (Oct 13, 2018)

How much cocoa powder would you use ppo, @Misschief ?


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## Misschief (Oct 13, 2018)

It's a 1000 gram batch of oils; the whole batch has 25 grams of dark unsweetened chocolate and one half has an added 1 tbsp of Dutch cocoa.


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## KimT2au (Oct 13, 2018)

Misschief said:


> It's a 1000 gram batch of oils; the whole batch has 25 grams of dark unsweetened chocolate and one half has an added 1 tbsp of Dutch cocoa.



You put some proper chocolate, as in a bit of cooking chocolate, in the soap as well as the cocoa, @Misschief ?


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## Misschief (Oct 13, 2018)

KimT2au said:


> You put some proper chocolate, as in a bit of cooking chocolate, in the soap as well as the cocoa, @Misschief ?


Yes, a square of baking chocolate, melted with the oils.


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## Dawni (Oct 14, 2018)

Misschief said:


> Yes, a square of baking chocolate, melted with the oils.



Sounds really yummy to bathe with.. Must be really luxurious, aside from very pretty


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## Misschief (Oct 14, 2018)

Dawni said:


> Sounds really yummy to bathe with.. Must be really luxurious, aside from very pretty


It's my granddaughter's soap of choice right now. She raves about it and has been the main reason the first batch sold out as quickly as it did.


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## babysoapmaker (Oct 14, 2018)

I made a batch of cocoa soap (in the lye water) last night. I'm pretty certain it won't discolor since I was working with a recipe provided in one of Jo Haslauer's books, who makes all her soaps with natural colorants and sells them commercially. Not sure about scent as I used a fragrance oil but I did notice that the cocoa water (which smelled great at the outset) smelled pretty terrible after adding lye so I probably wouldn't have wanted that scent to stick anyway. It's my understanding that natural fragrances are very difficult to achieve when it comes to soap. Shea butter is said to leave a faint shea butter fragrance in the soap, which might come across as somewhat "desserty" if you pair it with cocoa powder if that's what you want? 



Misschief said:


> Yes, a square of baking chocolate, melted with the oils.



*That is so cool. *I am still pretty new to soapmaking and I'm still playing around with infused oils and replacing the lye water with other liquids. Nowhere near having the guts to add in other things like this. Your soap looks beautiful!


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## Dawni (Oct 15, 2018)

Misschief said:


> Yes, a square of baking chocolate, melted with the oils.



@Misschief, I'm curious about something.

And sorry for going slightly off topic...

If the "brown" chocolate gave you this color, will white chocolate help lighten the soap's color?


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## shunt2011 (Oct 15, 2018)

babysoapmaker said:


> I made a batch of cocoa soap (in the lye water) last night. I'm pretty certain it won't discolor since I was working with a recipe provided in one of Jo Haslauer's books, who makes all her soaps with natural colorants and sells them commercially. Not sure about scent as I used a fragrance oil but I did notice that the cocoa water (which smelled great at the outset) smelled pretty terrible after adding lye so I probably wouldn't have wanted that scent to stick anyway. It's my understanding that natural fragrances are very difficult to achieve when it comes to soap. Shea butter is said to leave a faint shea butter fragrance in the soap, which might come across as somewhat "desserty" if you pair it with cocoa powder if that's what you want?
> 
> 
> 
> *That is so cool. *I am still pretty new to soapmaking and I'm still playing around with infused oils and replacing the lye water with other liquids. Nowhere near having the guts to add in other things like this. Your soap looks beautiful!



I've not found that shea leaves any scent to the soap.  You would likely need to use a high percentage to even possibly get any carry over.  I've never gone over 20%.


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## Misschief (Oct 15, 2018)

Dawni said:


> @Misschief, I'm curious about something.
> 
> And sorry for going slightly off topic...
> 
> If the "brown" chocolate gave you this color, will white chocolate help lighten the soap's color?


I would think it would be the same as adding cocoa butter to your soap. It doesn't really lighten the colour of the natural soap.


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## KimT2au (Oct 15, 2018)

Misschief said:


> It's a 1000 gram batch of oils; the whole batch has 25 grams of dark unsweetened chocolate and one half has an added 1 tbsp of Dutch cocoa.


Hi @Misschief , did that amount of cocoa and chocolate produce an aroma in the soap or did you add a FO or EO of any sort?


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## Misschief (Oct 15, 2018)

KimT2au said:


> Hi @Misschief , did that amount of cocoa and chocolate produce an aroma in the soap or did you add a FO or EO of any sort?


It really doesn't scent the soap much, if at all. I added Chocolate Fudge FO and Peppermint EO. It really smells yummy.


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## Lye-h20-oil (Oct 17, 2018)

Dawni said:


> @Misschief, I'm curious about something.
> 
> And sorry for going slightly off topic...
> 
> If the "brown" chocolate gave you this color, will white chocolate help lighten the soap's color?


Good question! I was wondering what could be used to lighten soap naturaly as well. Looking forward to the answer!

I just looked up ingredients in white chocolate and stumbled on white chocolate pudding...now I want to know if pudding has been used in soap!


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## artemis (Oct 17, 2018)

Lye-h20-oil said:


> now I want to know if pudding has been used in soap!



If you think of a possible soap ingredient, odds are someone else has, too: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/index.php?threads/63358/


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## shunt2011 (Oct 17, 2018)

Lye-h20-oil said:


> Good question! I was wondering what could be used to lighten soap naturaly as well. Looking forward to the answer!
> 
> I just looked up ingredients in white chocolate and stumbled on white chocolate pudding...now I want to know if pudding has been used in soap!



I did once when I ran out of Cocoa Powder.  I had a box of SF Chocolate Fudge pudding mix.  It worked.    To lighten soap I use TD.  You can get cake white at places that sell Wilton Cake decorating supplies.  It's TD.  Will work in a pinch.


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## Suzy Knight (Nov 6, 2018)

I made my first batch of chocolate soap Last week. I added cocoa powder to my fluid HP as it came to "mashed potato" level. I added fresh rose FO. This stuff is sinfully smooth and silky! Thanks for putting the idea into my head!


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## KimT2au (Nov 7, 2018)

Suzy Knight said:


> I made my first batch of chocolate soap Last week. I added cocoa powder to my fluid HP as it came to "mashed potato" level. I added fresh rose FO. This stuff is sinfully smooth and silky! Thanks for putting the idea into my head!


Hmmmmmmm, Turkish delight.  Yummmmmm.


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## Kafayat Adebowale oyeniyi (Nov 7, 2018)

Zing said:


> I just made soap colored with cocoa powder and it's a beautiful brown.  I am impatient waiting to test it in 3 weeks and have questions for the forum.  Does it turn lather or washcloth brown?  Does it have a scent?  I can't really smell cocoa, just the peppermint essential oil I used.  I used 2 Tbsp per pound of oil.  Thanks!


With cocoa powder in my soap i always love  it. However to compliment i use cocoa butter so the natural cocoa  ftagrance smells awesome.I have  done it before and loved it.No shea butter added


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## Suzy Knight (Nov 7, 2018)

KimT2au said:


> Hmmmmmmm, Turkish delight.  Yummmmmm.


Rose is my favorite! I love the little rose mints too!


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## Fargood (Nov 8, 2018)

I’ve used cocoa powder and cocoa butter for soap. I notice it less in CP soap, but I have a pretty good sniffer. I don’t like the cocoa powder or butter in non-compatible scents. If I pair it with a vanilla or other “warm” scent, I like it. I can’t be in the same room if it’s paired with a floral note or citrus. It’s like an odor nails-on-the-chalkboard. So yeah, I can smell the powder. I think it depends on the person.


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