# Suggestion on Red Micas and Gold



## ilovebathing (Aug 30, 2017)

Hello Everyone! I am not sure if this was posted before but can anyone suggest good micas for Red and Gold? I have tried TKB trading and this was my first attempt in making this in CP soap using micas. The "forged gold" looks more like brownish tan color and the red (Calliope) is turning more pink. Perhaps being a newbie and all, I did not put enough micas into my oil (suggested use by brambleberry blog was 1/2 teaspoon to 1 oz carrier oil) ? Although, I heard micas especially for gold is best in Melt and Pour. :think: I am not sure if I'm ready and willing for Melt and Pour soap since I love experimenting with different properties of oil.  I used fractionated coconut oil to mix in with my micas.


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## toxikon (Aug 30, 2017)

Oooo pretty swirls!!

Gold mica in CP soap does look more tannish because of the soap's opacity, that's pretty inevitable. That's why a lot of soapers drizzle gold mica oil on top of their soap to swirl and decorate, as it remains more metallic-looking.


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## bumbleklutz (Aug 30, 2017)

I'm sorry, I can't help with gold mica; but I'm absolutely in love with "Really Red!" mica from Nurture Soaps.  You do need to use a touch more of it than some other colors to get a really vibrant red; and it is just a touch harder to disperse in oil or glycerin.  So make sure you have it mixed well before adding it to your soap batter.  However, it doesn't morph in cp and it doesn't fade.  It makes a beautiful and true red.


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## shunt2011 (Aug 30, 2017)

I like Nurture's Really red but I usually use Red Oxide with a really hot pink and get a nice red.    Gold, I pretty much use the gold from Nature's Garden.  I don't use it often though.


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## BattleGnome (Aug 30, 2017)

All I can really add is that Brambleberry's Kings Gold mica ends up orange in the CP. it's a pretty orange but not what you're asking dor


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## DeeAnna (Aug 30, 2017)

Yep, gold mica turns orange-ish tan and not very pretty IN soap. Like Toxicon says, it looks great ON soap.


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## ilovebathing (Aug 30, 2017)

Thanks everyone!  How about if you use a baby syringe and inject the soap with gold mica?  I was thinking of doing this to see what happens.  Hoping tho it doesn't separate too much or morph.  Thanks again for the red suggestions.  It's definitely a lot harder to clean up micas versus the natural colorants I'm using.  That is probably why most soapers on youtube use disposable cups for easy clean up.


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## DeeAnna (Aug 30, 2017)

Gold mica (at least the stuff approved for use in soap) doesn't morph, it just doesn't have the ability to reflect light and create glitter when it's mixed into soap. The glitter is the property that makes it look like gold to our eyes. Other colors of mica don't glitter either when mixed into soap -- but they're made with intense colorants that happen show as nice, true colors when mixed into the soap. Pearly white and silver micas don't look good either, for what it's worth.

I haven't injected mica into soap, but I've done something vaguely similar. Based on my experience, you will basically create a cavity filled with the mica and whatever you mix the mica with -- oil, glycerin, water, etc. The liquid and mica in the cavity will leak out when you cut the soap. The cavity will be coated with a residue of the mica, but you'll have a hole in your soap.


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## Kittish (Aug 30, 2017)

ilovebathing said:


> Thanks everyone!  How about if you use a baby syringe and inject the soap with gold mica?  I was thinking of doing this to see what happens.



You'd probably wind up with a mica-lined void inside the soap, where the carrier oil gets absorbed into the soap and leaves the bubble behind.


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## toxikon (Aug 30, 2017)

Instead of injecting and leaving oily pits in your soap, another option is mica pencil lines. You just add a thin layer of mica dust evenly between your batter layers. Make sure not to use too much or your soap will separate.


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## PrairieLights (Aug 30, 2017)

I agree with Nurture Soap's Really Red. Worked perfectly on our TOTF soap. We'd tried mixes - but this find was a perfect one!


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## ilovebathing (Aug 30, 2017)

That gold sure looks so awesome! I think I will try the other idea.  It was a recipe of clear transparent soap by Good Earth Spa, and I can just maybe add the gold mica?  
Also how about Mad oils true red set?  It's a toss up to try both Nurture Soap and Mad Oils I think...but I gotta choose one.  It is certainly an expensive crafty hobby I have going on LOL.


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## SunRiseArts (Aug 30, 2017)

In the peacock challenge there is information about the gold.  

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=63797&highlight=peacock&page=3

In the colorants thread, information about the red micas.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=50630&page=7

I had the same questions ...


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## ilovebathing (Aug 30, 2017)

Now that's RED!!   I am sold to NS colorants now


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## earlene (Sep 3, 2017)

I've been using a soap I made with Gold Shimmer mica from Steph's Micas & More and thought I'd share a photo of the gorgeous shimmery gold speckles that appear in this 8 month-old soap while in use.  It sparkles beautifully as it sits on the soap saver soap dish under my kitchen window, wet or dry.  True the solid colors of the gold in the swirls looks orangish, but the gold sparkles really do show through in the light from the window.

The soap on the left in the photo is dry; the soap on the right in the photo is wet, having just washed my hands with it.  This is from the same bar, which I cut if half a couple of days ago.  I made this soap on Dec. 14, 2016.


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## ilovebathing (Sep 8, 2017)

That is also very nicely incorporated,  I believe Nurture Soaps has glitter as well.  Is gold glitter better to purchase so it can be sprinkled easily without having to add oil onto it for dispersing ?  Thank you for suggesting Gold Shimmer mica from Steph's Micas & More.


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## ilovebathing (Sep 8, 2017)

Wish me luck PrairieLights, I just purchase Really red at Nurture soaps!  It is for a holiday soap that I'm trying to accomplish LOL


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## earlene (Sep 8, 2017)

ilovebathing said:


> That is also very nicely incorporated,  I believe Nurture Soaps has glitter as well.  Is gold glitter better to purchase so it can be sprinkled easily without having to add oil onto it for dispersing ?  Thank you for suggesting Gold Shimmer mica from Steph's Micas & More.



I have some fine gold mica that I use to paint or dust onto soap.  Sometimes I use it dry; sometimes wet, depending on the application.


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## jcandleattic (Sep 8, 2017)

shunt2011 said:


> I like Nurture's Really red but I usually use Red Oxide with a really hot pink and get a nice red.    Gold, I pretty much use the gold from Nature's Garden.  I don't use it often though.



I do the same for red. A pinch (tiny amount) of red oxide with a neon pink, and viola, Christmas Red every time. 

I have about 8-10 different golds I use, I get them from Mad Micas, Nurtures, TKB, and I have one that I got from Peak many years ago, that I'm almost out of. It was my favorite, because a small amount went a long way, and you would actually get a tiny shimmer in the cut soaps, that I haven't been able to get with any other gold mica from anywhere else.


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