Natural colorants in M&P

Seawolfe · Mar 22, 2015

So I went to a soap making meetup, and we made clear M&P soap! Ive never really thought about M&P, but now I'm all excited, and realize I know nothing!

I've been browsing M&P colorants until my eyes crossed, and gave up. Can I use my natural colorants in M&P? I've seen some pretty results online for madder root, activated charcoal, clays and spirulina. But what about indigo, annato, alkanet, comfrey, nettle, etc? I'm thinking of dispersing or infusing with a bit of vegetable glycerin? Or am I over thinking it? Maybe just mix the powdered colorants well into the melted soap and sieve if there's chunks?

There were even some really pretty examples at the class that used food coloring, so that's an option for playing around I suppose, but i dunno.

not_ally · Mar 22, 2015

Seawolfe, I think it awesome that you are a cp'er and are still open to mp. I started w/mp (for about a year) before switching to cp, which I have to admit, I like better. But they are both really great for different reasons, I hate to see the heated discussions about which is better (as long as you use a really good base w/MP, see there I go starting the discussion again.)

Seawolfe · Mar 22, 2015

Oh I've always admired what people can do with M&P, it's just that I like making soap from scratch so much. Plus I dont think I have the attention span to do what some people can with M&P. But it's nice to increase the arsenal, as it were, and now I've found a base I can trust without trying a bajillion types

Now I just need to figure out "the rules"

biarine · Mar 22, 2015

Before I start doing hot process I am making soap with melt & pour for at least 4-5 years. I never colour my soap just plain white but I scented them with different EO.

TVivian · Mar 22, 2015

I always mix my colors with a little oil or glycerine. I've added powders directly to M&P and had it turn out fine, and I've added them and had it clump and not mix in and had specks of color throughout the soap.

Seawolfe · Mar 22, 2015

I'm thinking I might try infusing the organic colorant powders (like madder, alkanet, annato, indigo, spirulina and nettle) in a bit of vegetable glycerin thinned with a bit of alcohol, straining them out and dripping the colors in drop by drop. How does that sound?

Oil infusions are an option I guess, because the base is only 1% SF, would that be ok? Or risk being too oily?

TVivian · Mar 22, 2015

From what I've read you can add a Teaspoon of oil PP of M&P without compromising the integrity of the soap.. I've never added that much, maybe 1/2 tsp and everything has gone ok. Pretty sure the same goes for glycerin. If you can get the color concentrated into a tsp or so per pound of soap it would work! I think you'll have better luck with powdered colors. I have used activated charcoal and indigo and powdered pigments for CP they all work fine I also use food coloring with almost no trouble. Keep in mind that I always add my M&P to CP. I've never made a soap that was M&P by itself. So I am by no means an expert!

Seawolfe · Mar 22, 2015

How did the idio work added to the MP? And using food color is cool? This is very helpful thanks!

TVivian said:
From what I've read you can add a Teaspoon of oil PP of M&P without compromising the integrity of the soap.. I've never added that much, maybe 1/2 tsp and everything has gone ok. Pretty sure the same goes for glycerin. If you can get the color concentrated into a tsp or so per pound of soap it would work! I think you'll have better luck with powdered colors. I have used activated charcoal and indigo and powdered pigments for CP they all work fine I also use food coloring with almost no trouble. Keep in mind that I always add my M&P to CP. I've never made a soap that was M&P by itself. So I am by no means an expert!

TVivian · Mar 22, 2015

I dunno if it's cool, haha.. But it works!

ImageUploadedBySoap Making1427081657.036810.jpg

The top of this soap is M&P colored completely with food color and I've never had trouble with fading or anything.

Hang on.. I'm gonna go put some indigo into M&P so you can see what it looks like.

TVivian · Mar 23, 2015

Natural colorants in M&P

ImageUploadedBySoap Making1427085182.110476.jpg

ImageUploadedBySoap Making1427085198.247978.jpg

I used exactly 6 ounces of M&P with 1/2 tsp of glycerine and slightly under 1/4 tsp of indigo (which was too much but I was in a hurry)

It's a beautiful dark navy. I wish the lighting was better. I held it up so you could see the translucency better.

I think glycerine is definitely the way to go with powders.

Seawolfe · Mar 23, 2015

omg omg omg thats PERFECT!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
oh! and now couldn't you use that too-dark indigo bar as a color chip for other M&P? Gosh this is going to be fun!

Cindy2428 · Mar 23, 2015

I've been playing with a variety of additives to MP soap. Not a great deal of info out there with the exception of general recommendation of 1 tsp PPO. Since MP is water based I've been very conservative adding oils. Clays, colloidal oats have been no problem.

I pre-mix all of my colorants into bottles with glycerin making them universal for MP, CP, HP. Someone here on the forum recommended a mini paint mixer by Badger and it is wonderful. It makes the frothers seem like junk. It blends through the thick glycerin perfectly. - $10.00 on Amazon

not_ally · Mar 24, 2015

Cindy, thanks for the recommendation on the mixer. It does look good, it is now in my Amazon shopping cart, The Ikea ones are good for a while and cheap but I have gone through about 5 in the last year, they always conk out after a bit, although that may be user error (DO NOT IMMERSE, why can I not remember that at clean up time?). Also, it can be hard to get them to work with a thicker mix, the Badger looks better.

Seawolfe · Mar 24, 2015

Yes thanks! Just ordered that mixer, had some points laying around.

Cindy2428 · Mar 24, 2015

I've bought a bunch of them now; gifts for my soapy friends. I got a great deal on 18 packs of Wilton 4oz bottles and they have a narrow neck. They are no problem for the Badger.

fionasfrightsoap · Mar 28, 2015

https://www.facebook.com/thefionasf...8.69471949007/10153198225729008/?l=86e9296905

The purple one on the left was colored with alkanet root, it's a deeper purple in real life and the blue one was colored with blue aquamarine. The powders did clump up but I just stir them like crazy. They are both brushed with mica. I'm using only natural colors in my m&p soaps. It's quite a challenge! https://www.etsy.com/listing/194056740/detergent-free-goat-milk-and-honey?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_query=fionas+fright+soap&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
This one was colored with turmeric. It changes from a golden yellow to a beige-brown as it cures.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/194056...+soap&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

Seawolfe · Mar 28, 2015

I quite like that purple, did you just mix the alkanet powder straight into the melted soap? Nice to know turmeric is a choice as well. Thanks!

fionasfrightsoap said:
https://www.facebook.com/thefionasf...8.69471949007/10153198225729008/?l=86e9296905

The purple one on the left was colored with alkanet root, it's a deeper purple in real life and the blue one was colored with blue aquamarine. The powders did clump up but I just stir them like crazy. They are both brushed with mica. I'm using only natural colors in my m&p soaps. It's quite a challenge! https://www.etsy.com/listing/194056740/detergent-free-goat-milk-and-honey?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_query=fionas+fright+soap&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
This one was colored with turmeric. It changes from a golden yellow to a beige-brown as it cures.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/194056...+soap&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

fionasfrightsoap · Apr 1, 2015

Yes I started with a small amount directly into the melted soap, and added a little bit more until I got the color I wanted. It takes a LOT of stirring though! Some of the batches have dark purple bits at the bottom but it looks neat so I left them there. I also use tomato powder for a red, and basil or parsley powder for greens. I've only used the red in clear bases, I don't know what it does in a white base yet.

hozhed · Apr 17, 2015

Seawolfe said:
So I went to a soap making meetup, and we made clear M&P soap! Ive never really thought about M&P, but now I'm all excited, and realize I know nothing!

I've been browsing M&P colorants until my eyes crossed, and gave up. Can I use my natural colorants in M&P? I've seen some pretty results online for madder root, activated charcoal, clays and spirulina. But what about indigo, annato, alkanet, comfrey, nettle, etc? I'm thinking of dispersing or infusing with a bit of vegetable glycerin? Or am I over thinking it? Maybe just mix the powdered colorants well into the melted soap and sieve if there's chunks?

There were even some really pretty examples at the class that used food coloring, so that's an option for playing around I suppose, but i dunno.

I have been making MP soaps for quite a while and use only natural mica colorants They work great. Bulk apothecary carries a good deal of different ones.

Seawolfe · Apr 17, 2015

hozhed said:
I have been making MP soaps for quite a while and use only natural mica colorants They work great. Bulk apothecary carries a good deal of different ones.

Youre right - I should have clarified the word "natural", I guess "plant based" would be better? LOL what I REALLY meant was - can I use the same plant based colorants that I already have

And it turns out that yes! yes I can. Mixing indigo, alkanet, madder and spirulina with glycerine and adding drop by drop works perfectly fine with M&P

Natural colorants in M&P

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