i have seen that you can add clays to soaps but am not really sure what they would do to a soap. i have seen both red and green clay at the health store and wanted to see if they would work for a colorant but don't know what effect they will have on a soap. any one use clays in soap who can give me some experience advice?
adding clays? (pics added)
- Thread starter krissy
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
ilovedoxies
Well-Known Member
I've soaped w/red clay and a very little goes a LONG way, like 1/8 tsp per lb will give you a dark pink.
Clays add a silkiness and smoothness to soap and also a slip that is necessary in shaving soap. If you use a lot of clay it could have an absorbing or drying effect. They are most often used in masks to draw out impurities.
Different clays have different properties.
Clays add a silkiness and smoothness to soap and also a slip that is necessary in shaving soap. If you use a lot of clay it could have an absorbing or drying effect. They are most often used in masks to draw out impurities.
Different clays have different properties.
cool! i was wondering about ingredients in shaving soap too. there ar a few different clays that the co-op so i will try to get in there for some. i really want to make a rosemary peppermint that is that green clay color.
ChrissyB
Well-Known Member
I used some bentonite clay to make a facial bar for my teenage son who has quite oily skin.
I made my soap as normal, but I made a slurry out of a couple of spoons of the clay and some tea tree oil, then added this at trace, stirred through and poured. It is really lovely soap and the clay does help his face. There are different clays with different properties so it really depends on what you need or want from the soap.
The clay soap that I make is one that people keep coming back asking for more. I have given it to a few friends and family that have teenagers and they have all come back asking for more of that fantastic soap. It has really helped my son's skin.
I made my soap as normal, but I made a slurry out of a couple of spoons of the clay and some tea tree oil, then added this at trace, stirred through and poured. It is really lovely soap and the clay does help his face. There are different clays with different properties so it really depends on what you need or want from the soap.
The clay soap that I make is one that people keep coming back asking for more. I have given it to a few friends and family that have teenagers and they have all come back asking for more of that fantastic soap. It has really helped my son's skin.
For a shaving soap, White Kaolin clay works nice, it's very mild. I use 1 TBSP PPO.
You can also use the clays to make a swirl with. Just take some of your soap base out of the pot, add the clay (maybe a tsp or two for smaller batch) to that and swirl it back into the rest of the batch.
You can also use the clays to make a swirl with. Just take some of your soap base out of the pot, add the clay (maybe a tsp or two for smaller batch) to that and swirl it back into the rest of the batch.
G
Guest
I read in the soap makers companion that clays can cause problems when you're exposed to them or if you just happen to be sensitive to them. I don't know, I read it and it kind of put me off. They do seem interesting though.
reallyrita
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2007
- Messages
- 601
- Reaction score
- 7
Adding Clays
The clays we use for soapmaking are cosmetic grade and safe to use on your face in a mask as well. Anybody can be sensitive to anything, though.
A very tiny bit goes a very long way in coloring your soap. If you use too much the soap will be drying as clays absorb moisture. Best to not take a water discount the first time you try out a clay in a recipe. Some folks have experienced fast trace because of this, but I have not had this happen to me yet....probably because I use just a smidgen. I mix mine in a little bit of the oils first and then add it in at light trace. You have to mix really well. A wisk is useful here if you are starting to thicken up quickly. Kaolin clay is the mildest one and apparently does not dry out the skin as the others can do. I make a lovely rose clay soap with goatmilk. It really cleans my face of sunscreen and make-up base while still being gentle. I don't use it everyday though. I have heard that clays help to anchor fragrance in a soap. I don't know if that is true or not but my rose clay soap still smells wonderful and it is going on a year old now. Time to make some more. The colors you get from the clays are not vivid...they are a bit earthy. The rose clay is particularly pretty...kind of dusty rose. I think the gm keeps the clay soaps gentle and nourishing without stripping too much away. Well, my 2 cents.
The clays we use for soapmaking are cosmetic grade and safe to use on your face in a mask as well. Anybody can be sensitive to anything, though.
A very tiny bit goes a very long way in coloring your soap. If you use too much the soap will be drying as clays absorb moisture. Best to not take a water discount the first time you try out a clay in a recipe. Some folks have experienced fast trace because of this, but I have not had this happen to me yet....probably because I use just a smidgen. I mix mine in a little bit of the oils first and then add it in at light trace. You have to mix really well. A wisk is useful here if you are starting to thicken up quickly. Kaolin clay is the mildest one and apparently does not dry out the skin as the others can do. I make a lovely rose clay soap with goatmilk. It really cleans my face of sunscreen and make-up base while still being gentle. I don't use it everyday though. I have heard that clays help to anchor fragrance in a soap. I don't know if that is true or not but my rose clay soap still smells wonderful and it is going on a year old now. Time to make some more. The colors you get from the clays are not vivid...they are a bit earthy. The rose clay is particularly pretty...kind of dusty rose. I think the gm keeps the clay soaps gentle and nourishing without stripping too much away. Well, my 2 cents.
ilovedoxies
Well-Known Member
Is that a TABLE-Spoon or a TEA-Spoon? I only used 1-1/2 teaspons per lb in mine, I hope that was enough.
i went to the store and bought some red and green french clay. i also bought something called chlorella that is the most beautif emerald green. i looked it up and it is an algea so i am going to add it in with my oils at light trace and HP it. i wonder what color it will be? i also got some mustardy yellow powder. i forget what it is called but i am trying all of these out for colors, so i will see if they have anything negative towards the body before i do, but i intend to use only tiny amounts.
ilovedoxies
Well-Known Member
I used some pretty green alfalfa powder in at trace and had a beautiful green swirl for approximately 1 day until it turned brown.
I assume the powedered algae would do the same because it's a plant and lye and chlorophil make brown... If it doesn't please let us know and post pics!!
I assume the powedered algae would do the same because it's a plant and lye and chlorophil make brown... If it doesn't please let us know and post pics!!
i hope i did this right...
i ended up in total experiment mode as i also decided to do castile and CP.
i mixed a small amount of the algea stuff in at thin thrace in 1/2 the batch and i mixed in barberry root bark powder also at thin trace in the other half. i stick blended both until it thickened up a bit and then poured back and forth from the 2 bowls. both were thinner than i am used to as i usually do hp. i hope it will work out because it came out beautiful so far. the yellow and green are perfectly toned for each other.
i ended up in total experiment mode as i also decided to do castile and CP.
i mixed a small amount of the algea stuff in at thin thrace in 1/2 the batch and i mixed in barberry root bark powder also at thin trace in the other half. i stick blended both until it thickened up a bit and then poured back and forth from the 2 bowls. both were thinner than i am used to as i usually do hp. i hope it will work out because it came out beautiful so far. the yellow and green are perfectly toned for each other.
TBSP = tablespoon
tsp = teaspoon
First of all you have to take half of what you read in that book with a grain of salt. Like Rita says, anybody can be sensitive to anything. The thing with clays is you have to know your clays and what type of skin they would best be suited for. For example, French Green clay is for oily skin, whereas Rose Clay or Australian Red Reef clay can be used for people with dryer skin. Also if you are adding just a very small say like for a very fine swirl, then in most cases people can't even tell it's in there.
So research the clays, make some soap and have fun with it!
(I am an enabler, can you tell? :twisted: )
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2007
- Messages
- 18,015
- Reaction score
- 8,533
Clays can also help to anchor the scent in soaps.
G
Guest
xraygrl said:So research the clays, make some soap and have fun with it!
oh I will
Sibi
Well-Known Member
I'm still a newbie but I can tell you what happened to me. I have some green bentonite clay that I wanted to use in soap. I use bentonite clay mixed with vinegar as a facial mask and it is fabulous for cleaning out my pores, so I though it would be great in soap. Well, it is, but be careful how much you put in there. Less is more. I put way too much clay in one of my soaps and it is crumbly all over the place. I'm guessing that the clay sucked out a lot of moisture or something. So don't go too heavy with the clays.
ilovedoxies
Well-Known Member
xray I know the definitions of tea spoon & table spoons, perhaps I didn't ask my question quite how I intended, lol.
I've read contradicting recipes some say teaspoon and some say tablespoon. There is a big difference in a teaspoon and a tablespoon. The UK's table spoon equals one USA teaspoon, 4 USA teaspoons equal one USA tablespoon. Hence my confusion...
So did you use a USA tbsp or a UK tsp?
I've read contradicting recipes some say teaspoon and some say tablespoon. There is a big difference in a teaspoon and a tablespoon. The UK's table spoon equals one USA teaspoon, 4 USA teaspoons equal one USA tablespoon. Hence my confusion...
So did you use a USA tbsp or a UK tsp?
G
Guest
ilovedoxies said:
:shock:
I had no idea. Thanks for that info.
here are the pics of the finished soap. the green came out pretty and is speckled with tiny green flecks, exactly the color i wanted. the yellow faded into a creamy vanilla-ish color. the color tones on them in person are very good together. i also added some peppermint leaves that turned brown. overall i think i like this. i scented it rosemary and spearmint.
this is 2 days after making it. i unmolded it and tried to cut one of the bars into a tester bars size and it was hard and crumbled up when i went to cut it.
anyone know why?
just poured
finished bars top
sides
crumbled when cut
this is 2 days after making it. i unmolded it and tried to cut one of the bars into a tester bars size and it was hard and crumbled up when i went to cut it.
anyone know why?
just poured
finished bars top
sides
crumbled when cut
G
Guest
I really like the color and the swirl . I think Sibi mentioned adding to much clay will cause crumbling. I don't know how much you added though .
Kitn
Kitn
Similar threads
