Advice on beginning colorants and where to buy them, please!

[Bari b]

Good morning! I am a fairly new soaper and have been using what is in my pantry to color my soap so far, however I would like to expand that some and get some of those beautiful colors I see in other's soaps. I have searched the forum for colors, etc, but end up getting so many returns (and some from as far back as 2008!) that it gets really confusing to try to sort through them...so here I am!

I would like to purchase samples of some different colorings - micas, clays, oxides, etc, to test in my soaps. I am only making soap for my family and friends right now, so I make small batches - 500 g oils up to about 1500 g oils. All CP soaping.

Any recommendations on what type of colors to start with and where to purchase them? I am in Southwest Missouri in the US.

Also, I am really looking for some blues, greens and purples at the moment - any favorites of those colors you would recommend?

Lastly, is there any place that has a "primer" or summary on the colorants, what they are, how they are used, and how to tell if they are appropriate for CP? I have looked at some websites at colorants, but am having trouble figuring out if they would be appropriate for CP.

Thanks so much! I am loving this forum and am learning so much!

Bari

 

[Jersey Girl]

My favorite suppliers for micas is Mad Micas and Nurture Soaps. All the colors I have ordered from both of them have worked beautifully. They both give specs on their colorants and usage recommendations. i love the green oxide I got from MM. So many shades are possible with it. I also bought Apple Moss Green Mica from Brambleberry a while back and I love that green too.

 

[shunt2011]

I like Nurture Soap and TKB Trading.

 

[Noreen Moore]

Just got some from Mad Micas and I am super impressed! I have used from Brambleberry, Nurture Soaps and the samples from Walmart. Only to find out that the Walmart samples were for melt and pour. I purchased from 2 other suppliers that I can't find the name. Really loving my Mad Micas right now! Have fun!!

 

[dibbles]

Nurture is my favorite. The Vibrance micas are a good place to start. In addition to the Vibrance colors, for a darker blue, my favorites are Midnight and Kashmir or Klein, light blue I like Sky. For dark green Savage Garden is my favorite, and Laurel green is my favorite lighter. Sea green is a pretty aqua. I really like the yellow-greens and Hello Spring is my favorite of those. For a dark purple Cheshire Cat and lighter purple Iris. With black and white, you can mix a bit in to darken or lighten the shade.

 

[Bari b]

Thank you all for the suggestions! I will look into each of those.

Another question was about white...it that what the titanium dioxide is used for (TD)? Do you use that to make your base soap more white? Also, what black do you all recommend?

Going to research these sites and colors! Thank you!

 

[lucycat]

I think a lot of soapers today use micas because they are easy to mix and blend, great color, stable and less issues with staining a washcloth. When I started I used dyes and didn't like the color; it seemed too artificial and it was hard to guess at the finished color because they would change a bit in gel. Green oxide and yellow oxide are good colors - more muted, cheaper and nice basics but don't offer a lot of variance compared to micas. Be careful on reds and blacks. Red oxide can stain a washcloth if used too much and some blacks (carbon black) can as well. Ultramarines in blue and purple are nice and I still use blue ultramarine in one soap. However, over the years I am like most and use micas for most of my colorants (if you aren't using natural). You have been given good resources. Since they are so light weight shipping costs usually aren't an issue. It is easy to get addicted to the pretty colors.

 

[shunt2011]

Thank you all for the suggestions! I will look into each of those.

Another question was about white...it that what the titanium dioxide is used for (TD)? Do you use that to make your base soap more white? Also, what black do you all recommend?

Going to research these sites and colors! Thank you!

I use titanium dioxide for white and either activated charcoal or black mica for black. I mostly use charcoal as I see to have acquired a ton of it.

 

[Carly B]

Nurture also has galleries where they show what the mica looks like in both M&P and CP soap. AND they have a color blender, where you enter the names of two of their micas, and it will show you what the blend would look like at 3:1 or 50/50. I find her galleries especially helpful.

 

[dibbles]

I rarely use TD. Mica is just easier for me. I don't mind if my white is a bit more creamy colored white than bright paper white. I actually prefer it most of the time. But my base recipe is fairly white to begin with. I use Winter White from Nurture, and have also used Satin White from Micas and More. For black I use Nocturnal from Nurture. I just hate working with AC and only use it if I want it in the soap.

 

[Bari b]

Thank you all for the advice on colorants! I purchased some from both Nurture Soap and Mad Micas....the Nurture order got here in just a couple of days and my daughter and I made a lavender soap with the purple vibrance mica and some white kaolin clay. My Mad Mica order is on the way...can't wait to get it!