Canadian Soapers - Colorants

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

John Harris

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
511
Reaction score
1,264
Location
Montreal
Is there a good place in Canada to buy colorants? I've looked over a few places, but it became mind-boggling. So many shades. So many amounts. So many prices. Etc.
 
I don’t know about buying in Canada. I buy in the US and settled on Nurture because they show samples of the micas in cp soap on the website, give usage rates and also have a handy color blender tool.
I'm an American exiled to Canada. (I moved here for love. Awwwww....). 26 years so far. Anyway, when it comes to soap supplies, I sure miss the cornucopia that is the US.
 
I buy the majority of my supplies, colourants (notice the u?) included, from either Voyageur or Candora.

I have been buying stuff from Candora. They seem pretty solid and reputable. Right now I have $400 worth of stuff in my Shopping Cart with them. I keep telling myself, "Don't you dare click on the Place Order button!"
 
I colour all my soaps with natural botanicals, and I find Candora to have the best sellection
Madder root for pinks
Indigo for blue
Alkanet root produces purple
Annatto seed will produce a beautiful orange
Alfalfa powder, spirulina powder wil give you wonderful greens
You can also colour your soaps with various types of clay.

I stay away from mica, as a personal decision. I don't want child labour involved in my products and I have read child labour is used in Madagascar and India to mine for mica.
 
I colour all my soaps with natural botanicals, and I find Candora to have the best sellection
Madder root for pinks
Indigo for blue
Alkanet root produces purple
Annatto seed will produce a beautiful orange
Alfalfa powder, spirulina powder wil give you wonderful greens
You can also colour your soaps with various types of clay.

I stay away from mica, as a personal decision. I don't want child labour involved in my products and I have read child labour is used in Madagascar and India to mine for mica.
Do any of those leave "evidence" on the shower floor?
 
Have you ever used beta carotene capsules for orange? Very messy undertaking but brilliant brilliant orange!
So, you got me thinking ... and an opportunity came up from one of my gardening sisters.... where does beta carotene come from? Carrots!
Then, about a day after you suggested beta carotene, my sister tells me she pulled her garden carrots too early and they taste horrible. I told her I would take them off her hands and make a carrot soap.
So, here is step one .... chopped up the carrots and now they are infusing in olive oil.
I will strain in a few weeks and use the olive oil in a soap :)
Thank you for the inspiration!
 

Attachments

  • 20210828_093123.jpg
    20210828_093123.jpg
    129 KB
So, you got me thinking ... and an opportunity came up from one of my gardening sisters.... where does beta carotene come from? Carrots!
Then, about a day after you suggested beta carotene, my sister tells me she pulled her garden carrots too early and they taste horrible. I told her I would take them off her hands and make a carrot soap.
So, here is step one .... chopped up the carrots and now they are infusing in olive oil.
I will strain in a few weeks and use the olive oil in a soap :)
Thank you for the inspiration!
It will be good to see how it turns out but I'm sure you won't get the brilliant orange that beta carotene capsules give you. The capsules are concentrated beta carotene .
 
Back
Top