Clays for colour

[Saintlysoaper]

A while ago I purchased clays for colouring my cp soap. The description was vague and I had assumed that they were the natural clays I have seen on BB etc. What I got was 9 packs of kaolin which were coloured with oxides.

Am I right in thinking that the Brazilian, French, Moroccan etc clays which give those beautiful colours contain different minerals, are different to the ones I have and superior ( and impossible to find in the UK)?

The clays I have require so much to be added to give a decent colour that they leave a residue on the skin :-(. Not what I wanted!

 

[lsg]

I think you will find the Bramble Berry Brazilian contain mica, so I am not sure how they perform in cp soap. I have used rose clay and French green clay which give a nice muted color. You need to be careful using some of the red clays as they will give you very concentrated colors.

 

[cmzaha]

Red clays can definetly be brutal and will stain if used to heavy. I have not looked but I vaguely remember Brambleberry Colored clays containing colorants. Any colored natural clays I have used are not something that is going to give real definite colors, such as my Australian Washed Blue Clay is is a grayish taupe color. My Olive Green Clay leans slightly more to a brown than green, but mixed with the Austrailian Pink clay it makes a nice muted brown. If I want green from French Green Clay or the Australian Olive I use green oxide to perk it up. Rose Clay does give a pretty pink, but like Red clays you really have to watch how much you use because it can stain. Most of my Australian Colored clays are actually a Kaolin. A couple are not but off-hand I do not remember which ones. Other than reds and pinks natural clays do not color soap greatly in my opinion. You can really just use some kaolin and mix it with oxides, saving a lot of money. I would not have purchased the ones I have, but I acquired them from someone going out of business.

 

[Saintlysoaper]

Thanks, I guess i'll stick to oxides then.