Clays in lotion bar

[lynseylou]

Hi, I’ve been experimenting with adding clays to my lotion bars. Mainly for colouring purposes.
The clay always seems to sink to the bottom though. Is there a way to prevent this?
Tia
pics attached

 

[Quanta]

Are you trying to stick to "natural" colorants?

If so, I would suggest using something besides clay. You can infuse your oils with certain herbs, things like that. Or use oxides (oxides are used to color mica, but you won't see the sparkle of mica in an opaque product such as lotion). However, oxides that are available for use in cosmetic products are usually lab created and not obtained from nature, due to heavy metal contamination of naturally occurring oxides.

If you are still wanting to use clay, you're going to have to pour a lot cooler. Wait until it's almost slushy, since the clay can't sink as easily in a thicker fluid. Same goes for mica, if you end up using that.

By the way, I've never tried putting clay in a lotion bar. What does that even feel like? Are you only adding it for color or does it do something for skin feel? Have you tried the same recipe without it to see how it changes the feel of the product?

 

[lynseylou]

Thank you!
Yes I’m trying to stick to natural colourant, and I’ve been using the clay mainly for that reason. I’ll try pouring cooler and will look into infused oils.
Thank you very much for your reply

 

[lsg]

If you are trying to stick to natural colorants, you might try infusing the oil first with an herb.

 

[curlycoat2]

For sure infuse your oil, butter and/or wax component. You may have to use something like clay if you are particularly wanting purple or blue. Usually with plant colorants they need the lye to turn them blue or purple.

If you want a pink you can use alkanet in either waxes or oils (heat infusion for waxes and butters)
If you want a yellow you can use annatto (" ")
If you want an orange you can use paprika (" ")

I was never very happy with the greens in waxes or butters - oils they are good but waxes and butters really really meh

For clays you need to make the batter (for want of a different word) thick enough to support/suspend the particles otherwise like making a cake that you want to add fruit to it can just sink to the bottom and sit there as you have found out. As mentioned by Quanta temperature control would be the way to do it