Color Perception (Spirulina)

[artemis]

One of the topics that comes up here is the longevity of natural colorants in soap. I'm thinking specifically of spirulina powder and the experience some people have with it fading to a "fawn" or "taupe" color.

I am at my mother's house and am using soaps I left here a year ago. I used spirulina in some and they still look green to me, a year later. My other spirulina bars at home really held their green, too. I would call it a soft, muted, or sage (maybe) green.

So, it had me wondering: could it be that this shade of green I am seeing could be perceived by some people as "fawn?" We have already noted that some people experience certain FOs and EOs differently (one girl's "buttermint" is another's "musty sofa"). Thoughts?

Have you ever experienced color differently than someone else? I see American cheese as "yellow," but my husband calls it "orange."

 

[Cellador]

This is definitely possible...I have always seen school buses as orange, and I have always wondered why people are stuck on calling all of them yellow. My husband and I argue about colors often.For some reason, we always see them differently although neither of us is color blind or anything- it was a big challenge when painting the rooms in our house.

 

[Kittish]

People do indeed perceive color differently. Some people are capable of discerning very fine gradations between colors, while others see a more basic palette. As an example, some months back I dyed my hair blue, which then faded to green. I can still see the green, but my SO can't unless it's in really bright sunlight, and even then he only sees highlights.

There are also people who have a fourth type of color receptor in their eyes (it's quite rare, and a female linked mutation, so only ladies get this) that lets the person with that mutation see a much greater range of color than people with only the normal three types.

 

[mx5inpenn]

My husband and I argue about colors all the time. Blue/purple/grey are our biggest points of contention.

As for spirulina, I have a couple bars left from a batch about 2 years ago. It has faded to a taupe, but there is still that hint of green to them.

 

[earlene]

Absolutely! Color perception is very real, especially to the color blind, which can range in severity. Color Blind awareness information here.

While traveling, I sometimes notice minor tints to the roads that my husband cannot see. Sometimes a component in the asphalt gives a road a reddish tinge; sometimes a greenish tinge. When I mention it, he laughs and says I'm seeing things (meaning my mind is playing tricks on me); he just can't see it.

 

[artemis]

While traveling, I sometimes notice minor tints to the roads that my husband cannot see. Sometimes a component in the asphalt gives a road a reddish tinge; sometimes a greenish tinge. When I mention it, he laughs and says I'm seeing things (meaning my mind is playing tricks on me); he just can't see it.

I noticed that driving around in Sioux Falls. The roads were tinted pink! My husband, who had lived there, said it was due to the abundance of rose quartz, which was added to the asphalt.

 

[artemis]

My husband and I argue about colors all the time. Blue/purple/grey are our biggest points of contention.

As for spirulina, I have a couple bars left from a batch about 2 years ago. It has faded to a taupe, but there is still that hint of green to them.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. I wonder if it would look like more than a hint of green to my eyes. What color does your husband say it is?

 

[mx5inpenn]

That's exactly what I'm talking about. I wonder if it would look like more than a hint of green to my eyes. What color does your husband say it is?

He calls it light brown, but he doesn't use names of specific shades, so I assume that means tan. Coming from him, magenta is pink, burgundy is dark red, aqua is blue, etc.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

One of the topics that comes up here is the longevity of natural colorants in soap. I'm thinking specifically of spirulina powder and the experience some people have with it fading to a "fawn" or "taupe" color. Thoughts?

Actually, I think the difference is less about perception and more about how the soap is processed. Some naturally colored soaps process and retain color better than others. There are many factors that come into play when using natural colorants. One of the best things about Soap Making Resource was Steve's excellent experiments on natural colorants. Here's the one on Spirulina:

http://www.soap-making-resource.com/spirulina-soap-making.html

 

[BattleGnome]

Adding my affirmations here. I also think some lighting changes the perception. I work 3rd shift and exist by artificial light by necessity, it really does effect some of my color perceptions. To confuse matters, my wedding ring has an Alexandrite, a stone that is purple in artificial light and green in maturation light. The other day it was the prettiest shade of blue, in 5 years I've never seen it turn blue.

My husband is also (mildly) color blind which adds spice to deciding on paint colors.

 

[Kittish]

Training and societal expectations also affects color perception. In Western society, take a look at men's clothing vs women's clothing. Men are trained to a narrower color palette. Similarly, an artist that works with visual media is often automatically assumed to be more discerning of color.

BattleGnome, if you have any daughters they are potentially tetrachromats (four color cones, instead of the usual three). The mutation shows up in women whose fathers are color blind, though apparently the fourth cone is rarely functional.

 

[penelopejane]

My spirulina on 25.10.15 and the second photo 10.11.15 (three weeks later) and the third photo the same soap at 6 months.
I can't see much green.

 

[artemis]

My spirulina on 25.10.15 and the second photo 10.11.15 (three weeks later) and the third photo the same soap at 6 months.
I can't see much green.

That kind of difference might be what Zany is talking about. Mine still looked closer to your green bar and it was going on a year and a half old. I'll have to find the picture I have floating around here somewhere. My spirulina is a food frade one that I am currently buying at Mom's Organic Market. Perhaps there's a difference in processing?

ETA: here's what mine looked like at 6 months old. When I used it up about a month ago, it was only a little lighter. It gradually took on a more olive tone, but Inhad used carrot in it, also. Post #9 here: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?p=600781

If I can get the bar I have here to photograph correctly, I share.

 

[penelopejane]

I infused oil with the spirulina. It's scratchy if you add it directly to the batter but the colour may last longer.

I had a severe skin reaction to the spirulina soap I made and got itchy absolutely all over. I didn't like it at all especially the colour fade.

 

[KristaY]

I was watching an episode of Brain Games on Netflix a week or so ago and it was all about color. There's definitely a difference between male/female brains and how they perceive color so it really is subjective as opposed to objective. Based on that, you're all correct!

 

[Spice]

That kind of difference might be what Zany is talking about. Mine still looked closer to your green bar and it was going on a year and a half old. I'll have to find the picture I have floating around here somewhere. My spirulina is a food frade one that I am currently buying at Mom's Organic Market. Perhaps there's a difference in processing?

ETA: here's what mine looked like at 6 months old. When I used it up about a month ago, it was only a little lighter. It gradually took on a more olive tone, but Inhad used carrot in it, also. Post #9 here: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?p=600781

If I can get the bar I have here to photograph correctly, I share.

Wow, how much spirulina did you use? Nice soap.

 

[artemis]

Wow, how much spirulina did you use? Nice soap.

I think I used it at 1 tsp ppo, blended with a little bit of oil before adding it at trace. I restocked my spirulina recently and am thinking of making a green bar just to monitor how it changes.