Colorants you can grow (or that grow in your country)

[curlycoat2]

Plant colorants will fade over time - some faster than others. This is the compromise for knowing that they are completely natural. If you think of a vase of cut flowers some fade and brown faster, same with plants in soap. I have several here that are years old and are perfectly acceptable.

for me purples and blues fade fastest but if you add some salt it holds them better and yes keep everything in the dark.

Butterfly pea does not work in lye based soap, nor do blueberries, raspberries or blackberries. Woad is from France and Italy so will grow for you. Courgettes, nettles, parsley, broccoli, alfalfa, spinach, kale all give green - blend them for longevity. Purple will be your hardest but blue and madder may work you will need to try it in your recipe.

clays do not fade

There is a group on FB called soapmaking natural ingredients where they have detailed photo albums with the colors with the added colorants. They also have a countrywide list of suppliers. Also there is a book by Jo Haslauer on natural colors. I have used paprika infused oil to get an reddish orange. I also used avocado seed powder to get a pinkish color. Madder root for a maroonish red and alkanet powder in lye...but that has given me all different colors each time. I am in Dubai, so a lot of the natural colorants are imported, but since we are very close to India, I have a huge range available


*Countrywise

Thank you for mentioning me that is very kind

 

[Rhonda A]

I don't know what heirloom carrots are, I'll have a look.
I'll try to powderize carrots!

I very doubt it for tomatoes, as I see how my gazpacho is very very light red...
I can grow crocus and saffron (but hell, the quantity needed would make me a billionaire or something I guess ^^ )


Well I'm afraid it'll turn to a sad brownish colour...

Thanks for you inputs, ImpKit!

Happy bubbles!
Stéphanie

I tried using purple carrot juice, sadly it turned brown in cold process. I wonder if the same results will transpire with hot process.....

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I tried using purple carrot juice, sadly it turned brown in cold process. I wonder if the same results will transpire with hot process.....

Most likely, yes. On the other hand, the color may stick if you infuse fresh purple carrots in oil and then process HP? Not sure. MIY CARROT TISSUE OIL

 

[ResolvableOwl]

AFAIK the purple in purple carrots is anthocyanin, hence better expect it to not behave better than red cabbage, elderberry, hibiscus etc.

 

[tyerod]

I have used turmeric to get a decent yellow, paprika gives a nice orange and sage for green. For turmeric and paprika I used store bought ground spice and just mixed it directly into the soap batter at light trace. The sage was from my backyard that I dried and powdered, then just mixed in. I have gotten a good medium to dark green with sage depending on amount used. Since I have mixed the powders directly in there have been specks of plant matter. I have read that you can do an oil extraction for the color but it would end up lighter in color. I have not tried that.

 

[Tara_H]

sage for green

You don't find that sage turns brown over time? Do you have any pictures you could share?

 

[tyerod]

You don't find that sage turns brown over time? Do you have any pictures you could share?

I don't recall it turning brown but it has been a while since I have used it. My last batch with it I used WAY to much and got a super dark green. I think there is one bar left. I have to dig it out and get a picture. Attached a picture I took soon after making it. The color has not changed much over two years. Still super dark green. I recently shredded a bar to add to another batch. These were from the 'Ridiculously Large Bar' experiment I did. The second image shows a sage colored imbeded in a brown oxide colored soap. I do not recall how much sage powder per pound I use for either.