Colored Lather....good or bad?

[Deedles]

Some of you may remember my first attempt at soap colored with purple oxide resulted in a pretty dark blue instead of the purple I expected. I used the suggested amount for my amount of oils. The color change is something I'll work out later but it also produces a blue lather. Not just a pale blue but more of a medium blue. Personally I think it's nice, especially since it doesn't stain, but I don't think most folks would like it. I have in mind that the goal is always a creamy white lather. Is that wrong?

In looking at all kinds of soap **** I see really dark soaps, even black. I'm just wondering if colored lather is unavoidable with dark colors and if not, how to avoid it without giving up the dark colors.

 

[shunt2011]

Unfortunately I have a couple that give a hint of colored lather. Reds are pretty common if overused, cocoa powder and charcoal. There are also some FO's that discolor so dark you can get colored suds. Fortunately, thus far I haven't had any stain my wash cloths or anything. It could be a concern if you sell. I inform customers of those soaps that can get weird sometimes. Pink Sugar FO from some companies is famous for that.

 

[Deedles]

I have no intention to sell but do share with friends. I guess as long as it doesn't stain it'll be OK.

 

[shunt2011]

I have no intention to sell but do share with friends. I guess as long as it doesn't stain it'll be OK.

Just tell them not to use their 15.00 cloth or towels. I only use white towels and cloths for bathing/showering so I use bleach on them.

My colored towels are for decoration.

 

[dixiedragon]

I've had a few batches where I got over enthusiastic with the FD&C Blue and had to make confetti soap b/c it stained. Not just washcloths, but the bathtub grout! It did come out after a month or so, but still...that's a lot of purple! it was REALLY PRETTY soap, though.

 

[kchaystack]

I have some nag champa bars I used some brown oxide on. It discolors the lather. I have not tested it on a cloth - I use an axe scrub and a long handled brush to get my back and feet. I guess I need to try it so I can warm people.

 

[Obsidian]

I've had colored lather from FO's, micas and oxides. None has stained wash clothes or the tub. I really don't like colored lather but it won't stop me from using the soap I've already made.

I don't make really dark colored soap anymore though, or if I do, its just some swirls and not the whole bar. I won't use black soap or anything with a lot of reds.
Once my coffee soap is gone, I will never make it again. No one else will use it, not even for handsoap which I find weird. It does have very dark brown lather.

 

[cmzaha]

I do sell and some soaps do have colored bubbles especially my DB bars so I have a warning on my label to use a dark wash cloth with all handmade soaps especially dark color soaps. I also tell my customers not to use a $20 white wash cloth and most of them laugh. With your really dark blues and purples, if you make laundry soap just grind them up and add them to your laundry soap. Blue and purples work as whiteners in laundry and on hair.

 

[Dharlee]

The chocolate soap I made has brownish lather. What lather it has. I love how it feels on my skin, but hate it's a low lather and the color. I thought next time I would make it simpler as well as leave out the cocoa powder which is why I think it has brown lather. I wondered if TD would make white lather and discolor dark wash cloths? I made some soap with some TD in it and was surprised with the whiteness of it. (learning, learning )

 

[IrishLass]

I've had colored lather from FO's, micas and oxides. None has stained wash clothes or the tub. I really don't like colored lather but it won't stop me from using the soap I've already made.

I don't make really dark colored soap anymore though, or if I do, its just some swirls and not the whole bar. I won't use black soap or anything with a lot of reds.

Ditto the above for me. Although I love colorful soap, I personally don't like colorful lather, but since the level of color in my lather so far has always washed away without staining, it doesn't stop me from finishing off the rest of the colorful batch in my shower. Still, I always make sure to adjust my colorant level in the next batch so that it doesn't happen again.

I always use white washcloths in the shower so I can see how white or how colorful my lather turns out before deciding whether or not to gift my really colorful batches, because I don't really like gifting soaps with colorful lather.

I've found that I can still use dark or brilliantly vivid colors, though, without getting colorful lather..... by doing a swirl with them instead of coloring the whole batch with it. For example, the soap below with vivid blood red and smoky charcoal lathers white for me:

IrishLass

 

[Deedles]

I really do like the colors as just a swirl rather than the predominant color. It's hard to wrap my head around how a small amount of oxide powder can go so far. Something else that's gonna take alot of practice!

 

[shunt2011]

I too only use them as the swirl. With the exception of my charcoal facial bar. However with just the right amount it's doable.

 

[snappyllama]

I don't mind colored bubbles (festive!), but my husband is bugged by them so I try to keep them from happening. I'm also a firm believer that bath towels, bed sheets, and regular plates should be white. It makes it easy to see that they are clean, and they match with everything. It took almost 20 years, but DH finally gave up fighting me on this.

So far, I haven't stained any of them...

 

[Dorymae]

As long as it doesn't stain, I would use it for kids. They will love it, and moms love anything that can get the kids to use the soap!

 

[DeeAnna]

Pine tar soap makes brown lather. Good thing DH doesn't use a washcloth -- every morning it's a contest between the PT soap bar vs. his hairy pelt. The pelt invariably wins, but the soap doesn't succumb without a lathery fight.

I don't mind him and his PT soap, but if my personal soap left my washcloth discolored or made a deeply colored lather, I might not be okay with that. I'd have to really love that particular soap to overlook this issue.

 

[Misschief]

So far, I've only made one batch of soap with enough colour in it to colour the lather. It's my blue Taiwan Swirl soap; I kind of like seeing the blue lather when I'm lathering up. So far, it hasn't turned my face blue. :-D

Taiwan Swirl cut by Ev Skae, on Flickr

 

[MrsSpaceship]

I have yet to achieve a white lather from anything but my palest bars. It's so hard to find the perfect balance of rich color and white lather. They never mention the discolored lather in the videos where they add a ton of colorant.

 

[misskittygirl]

I personally never have like soap that leaves a color in the lather. Made a red swirl soap once that stained my washcloth. Not fun.