Coloring Issue

[peace-love-and-suds]

I was hoping if someone could tell me how to achieve an off white type base color (something that would be ideal to color with) from any combination of unrefined oils? Because I am using unrefined, the colors bleed through... usually my soap turns yellow/orange before using colorants and the natural colorants become twice the nightmare to predict. I have never been able to achieve red or blue and most other colorants make the soap forest green, brown, or puke green. Any thoughts on the base formula? Or is there any natural colorant that will override the yellow/orange to make red or blue?

 

[Obsidian]

There really is no way to get a off white soap if you are using dark oils. If you are using extra virgin olive oil, switch over regular OO, that one will make a huge difference.

 

[xraygrl]

Yeah, no way around that unless you change your base oils unfortunately. Is there any particular reason you are using unrefined oils or is that just what you have access to?

 

[peace-love-and-suds]

I actually managed an off white color after unmolding a batch with cocoa butter, coconut, castor and hemp.

But the colorants turned the bar blackish green, light brown, puke green and off white. It looks interesting, but not stunning. Oh well.

 

[Obsidian]

What colorants are you using?

 

[peace-love-and-suds]

Beet Powder (20g to 260g soap) = caramel brown (yellowish tones) , Cranberry powder (15g to 260g soap) = starts out puke green but turns to a darker brown type color, Spirulina (20g to 260g soap) = very dark dark green (almost black).

I'm going to run this one again but use half the amount of colorants.

 

[peace-love-and-suds]

I should mention... the soap formula doesn't start out off white... it cures overnight to be that way. It starts with a yellowish color.

 

[peace-love-and-suds]

The redish tint is actually brown but the camera didn't capture it.

 

[peace-love-and-suds]

The white is the soap uncolored.

 

[Obsidian]

Many herbs/botanicals will turn dark or brown in soap no matter the base color. Beet root and cranberry will always turn brown, if you want pink try madder root instead. I use spirulina and it gives me a nice green, its possible you are using too much. Its a very concentrated color, doesn't take much to get a deep green.

Here is one batch I used herbs and clays in, the base was very pale off white

this is madder root for pink and the white has powdered ginseng for speckles. The madder strted out sort of lavendery color but turned pink over 24 hours.

Spirulina in a very white base. It fades to a olive green after a couple months