Colour Challenged...

[KiwiMoose]

Hi there,

I seem to have lost my colouring mojo - with many of my colours these days look very lack-lustre. Pinks looking like muddy apricot, blue/purple looking grey and brown, greens looking olive/grey. Do I just need to chuck more mica in? Maybe I'm being to stingey? I do think that the aloe I use yellows the mixture somewhat, which doesn't help. Any tips?

 

[Zany_in_CO]

The few times I've used colorants I put some white Kaolin clay in the batch to lay down a foundation for the color.

 

[Obsidian]

Do you peel your aloe before blending it? If not, try that.
If its doesn't help or isn't applicable, use a bit more mica.

 

[dibbles]

Are you using the same colorants you’ve always used or has something changed there? Assuming they are the same, are you using the same amount? If yes, then it has to be a difference in your soap batter. Aloe might the reason, in which case TD would help, but will also affect the color. Maybe try a small amount of TD to whiten slightly, increasing the amount a little at a time (each batch) until you find your sweet spot.

 

[Relle]

Do you have to use mica ? Why don't you try liquid colours, I've never had any trouble with those or oxides, work every time.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Thanks support crew ;-)
Yes I guess I’ve pared back the amount of mica I use because I was guilty of being heavy handed a year ago. I quite often use TD to whiten the ‘white’ part of the soap, so next time I will use it for the full batch before splitting and adding micas. I do have some liquid colours here @Relle but have not used them for a long time because I can’t see in ungelled soap exactly what hue they will end up as. At least with mica you can see roughly what shade it will be. Might revisit them and see how I go.

 

[lsg]

Oxides usually produce a bold color.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Tell me - how does one prepare oxides? do I ned to mix in oil or water first? Or can i just dump 'em in like I do with mica?

 

[Nona'sFarm]

Tell me - how does one prepare oxides? do I ned to mix in oil or water first? Or can i just dump 'em in like I do with mica?

Hi, though I am somewhat new to CP, I have used oxides a fair amount. I measure out what I want, like 1/16 teaspoon & whisk with a small amount of one of my soft oils; then put into my light trace batter. I have noticed on YouTube videos some people pre-mix 1 teaspoon with 1-2 tablespoons of soft oil. Then they add it to their batter, one teaspoon at a time until they have the color they want. I'm still so new that I feel uncomfortable messing with my oil/lye ratios like that, so just go with what I pre-mixed. Hope I am being clear here.

 

[Obsidian]

I mix my oxides with water, just enough to make a lump free slurry.
I've never tried mixing with oil and I would never mix directly into the batter, oxides are too lumpy.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Muted color schemes can be calming and sophisticated.

 

[DKing]

Tell me - how does one prepare oxides? do I ned to mix in oil or water first? Or can i just dump 'em in like I do with mica?

I mix my oxides with oil....generally a little sweet almond oil since it is very light coloured. I blend them well with the oil and then add to my batter at emulsion. They are more concentrated than micas so don't require as much to get the same depth of colour.

 

[lsg]

I save out a little oil from the soap recipe and mix my oxides with it.

 

[TheGecko]

Tell me - how does one prepare oxides? do I ned to mix in oil or water first? Or can i just dump 'em in like I do with mica?

If you want a smooth color, premix with water. If you want speckles, just dump it in and blend,

 

[Relle]

Tell me - how does one prepare oxides? do I ned to mix in oil or water first? Or can i just dump 'em in like I do with mica?

I wouldn't put the powder directly in to the batter, it doesn't mix well. In the past I mixed with oil and then added after I had added lye, scent etc. The last 3 batches I made for Christmas, I just mixed with water and still was OK to mix in. The liquid colour I've used in my ungelled soap comes out like it went in, the hue doesn't change, for me, anyway.

 

[shunt2011]

I mix mine either in water or a bit of oil from my batch. Don't just add it in. It clumps and the specs will smear and color your cloth when washing.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Relle - is this product similar to what you use for liquid color? https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-b...s?prefn1=UseInCP&prefv1=Yes&selectedView=grid

I am able to mix micas directly into my batter, but I make small batches which makes it easy for me to see if it isn’t fully mixed.

 

[Relle]

@Relle - is this product similar to what you use for liquid color? https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-b...s?prefn1=UseInCP&prefv1=Yes&selectedView=grid

I am able to mix micas directly into my batter, but I make small batches which makes it easy for me to see if it isn’t fully mixed.

Don't think it's the same as they said just add a few drops, it seems more concentrated, I just keep adding mine to get the colour I want. I buy mine here in Oz.

 

[allimac]

Terri, with Tree Marie, uses a plexiglass plate and palette knife to blend her oxides. This enables her to keep the oxides from leaving specks in her batter, because they're prone to do that. It can be a cool design technique but if you want smooth color like mica, the oxides need a little more work. You can find her on YouTube.

 

[Jennifer Horne]

Allimac- Tree Marie is actually JULIE not terri and she also uses the pallet knife for her micas