Does anyone use lab colours in CP?

AshleyR · Jan 28, 2009

I'm getting kind of frustrated with oxides and ultramarines. I think it may have something to do with my recipe, but my soaps trace very fast and I can never get oxides and ultramarines fully incorporated before my soap starts getting chunky (I've tried many ways - still get streaks and chunks in my soap).

Anyway, I think I want to try lab colours. Does anyone else use these? They are mighty expensive so I don't want to order them if I'm not going to like them. Do the colours stay true to what they are in the bottles, or do some change?

I'd really just like to get some consistent, easy to work with colours. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

pinkduchon · Jan 28, 2009

I have used lab colors. I have used citrus green, canary, berry red which are awesome and truer to color. I also have impatient pink, blue, vibrant orange, java bean, gulf stream and red. The color isn't consistent in these. The pinks and blues all seem to be the same, vibrant orange came out pinkish and java is on the green side. They are the high ph ones. I don't water them down, so I have to be careful in how much I use so it doesn't bleed out when you wash! But in general, they are easy to use and I do like them.

mandolyn · Jan 29, 2009

I only use Lab colors in my cp! Love them.!!There's a huge selection, & they perform so well. Be sure to get the ones specifically for cp.

leansoapqueen · Feb 1, 2009

I like lab colors as well but they are pricy. I was getting frustrated with oxides too until I started infusing them into the water before I add the lye. They work awesome it seems every time doing it that way. The lye doesn't seem to eat the color either.

AshleyR · Feb 1, 2009

leansoapqueen said:
I like lab colors as well but they are pricy. I was getting frustrated with oxides too until I started infusing them into the water before I add the lye. They work awesome it seems every time doing it that way. The lye doesn't seem to eat the color either.

I will buy the water soluble ones next time! Right now all I have are the oil soluble ones and they're a pain. For one, they stick to and ruin pretty much whatever I mix them in, and no matter how hard I try I can't get them well incorporated into the soap. (I have tried stick blending in oils first, then stick blending some soap into those oils, then mixing that in the pot.... still specks and chunks!!)

leansoapqueen · Feb 1, 2009

Oooh- the oil soluable ones are tricky. I was having some prob's with those too. I superfat my soaps most of the time and I would just add them to my superfat oil which worked most of the time but I had plenty of bad batches before I tried that.
Water soluable is the way to go with those or the lab colors but there is definitely a cost difference.
Good luck hun when I was getting speckles- I tried to whip the snot out of it too and it never seemed to work for me either.