How to achieve navy blue in CP soap

[ibct1969]

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me the best way to achieve navy blue in my CP soap? Thanks in advance.

 

[Kamahido]

I did so with Titanium Dioxide and Klein Blue Mica.

 

[dibbles]

Are you looking to buy something or work with what you have? I use micas and add black, a tiny bit at a time, to a medium blue. Micas and More has the group buy going on now, and she carries a very dark blue (midnight blue), and Nurture’s Klein blue is pretty dark as mentioned by Kamahido if you are looking to order something.

 

[ibct1969]

Thanks Kamahido. Question though- wouldn't that make a light blue?

Dibbles I'd like to use what I have. I have both black oxide and activated charcoal. I have a few different blue micas (including the Klein blue that Kamahido mentioned above). Do you recommend the black oxide or the AC or does it matter?

 

[dibbles]

Looks like you were posting while I was editing. I don’t think it matters what you try using for the black between the oxide or AC. Just add tiny bits at a time. Also, adding TD to Klein Blue would lighten it. I wonder if Kamahido meant AC. So start with the Klein Blue, add a bit of black and see if you like what you get. I think I had a good result by mixing Blue Vibrance and a little black.

 

[Kamahido]

Looks like you were posting while I was editing. I don’t think it matters what you try using for the black between the oxide or AC. Just add tiny bits at a time. Also, adding TD to Klein Blue would lighten it. I wonder if Kamahido meant AC. So start with the Klein Blue, add a bit of black and see if you like what you get. I think I had a good result by mixing Blue Vibrance and a little black.

I got a pretty deep blue with the dark blue mica I mentioned above. Used Titanium Dioxide as my soap when uncolored is a light yellow (which would make for a green soap, which I have messed up before, silly me). Good idea with the Activated Charcoal though. Never thought of that.

 

[IrishLass]

I use UM blue and activated charcoal to achieve a good navy blue.


IrishLass

 

[soapmaker]

I use UM blue and activated charcoal to achieve a good navy blue.


IrishLass

Me too.

 

[shunt2011]

I do the same as IL.

 

[MorpheusPA]

Ultramarine blue and black oxide, here, rather than the charcoal. It's just what I have on-hand.

It doesn't take much black oxide to darken the ultramarine! Just the tiniest bit deepened it enough to make a navy blue swirl in white soap.

 

[dibbles]

Seems like everyone is saying pretty much the same thing. I cannot emphasize enough, tiny, tiny amounts of black. You will get a nice navy blue.

 

[ibct1969]

Thanks everyone!

 

[madison]

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me the best way to achieve navy blue in my CP soap? Thanks in advance.

Thank you for posting this question, thanks to everyone who replied. On Thursday, I tried coral reef blue mica in my CP batch, it turned into navy green, I didn't like it.

 

[OrganicSoapGuy]

One more take on this... The ultramarine blue + black oxide or activated charcoal solution described above is probably the easiest to reproduce with consistency. But, if you don't mind a bit of experimentation (and a little variability in color), there's also a plant based approach. Alkanet root normally gives shades of purple in CP soap. With a slightly higher pH, it leans toward blue. On the other side, with a lower pH, it tends toward a red-purple. You won't be able to get a strict navy blue, but, depending on the quantity used in your formula, you can get a nice dark purple. With some pH experimenting, you can get this toward the blue side of things - and then add the activated charcoal to darken it. For lack of a better term, this combo makes a gorgeous "midnight" color. It's not navy, but it's rich and deep and in that color family.

 

[cgpeanut]

Thank you for posting this question, thanks to everyone who replied. On Thursday, I tried coral reef blue mica in my CP batch, it turned into navy green, I didn't like it.

Some one above mentioned they use TD to compensate for the yellow in the base soap batter, if you are getting a navy green maybe the green is coming from you oils being on the yellowish side?

 

[CaraBou]

Alkanet root normally gives shades of purple in CP soap. With a slightly higher pH, it leans toward blue. On the other side, with a lower pH, it tends toward a red-purple... With some pH experimenting, you can get this toward the blue side of things - and then add the activated charcoal to darken it.

Greetings, Botanie, from up river on the Bitterroot. Can you advise how to purposefully change the pH of soap? I've read pH affects the shade of alkanet, but have only used other colorants to nudge it. But I still have a pile to play with.

 

[amd]

The Midnight Blue from Micas & More is the solid color on the bottom of these soap bars (and in the M&P embeds on top).

 

[earlene]

Now that is interesting. I know we can change the color of some flowers by making the soil a bit more acidic or a bit more alkaline. I wonder how much of a nudge alkanet would need to go one way or the other, and how difficult would that be in soap? I didn't even think of how much the actual formula might affect the resulting color. I just figured, maybe a different brand would give me a different shade.

So, what comes to mind is subbing some of the water from the recipe with lemon juice or vinegar (yes, I know it can alter the SF somewhat & how to adjust for that.) I suppose that could make it more acidic, so the alkanet leans toward pink. So how to make it more alkaline? How does one actually make their soap recipe more alkaline? Or is mixing the colorant into the alkaline solution (the lye solution) the key to creating the alkaline dependent color?

if you don't mind a bit of experimentation (and a little variability in color), there's also a plant based approach. Alkanet root normally gives shades of purple in CP soap. With a slightly higher pH, it leans toward blue. On the other side, with a lower pH, it tends toward a red-purple.

Can you advise how to purposefully change the pH of soap? I've read pH affects the shade of alkanet, but have only used other colorants to nudge it. But I still have a pile to play with.

Yes, please!

 

[madison]

Some one above mentioned they use TD to compensate for the yellow in the base soap batter, if you are getting a navy green maybe the green is coming from you oils being on the yellowish side?

It turned to be that coral reef blue mica turns into light tent of green, I was taken by the beautiful color when I bought it, I didn't go into all details as I was buying bunch of new micas to try them. I'll try some TD next time to see what will happen to the navy green.