Inexpensive liquid dye for various shades of brown?

[Revan33]

Hello, I'm looking for a plug and play solution for my small operation, I've tried mixing primary colour food colourings, red, green, blue, yellow, but have found they don't seem to mix too well to achieve the desired result or perhaps I'm just unskilled, is there anything else I can try? looking to mix and create various shades of brown from primary colours.

 

[AliensrReal]

You can just use mica approved for soap and get brown. It’s not a liquid but you just mix it with the soap base prior to pouring.

There’s also Liquid oxide pigment

 

[basti]

You can mix cocoa with rubbing alcohol and add it to the melted soap base. Beware, it may make MP soap smell like cocoa... which might not always be the desired scent in a soap (ask me how I know )

But I'd recommend getting a brown mica instead. I like using micas from Nurture Soap in my MP, but Mad Micas are another popular supplier.

(Food coloring is not recommended for MP soap, by the way. It can fade, bleed, and even stain people's skin/towels/sink. If you pick up a brown mica, you can also get micas in all sorts of colors that are proven to stay bold, bright, and off the skin~)

 

[Savage Daughter]

Chaga, finely ground, can give some very nice shades of brown. Because it's a material harvested from trees - it is a fungus used for health purposes - you will get somewhat of a different shade from each batch you buy. I get a rusty brown color from mine when I use it alone, a warm orangey-brown, which is quite beautiful. I have not experienced any exfoliating type of texture issues with it when used in soap.

It is *not* a liquid, BUT you can easily change it's tone by doing things like adding some cocoa powder to it, adding a bit of charcoal to it, adding a bit of chlorella or rhubarb root or even indigo to it & so on.

As someone else said, food coloring is not the best idea. That said, of you wish to continue down that road & are using this soap for just yourself, I would suggest buying some gel food coloring. You can find packs of several colors which can be custom mixed. Gel food colorings are *extremely* potent, so use a toothpick or something similar to portion each color out.

 

[Revan33]

Chaga, finely ground, can give some very nice shades of brown. Because it's a material harvested from trees - it is a fungus used for health purposes - you will get somewhat of a different shade from each batch you buy. I get a rusty brown color from mine when I use it alone, a warm orangey-brown, which is quite beautiful. I have not experienced any exfoliating type of texture issues with it when used in soap.

It is *not* a liquid, BUT you can easily change it's tone by doing things like adding some cocoa powder to it, adding a bit of charcoal to it, adding a bit of chlorella or rhubarb root or even indigo to it & so on.

As someone else said, food coloring is not the best idea. That said, of you wish to continue down that road & are using this soap for just yourself, I would suggest buying some gel food coloring. You can find packs of several colors which can be custom mixed. Gel food colorings are *extremely* potent, so use a toothpick or something similar to portion each color out.

Cheers for the hint, IMHO micas, oxides and liquids colourants are all super pricey, I'm thinking of using shredded crayola crayons in M&P, anyone here tried that?

Wait, 100g oxide, 300g glycerine, 1 teaspoon per pound, that's like under 15c a bar?

 

[not_ally]

I wouldn't use crayons personally just because I don't know what goes into them, which makes me uncomfortable with ingredients used in soaps for gifting or even for use myself. If I was a seller I would be even more hesitant unless I did a lot of research into whether it was allowed/safe as used.

This woman seems to use them without hesitation, though: Using Crayons To Color Melt & Pour Soaps.

 

[lucycat]

Crayons have been a novice idea for years in colorants. If you don't sell then go ahead and try. However, some colorants cause a colored lather and there are plenty that stain wash cloths, reds and browns especially. With crayons it will be a guessing game on how much and whether it affects wash cloths. Brown and red oxide are especially bad about staining when used at a heavy rate. Since they were not created for use on the skin you have no idea if they are skin safe. When I first started soapmaking dyes were one of the few options. The intensity of color and getting consistency from one batch to another is difficult. Most soap makers would want to use a colorant approved for soap and one with a good track record; thus micas. They make coloring soap a joy and not a pain.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/crayolas-to-color-cp-hp-soap.74017/

some colorants cause a colored lather and there are plenty that stain wash cloths, reds and browns especially.

I never had that experience.

it will be a guessing game on how much

1" Crayola PPO. You can use less by melting it in some olive oil.

Since they were not created for use on the skin you have no idea if they are skin safe.

Technically speaking, they have never been approved by the FDA for use in soap because that is an unnecessary expense in regard to their primary purpose. Label Ingredients: Paraffin wax, stearic acid and powder color pigment. Each of those ingredients is GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) and they are found in any number of B & B products. Also, they are non-toxic if children put them in their mouths or chew on them.

use a colorant approved for soap and one with a good track record; thus micas.

Micas are far more expensive for a Newbie than a box of Crayolas. That's the point. For personal use, the soaps I colored with certain Crayolas were beautiful and a joy to make. I probably should take some time in the new year to produce a few bars. Not all colors work, but the Cerulean Blue is truly outstanding.

 

[Relle]

FYI, to the members who replied to the OP, they are in Australia and some of the suggestions are regarding USA regs and suppliers, so won't be useful to them.

 

[basti]

Missed their location. Apologies to OP. ^^;; Perhaps an Aussie soapmaker can chime in where they like to get their micas?

Pine tar, milks (liquid), coffee (liquid), and teas (liquid) should not be added to Melt and Pour soap. Milk powder, ground coffee, and tea leaves will either not create brown or will create a speckled effect that might not be ideal (and also may be scratchy on the skin.) Cocoa powder is really the best "pantry" option for MP.

Note that FOs that cause discoloration don't always make a strong brown in Melt and Pour, either. Sometimes it doesn't discolor, sometimes it goes just slightly murky (clear base)/tan (white base), sometimes it makes a patchy brown, sometimes it gives you the perfect brown you want, etc. I've found it's very inconsistent and unreliable

I'm thinking of using shredded crayola crayons in M&P, anyone here tried that?

Crayons may not work in MP the same way they do in cold process soapmaking and will likely create a weird texture once hardened. If it's for personal use and you're willing to risk a little bit of base to test it out, then hey, why not. Experiments are experiments.

An idea for another personal use colorant for MP is eyeshadow, as they're made mostly of mica and are skin safe. Scrape a little bit out, mix with rubbing alcohol and add to base. Note that this will likely not work for CP soap if you ever try that soapmaking method out, but it should work fine in MP.

Wait, 100g oxide, 300g glycerine, 1 teaspoon per pound, that's like under 15c a bar?

I tend to use about 1/4-1/2 tsp mica per pound of base. Even less for my oxides and neons. A little goes a long way in MP, especially clear MP

Hope this info helps and hope you can find your dream brown~

(Edit: Added a period... whoops)

 

[Revan33]

You can just use mica approved for soap and get brown. It’s not a liquid but you just mix it with the soap base prior to pouring.

There’s also Liquid oxide pigment

Chaga, finely ground, can give some very nice shades of brown. Because it's a material harvested from trees - it is a fungus used for health purposes - you will get somewhat of a different shade from each batch you buy. I get a rusty brown color from mine when I use it alone, a warm orangey-brown, which is quite beautiful. I have not experienced any exfoliating type of texture issues with it when used in soap.

It is *not* a liquid, BUT you can easily change it's tone by doing things like adding some cocoa powder to it, adding a bit of charcoal to it, adding a bit of chlorella or rhubarb root or even indigo to it & so on.

As someone else said, food coloring is not the best idea. That said, of you wish to continue down that road & are using this soap for just yourself, I would suggest buying some gel food coloring. You can find packs of several colors which can be custom mixed. Gel food colorings are *extremely* potent, so use a toothpick or something similar to portion each color out.

I wouldn't use crayons personally just because I don't know what goes into them, which makes me uncomfortable with ingredients used in soaps for gifting or even for use myself. If I was a seller I would be even more hesitant unless I did a lot of research into whether it was allowed/safe as used.

This woman seems to use them without hesitation, though: Using Crayons To Color Melt & Pour Soaps.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/crayolas-to-color-cp-hp-soap.74017/

I never had that experience.

1" Crayola PPO. You can use less by melting it in some olive oil.

Technically speaking, they have never been approved by the FDA for use in soap because that is an unnecessary expense in regard to their primary purpose. Label Ingredients: Paraffin wax, stearic acid and powder color pigment. Each of those ingredients is GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) and they are found in any number of B & B products. Also, they are non-toxic if children put them in their mouths or chew on them.

Micas are far more expensive for a Newbie than a box of Crayolas. That's the point. For personal use, the soaps I colored with certain Crayolas were beautiful and a joy to make. I probably should take some time in the new year to produce a few bars. Not all colors work, but the Cerulean Blue is truly outstanding.

FYI, to the members who replied to the OP, they are in Australia and some of the suggestions are regarding USA regs and suppliers, so won't be useful to them.

Missed their location. Apologies to OP. ^^;; Perhaps an Aussie soapmaker can chime in where they like to get their micas?

Pine tar, milks (liquid), coffee (liquid), and teas (liquid) should not be added to Melt and Pour soap. Milk powder, ground coffee, and tea leaves will either not create brown or will create a speckled effect that might not be ideal (and also may be scratchy on the skin.) Cocoa powder is really the best "pantry" option for MP.

Note that FOs that cause discoloration don't always make a strong brown in Melt and Pour, either. Sometimes it doesn't discolor, sometimes it goes just slightly murky (clear base)/tan (white base), sometimes it makes a patchy brown, sometimes it gives you the perfect brown you want, etc. I've found it's very inconsistent and unreliable



Crayons may not work in MP the same way they do in cold process soapmaking and will likely create a weird texture once hardened. If it's for personal use and you're willing to risk a little bit of base to test it out, then hey, why not. Experiments are experiments.

An idea for another personal use colorant for MP is eyeshadow, as they're made mostly of mica and are skin safe. Scrape a little bit out, mix with rubbing alcohol and add to base. Note that this will likely not work for CP soap if you ever try that soapmaking method out, but it should work fine in MP.


I tend to use about 1/4-1/2 tsp mica per pound of base. Even less for my oxides and neons. A little goes a long way in MP, especially clear MP

Hope this info helps and hope you can find your dream brown~

(Edit: Added a period... whoops)

Hey everyone, thanks for the tips, I ended up doing a bit more meticulous work with the calculator and overall, the micas/pigment powders do in fact seem to be the best solution, costing roughly AUD 0.30c/bar for my application, crayola's are like AUD 0.2c/bar but the catch is they aren't 100% "legit".

In summary, micas/powders are a go to solution. Thanks again.