Issues Nurture micas?

[paillo]

First off, Happy New Year all!

So I've been soaping with colorants from several different mica suppliers. I'm accustomed to using about half a teaspoon for a batch with 40 oz. oils to get the muted but very colorful shades I like.

Have noticed with the last several batches using Nurture, though, that I have to use about a tablespoon (!!!) yes, that much (or more!!), to get the same depth of color I'm used to. Didn't notice the first time and color was a total fail, like almost no color. Tried another at a higher percentage. Still WAYYY pale.

Have tried with the flare and regular micas with the same weak results, no difference in soap recipes I normally use.

Anyone else have similar experiences? Going to contact them but would be nice to know if I'm the only one with issues...

 

[snappyllama]

I use a lot of Nurture's micas and haven't noticed that i need to use any more with theirs than ones compared to Mad Oils, WSP, or BB. It seems like the amount I need to use is more dependent on the color.

I haven't met a blue that's given me any trouble. Greens are pretty good though Vibrance Green morphs on me (sometimes it doesn't morph back entirely) and that one in particular seems to require more colorant than some of my other greens. Pinks are easy. Purples take more. Yellows and Oranges are a crapshoot...

What are the actual micas you used?

 

[paillo]

Green Vibrance (I usually use TKB Apple Green Pop), Persian Rose Flare for pink (I usually use BB's Electric Bubblegum or other) and lastly, Cyber Grape (instead of several suppliers' shades of purple). Got the color I wanted with the last one, but I never want to use 1.5 tablespoons of colorant for a relatively small batch of soap. Expensive AND more chemicals than I ever want to use for that amount of soap.

 

[kchaystack]

Green Vibrance (I usually use TKB Apple Green Pop), Persian Rose Flare for pink (I usually use BB's Electric Bubblegum or other) and lastly, Cyber Grape (instead of several suppliers' shades of purple). Got the color I wanted with the last one, but I never want to use 1.5 tablespoons of colorant for a relatively small batch of soap. Expensive AND more chemicals than I ever want to use for that amount of soap.

So looking at what you say you use:

TKB has 2 green micas - Green Apple Mica or Shimmer Apple Pop. Shimmer apple is the closest to Green Vibrance, but TKB says that Apple Pop is not for use in CP soap - and Green Apple from TKB they say fades in CP.

As for the pink, these 2 really can't be compared. The BB mica uses Red 28 and Red 22, while the nurture mica uses TD and pink violet 23. They are not even the same color as the powder.

I can't compare because you don't tell us what purple you are comparing it to.


Basically, you are comparing things with totally different ingredients and expecting the same outcome.

Nurture is my go to for all colors. She does extensive testing, her micas are all vegan and cruelty free, and very affordable.

If you are worried about 'chemicals' well - one you should be using natural colorants, or not coloring your soap. You should also look at the ingredient lists and see which one has more listed, and what they are. I think Nurture will usually win out there as well.

Tho owner of Nurture is a member of the board, so she might well give her 2 cents.

 

[snappyllama]

Ah, that green vibrance - it's probably my least favorite of all the micas I've gotten from Nurture. I normally love their micas. Sorry I haven't used the other two. Their Purple Vibrance is really good if you want just about any shade of purple.

 

[jules92207]

I have been converting more and more to Nurture lately as I find their micas are so easy to work with. I certainly don't find I need more to get the results I want with them, I just follow the guide they provide and so far haven't been disappointed. Recently I used their orange vibrance and it turned really pink at first but as it cured it turned a nice orange again.

 

[topofmurrayhill]

First off, Happy New Year all!

So I've been soaping with colorants from several different mica suppliers. I'm accustomed to using about half a teaspoon for a batch with 40 oz. oils to get the muted but very colorful shades I like.

Have noticed with the last several batches using Nurture, though, that I have to use about a tablespoon (!!!) yes, that much (or more!!), to get the same depth of color I'm used to. Didn't notice the first time and color was a total fail, like almost no color. Tried another at a higher percentage. Still WAYYY pale.

Have tried with the flare and regular micas with the same weak results, no difference in soap recipes I normally use.

Anyone else have similar experiences? Going to contact them but would be nice to know if I'm the only one with issues...

The only thing that micas have in common is mica. Other than that the colorant in the product can be anything. Micas that are similarly colored may perform completely differently. One thing I notice off the bat is that your Cyber Purple contains manganese violet, which is not stable and basically disappears in CP soap. If a mica doesn't work well for you, use a different one. I think you just got unlucky with these.

 

[paillo]

I think I just got unlucky with these too, as I've used Nurture for years and always had good results. These were all from a recent order. And the TKB green I used was very old, maybe five years old, they phased out the line several years ago. The purple I had used up was a mix of several similar, I hadn't bothered to relabel and don't remember whose they were.

Normally I don't color a whole batch, just a small amount for swirls, and actually hadn't colored whole batches in more than a year, so maybe I just didn't remember having to use so much more. That's what I get for not making detailed notes.

I'll try the Purple Vibrance, and will just use considerably more of the Persian Pink Flare next time, as it is a gorgeous color. Thanks for the responses, all.