Natural Colorants - Purple

[Zany_in_CO]

I was unable to find a forum for "Colorants" so I'm posting this link here... I hope that's okay? Or am I missing something?

Natural Purple Plant Colorants for Soap Making: Troubleshooting and Tips by Jo Haslauer:

http://tinyurl.com/y9uwytyp

 

[Relle]

There is no specific forum for colours.

 

[penelopejane]

At least she admits that the colours fade. A lot of sites don't. Is that ash on the top of her soaps or is it TD mixed into the top for a nice swirl?

A few of us have done experiments with natural colours and reported in the beginner section on this forum. All very disappointing, unfortunately, in relation to fading to fawn.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

A few of us have done experiments with natural colours and reported in the beginner section on this forum. All very disappointing, unfortunately, in relation to fading to fawn.

I'm sorry to hear that. I used natural colorants early in my soapmaking journey and there are a lot of choices to get pretty soaps, not just "fawn". But I hear you. I wish I'd been around to help. Yellow dock, for example, is a weed found just about every where across the US and makes a beautiful rosy pink soap. Off to see if I can find a link... BRB

Here ya go:
http://sapuhusid.blogspot.com/2010/07/raspberry-pink-soap-yellow-dock.html

I also love this soap colored with OO infused comfrey leaves:

 

[penelopejane]

I'm sorry to hear that. I used natural colorants early in my soapmaking journey and there are a lot of choices to get pretty soaps, not just "fawn". But I hear you. I wish I'd been around to help. Yellow dock, for example, is a weed found just about every where across the US and makes a beautiful rosy pink soap.

I also love this soap colored with OO infused comfrey leaves:

Very nice but I want colours that stay vibrant for 12 months or more. Colours that stick for 6-8 weeks aren't really what I am looking for.

 

[shunt2011]

I started out using natural things for colorants and found the majority do not last long term. So, now I use micas as I like pretty colors.

 

[dixiedragon]

Clays and charcoal work long term. So do calendula petals. Sometimes beta carotene sticks and sometimes not - I think that may be a function of the freshness of the beta carotene?

 

[Cindy2428]

I have also had "natural" colorants fade on me. I have been successful though by adding tocopherol (vitamin E) to turmeric and keep a light gold color.

 

[curlycoat2]

Can I ask why you would want your soap color to last 12 months? I would usually expect my soap to be either used and gone, gifted and used or well and truly sold an the customer used the soap by 12 months.

Some colorants do last longer than 12 months but the great majority of plants are like flowers that you pick and will lose their colors over time, some sooner than others.

Long lasting colors are annatto, paprika, liquid chlorophyll does well for me several others. Salt bars seem to hold the color longer for blues.

Of course, its all dependent on how you store your soaps as well. I have several that are 2+ years old and still would be considered saleable colorwise

 

[agirlhasnoname]

I have also had "natural" colorants fade on me. I have been successful though by adding tocopherol (vitamin E) to turmeric and keep a light gold color.

You add in Vit E while making a turmeric infusion?

 

[JuliaB]

For purple color, I like this purple Brazilian clay.

https://www.brambleberry.com/Purple-Brazilian-Clay-P5497.aspx

 

[0115d8cf]

It feels like a lot of people start out soaping wanting to use natural colorants (myself included), but most of us give in to the mica monster at some point.