New to coloring bar soap, looking for help

[DrewsSoaps]

Hey,
I am new to bar soap, and I really want to find a way to color my bar soap red, but I am overwhelmed by all the red colorant options. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them. The main reason why I’m being picky with what I use, is because I try to use ingredients directly from Mother Nature and a lot of my customers have sensitive skin.
I’ll also attach my recipe in case that helps.
Thanks so much!

 

[ackosel]

Getting red from natural colorants is a bit of a trick. The closest I've gotten (and I am by no means an expert on natural colorants or soapmaking) is Moroccan red clay. It's definitely not a Christmas red, but comes out more of a reddish brown. A very little goes a LONG way with that one.

I did purchase some Himalayan rhubarb to infuse in olive oil to try for a truer red, but havent tried it yet. I've seen other soapmakers online get more of a red color with that, but again, it won't be a Christmas red - more of a pink red.

I know there are several soapmakers here who know a lot about using natural colorants. Hopefully someone else can give you some better suggestions. I'll definitely be paying attention!

 

[Chaiat5]

Hi!

I made soap coloured with red sandalwood. It was not a very strong colour — just a dusky pink. I am trying out infusions — just received Himalayan rhubarb! @ackosel please share since we're going down the same road

 

[Ekuzo]

I've purchased some rosehip powder with the intention to use it in soap. From what I've heard, it gives sort of decent red

 

[justsomeguy]

Hey,
I am new to bar soap, and I really want to find a way to color my bar soap red, but I am overwhelmed by all the red colorant options. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them. The main reason why I’m being picky with what I use, is because I try to use ingredients directly from Mother Nature and a lot of my customers have sensitive skin.
I’ll also attach my recipe in case that helps.
Thanks so much!

I've used two options.

Himalayan rhubarb infused in oil (pure HO sunflower oil soap with 3% of it being infused [at 1.46oz in a quart of oil] ) and

madder root "tea" added to the lye water (pure palm kernel oil here I think).

Both soaps plain are white so it didn't take a lot to get them red.

 

[curlycoat2]

Red is the hardest of all the colors to achieve when using plants only. Are you adverse to using clays? if not that will be an easier way going forward. The rhubarbs will be the best way to get red - any of them - Turkish or Himalyan it wont matter which one you use. The more concentrated your infusion is the better the red will be. You will need to have only very light colored oils and I had more success without palm when coloring with plants. I dont use palm at all but every experiment I did with it morphed the plant color more than without it. Long, strong, cold infusion using the alcohol method and then using a high percentage of that infusion in your actual soap recipe will give you red. I will warn you that plant colors will fade and clays will not. Also note the redder the soap the more it will bleed pink - just so know and are not surprised when you lather with it.