I’ve read about turmeric used as an infused colorant, but has anyone tried paprika? Or how about staining fruit juice like blackberries or blueberries? Elderberries? Yellow curry powder? Does Tomato powder or carrot powder color stick? Does Lye change the colors? What about red wine? Just ordered and spiralina and annatto to try. I’ve seen those tests on the forum. Any other thoughts?
Other organic colorants
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I've used Paprika successfully. I've thought about curry powder but wasn't sure if the smell would come through so haven't tried it yet. I was just reading about using red wine yesterday and it seems the colour holds. Not sure about any of the other powders. I actually bought some Green Matcha Tea powder, Dragonfruit powder and Strawberry powder. The Matcha morphed to brown/tan and the other two turned a light beighe colour... Too bad as the Dragonfruit powder is beautiful!
Paprika makes a peachy color. I'd infuse it, the powder can be a bit scratchy.
Blueberries, elderberry and other blue/purple berries make brown.
I want to test blue pea flower but I don't expect it will stay blue.
Carrot powder will make a yellow/light orange. Its fades but doesn't brown. Not sure what tomato do but I suspect it would turn brown.
Rhubarb root can make pink but its tricky. I only got a muddy pink. I think I would have needed a lot more.
Nettle and parsley make green but both fade quickly to a tanish olive. Spirulena takes a bit longer to fade, especially if stored in the dark.
Blueberries, elderberry and other blue/purple berries make brown.
I want to test blue pea flower but I don't expect it will stay blue.
Carrot powder will make a yellow/light orange. Its fades but doesn't brown. Not sure what tomato do but I suspect it would turn brown.
Rhubarb root can make pink but its tricky. I only got a muddy pink. I think I would have needed a lot more.
Nettle and parsley make green but both fade quickly to a tanish olive. Spirulena takes a bit longer to fade, especially if stored in the dark.
artemis
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Are you going to try using some lemon or citric acid to try to counteract the affects of the lye on the color?
Probably not. By the time I added enough acid to change the color, I don't think I'd have stable soap.
atiz
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There are some good threads here on this, so do look around. (E.g., here and here.)
One of my very first soaps was colored with paprika, and it is still quite orange, about 2 years later. Turmeric, in the same soap, has faded more considerably.
Annatto is good; it will make a nice golden yellow, depending on the concentration. It hasn't faded much for me.
None of the fruit powders will hold up as far as I know; they will turn brown.
Madder root can give a pretty decent pink, while alkanet (although a bit tricky) a pretty decent purple.
Spirulina is nice green, and holds up fairly well.
One of my very first soaps was colored with paprika, and it is still quite orange, about 2 years later. Turmeric, in the same soap, has faded more considerably.
Annatto is good; it will make a nice golden yellow, depending on the concentration. It hasn't faded much for me.
None of the fruit powders will hold up as far as I know; they will turn brown.
Madder root can give a pretty decent pink, while alkanet (although a bit tricky) a pretty decent purple.
Spirulina is nice green, and holds up fairly well.
Dawni
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Paprika also turns out yellow to orange.. A bit darker than turmeric, but in my case it cured into more or less the same shade. You'll notice the color here, on the small soap in the foreground..
Yellow curry powder gets most of its color from turmeric.. Some contain cinnamon. I'd say you'd get yellow to a darker yellow with yellow curry powder but check the ingredients how much is safe to use first.
If you're looking for yellow, the best ones I've gotten are from annatto infusions. I've used it more than once. It's in the same soap linked above. It doesn't fade as quickly as other natural colorants too.
Tomato and carrot puree work, based on what I've seen around here, but I've never tried. Maybe powder will too? If you search here for "natural colorants" a ton of answers you'll get, some with pics.
Yellow curry powder gets most of its color from turmeric.. Some contain cinnamon. I'd say you'd get yellow to a darker yellow with yellow curry powder but check the ingredients how much is safe to use first.
If you're looking for yellow, the best ones I've gotten are from annatto infusions. I've used it more than once. It's in the same soap linked above. It doesn't fade as quickly as other natural colorants too.
Tomato and carrot puree work, based on what I've seen around here, but I've never tried. Maybe powder will too? If you search here for "natural colorants" a ton of answers you'll get, some with pics.
Silly question - how do you infuse a powder like paprika?
Dawni
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Not Obsidian, but check this out
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/infusing-oil-for-color.78229
You just dump it in your oil and let it infuse for however long you want. I'd shake it periodically and keep it someplace warm.
Let it settle for a few day then strain through a fine mesh sieve.
For a quicker infusion I put the powder in oil. Put the jar in my microwave on power level 2 for 2 min to heat.
Then power level 1 for 10 min let it rest 5 shake and repeated 10 min/rest 5-6 times. Im too impatient to wait
Then power level 1 for 10 min let it rest 5 shake and repeated 10 min/rest 5-6 times. Im too impatient to wait
Dawni
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I mostly infuse in my slow cooker - cloth on the bottom, water, jars of plant material in oil sealed tight - for maybe 6-12hrs on low. This is when I don't feel like waiting to use the infusions.
Sometimes, I'll make double batches of infusions, one for the slow cooker and one for the shelves. Those stay 2wks minimum and months after too depending on how much I have in a jar.
Sometimes, I'll make double batches of infusions, one for the slow cooker and one for the shelves. Those stay 2wks minimum and months after too depending on how much I have in a jar.
artemis
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That's what I expect, too. I hope if you try it, you'll share about it.
Jo Haslauer has an e-book that explains how she gets a rainbow of lovely colors using natural colorants. I still haven’t mastered all of them, but it’s been helpful in my quest. Here’s a link to where you can purchase, if interested... Natural Soap Color eBook by Jo Haslauer
aquamorgan
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I've tried Tumeric, Pomegranate, Cocoa Powder - all of them are great and colour stays. The cocoa powder I used is almost pure black, it gives your soap super dark brown.
I've tried Tomato paste yesterday and it works wonderfully. I am into natural colouring my soap and so far, Dandelion infused oil gives out very vibrant yellow color and I was very surprised.
One of the first soaps I made back in February I used concentrated tomato paste in a tube and it has kept a nice peachy color although a bit lighter than when originally unmolded. First pic is just now. Second pic is when they were first cut. I scented it with apricot peach Bellini and it is a good color for that fo and scent has stuck well after 6 months.
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What color does the pomegranate give? Is it red? And what state is it in when you use it? How do you use it? I’d love to have another variety of red
Dawni
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Sadly the cocoa powder I've used didn't stick around much... Faded from brown to light peach. Although, it wasn't super dark almost black to begin with.....
It really is trial n error with natural colorants.
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