Red mica turning orange

[Blue Star]

Hi, I’ve been making soap dough and having trouble with the red dough turning orange. I’m using “scarlet” red mica. The first batch (11oz) I used about half tsp and the dough turned a light orange the next day and the second batch also 11oz I used 1 tsp of the red mica and it turned a darker orange but still not red

 

[katili]

Is your base soap fairly yellow? That might do it. I haven't used much red yet but I hear great things about True Red from Mad Micas.

 

[Blue Star]

Yes the base color is yellowish. I did put a little of the titanium dioxide for the second one thinking that might help but maybe not enough? I didn’t want it to turn pink

 

[dibbles]

Where did you get your mica? I’ve had good luck with both Trial by Fire and My Red Obsession from Nurture.

 

[Blue Star]

ROLIO, from Amazon, 24 pack. The two other colors from the pack, yellow and green worked fine. So I have two orange doughs now. One a little darker than the other. Still need red for embed hearts and flowers

I didn’t know that some makes don’t work as well. I’ll have to try Nurture, thank you

 

[dibbles]

I didn’t know that some makes don’t work as well. I’ll have to try Nurture, thank you

I’m partial to Nurture because I can order items other than colorants. But Mad Micas, Micas and More and any other reputable supplier will be a good choice.

 

[Cindy D.]

Nurture has reviews and some of them add pictures, so you can see the colors others get. They have actual soap sample photos. They also have info about how much to use to get the best color.

 

[Blue Star]

That would be very helpful thank you

I just checked out Nuture, what a wonderful site. Opens up a whole new realm. Very appreciative for the suggestion. So far I’m only familiar with Amazon

I’ll check out Mad Micas and Micas and More next

 

[Cindy D.]

I also saw info for one of nurture's orange colors, it said not to let it over heat because a lot of reds will fade if over heated.

 

[linne1gi]

ROLIO, from Amazon, 24 pack. The two other colors from the pack, yellow and green worked fine. So I have two orange doughs now. One a little darker than the other. Still need red for embed hearts and flowers

These “micas” from Amazon have absolutely no vetting, nothing. These are made for resins, not cold processed soap. Trial By Fire from Nurture Soap is the best red, second choice is True Red Set by Mad Micas.

 

[AliOop]

I second Trial by Fire from Nurture - my favorite red!

 

[Teresa1]

I'm a beginner soaper. I had the same problem as member Blue Star. My flower embeds turned orange color instead of red. The yellow and red green micas worked fine. I used a set of micas brand "Changtifkeji" I ordered on Amazon, but I realize now these micas are most likely used in resins,, cosmetics., although they claim they work in soap.Thank you for suggesting these red micas and where to get them. I wished I had researched more before ordering a set of 50 different colors! Not all micas are made equal.

 

[linne1gi]

So many people make this mistake. Don’t buy these things on Amazon. They need to be purchased from a reputable soaping supplier. Mad Micas or Nurture Soap are my favorites.

 

[Blue Star]

So I did end buying the “trial by fire” from nurture. Thank you so much for the suggestion. I really like it but as far as not buying from Amazon, sometimes I can’t afford the shipping costs of buying soaping supplies from reputable dealers. I wish I could, but it just gets too expensive for me and most of the time Amazon works out quite well for most of my supplies

 

[AliOop]

The problem is with most micas on Amazon (as well as the craft stores) is that even if the label says they are for soap, that means melt-and-pour soap, which has no active lye. The high alkalinity of CP soap (due to the lye) is what causes most of those less expensive micas to behave badly.

 

[Blue Star]

Thank you that makes total sense

 

[linne1gi]

The problem is with most micas on Amazon (as well as the craft stores) is that even if the label says they are for soap, that means melt-and-pour soap, which has no active lye. The high alkalinity of CP soap (due to the lye) is what causes most of those less expensive micas to behave badly.

Plus their micas and fragrance oils are not vetted. There is no IFRA. There are no recommendations or regulations. Amazon is bad for these items. For oils, butters, molds, etc I think you’re fine buying on Amazon.

 

[AliOop]

Plus their micas and fragrance oils are not vetted. There is no IFRA. There are no recommendations or regulations. Amazon is bad for these items. For oils, butters, molds, etc I think you’re fine buying on Amazon.

I think it pays to be careful with butters and oils from Amazon, as well. Too many unscrupulous sellers out there!

 

[Ekuzo]

I think it pays to be careful with butters and oils from Amazon, as well. Too many unscrupulous sellers out there!

Yup, I guess it's more suitable for tools and other 'hardware' purchases