Soap Coloring

[NewbieSoaper]

Just wondering, what kinds of materials have you more experienced soapers used to produce colors? So far, I've decided to keep things simple for starters and haven't added coloring. I'll use colors later

 

[Soapmomma]

I've just started using Select Shades colors from Tradewinds, they are liquid and very concentrated so should last a while! And they have an extensive mixing chart to give you a wide range of colors just using the basic 8 set.

When I first started experimenting and playing with soap (CP/HP) I used bits of crayons melted in some of the oils I was using and even food coloring and did make some interesting colors
Never used Melt/Pour so not sure what you could use to experiment with there.
Have fun! Soaping is a very addictive hobby

 

[surf girl]

I've got weird, completely unfounded hangups about using "natural" colorants. So, thus far, I have only used these things to colour soap:

spirulina powder - dark green
stevia powder - green
cocoa powder and baker's chocolate - dark brown
coffee - dark brown
carrot - orange
paprika - orange (with specks)
activated charcoal - black
ginger tea - cream (the colour of brie, actually)
cucumber - pale green with a slight yellowish tinge

 

[7053joanne]

I have used the following natural ingredients for colors:

Alkenet root- purple
annatto seed - yellowish color
alfalfa - green
black walnut hull - brown
cocoa - brown
maddar root - red

I have also used a lot of different micas for coloring.

 

[ilovedoxies]

where do you all get your herbs that you use for coloring? Are they in the spice isle at the grocery store or do you have to order them online?

 

[7053joanne]

I order mine from Emporium Naturals. They have a great selection of herbs and give additional information such as medicinal properties and how they react in soap.

 

[surf girl]

I've gotten powdered spirulina and stevia at the health food store.

 

[NewbieSoaper]

spirulina powder - dark green
stevia powder - green
cocoa powder and baker's chocolate - dark brown
coffee - dark brown
carrot - orange
paprika - orange (with specks)
activated charcoal - black
ginger tea - cream (the colour of brie, actually)
cucumber - pale green with a slight yellowish tinge

How much do you usually add per lb of oils?

 

[MikeInPdx]

I've used several things including oxides, ultramarines, FD&C colors, food coloring for HP soap, paprika, cinnamon, coffee, cocoa, tumeric, allspice....I think I like the oxides best (although they'll stain your washcloth if you use too much).

 

[surf girl]

spirulina powder - dark green
stevia powder - green
cocoa powder and baker's chocolate - dark brown
coffee - dark brown
carrot - orange
paprika - orange (with specks)
activated charcoal - black
ginger tea - cream (the colour of brie, actually)
cucumber - pale green with a slight yellowish tinge

How much do you usually add per lb of oils?

I'll have to check my notes to be sure, but I think the amounts I used were: [EDITED - see 2 posts below for the actual amounts]

spirulina - about 1/4 tsp in a bit of soap I took out to swirl. Sorry, that's so inaccurate. But it made quite a dark green, which has lightened a little over 6-7 weeks.
stevia - this one I can't remember very exactly, but it would have been around 1-2 tsp in roughly 2 lbs. It was darker than I had intended - I was going for a sage green.
cocoa powder - about 1-1 1/2 tsp in 2lbs, together with a square (or was it two?) of baker's chocolate. The soap looks like fudge.
paprika - maybe 1/4 tsp in a bit removed for swirling out of a 2 lb batch. When I rebatched this, the soap ended up a darkish orange.
coffee - replaced the water with about quadruple-strength coffee (a little extreme)
activated charcoal - used liquid Charcodote. Maybe 1/2 tsp in 1 lb of soap. Came out a little greyish, but I didn't gel.
ginger tea - used a good-sized root (I weighed it, but can't remember) and made tea, replacing the water (for a 9 oz test batch)
cucumber - replaced water with pureed cucumber

 

[NewbieSoaper]

Thank you much! I think with my next batch I'll use some coloring - it sounds like so much fun!

 

[surf girl]

OK, I am clearly senile. I was waaaaaay off on my quantities. Keeping a soap diary is such a good idea!

Spirulina - 3/8 tsp in 1 cup
Stevia - 5 tsp in the rest of the 40oz batch

Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp in a 2 lb batch, with 2 oz Baker's chocolate

Paprika - 1 tsp in 3/4 cup soap
Carrot - 1 shredded carrot in the remainder of the 2 lb batch (added flecks of colour -- for real orange colour use carrot juice. Lomond did this - check out her 5 carrot pics)

Charcodote - 10 mL to about 1/3 of a 2 lb batch