Talk among'st yourselves...I'll give you a topic.

[DWinMadison]

"Colorants: Less is more"....Discuss.

 

[navigator9]

I'll jump in, because this is a subject I've been giving a lot of thought to lately. You know how it is when you first start making soap, you want to try every additive, recipe, technique, mold, colorant etc. that's out there. Once you've done that, you kind of settle into a groove. At least that's been my experience. You find your favorite recipes, the techniques that work well for you, and the style of soap that you like making the best. Over the years, I've experimented with oxides, mica, oil infusions, clay, dried herbs and others that I've probably forgotten, as colorants. And as the years and batches have gone by, I'm starting to gravitate back to uncolored bars. I've always loved "plain" handmade soap, which I think is anything but plain. And lately, I'm using less and less colorants, and haven't had any comments from my customers one way or the other, so I guess they don't mind. And while I still love to look at soap blogs and marvel at the amazing and artistic things that can be done with color, I find myself using it less and less.

 

[PinkCupcake]

I love bright colors, but I love them best in small swirls against a white backdrop.

 

[Meganmischke]

Personally I think soapmaking is a great art. I don't find any need to limit my use of colorants any more than paint. I love plain soaps too but I don't often make them. I don't sell so soaping is a creative hobby that benefits my family's skin as a bonus!

 

[user 12568]

I don't use colourants. Never have never will - I just keep it simple with as few ingredients as possible. But my soaps aren't for displaying - they're for using. If I make 'em too pretty, people use them for decorations! :crazy:

 

[TVivian]

I make what I like to use so I try to color as naturally as possible. I use a lot of clays and infusions, but I do use oxides for the colors I can't get naturally. I use them very lightly because the idea of using bright red or hot pink or electric blue soap doesn't appeal to me personally. I like to "design" soap as art, but I keep it simple. Less is more.

 

[DWinMadison]

I agree with both of the prior sentiments. I like showing off as much as the next guy, but I care more about getting clean and enjoying a pleasant scent than how it looks in the dish. I'm not much for pastels, and while I love rich colors, I think soap looks cleaner and more artistic when color is used in smaller amounts. In fact, every time I make a "full-color" batch of soap or have a heavy swirl, I find myself wishing I had left more white space. Full color soaps always feel more oily/waxy to me too....like crayons... maybe just my imagination.

 

[Earthen_Step]

I have only used natural colorants. I like the natural tones and subtle aspects of it all. Especially with scent and taste! If you give yourself time with all natural tastes and scents you can pull much more out than when you first start out. Overloaded with synthetic robustness I became very numb to real flavor and real scent.

 

[IrishLass]

This may be just the inner artist in me speaking, but I don't think there's anything wrong with soap being both pretty and practical. Actually, that's what I love the most about this hobby- that I can give free reign to my artistic abilities while creating something practical that is a pleasure to use, instead of just creating pretty dust collectors (I've got lots of those already from past hobbies).

Having said that, uncolored soap is pretty to me as well. It's all good, if you ask me.

The only colored bars of soap I find unappealing are the ones that bleed color on my washcloth.

IrishLass

 

[shunt2011]

I love using all colors....micas, oxides, infusions. Like IrishLass it gives me artistic freedom. Plus I like colorful, pretty and practical soaps. They look pretty and get me clean. My customers appreciate them too.

 

[Jstar]

I love colored and uncolored..I use primarily micas..and the ones I buy are 'bright'..I can tone them down that way and use less if I want more subtle colors..however if my recipe has a FO that has vanilla in it, its going to be non colored..not gonna fight it lol

I must say however that Im leaning more towards more white soaps {since I have finally learned the knack of how much TD and clay usage to get my soaps 'snow' white} with small amounts of bright colors in them..small swirls etc

 

[Susie]

I have a lot of allergies. It is why I started making soap to begin with. I use only natural food based colorants that I make myself, so I know exactly what is in it. But I think those brightly colored bars are gorgeous, and I love admiring everyone's beautiful bars of soap, so keep those pics coming!

 

[lionprincess00]

I'm starting to also lean towards fancy on a plain backdrop. I have a future company name in mind, and am trying to figure out what soap "look" I want to go along with the name. I'm a tad stumped on which direction to take the soap coloring. That is a far off dream, but one I must think about today if I ever am going to do it, one day.

I love Maya at infusions, and I regularly check her blog for updates. She does the soap challenge and that's where I first came across her. The look of simple yet colorful is very well intermingled imo. That's the kind of soaps I am loving right now, and that's where I go often for color inspiration.

 

[DWinMadison]

I'm not dogging color at all. BTW, for the most part, I use oxides although I played with a few neon samples that came with orders from WSP. Part of the fun for me is matching up colors with scents in logical or creative ways....like garnishing a food with what's in it. I think for me, colors work better as pops of color in otherwise white soaps. Does anyone successfully color goatsmilk soap?

 

[shunt2011]

I have no trouble coloring goatmilk soap. I use goatmilk, buttermilke and coconut milk in my soaps no trouble coloring them at all.

 

[DWinMadison]

I have no trouble coloring goatmilk soap. I use goatmilk, buttermilke and coconut milk in my soaps no trouble coloring them at all.

Is your liquid 100% milk? Mine all turn a beautiful shade of tan, but it throws off the colors....blue blue becomes teal, etc. TD helps, but that fades out the darker colors.

 

[dixiedragon]

I don't use colourants. Never have never will - I just keep it simple with as few ingredients as possible. But my soaps aren't for displaying - they're for using. If I make 'em too pretty, people use them for decorations! :crazy:

Making them plain doesn't help me - people put them in drawers for the scent! I've given a dear friend's grandmother multiple bars over the years - they are all being "saved" and there's a bar of Dial in her bathroom. :-(

Maybe I need to make her a totally naked bar so she will at least use it!

 

[dixiedragon]

I love colors. Sometimes less is more - like the poster who had the "ghost swirls". For me, the 13 color swirls are just a bit much and look busy or muddy to me.

Also, I strongly prefer to pair natural scents with natural colors. I don't know why, but it really bothers me to use an EO and then "ruin" the "natural" bar with artificial colors.

 

[DWinMadison]

Making them plain doesn't help me - people put them in drawers for the scent! I've given a dear friend's grandmother multiple bars over the years - they are all being "saved" and there's a bar of Dial in her bathroom. :-(

Maybe I need to make her a totally naked bar so she will at least use it!

LOL..My mom is of that generation that loves the the pretty soaps for the guest bathroom. I keep telling her that it is for USING, but to no avail. Now I've gotten her hooked, so she can make her own. In fact I'm taking her a bunch of soaping supplies to Birmingham today because she is also of that generation that won't use her credit card on the internet, so she is paying a fortune for supplies.

 

[dixiedragon]

LOL..My mom is of that generation that loves the the pretty soaps for the guest bathroom. I keep telling her that it is for USING, but to no avail. Now I've gotten her hooked, so she can make her own. In fact I'm taking her a bunch of soaping supplies to Birmingham today because she is also of that generation that won't use her credit card on the internet, so she is paying a fortune for supplies.

I'm in birmingham! If you're interested, i can tell you my local source for lye. 200 lbs for $150.