Usage/method for turmeric?

[rainycityjen]

I just finished my first beer soap. I used 1 tsp/lb turmeric for color, hoping to add some nice honey brown color to match my favorite hue of beer (think Mac 'n Jacks!) I added at a light trace, and am a little disappointed. It seemed to blend in ok, but I do see light speckles throughout. I guess I should have gone for an oil infusion maybe?

Also, the orange-ness of the turmeric seems to be overpowering the brown. What have your findings been on turmeric colorant as it cures?

Oh by the way the beer I used was a raspberry ale (just what I had on hand) and the scent was BB Black Tea plus a drop of 10x orange.

 

[maya]

Mine doesn't speckle much and it is orange/golden colored but that is what I wanted. Sorry you were disappointed.

 

[Susie]

Turmeric does not really color oil well with oil infusion. I tried hot infusing as well as cool. Nothing worked. I put 1.5 tsp/PPO and liked the color OK. Not as good as I like hot infused paprika in OO, though. That gives a lovely sunshine yellow if used in a low enough amount.

 

[cmzaha]

I use Tumeric EO for coloring and can get very nice shades of yellow depending on base color. I happen to love tumeric for coloring even the powder but the eo is really nice.

 

[Dorymae]

I think like anything else it depends on the turmeric itself. I get a good sunny yellow with an oil infusion (hot) and a mustard yellow adding directly at trace with my current supply. Herbs are tricky as plants grown in different locations or in different soil conditions can give you different results.

Forgot to add that I make strong infusions and let them sit for 2 weeks before using, shake daily.

 

[Susie]

I think like anything else it depends on the turmeric itself. I get a good sunny yellow with an oil infusion (hot) and a mustard yellow adding directly at trace with my current supply. Herbs are tricky as plants grown in different locations or in different soil conditions can give you different results.

Forgot to add that I make strong infusions and let them sit for 2 weeks before using, shake daily.

Ah-ha! Learned something new! With paprika, I just pour the ground spice into a jar, add oil, cap, simmer half an hour and it is good to go. New process with turmeric. Thanks!

 

[Seawolfe]

I did a gradient with turmeric on my first salt soap, added the turmeric directly to the batter. I thought it performed surprisingly well, with no scratchies and the minor speckles look fine in a salt soap. Its gone more brown/ less orange in the 4 months since this pic was taken. I guess some things depend on the supplier. I think the turmeric I used was from Penzys.

 

[rainycityjen]

Interesting!

When I checked my loaf this morning, it was light amber. Last night, it was dark chestnut-orange. Definitely the most extreme color transition I've seen in my soapy experiments so far!

 

[kmarvel]

WOW, Seawolfe, those look really really nice!! Like a Fall sunset! What scent did you use??

 

[Seawolfe]

I used orange and lemongrass EO's. I should make that one again - that was the salt bar with shea in it, and making it was easy and fun. And a few people I know really really love the idea of turmeric in soap - turmeric is going through a bit of a fad phase right now.