using pigments

mjmccauley · Nov 7, 2008

I am new to soap making and for by 8th batch I decided to use some ultramarine blue and yellow oxide. I had a difficult time mixing it in oil from the mixture. I only used a very small amount of oil to mix the pigments, but they didn't really blend well. When I put it into the soap, I SB them to a thick trace to hopefully mix them completely so that no spots would appear. Is there a better way to do this? Should I mix it with a bit of water before hand? Any tips would be great.

Deda · Nov 7, 2008

Try mixing your colors with a tiny bit of glycerin beforehand. It will blend with zero spots.

mjmccauley · Nov 8, 2008

Thank you. I actually have some at home to use. Does adding glycerin effect the soap? I would guess that there is such a small amount that it wouldn't, but just in case.

chrisinflorida · Nov 8, 2008

I have not used the glycerin before, but I mix my oxides and ultramarines with a little bit of my oil in a Zip Lock bag. This way I can smoosh it with my fingers and get all of the colorant mixed well. I tried mixing them in a cup, but it just didn't work well for me and I had specks of color.

Chris

digit · Nov 8, 2008

chrisinflorida said:
This way I can smoosh it
Chris

Could you give us a detailed tutorial on this interesting technique?

Just funning ya.

I have used warmed oils from my base batch and glycerine. Either one worked well for me.

Since it is a small amount of glycerine, it should not have any affect on the soap. Some folks pre-mix their pigments in glycerine and bottle it so as to have a ready liquid colorant.

Digit