I forgot the most important thing! Be absolutely sure to write down every last formula, including who you got which oils from. This will save you endless hours trying to recreate something that while it did not smell wonderful at first, cured out to be absolutely amazing.(learned this the hard way) Not every lemongrass from every distributor is going to smell the same. No matter how much people tell you otherwise.
On natural colorants, I use lots of infused oils in my soaps. Paprika and annato are my favorites. Put 1 oz(or so) of either one into a jar with 6-8 oz almond or olive oil(pomace OO works best due to light coloring), and place into a pan with a dish towel in the bottom. Add water to come at least halfway up the side. Place the lid loosely on the jar, and bring the water to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer for half an hour. Turn the heat off and let it cool right there in the pan or onto a folded towel on the counter as placing onto a cold counter can cause your jar to break. When you can handle it safely, pour the oil gently into another jar without disturbing the bottom. You don't even have to strain it.
Be sure your recipe calls for that type of liquid oil, then just substitute out the colored oil for the regular. I use anywhere between 1 oz PPO and 6 oz PPO depending on how dark I want the color. Paprika gives anywhere from a light lemon yellow to a dark brick color, depending on amount. Annato gives a light orange to a dark orange color.
