Natural Colorants

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smeetree

smeetree

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Do you think there's a big difference between infusing oil with natural colorant versus adding the powder directly into soap? I'm most worried about staining the shower and maintaining color integrity.

Also, I want to swirl these, so infusing would make the process much harder since I'd have to portion out the recipe into two batches.

Thanks.
 
I use mostly oxides which are considered natural colorants albeit not plant extracts. I find that when I take shortcuts and don't emulsify oxides or TD in a small amount of oil before infusing I often "pay the piper" in terms irregular color distribution...especially TD (see attached). That being said, let's face it, we've all had that moment where your premixed colorant just didn't get you where you needed to be in depth or TD turned your red to pink, and you throw a little more dry color in the mix. That's part of the "mad-scientist" fun of it. My wife thinks I''m brilliant for figuring out how to get the "snow flakes" in the design. Shhhh

photo 1.JPG
 
With the word "natural" we then start to stumble back in to the meaning. Some natural colourants that we buy are naturally occurring, but the actual product that we get was made in a factory. Worth bearing in mind depending on your aim/view with 'natural'
 
Ellacho said:
When you use infuse oil with natural colorant, you will get an even color through out the soap. If you add the powder directly at traced soap, you will most likely to get a grainy, speckled look.
Click to expand...

That seems accurate because I've had grainy results when putting powder in.

What I don't want to do is parcel out two batters to do the mix, but I guess there is no way around it. :/
 
Ellacho said:
When you use infuse oil with natural colorant, you will get an even color through out the soap. If you add the powder directly at traced soap, you will most likely to get a grainy, speckled look.
Click to expand...

Personally I love the grainy look and exfoliation I can get adding at trace with many colorants. The infusion process is more entertaining to me though. I did an Annatto Seed infusion in olive oil a week or two ago. The soap turned out beautiful, a very deep yellow/orange. I'll put pictures up once it's cured most likely.

smeetree said:
I'm most worried about staining the shower and maintaining color integrity.

Also, I want to swirl these, so infusing would make the process much harder since I'd have to portion out the recipe into two batches.
Click to expand...

I have never had problems with natural colors staining the shower. Doing a swirl with infusion you could make a light infusion -- then pull out a portion and make the swirl a darker color you add to what you separated.
 
Last edited:
Slightly off topic, but I have some french green clay. What is the benefit of adding clay to soap? And do you add it at trace like a natural colorant? What property does it give the soap? Does it turn it green? Thanks
 
I've never had staining except once when I screwed by a batch that didn't fully saponify. Sometimes with intense colors like brick red oxide in large amounts you can get some pink foam, but even then it usually washes away fully.
 
smeetree said:
Slightly off topic, but I have some french green clay. What is the benefit of adding clay to soap? And do you add it at trace like a natural colorant? What property does it give the soap? Does it turn it green? Thanks
Click to expand...

It adds a very light green color and a mild exfoliate. The good thing about the green is it stays through sun -- leafy greens fade quick. The bad thing about it is how light the green is. I combine leaf powders with green clay, it has a great deep rich green color at the beginning. While in the sun it fades to a much lighter greenish brown.
 
Earthen_Step said:
It adds a very light green color and a mild exfoliate. The good thing about the green is it stays through sun -- leafy greens fade quick. The bad thing about it is how light the green is. I combine leaf powders with green clay, it has a great deep rich green color at the beginning. While in the sun it fades to a much lighter greenish brown.
Click to expand...

Is it just a colorant or does it have any properties on the skin?
 

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