Suggestions on black colorants

Soapman Ryan · Dec 14, 2014

I would like to make a soap black in color. My last attempt was using activated charcoal, but my suds were black. Can anyone give suggestions on making a black colored soap that won't color everything it comes in contact with? Here's the picture which I think is beautiful.

IrishLass · Dec 14, 2014

How much charcoal did you use? I use no more than 1 teaspoon ppo myself and my suds have never been black. If anything, they are just ever so slightly tinged with a very light gray, which would otherwise be quite un-noticeable to me if I didn't tend to over-examine such things in a very critical manner when testing my soap out. lol

IrishLass

Soapman Ryan · Dec 14, 2014

I used 1TBS per pound of soap. It also had exfoliating properties to it, which I don't want.

Earthen_Step · Dec 14, 2014

Soapman Ryan said:
I would like to make a soap black in color. My last attempt was using activated charcoal, but my suds were black. Can anyone give suggestions on making a black colored soap that won't color everything it comes in contact with? Here's the picture which I think is beautiful.

That might be a plastic container "Back by popular demand, each bar comes with the Erno Laszlo travel-friendly soap dish in glossy black and white."
**Edit: Never-mind no white on that, so it's probably the soap. Plus the imprint looks like a stamp more than a refined plastic mold.

We make a similar soap with dead sea mud and activated charcoal. It's our top seller and my favorite bar.

Here is a pic of our version, much less refined look -- I like the hand cut slab feel and look personally:

Soapman Ryan · Dec 14, 2014

Earthen_Step said:
That might be a plastic container "Back by popular demand, each bar comes with the Erno Laszlo travel-friendly soap dish in glossy black and white."

We make a similar soap with dead sea mud and activated charcoal. It's our top seller and my favorite bar.

Here is a pic of our version, much less refined look -- I like the hand cut slab feel and look personally:

Can you feel the dead sea mud, or is it like an oxide adding color without adding exfoliating.

Earthen_Step · Dec 14, 2014

Soapman Ryan said:
Can you feel the dead sea mud, or is it like an oxide adding color without adding exfoliating.

It's mild exfoliation, similar to clay. I can sometimes feel it if I think about it. It's not like oatmeal or black walnut hull powder, much smoother.

IrishLass · Dec 14, 2014

Soapman Ryan said:
I used 1TBS per pound of soap. It also had exfoliating properties to it, which I don't want.

That's quite a bit of charcoal. That would explain why the lather is black (and exfoliating). My advice would be to try making a sample batch with just 1 teaspoon ppo to compare. Below is one of my charcoal soaps made with just 1 tsp. charcoal ppo (it's a 100% coconut oil soap with 20% superfat):

IrishLass

Earthen_Step · Dec 14, 2014

IrishLass said:
That's quite a bit of charcoal. That would explain why the lather is black (and exfoliating). My advice would be to try making a sample batch with just 1 teaspoon ppo to compare. Below is one of my charcoal soaps made with just 1 tsp. charcoal ppo (it's a 100% coconut oil soap with 20% superfat):

Nice looking soap, love the props and stamp. I also use about that ratio, a little less but it's swirled. 1tbs ppo is very heavy, a little goes a long way with charcoal.

CaraBou · Dec 14, 2014

Wow, those are cool bars. But I'm with you Ryan, A/C is a pain in the butt and I don't like colored suds either, even just gray. Suds aside, it is so powdery and persistent that I can't help but make a mess of it any time I get it out. This doesn't stop me from using it -- especially since I have almost a pound of it -- but I always kind of dread it.

boyago · Dec 14, 2014

CaraBou said:
Wow, those are cool bars. But I'm with you Ryan, A/C is a pain in the butt and I don't like colored suds either, even just gray. Suds aside, it is so powdery and persistent that I can't help but make a mess of it any time I get it out. This doesn't stop me from using it -- especially since I have almost a pound of it -- but I always kind of dread it.

I got a 1/4lb of AC this week and just by looking at it I know that the second I open it it will be everywhere. It looks fluid enough that later today I'm going into Fred Myer and picking up a ketchup condiment bottle that I bet it will flow out of. I'll let you know how it works when I try it.

DWinMadison · Dec 14, 2014

Black oxide would eliminate the grit, but you may still get gray suds.

boyago · Dec 16, 2014

The squeezey condiment container seems like it will work great for containment. I can control the flow and more importantly where it goes. Unfortunately I wanted to do a pencil line deal tonight but the AC just fly's right through the strainer I got to do them. Any tips on that?

janzo · Dec 16, 2014

What do you mix your ac with, oil or water?

CaraBou · Dec 16, 2014

boyago said:
The squeezey condiment container seems like it will work great for containment. I can control the flow and more importantly where it goes. Unfortunately I wanted to do a pencil line deal tonight but the AC just fly's right through the strainer I got to do them. Any tips on that?

Well first off, you need a really fine strainer. And second, I tape my strainer so that powder can only sift from a small area on the bottom; that helps control things quite a bit.

reinbeau · Dec 16, 2014

I use activated bamboo charcoal, 1 tbsp ppo, and I do not have discolored suds. This thread made me nervous, so I went to each soap I'd used it in and checked. Nope, white suds, deep black color, no grit. Whew!

Earthen_Step · Dec 16, 2014

reinbeau said:
I use activated bamboo charcoal, 1 tbsp ppo, and I do not have discolored suds. This thread made me nervous, so I went to each soap I'd used it in and checked. Nope, white suds, deep black color, no grit. Whew!

Same here, no black suds.

janzo said:
What do you mix your ac with, oil or water?

I mix with water, then mix some soap batter into the water/ac mix.

Soapman Ryan · Dec 16, 2014

reinbeau said:
I use activated bamboo charcoal, 1 tbsp ppo, and I do not have discolored suds. This thread made me nervous, so I went to each soap I'd used it in and checked. Nope, white suds, deep black color, no grit. Whew!

Where did you purchase your bamboo charcoal from?

reinbeau · Dec 16, 2014

I bought it here. Quick delivery also.

Soapman Ryan · Dec 16, 2014

Thanks, I bought it.

Moody Glenn · Dec 16, 2014

Ryan, if you scent your soap with a FO containing vanilla your soap will turn brown - light to dark brown depending on the vanilla percentage. You can then add less black oxide, charcoal or other pigment to turn the soap black. This should greatly lessen the degree of having gray suds. I tried this a few years ago and it worked for me. Gray suds....:sick:

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