Natural colorants

valor · Mar 25, 2009

Okie dokie,
I am getting read to place an order for oils and colorants and would like some advice on which ones will actually do what for CP and HP soap. I have yet to work up the nerve to do HP soap, but I would like to know if say Alkanet will color CP differently than HP.

Here are some things that I am thinking about getting. Please let me know if any of them would be a waste of $ for either.

Alkanet - red/purple/blue Right?
Chlorphyll- Green
Cocoa or cherry bark for brown- which is better?
Beet root for yellow/pink purple

Are there any natural colorants that would give me a true yellow. I know annatto will give an orange yellow, but I would like a truer yellow

Also, any other alternative colorants would be nice to know about.

Flood me with info! I can take it!

Guest · Mar 25, 2009

Alkanet root - from what I've read, it's more of a grayish, murky sort of purple. I have some but haven't used it yet.

Chlorophyll - will give you green lather and can stain skin if you use too much. Try spirulina instead.

I've seen cocoa used in CP soap, and it gives a nice rich chocolatey brown.

valor · Mar 25, 2009

Danielito said:
Alkanet root - from what I've read, it's more of a grayish, murky sort of purple. I have some but haven't used it yet.

Chlorophyll - will give you green lather and can stain skin if you use too much. Try spirulina instead.

I've seen cocoa used in CP soap, and it gives a nice rich chocolatey brown.

Hmmm...what about kelp? And how about hibiscus for the purple? Anything there?

pixie1115 · Mar 25, 2009

Sorry I cannot help but I would like some info on natural colorants too!

Guest · Mar 25, 2009

This might be useful:

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapmakingbasics/a/natcolors.htm

I can't vouch for the accuracy of this info, but it seems like a good place to start. I'd suggest researching these colorants further to make a good decision.

Guest · Mar 25, 2009

I have used alkanet and got a gorgeous dark purple .It doesn't lather purple though.
I have used a jar of baby food carrots for a nice orange color,I just kind of swirled it in the traced soap and didn't mix it to much.

Spinach powder makes a nice muted green , not grass green and not a dark green.

HTH

Kitn

Norai · Mar 25, 2009

I read somewhere else on this forum that some food colorings work also - not sure if that's something you'd be interested in? I'm going to try some when my coconut oil gets here and see how it goes ... the dyes on the soapmaking supply sites are sooo expensive to order an actual color range.

You might also try various pureed fruits and vegetables with the colors you're going for - cucumber seemed to work well for the green, not sure what CP does to berries, etc - maybe they'd make a nice pink! Seems like colors are very finicky.

Guest · Mar 25, 2009

Kitn -- how did you add the spinach powder? Did you just mix it in the soap raw or infuse in oil and strain...?

Lil Outlaws · Mar 26, 2009

parsley powder, kelp powder, spirulina, spinach powder...

turmeric gives a good yellow..

carrot juice is great for orange

cocoa powder makes a beautiful brown

Earthen_Step · Oct 24, 2014

From my experience with natural colors this is what I can come up with at the moment. I have only done CP soaps.

Black Walnut Hull Powder: a nice tan to dark brown depending on amount -- love it, fades some in sunlight.

Cocoa: A nice tan to dark brown depending on the amount -- I like the look of it, but it bleeds a lot if you put much in.

Activated Charcoal: Deep rich black -- a little goes a long way! Bleeds a little in the water.

Safflower Powder: Yellow to orange/peach color with nice little specs -- fades a bit in the sun.

Dandelion Leaf: Dark green with slight brown colors -- fades to brown and loses most it's green in the sun.

Burdock Leaf: Same results as Dandelion leaf, just slightly darker.

Red Sandlewood Powder: Peachy Orange i'd call it, and fades some in the light.

Paprikia: Yellow to peachy orange color depending on amount -- This one seems to hold it's color really well from my experience.

Turmeric: Yellow/tanish -- I like to blend this in with browns and tans, it livens the color some. Fades in the sun a bit.

Indigo: Grayish blue -- holds its color decently in the sun.

Seawolfe · Oct 24, 2014

I've used turmeric for a reddish goldy brown, alkanet for purple, Morrocan red clay and madder root for dusky reds, annato for a vibrant yellow, charcoal for black, French green clay and hemp oil for green, dark beer for a rich brown, indigo for light to dark blue, and carrots for nice bright orange.

What has NOT worked for me was fresh green seaweed, it went golden. And comfrey or nettle infusions paled to insignificant greens.

Natural colorants

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