Favorite colorants

[theath2010]

Hi all! I am very curious what some of your favorite colorants are because I have not been loving my oxides. I would like to achieve brighter colors with a little more pop to their appearance. Would micas help me achieve this or should I try something like a lab color from brambleberry? Also could I mix my oxides with these other colorants or will they not do well together?

Thank you in advance!!

 

[Miz Jenny]

I'm liking labcolors. Not too hep on micas because I cannot seem to get the whatever color I'm after. Waiting for some oxides to arrive. I'm using more td as a lighter base for colors.

 

[lsg]

I like clays for muted tones and iron oxides and ultramarines for bolder colors. Someone advertised POP Mica duplicates on the forum last week. You might check that out.

 

[Candybee]

Don't have any favorite types yet, just individual colorants. For example I love using red clay and green clay, nettle leaf powder and madder root. I get mixed success from micas, oxides, ultramarines. Some works, others don't. Right now I am still learning about colorants so I try new ones when I get the chance. So far I have bought the 'natural' colorants from the soapmakingresource.com. Some I like as I mentioned above, others like alkanet turned out to be a disaster.

I also have some original POP colors from TKB but they are almost gone. So I have been buying micas, ultramarines, and oxides from TKB a few at a time to try out. So far I like the Lake yellow but having trouble with red oxide turning lather pink. I assume I just used too much so I have to try it again.

In the future I want to give Tradewinds Select Shades a try as I have heard great reviews about them. I have also yet to try the Lab colors at BB.

 

[Miz Jenny]

Yep, I like clays, too. Especially for e.o. scented soap.I've got seaweed powder and like the salty scent. I'd probably do a swirl.

 

[Relle]

I use liquid soap colours for brights and you can mix up your own colours with them, I'm not in the US so can't help re lab colour, but I'd just leave oxides as they are and not mix other colourants with them.

 

[mel z]

These make a bright color:

http://www.tkbtrading.com/category.php?category_id=89

I tried on Lab Color and misunderstood or found the wrong directions and microwaved the small bottle. :facepalm: I now have a blue microwave interior, sigh. So, don't do that.

I have had much luck with adding the pigments, oxides, natural colorants, etc... (any powders, and great for the Alkanet I see mentioned up there) to OO. Just add the small amount if getting a sample to about 4 oz of OO. Shake it up and let it sit there. The color will settle on the bottom, but when it is time to add to the soap mix I shake it up again and add a few spoonsful, being mindful of that before creating the recipe and withholding that amount from oil lye water mixture. That does take some experimenting if splitting batches into many colors though.

 

[cursivearts]

I have mostly oxides and ultramarines and I love them so far, but I also don't want super bright colors in my soap. The biggest issue I have is clumping, because I sometimes get lazy and don't premix them in water or oils. My cherry blossom soap has tiny white flecks of titanium dioxide because of that. I do have one lab color but haven't tried it yet, because am not a fan of the prep. We have a health food store near me that carries tons of herbs and spices in bulk (I bought lavender and calendula there yesterday), so at some point I am going to write down all the natural colorants and go check and see what they carry (I have already got french green, red and white clays there).

 

[christinak]

I only have used herbs, clays, and micas...I have one green oxide. You can click my facebook link to see how the colors look I just ordered some liquid neon colors so Im really excited to try them! I don't actually want neon but I'm going to try to mix them with my other things and just use tiny amounts.

 

[theath2010]

Thank you all for the help. I will probably try some micas from TKB because they are reasonably priced. I will eventually get a lab color I just wish BB shipping wasn't so high for my area.

 

[Trinity]

I just got a bunch a natural colorants from WSP and now I am not sure whether to infuse them first? ? I saw a video on you tube where she did infuse her natural colorants in hot oil before she used them or can you just put them in at trace or before?? Confused ...... What have been your experiences using natural color?

 

[soapguy]

I put mine in at trace when the soap is to be just one color. In other cases, at near trace.