Maroon Gel Colorant - brown?!?

[thegriffiths]

I am still in the learning phase. Im trying different colorant options. So I bought a Maroon Gel Colorant that says its for use in water or oil base products from a local Soap Supply Shop.

I made a goat milk soap today and added this color to half of it. It just turned brown. As I added more drops - it got a darker brown.

My wife thinks that it might turn red later as it cures.

Did I just waste my time with this color?

Ingredients of the gel are:

Glycerin, Red 40, Violet 12, and Red 33

If this wont turn red, what type of colorant should I use to get a maroon or red color? Micas? Oxides?

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[My Mountain Soaps]

i have heard that soaps can turn more as they age/cure but from brown to maroon may be a stretch. but also, if you happened to burn your milk, your soap may be toast. maybe research how glycerin and those colorants reacts with milk? maybe you have already done that though, it is late and i am just thinking as i type. I hope it works out for you.

 

[AKjulz]

Not sure how helpful this reply will be but here it is anyway. Hopefully someone can speak about that particular colorant, but I do have some dyes that I use in CP that change color as the soap cures. I think it takes 3-5 days to develop. I prefer using maroon oxide (cool or 'blue' red) over the wineberry lab color (dye) less mystery involved when you get what you see in the pot!
Here are two photos of a color swatch I did, right after unmolding and then 5 days later. Not as dramatic a change in the test with 5 drops of color, but the one with 10 drops changed quite a bit.


Hope that helps a bit


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[My Mountain Soaps]

ah! see! i am so glad to see that i was wrong! that is a great way to demonstrate color also!

 

[AKjulz]

Thanks My Mountain! I got a bunch of new micas and fluorescent colors and decided to actually test them NOT in my 5lb batches



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[CaraBou]

Great swatches, AkJulz!

 

[kazmi]

I should be more organized like this. I usually test a new colorant with some 'extra' soap leftover from a batch. Later when I want to remind myself of how the colorant worked out its too late because I've used that bar as my batch tester LOL

 

[thegriffiths]

Thanks for the replies.

I am positive its not burnt milk. I keep my goat milk from turing dark, it stays very near white due to using frozen cubes and also keeping it from gelling.

The "swatches" of color is really a great idea. I have a small mold that I could do that with and test all the colors I am trying now. Its good to hear that they actually can change color after a full cure.

 

[My Mountain Soaps]

you'll have to let us know how it turns out.

 

[thegriffiths]

So here is the soap before cutting (24 hours old) in the log.


And here are two picts today cut and cured for about 7 days.


I dont think they are going to be maroon. <sigh>

 

[Hazel]

I know you're disappointed they aren't maroon but I still think they're beautiful. The bi-color combo is elegant looking and you did a wonderful job of swirling.

 

[thegriffiths]

Thank you. They smell wonderful too. Spiced Cranberry!

 

[Hazel]

Spiced Cranberry sounds wonderful. I haven't used it but I have used Cranberry Citrus which is one of my favorite scents. Now you're just going to have to get some maroon mica and make this again.