Adding Colors Before Lye

[Michelle a]

I am wondering if anyone has tried adding colorant before lye. I like making cold process soap but sometimes it accelerates really fast. It would be much easier to add it to my oils but will it ruin my soap?

 

[BattleGnome]

You should be fine if you’re using a tested soaping colorant. I don’t know if certain colorants can accelerate like fragrances or not. Just make sure to mix the color well before adding the lye, especially if you’re using something powdered.

 

[shunt2011]

Yes, you sure can. When I make solid color soap I add my colorant to my oils and stick blend them in well then add my lye mixture. I frequently add TD to my oils before adding the lye mixture if I'm going for softer colors. TD can speed things up a little bit if using too much.

 

[DeeAnna]

There are a lot of things you can do to slow down the soap batter. If you post your recipe and method, we might be able to give you some tips to make your soaping more manageable.

 

[jcandleattic]

Like others mentioned, there are things (besides colorants) that you can do to slow down trace.
I add my colorant to my oils if I am doing a 1 color batch, and I also add TD to my oils before my lye if I'm going to use it. TD and AC (activated charcoal) tend to speed trace because they suck up the water content for some reason, so when I use them, I mix them with water before adding them to the oils or the soap batter, so it helps with the water absorption.

 

[Michelle a]

This is really good information. I really appreciate it. I will post my recipe later and see what you think. Thanks