Chlorella

[paillo]

So I found a few threads on chlorella as a colorant, but am still curious.

I can't get a really nice natural green I like. I use mostly French green clay, but am not crazy about the grayish tinge to it. Have tried most of the other usual green botanicals too, but eventually all I've tried have really faded over time. I don't want a speckled look.

How does chlorella compare to other natural green colorants?

Ravenscourt Apothecary, the soaps in the pic you posted some time ago are a truly gorgeous color. Did it hold up over the test of time?

ETA Ravenscourt's photo of her beautiful soap. http://cdn.soapmakingforum.com/images/1/2/5/9/6/img-9766.jpg

Has anyone had a problem trying to respond to this thread? I know one person did.

 

[soap_rat]

I'd love to know too, spirulina never worked out for me but the green she got with chlorella was beautiful.

 

[soap_rat]

I just read this blog and the comments, it appears that the color olives over time. I wonder if the light mentioned was sunlight, or any (interior) light.

https://www.greatcakessoapworks.com/handmade-soap-blog/index.php/scenting-soaps-naturally/

 

[paillo]

Interesting blog, soap_rat, thanks mucho. I just ordered from My Spice Sage with free shipping, yee haw. Can't wait to try it, will report back when I've a batch cured on color results.

 

[soap_rat]

I'm going to try it today, I just need to procrastinate a little more. I wish I knew if it bled into neighboring colors, I'm doing three colors.

 

[Saponista]

I think it will be any light soap rat. I grow algae for my job in huge culture rooms with just normal fluorescent tube lights and as the cultures age they go from vivid green to a yellows olive. the ones on the right are the oldest. Sorry the pic is a bit crap.

 

[soap_rat]

Thanks for that info! Very cool that your job is helping our soapmaking

 

[green soap]

Great information, thank you for the picture saponista. You do not think the algae will perish from the NaOH or high pH? and keep their original color?

I would like to see pictures with chlorella if anyone has tried. I use indigo, but it gets dissolved in the lye water, so I have to make the whole batch green, instead of adding a little clay to part of it. If I want a green and white swirl for example I have to make two separate soap batches.

I have tried bentonite clay, but the green is....dare I say ugly? also I do not want the effects of bentonite in most soaps.

 

[Saponista]

To be honest I think the sodium hydroxide will bust open the algal cells letting out all the chlorophyll which is the lovely vivid green and all the fat stored inside them which is the olive green colour. The light breaks down the chlorophyll leaving behind only the olive green bits.

 

[Saponista]

Have you thought about chromium oxide, it's still classified as a 'natural' product by the organic soils association people.