Clays for colour

[squeakycleanuk]

I am experimenting with clays to try and get some natural colour to my soaps but it's not really going as planned tbh. I did an orange fragrance and used some red clay in the hope it would be orange but it looked more brown. Then I did a rooibos and star anise and used a pink clay (and cocoa powder), expecting it to be pink but looks more orange! Ok so next time I'm going to use the pink clay for the orange soap but I was hoping to make a rose soap with the pink clay but it looks like it will go orange. Heres the pics so you can see how they turned out. Is it impossible to get a nice pink with clay?

The second one doesn't look as orange on the photo as it does in real life and no doubt it will lighten once cured but its definitely not pink, so I'm a bit disappointed with the pink clay.

 

[DeeAnna]

When I've used pink clay, I've added it with a light hand. The results I've gotten are closer to a coral pink or flesh pink than a true pink.

The colors in your pics look more like shades of ivory and milk chocolate brown -- I don't really see the orange you describe -- so pardon me if I'm not accurately seeing what you've done.

 

[squeakycleanuk]

It's the photo DeeAnna, it's not captured the colour very well, it does look more orangey in real life honest

Maybe I did use too much, I'll try it in a much smaller amount next time, thanks

 

[cmzaha]

It would help you a lot if you take the time to do small sample soaps using the different clays. Clays just do not give definite colors as you would get using soap colorants such as pigments, micas, Lakes etc. Clays will always be muted. I get a pretty muted brown mixing pink and olive green clays. My Rose Clay will give a much better pink than Pink Clay, but rose clay has to be used with a lightly as it can stain like Red Clay.