Coloring frustration

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Zenobiah

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Joined
Dec 4, 2007
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Location
NM, USA
I am having no luck adding color to my soap.
I bought a color kit from Ginger's Garden and have tried adding color at trace and in the lye water,
after experimenting and finding that the color was water soluble but not oil soluble.

The description on the site says the color works in CP.

I wrote the vendor a few weeks back but have not received any reply so far so I am asking you guys.

What am I doing wrong????
 
It seems like some people just don't have luck when it comes to liquid dyes.
I've heard Select Shades from Tradewinds Fragrance Company works really well https://secure.stormer.us/~twfc/shop/

I'm love with this company; everything just looks so strong and bright:
http://www.tkbtrading.com/category.php?category_id=8
Maybe you could try their pop mica samples...
Haven't tried those yet, but I've heard wonderful things and I'll be using them later this week or next week.
Packaging is really good and they're fast! I had my flatrade envelope here in the Netherlands within a week :D
(It was opened by the customs because it had 8 oz of white powder though :roll: )

I add my mica's to a to bit of oil, mix well and then add it to my soap batter at light trace.
 
I will definitely try pop micas next time I order, but that might be a while since gardening supplies and hot water systems take priority right now. :?

Any suggestions for how to make what I already have work?
 
Nothing happens. I add it to the soap and it dissipates. I add it to the lye water and it looks ok, but as soon as I add it to the soap it dissipates again.

If I add it to oil it forms droplets. In water it dissolves like it should.
 
You could try mixing it with a small amount of glycerin first and adding it after trace. Are you sure you are using enough?
 
Healinya said:
You could try mixing it with a small amount of glycerin first and adding it after trace. Are you sure you are using enough?

I am sure I am using enough. The color is strong but disappears after a few seconds. These are FD&C colors. I may try mixing with glycerin next time. Anyone know if this is something I can pick up locally? (No craft stores for miles and miles but we have a Walmart).
 
Zenobiah said:
Healinya said:
You could try mixing it with a small amount of glycerin first and adding it after trace. Are you sure you are using enough?

I am sure I am using enough. The color is strong but disappears after a few seconds. These are FD&C colors. I may try mixing with glycerin next time. Anyone know if this is something I can pick up locally? (No craft stores for miles and miles but we have a Walmart).

I've never had luck with FD&C colors...even after two local soap suppliers both swear they worked in CP! Nope, they don't. So I stick with Micas, Oxides, and natural colorants such as parsley, tumeric...etc...

If you're on a budget try raiding your cabinet...cocoa powder, parsley..etc...
 
agriffin said:
Zenobiah said:
Healinya said:
You could try mixing it with a small amount of glycerin first and adding it after trace. Are you sure you are using enough?

I am sure I am using enough. The color is strong but disappears after a few seconds. These are FD&C colors. I may try mixing with glycerin next time. Anyone know if this is something I can pick up locally? (No craft stores for miles and miles but we have a Walmart).

I've never had luck with FD&C colors...even after two local soap suppliers both swear they worked in CP! Nope, they don't. So I stick with Micas, Oxides, and natural colorants such as parsley, tumeric...etc...

If you're on a budget try raiding your cabinet...cocoa powder, parsley..etc...

Thanks, I have done that before and had success with it. I will go back to what I know works until I can afford to buy pop micas.
 
Mica's are by far my favorite and always work for me, labcoulors work as well, but mica's have always been my favorite. I mix the mica's with some of my base oils first then add to pot, or add a small amount of base and use for swirling.
 
carebear said:
Have you contacted Irena for help? She's very nice.

I know, I wrote to her a few weeks ago but she may be on vacation or something because I have not heard back from her.
 
I have not heard anyone trying to reach me til today. Somehow I'm not receiving any replies from this forum. My colors are safe for CP. Yes they are water soluble. You can add them to your batch as soon as the lye water and oils are mixed.
 
Thank you, Irena, but somehow that does not work for me. The color disappears after about 30 seconds (at room temp soaping) and does not reappear later on either. Adding the color to the lye water instead does something to the color after the soap has cooled, so I may continue to experiment there, but since the color does not show up until after the soap is done it is very hard to find a good blend.
 
I'm sorry it's not working for you. I've sold many of these colors over the years and no one has had a problem like yours. I don't know what to say.
 
soapbuddy said:
I'm sorry it's not working for you. I've sold many of these colors over the years and no one has had a problem like yours. I don't know what to say.

That's why I thought maybe I was doing it wrong. The first batch I used them in I didn't gel, does that have a bearing on the result? The second batch may have overheated a bit. I need to find a better mold for my next batch, but will try the colors again and see if I can get them to work properly.
 
Zenobiah said:
soapbuddy said:
I'm sorry it's not working for you. I've sold many of these colors over the years and no one has had a problem like yours. I don't know what to say.

That's why I thought maybe I was doing it wrong. The first batch I used them in I didn't gel, does that have a bearing on the result? The second batch may have overheated a bit. I need to find a better mold for my next batch, but will try the colors again and see if I can get them to work properly.
Try gelling. People seem to get better results that way.
 
soapbuddy said:
Zenobiah said:
soapbuddy said:
I'm sorry it's not working for you. I've sold many of these colors over the years and no one has had a problem like yours. I don't know what to say.

That's why I thought maybe I was doing it wrong. The first batch I used them in I didn't gel, does that have a bearing on the result? The second batch may have overheated a bit. I need to find a better mold for my next batch, but will try the colors again and see if I can get them to work properly.
Try gelling. People seem to get better results that way.

Ok, I will find a different mold and try again.
 

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