Diffusion of micas question

[Wendy90292]

You know how Ann Marie talks about diffusing X tsp of mica in X T of some kind of oils, often sweet almond?

When I am using a NON-Brambleberry recipe, I don't know how to decide whether I should...

1. Use a portion of the lightest oil already included in the recipe to dissolve
2. Add a portion in a ratio similar to the BB method (1 t. to 2 T oil or water, I think)
3. Use water, and if so, should that be deducted from the recipe's total amount?

OMG! This is super annoying for me, since I really love some of the other recipes I've found in my two years (about 25 batches) of soap making.

I especially find that I have issues with titanium dioxide if it is dissolved in water - too quick to turn to paste; and when I use black oxide - in oil or water - I end up throwing away the whole batch AFTER it is cured because it turns the shower and the user black for a few seconds! Help! Help! S.O.S. (Save Our Soap!)

 

[Carly B]

Hi Wendy
I'm relatively new to CP soapmaking but I do my micas a couple different ways.
I either take a tablespoon of oil for each color out of my blended oils before I add the lye. and sometimes, I just add the powder directly to the lye/oil blend and stick blend it or use a whisk.

I recently got a TD that is both oil and water dispersible and I haven't had any problem with that. I've also added TD that didn't advertise itself as oil and water dispersible by blending it in oil like I mentioned above. It worked fine too. I've never used it with water.

 

[amd]

• Use a portion of the lightest oil already included in the recipe to dissolve

• Add a portion in a ratio similar to the BB method (1 t. to 2 T oil or water, I think)

• Use water, and if so, should that be deducted from the recipe's total amount?

1. yes you could use any of the liquid oils in your recipe
2. yes you could do it that way too - which is what many soapers prefer as it does not leave their soap short oils if they don't use all of the color that was mixed.
3. If using water, make sure that your micas are not oil-locking micas (that means they can only be dispersed in oil). Usually the mica will say directly on the packaging if it is. If not noted I would assume not oil-locking. I used water quite a bit when I first started making soap, I usually subtracted from total water amount. Now I only use it in TD and I don't worry about it.

 

[Obsidian]

I don't use near that much oil to mix my micas. I find 1 tsp mica will usually mix into 1 tsp oil just fine.
I don't use oil from the recipe just in case I don't need to use all the mica I have mixed up.

Often I just mix the mica in dry, never had any issue with it not mixing if a sb is used.
Oxides on the other hand, have to be mixed with something.

 

[DawninWA]

I mix them with the fragrance oils, but that's mostly so I'll stop forgetting the fragrance oils.