Earthy, natural and affordable?

[penelopejane]

My spirulina faded within a few weeks. Carrot faded to a pale yellow after a couple months.

That is such a pity because I've read on reliable sites that carrot sticks. [emoji33]

Pumpkin is darker if you use fresh pumpkin, roast it, purée it and reduce it until there is no liquid left then weight it and use it as soon as it has cooled. The fresher it is the darker it is. If you leave it in the fridge for a day it loses some of its colour. I wonder if this is the same for carrot?

I use carrot with pumpkin and it seems to be a little darker. I haven't made pure carrot soap, yet.

 

[earlene]

I have soap made with fresh carrot puree in it that you can barely tell anymore. It is about 10 months old and the top surface is white. The problem might be light sensitivity, though, as the bottom of one of them still has a pale orangish-yellow area still visible. I don't store soap in the dark. I like natural light so all my windows are always openly available to whatever light wants to make its way into my house. (Except the master bedroom, where Hubby cannot sleep without darkness, and even there the skylights give him trouble during the brighter phases of the moon.)

Indigo gives blue, but I have only just recently purchased and used it in powder form, so cannot attest to its lasting powers. But it lasts extremely will in my Levi's so I am hopeful.

I also recently used manjistha powder, which I really like the look of right now. But it's brand new soap and I don't know if it will fade. The color is a bit on the pinkish side of tan.

I have alkanet root that I have not yet used, but intend to do a test soap with it, as well.

 

[Nikolye]

I've read alot about all the botanical powders, for the most part are these just dried ground herbs? so i can grind dried parsley from my pantry and I've got "parsley powder?" Then there's the fancy ones like indigo... i can source some from a henna place, is this the right stuff? but N.Z. is not a great place for "choice" in any type of shopping and i'm rural so i can't really have 5 places shipping me things, we pay extra for rural shipping! and these botanical powders, even dried herbs are crazy expensive compaired to my native U.S.A. just not enough demand. so i've been looking at micas and oxides... which are silly enough, easier to get my hands on. but doesn't seem to be very natural. I guess if i want to go natural i need to spend more or be happy with fading soap and basic shades. I started this journey to have a hobby that would benefit my family and add to my list of natural things i do, however its getting expensive! I love it, but i'm starting to be addicted to making my soap cooler and fancier which i said i wouldn't do! oops~ :twisted::twisted:

 

[penelopejane]

I use strained paprika in some of my pumpkin/carrot soap. Maybe that's what is holding the colour? I am sure I have some plain pumpkin soap, I will check.
To me If a natural colourant doesn't stick for a year or two then it's not a colourant. My soap has a high % of OO and they are better after a year so I still want them looking good then.

 

[cmzaha]

I don't think so. There are lots of blogs on the internet and they have tried oil infusions and direct spirulina at trace. I have never read a blog that somewhere in the fine print or comments below didn't say that spirulina didn't fade. Just make sure you don't sell it until you've tested it for colour after a year.

Here is the thread with the results of my trial and the amounts I used.
It was a great green to start with.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=56821&page=6

Read the whole thread to see the results of a lot of natural colours.
Carrot puree does stick and it will keep the orange colour.

Not sure why you think selling a soap that has faded in color is irresponsible. I do outdoor markets and my soaps will fade from the light. Take off the label and you will see the color it started out as. In 6 yrs not one person has complained. If they are purchasing for just color it would matter, but most purchase to use the soap. When I use Spirulina I use a Lot of it so the color will last 6 months or so. No matter how much spirulina you use it will not stain a washcloth or run color. I use it in my earthy soaps so I do not get upset if it turns color

 

[penelopejane]

^^^ I guess because I would be really disappointed. If I bought a green soap and it turned pale brown. It's sort of like false advertising to me but maybe I am alone in this opinion.