I can't seem to make purple work! I need help!!

[DameChatelaine]

I need help. (I am doing CP)

I am using Crafters Choice™ Matte Lavender Pigment Powder.

At 1st I added 1 tsp (straight powder) to my oils and it turned brown (even before I add fragrance).

Then I watched a SoapQueenTV video where she mixed 1tsp to 1/3 cup of glycerin. She said you had a tsp or so to your mixture to get the color you want. I added some, and then some more, then some more. I just stayed PINK. So I thought maybe it needed to gell. Well it was pinkish gray.

So I chopped it all up and tossed it in the crock-pot and dumped in the rest of the glycerin/power mixture and let it cook. Once it was melted I put it in a mold and waited. This morning I popped it out and it was brown.

What am I doing wrong?? I need to make Purple soap for wedding favors. And if these go well another friend is getting married next year! I have made 5 batches and none have worked.

UPS was just here and my fragrance has arrived! I need to make these tonight! The wedding is on August 3rd.

Who uses this brand? How do you mix it? How much do you use? I am now desperate!

 

[bodhi]

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/color-disaster-36275/

Someone had this problem yesterday...

 

[dagmar88]

Both say:

Recommended Use Level:

MP Soap: Add color to a small amount of liquid glycerin. Mix well. Then add amount desired to melted soap base. Adding more will produce a darker color. You have used too much color if your soap bubbles are not white.

Mineral Make Up: Add color directly to base.

 

[MaitriBB]

Sounds like that colorant is not meant for CP soap, it's M&P only? Just going by what Dagmar88 posted above.

I've had good luck getting a nice purple from micas from The Conservatorie. Unfortunately you need to spend at least $50 to order

With pigments and micas, I mix the powder with about 1/2 oz of sweet almond oil and add it to my batter at trace.

 

[heartsong]

I've had very good luck with the rainbow micas...a substitute for the original "pop" micas...bitter creek north is no longer carrying them and i'm sure you can find them on ebay...a member here also sells them at their webstore...hth! http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f35/i-have-pop-mica-duplicates-sale-34532/

I normally use 1/2 tsp ppo for a clear pastel shade.

 

[Moody Glenn]

For cp soapmaking I love the colorants from Celestial Colors. Their website is www.celestialcolors.com. They have purple and blue colors and are very easy to add to cp soap. By some simple experimentation you can have different shades you may like. I made a previous posting a couple weeks or so ago concerning this same subject but I am not sure where it is. :???: Anyway check them out; I am positive you will like these colors. Hope this is of some help for you!

 

[heartsong]

For cp soapmaking I love the colorants from Celestial Colors. Their website is www.celestialcolors.com. They have purple and blue colors and are very easy to add to cp soap. By some simple experimentation you can have different shades you may like. I made a previous posting a couple weeks or so ago concerning this same subject but I am not sure where it is. :???: Anyway check them out; I am positive you will like these colors. Hope this is of some help for you!

thank you for the link, glenn, I've added them to my favorites!

these are dyes, correct?...do you know if they are non-bleeding?

 

[Moody Glenn]

thank you for the link, glenn, I've added them to my favorites!

these are dyes, correct?...do you know if they are non-bleeding?

Hi! Yes, they are water based dyes; based upon FD&C ingredients. They are easy to use. For example, you would use 1/4th of a teaspoon (.25) per pound of soaping oils. Their website does state "non-bleeding" but since I am "swirl impaired" and have not tried a layering of soap colors I can not say if it does or doesn't bleed. I go the easy route (for at least now) in single colors but I do mix some colors together for achieving different shades. I do know that the colors are stable and last - but then again I do not have them exposed to sunlight. For anyone selling outdoors you may want to be cautious and test ahead of time. Thanks for the follow-up question Heartsong!

 

[kazmi]

For cp soapmaking I love the colorants from Celestial Colors. Their website is www.celestialcolors.com. They have purple and blue colors and are very easy to add to cp soap. By some simple experimentation you can have different shades you may like. I made a previous posting a couple weeks or so ago concerning this same subject but I am not sure where it is. :???: Anyway check them out; I am positive you will like these colors. Hope this is of some help for you!

Thanks for the link!!

 

[newbie]

Dame, I think you will not get purple without using a different colorant than what you have, which means ordering and waiting, which means it won't work for you as the soap is due Aug 1st. What did you decide to do? Did you leave it white?

 

[DameChatelaine]

Thanks everyone that has been very helpful! I will make notes and add new bookmarks.

What I went ahead and did was call brambleberry and spoke to customer service and decided to try their labcolor product. My main reason for chosing them is because they are on the West Coast (as am I) and I need this product asap. I really wanted to make my logs/loafs/bricks (don't know what to call them I am new) yesterday. So they will have to wait until after the holiday weekend when I return from my trip.

 

[Marilyna]

I question them saying the Celestial Colors won't bleed. Generally, all the dyes (Including Labcolors) will bleed. Pigments and oxides don't.

By the way, you can get purple with blue food coloring in CP soap. Blue food coloring is Blue #1, which is most likely the same thing you're going to get in your Labcolor set and Celestial Colors. I suggest reading the ingredients in all colorants and learning what their properties are. The descriptions from suppliers can be confusing.

 

[Rachelmf]

I used that same pigment the other day and got a nice lavender. It was my first time using it, so maybe I got lucky?

I mixed just a dusting of the lavender and a dusting of water soluble TD with several drops of water. Then I mixed it well with around 1/3 of the soap batter and used it for a swirl. I didn't gel. I'll try to add a picture later.

 

[Marilyna]

Hey Rachelmf,

Thanks for pointing that out. I was thinking she said the Matte Purple pigment. The Matte Lavender pigment should give a purple. For the OP, are your base oils strongly colored? If they're very yellow, they will keep you from getting a good purple. You may be able to add some Ultramarine blue to the lavender to get a better purple.

 

[heartsong]

very pretty soapie, Rachael! I finally got home for the 4th and naturally had to break out my soapmaking stuff...this is 24 oz oils in my new brambleberry mold (love it!) I used 1/2 tsp rainbow purple...hth!

adding mica to oil
http://

after lye is added
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finished soap
http://

 

[theath2010]

As far as Celestial Colors goes I have a few of their dyes and so far nothing has bled in my cp soap. Their muscadine purple was very easy to incorporate and took very little to get a deep purple. I have not tried lab colors though so I am unsure how they compare to these dyes.

 

[Soapsugoii]

If you have any CP micas laying around of the red and blue variety, I get a really nice purple by mixing mine together. Also, I love love love brambleberry, Dame, but be aware that they take a few days to turn over and ship out your order generally. You might be able to get expedited shipping though. Good luck! Also if you don't want to mix, try an Ultraviolet Purple. Shouldn't morph and should be pretty true to color. You should be able to find one at brambleberry or other supply sites.

 

[Marilyna]

Also if you don't want to mix, try an Ultraviolet Purple. Shouldn't morph and should be pretty true to color. You should be able to find one at brambleberry or other supply sites.

It looks like that is the color she used originally.

 

[Soapsugoii]

I think she was using an M&P soap colorant. Those can morph in CP. And I meant to suggest ultramarine purple, sorry for the brain fart. Here is a lovely one on the BB site that shouldn't morph in CP. Its a lighter purple.

http://www.brambleberry.com/mobile/Ultramarine-Violet-Oxide-Pigment-P4047.aspx

Good luck!

 

[Marilyna]

I think she was using an M&P soap colorant. Those can morph in CP. And I meant to suggest ultramarine purple, sorry for the brain fart. Here is a lovely one on the BB site that shouldn't morph in CP. Its a lighter purple.

http://www.brambleberry.com/mobile/Ultramarine-Violet-Oxide-Pigment-P4047.aspx

Good luck!

No, this is the link to the colorant http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.co...rafters+Choice™+Matte+Lavender+Pigment+Powder

It's ultramarine purple. The same thing you're telling her to order from Brambleberry.