Indigo + Annatto = Green

[Mobjack Bay]

Here is the first round of soaps I made using a combination of indigo and annatto to get green. The plant indigo powder (Nurture, type is Baphicacanthus) was added to annatto infused oil earlier this year. The indigo was added to the annatto oil a little at a time until the green shade looked about right to my eye . I wasn’t very exact in my measurements (didn’t keep good notes) because this was a “proof of concept” type exercise. When I made the soap, I used a teaspoon to add oil and some “sludge” from the bottom of the jar to batter at emulsion stage. Plant indigo always turns grey on me initially, so I decided how much to add based on color intensity rather than the actual color. The confetti soap was made from a bunch of different plant oils that I’m trying to use up, plus some GW 415 soy wax. For color comparison, the confetti is colored with ultramarine and green oxides, or white. The other two soaps are from splits of a single batch, also soy wax based, with RBO, avocado oil, CO and Shea. The blue in the swirled soap is from a few drops of Jacquard pre-reduced indigo crystals dissolved in household ammonia. The fourth soap (lower left) is a recent matcha tea soap that I included here for color comparison. The green from indigo + annatto is definitely more pastel and a bit cooler (?) but very promising.

 

[AliOop]

Nice, and very timely info for me! I have set aside some unprocessed plant indigo (normally used with henna for my hair) for my next soap batch, to see what green comes out of it. Will have to share pics once I actually work with it.

 

[atiz]

I love these, great colors!

 

[szaza]

That's an awesome green color! I don't have any experience with the baphicacantus type of indigo.. what shade does it usually give? Indigo and annatto both usually stick better than natural greens, so this might be a good way to produce a lasting green! I'm already looking forward to updates (oh and that ammonia blue is still awesome.. one day I'll remember to buy ammonia when I'm in the store)

 

[Mobjack Bay]

That's an awesome green color! I don't have any experience with the baphicacantus type of indigo.. what shade does it usually give? Indigo and annatto both usually stick better than natural greens, so this might be a good way to produce a lasting green! I'm already looking forward to updates (oh and that ammonia blue is still awesome.. one day I'll remember to buy ammonia when I'm in the store)

I used my plant indigo for the soap pictured in my avatar. Supposedly it’s not as concentrated and in my opinion, not as pure a blue as what you’re using.

 

[szaza]

I used my plant indigo for the soap pictured in my avatar. Supposedly it’s not as concentrated and in my opinion, not as pure a blue as what you’re using.

Haha to me yours looks like a purer blue than mine. Can't argue over colors..

 

[Todd Ziegler]

Did you start with a green unprocessed indigo or an already blue indigo? I ask because the green indigo might turn blue with the lye/water. The blue comes from a kind of fermentation process.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Todd Ziegler I used indigo plant powder from Nurture Soap to mix with the annatto. Their powder is from one of the many types of indigo producing plants (Latin genus is Bapicacanthus, not Indigofera, which I haven’t tried yet). I used pre-reduced indigo crystals (Jacquard brand) mixed with household ammonia for the blue swirls in the soap in the lower right corner. The Jacquard indigo is a chemically synthesized indigo. The pigment is the same one found in natural indigo, just without as many impurities. No fermentation or reducing agent is needed to convert (reduce) this particular version of the synthetic pigment because it is 60% reduced when you buy it (which is why it is called “pre-reduced”).

 

[elurah]

Amazing! I will need to try this out, I used spirulina the other day and it was so so. I am obsessed with the bottom left one. Have you tried it out yet? Does it bleed or stain at that intensity?

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Thanks @elurah. The bottom left soap was made with an infusion of green matcha tea powder. I haven’t used it yet, but don’t expect problems with bleeding or staining based on similar soaps I made in the past. I’m interested in trying to get green from indigo and annatto because they are more resistant to fading compared with the green plant pigments. The matcha soap in the photo above has been stored in a closed box for the two months since I made it and the color seems to be holding quite nicely. There’s more about my soaps made with matcha tea powder, here:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/matcha-tea-soap.75493/page-2#post-812249.

 

[AliOop]

@Mobjack Bay why not try unprocessed indigo for green? It's cheap and supposedly makes a lovely grass green that doesn't fade quickly. Then it wouldn't have to be mixed with annatto or anything else. It's on my list to try, but just haven't gotten there yet.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@AliOop what do you mean by “unprocessed indigo “ and can you point me in the direction of green soap made with that kind of indigo? Pre-reduced indigo crystals can turn green in lye, but turn blue or teal in soap as shown here:
https://www.greatcakessoapworks.com...how-to-use-indigo-to-color-cold-process-soap/
and also in my tests. Indigo reduced in vats turns green but oxidizes to blue when it comes in contact with oxygen, as described here: https://botanicalcolors.com/2013/02/09/make-an-easy-organic-indigo-vat/

ETA: I went looking for “green indigo” on the forum and found this soap with a great green made by mixing indigo and annatto. There’s another comment by the same member (green soap!) about getting ranges of green shades from indigo and annatto, here. And then check out the beautiful green soap made with indigo (pre-reduced crystals like mine) and beta carotene, here.

 

[AliOop]

When indigo isn't processed, it doesn't produce a blue color in soap, but green. So you want unprocessed, unreduced, or "natural" indigo. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Zenia-Indigo...&qid=1584679519&sprefix=indigo,aps,254&sr=8-7

 

[Mobjack Bay]

When indigo isn't processed, it doesn't produce a blue color in soap, but green. So you want unprocessed, unreduced, or "natural" indigo. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Zenia-Indigo-Powder-Indigofera-Tinctoria/dp/B004IUN7JO/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3TI998XS65IT4&keywords=indigo+powder+for+hair&qid=1584679519&sprefix=indigo,aps,254&sr=8-7

So, is “ green indigo” powdered ground leaves of the plant?