Newbie

[JuneP]

I'm another newbie. I was going to make my first soap today (melt and pour), but checking my powder colorants, it seems that the most of my Crafters Choice colors will fade in 3 weeks! That won't work. I only have two colors (Brambleberry that I assume don't have that problem); but I want a third color to do a swirl design. Please, can someone recommend non bleeding, non fading colors, and brand names for melt and pour soaps. Also, I'm a potter and have titanium dioxide that I use in glazes. Can I use this as a colorant in Melt and Pour and Cold Process as a white and/or to lighten other colors. Thanks for any help! June
PS: I tried to post it on the Melt and Pour thread, but it keeps bringing up the sign in screen, even though I am signed in, so I just gave up and am posting it here.

 

[Hazel]

Hi June,

Welcome to the forum! I don't know why you had a problem with the MP section. If it continues, please PM Austin and let him know since he knows about tech.

I wouldn't use the titanium dioxide you have unless it specifically states it's cosmetic or skin safe. What CC colorants do you have that say they will fade? I've used some and I haven't had them fade; although one did change in color. I found out later it wasn't intended to be used in cold process soap which is why it morphed. That's what I get for not reading the description. :roll: Normally, I use micas - mainly from tkbtrading.com and theconservatorie.com. But you have to be careful and pick out micas which are stable in cold process.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome, June!

IrishLass

 

[Ellacho]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

 

[JuneP]

The colors I have that say they fade in 3 weeks.

Hazel, the pigment colors I have that someone said they fade in 3 weeks in Melt and Pour, are the Crafters Choice brand. I have the following colors:

Matte Woodland Green (chrome)
Matte Teal Green pigment
Matte Lavendar Ultra Marine powder (says it may speckle in M&P)
Matte Orchid Ultraarine powder

I also have a tiny bit their Stained glass brilliant lemon and lime liquid.

In addition to that brand, I also bought some "Life of the Party" liquid colorants that says they are for M&P; but warned that they will bleed into other colors.

I'm thankful that you can maybe tell me of your experience of using these in melt and pour soaps.

Thanks so much for the welcome and I see that this is going to be a great site for me. So much to learn!

June

 

[JustBeachy]

Welcome June, from another member of the class of Oct, 2014

 

[Hazel]

I'm sorry to disappoint you but I haven't used those colorants. (I have matte orchid liquid pigment but I haven't used it yet.) Who told you the colorants would fade? I checked the reviews and not a single one mentioned fading. However, considering the number of reviews, if they did fade I think someone would have mentioned it. Just a suggestion - test the colorants in a little soap to see if they fade. Then you'll know for sure. I checked to see what I had of CC colorants and it is mainly micas. I don't know anything about the Life of the Party colorants.

I also didn't see anything about the lavender causing speckling in MP. Did you try using a little glycerin to mix the lavender in to make it easier to blend?

 

[JuneP]

Their web site shows the fading in their sample photos. They have photos of the melt and pour when made, then a photo 3 weeks later and the color fades to very pale tones on all those colors when used in melt and pour. That's why I've held off making my first soap, because I want to make sure I get the colors I want that will hold and not bleed in the melt and pour and cold process which I will want to be making.
So I'm going to go ahead today and melt a one pound batch of shea butter melt and pour and try some other Brambleberry colorants. I got most of my materials set up and ready to go yesterday - just ran out of time and energy to do it.
By the way, they did mention speckling. I don't know if it was in the description or one of the reviewers mentioned it; but I will mix very well when I do use them. I have one of those mini battery operated mixers which I use in my pottery work; and I also have a mini mortar and pestle that I can use to grind them down more if needed.
Today will be a good first testing of those. I also have more soap and pour on hand, so if this first batch looks good, I might get courageous enough to try a 3lb swirl technique.
I haven't ordered those mica colorants because I wasn't sure if they would add mica type glitter to the soap which I may not want right now. Do they?
I want to do those lovely swirl techniques and don't want colors that are going to bleed or fade. I've ordered some new colors from Brambleberry to go with the couple of theirs I already have. When they arrive, I'll have a good palette to start with for either the melt and pour or the cold process; and if you tell me that the micas wont glitter up the soap, then I'll order some of those as well. Thanks so much for your input. This forum has given me the information and courage to finally,
just do it!

June

 

[shunt2011]

Hi June and welcome. I've used some samples of a couple of those colorants and didn't care for them. I actually had trouble getting them to mix in well and the color wasn't what I was looking for so ended up adding others to it. I love the colorants from TKB Trading and Nurture Soap Supplies. They mix well and give beautiful color.

 

[summerflyy]

If your soap base is opaque, then the mica glitter should not show. At least when I use it in my M&P creations, the mica glitter only shows in my clear base

 

[JuneP]

Thanks for all the help! I will check out TKB Trading and Nurture Soap Supplies right now. And also, thanks for info on the mica. I only have one color, I think, in one of the orders I recently placed, so I'l see about maybe ordering a couple more to try.
I don't have any soap hints to share, but what I can share that might be of some interest to other soap makers, is the most amazing book on color that I purchased a few months ago. Initially it was to get color idea for my pottery; but I pulled it out the other day and those color combinations would be amazing in soaps.
If you're interested, the name of the book is "The Designers Guide to Color Combinations". If you check it out at Amazon or other on line book stores I think you can get a preview of some of the pages. If you are an Amazon customer, and you sign in, then you can usually get even more pages to view on many of their books.