The results of my oil infusions :)

[mymy]

Thanks for sharing your oil infusions, I have had great success with Paprika infused oil (2 tablespoons in 150ml ) Here is a picture. The pink one: I added oil plus paprika to my oils and did not strain it first. I also used Rooibos Tea as the water, I think this helped with the color. The second soap is a more orange color, this time I strained the infusion through cheesecloth before adding to my oils and I used rose geranium hydrosol for my water. As the infusion was strained it is a much smoother color. I have not tried to recreate these colors yet but will try soon, especially to see if the pink was due to the combination with Rooibos tea. They both had different essential oils, so maybe these also affected the colour? I will definitely strain through cheesecloth next time although I did lose some oil in this process.View attachment 17251

Has anyone else had different colour variations with Paprika oil infusion soap?

GraceDarlingSoaps

How's the soap doing on skin? Any tingling effects because paprika is hot right?

 

[GraceDarlingSoaps]

The pink soap has cured and is beautiful soap, the yellow still curing but no zap

 

[penelopejane]

Thanks for sharing your oil infusions, I have had great success with Paprika infused oil (2 tablespoons in 150ml )

Has anyone else had different colour variations with Paprika oil infusion soap?

GraceDarlingSoaps

Grace, I've seen infusions of 2 tbls in 150 ml and 250 ml. So they will be different starting strengths. Then you can add the infused oil at 5%, 10% and 15%. Also the colour of the oils in your soap will effect the colour a little.

It seems you have to choose a measurement that results in the colour you like for your particular soap recipe.

Does straining the infused oil remove the tiny little specs of colour in the oil? Is that what you mean by a smoother colour?

 

[gigisiguenza]

Thanks for sharing your oil infusions, I have had great success with Paprika infused oil (2 tablespoons in 150ml ) Here is a picture. The pink one: I added oil plus paprika to my oils and did not strain it first. I also used Rooibos Tea as the water, I think this helped with the color. The second soap is a more orange color, this time I strained the infusion through cheesecloth before adding to my oils and I used rose geranium hydrosol for my water. As the infusion was strained it is a much smoother color. I have not tried to recreate these colors yet but will try soon, especially to see if the pink was due to the combination with Rooibos tea. They both had different essential oils, so maybe these also affected the colour? I will definitely strain through cheesecloth next time although I did lose some oil in this process.View attachment 17251

Has anyone else had different colour variations with Paprika oil infusion soap?

GraceDarlingSoaps

How pretty!

 

[penelopejane]

http://blog.thesage.com/2013/05/16/paprika-powder-in-cold-process-soap/

Here is an intense Orange which resulted from adding 1 teaspoon of paprika powder to a soap batter directly.

Unfortunately the person who runs this blog doesn't update with results to see if the colour has stuck or faded.

 

[gigisiguenza]

I love the color that paprika gives and want to try using more of it to see how it changes

 

[penelopejane]

gigi,

I have great admiration for all the oil infusions you have done. I have made my first one - spirulina - at last!

My entire family think I am loopy because I have been shaking the bottle and running around the house trying to take a good photo of it.

I used 2 tablespoons of spirulina powder in 250 ml (8 oz) of OO and I heated it in a double boiler for 2 hrs on simmer which got the oil to about 80 degrees C (175 degrees F).

It is dark! It separates really quickly to a sludge in the bottom of the jar. Does yours do that?

 

[penelopejane]

I have been doing some more reading and as far as I can see the only natural colours that don't fade are: indigo, alkanet and annatto. And annatto colour will fade instantly in sunlight.

Apparently orange and tomato juices fades to a pale orange colour that sticks.

Paprika and Pumpkin fade to cream.
Madder root fades.
Chlorella fades to brown
Cochineal fades to white before it saponifies.

French Clay is the only natural green that sticks.

Very disappointing.

 

[gigisiguenza]

gigi,

I have great admiration for all the oil infusions you have done. I have made my first one - spirulina - at last!

My entire family think I am loopy because I have been shaking the bottle and running around the house trying to take a good photo of it.

I used 2 tablespoons of spirulina powder in 250 ml (8 oz) of OO and I heated it in a double boiler for 2 hrs on simmer which got the oil to about 80 degrees C (175 degrees F).

It is dark! It separates really quickly to a sludge in the bottom of the jar. Does yours do that?

Penelope yes mine does that same thing... the sludge goes to the bottom. I should have simmered mine longer, and I'm debating putting it back on the heat to simmer again for a longer time. And don't let the funny looks from the family discourage you, they don't understand LOL

 

[gigisiguenza]

I have been doing some more reading and as far as I can see the only natural colours that don't fade are: indigo, alkanet and annatto. And annatto colour will fade instantly in sunlight.

Apparently orange and tomato juices fades to a pale orange colour that sticks.

Paprika and Pumpkin fade to cream.
Madder root fades.
Chlorella fades to brown
Cochineal fades to white before it saponifies.

French Clay is the only natural green that sticks.

Very disappointing.

Really? My research told me different. I think it may have something to do with how dense the concentration was and if you supplement the oil with a pinch of the powdered botanical. Now I'm going to be on the hunt for info. I can only speak to what my results have been, and so far my Annatto and parsley have held up, as have my spinach and other colors.

 

[GraceDarlingSoaps]

My paprika soap ( the pink one in the photo ) was made in April and has not faded. By straining the infusion through cheesecloth in the next one ( orange one ) there are less flecks or spots of darker colour, what I meant by a smoother more even colour .

 

[hmlove1218]

Really? My research told me different. I think it may have something to do with how dense the concentration was and if you supplement the oil with a pinch of the powdered botanical. Now I'm going to be on the hunt for info. I can only speak to what my results have been, and so far my Annatto and parsley have held up, as have my spinach and other colors.

In my experience, natural colors hold up so long as they are not exposed to sunlight. The moment they are, they start fading, usually to brown. Some are more sensitive and fade quickly, like spinach, and some take much longer like alkanet, but they all eventually fade.

I have some pumpkin puree bars that are over a year old that have finally started fading from a deep orange to a golden yellow from sun exposure.

Some alkanet bars I made about 9 months ago have faded from a lovely light blue-purple to a much uglier brown-purple.

Carrot juice soaps have held up surprisingly well, though they have faded slightly as well.

Orange juice also held up surprisingly well as a golden orangy-yellow.

 

[penelopejane]

In my experience, natural colors hold up so long as they are not exposed to sunlight. The moment they are, they start fading, usually to brown. Some are more sensitive and fade quickly, like spinach, and some take much longer like alkanet, but they all eventually fade.

I have some pumpkin puree bars that are over a year old that have finally started fading from a deep orange to a golden yellow from sun exposure.

Some alkanet bars I made about 9 months ago have faded from a lovely light blue-purple to a much uglier brown-purple.

Carrot juice soaps have held up surprisingly well, though they have faded slightly as well.

Orange juice also held up surprisingly well as a golden orangy-yellow.

Thank you for the feedback.

Do you do oil infusions or purée?

 

[penelopejane]

Penelope yes mine does that same thing... the sludge goes to the bottom. I should have simmered mine longer, and I'm debating putting it back on the heat to simmer again for a longer time. And don't let the funny looks from the family discourage you, they don't understand LOL

I still got the sludge after 2 hrs. I think it's there to stay! I filtered it through a stocking so it is a very fine sludge. Jus t shake really well before using.

 

[penelopejane]

My paprika soap ( the pink one in the photo ) was made in April and has not faded. By straining the infusion through cheesecloth in the next one ( orange one ) there are less flecks or spots of darker colour, what I meant by a smoother more even colour .

Thanks grace,
I can't use paprika (allergic) but it looks beautiful. I am glad it sticks.
Thank you for the info on straining. I like the smoother - speck free - look.

 

[CTAnton]

"Orange juice also held up surprisingly well as a golden orangy-yellow."
HMLove....just curious as to how you introduced the OJ to the recipe...frozen with the lye or a 50/50 split of liquids...

 

[hmlove1218]

Thank you for the feedback.

Do you do oil infusions or purée?

Hot infusions or juice. Most of my hot infusions were done directly into my batch oils, so they didn't infuse more than an hour or two. I didnt strain it either.

I have done a cucumber puree before. It turned almost instantly a tan - green and probably would have continued to fade over the cure, but I used a mica.

"Orange juice also held up surprisingly well as a golden orangy-yellow."
HMLove....just curious as to how you introduced the OJ to the recipe...frozen with the lye or a 50/50 split of liquids...

Hmm.. I'll have to check my notes, bit it was either half and half or all orange juice. Don't forget to adjust your lye for the additional acid you'll be adding in.

 

[CTAnton]

I'm stumped on how one would go about that HMLove, barring raising the super fat several percentages....I'm all ears for how you did it...

 

[hmlove1218]

There was a calculation somewhere on the forim about how much citric acid is in an ounce of orange juice. I'll see if I can find it.. I remember o only had to drop my SF by 1% though, so instead of 5%, I calculated my recipe for 4% so it would have the regular 5% SF

 

[penelopejane]

Here is a picture of my spirulina soap (the green one) with 2tbs of spirulina in 250 mls of water heated over double boiler for 2 hrs at 150 degree F in olive oil then I used it at 10% of my oil percentage in the recipe which I added to the oil before the lye. I am sorry about the quality of the photo I just can't do better no matter how hard I try but this is the exact colour of them (at least!).

It is beautiful and clear but I over traced the mix and added ROE at the last minute and it set and I just got it into the mold in time so there are black spots of ROE through it. I learnt from this and am now stick blending differently.

On the same day I tried the same recipe with 1 teaspoon of Australian Pink Clay (the red one). I mixed the clay with 1 tsp of water and added it just before trace and only took it to light trace. I used a tall silicone mold for the red one and it bulged. Have to make a timber box for it. The craggy bottoms are because I demoulded them too early. I just couldn't wait to see what they were like : )

I preheated the oven to 100 degrees C, wrapped them in a blanket, put them in the oven and turned it off. While boasting to my DH about my soap making my brain kicked in and I realised it should have been 100 degrees F so I rushed over, took my babies out, cooled the oven down a bit and put the soap back in and left it overnight. The temperature mistake might explain the tiny bubbles in them both.

I will let you know how the colours go in a few weeks.