What to use to make soap brown

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brenda9876

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I'm just now getting started on how to make soap. I'm having trouble finding what I exactly need to color the soap. I bought some colorants at Hobby Lobby and they don't work very well I made me a mold and I was trying to make like an Oreo cookie I put cocoa powder in it and it was a rich dark chocolate a perfect color but as it set and cured it turned to a light tan brown color. Does anyone have any advice on what I can use to make a dark dark creamy chocolate brown. And where is the best website to order supplies?
 
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Coffee doesn't make soap super brown but my coffee soaps are pretty brown. But outside Of micas, I don't know how you can get a deep brown like that.
 
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Obsidian

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You need to order either brown mica or brown oxide. Hobby lobby colorants are made for melt and pour soap, they don't work well in CP. Alternately, you can use a chocolate or vanilla fragrance that discolors.
 

DeeAnna

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Or use a fragrance oil that causes the soap to discolor to brown. The soap in the photo is scented with Autumn Woods from Natures Garden. The light parts are the natural soap color, more or less. The darker parts are from the vanilla in the fragrance oil -- no added color.

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Besides a good discoloring fo, any with high vanilla, you can get dark brown with brown oxide and either activated charcoal, black clay or black oxide mixed in. Trouble is they can stain a light colored washcloth. Coco powder will also make a dark brown, but can also stain. Dragon's blood is a dark discoloring fo
 

grumpy_owl

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I'm with DeeAnna. Use a vanilla or chocolate or coffee or coconut or honey FO and if necessary, BB's cappuccino sparkle mica to get a nice rich brown. I'm still looking for a vanilla, chocolate, cake scent, coconut or honey that does NOT discolor.
 
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I made coffee soap with really strong instant coffee (syrup like consistency) and they turned out so dark they look like hockey pucks. They work great for kitchen smells, but they do lather brown.
 

Dharlee

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I also agree with DeeAnna. Plus you can use 1 tsp PPO of cocoa powder to color as well. Be aware that it does make brownish bubbles.
 

dixiedragon

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I prefer coffee to cocoa, myself. BTW, instant coffee granules do not dissolve in soap! Dissolve them in a teesy amount of hot water, then add to your soap batter.
 

mymy

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When it comes to browning a soap, I think I am the master to ruin a brown soap. I wonder what makes it turned into a weird looking measles piece of soap. My inner side is crying right now as I tried to make drop swirl but ended up with this. I SBed it too thick I guess. So, may I know why bubbles are formed on top?

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brenda9876

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Thanks for all the advice. I still have a lot to learn. Thanks for the web sites also. They are more reasonable on price than the ones I have found.
 
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I made coffee soap with really strong instant coffee (syrup like consistency) and they turned out so dark they look like hockey pucks. They work great for kitchen smells, but they do lather brown.

Glimmer of hope. I guess my recipe is good for brown soap. Syrupy instant coffee? Sounds good to me.
 

luebella

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Lots. Of cocoa powder gives me an incredibly dark rich brown. Add more. Until you are satisfied
 
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I guess I should clarify that the coffee "syrup" was used as the liquid. I didn't freeze it, but it was very cold. I made it the night before I was making the soap and put it in the fridge.

I gotcha. I just added the coffee before I added the lye when I made it. I'm not quite the patient one.
 
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