How to Color Cold Process Soap

How to Color Cold Process Soap by Amanda Gail

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Hello! We’re Amanda and Benjamin Aaron, husband + wife soaping duo!

Amanda Aaron began making soap in 2008. Amanda has authored several soapmaking books

including her most popular eBooks, Lovin Soap Studio’s Cold Process Soap Recipe Book and

How to Color Cold Process Soap + Swatch Guide. Her E-class, Formulating Cold Process Soap

Recipes, has taught soapmakers all over the world how to create skin-loving recipes. Amanda

teaches at conferences and seminars, spreading the craft of soapmaking far and wide.

Benjamin Aaron has been handcrafting and selling soap and body care products since 2007. From

wholesaling nationwide to health food chain stores to running a retail storefront, Benjamin has learned

countless lessons through trial and error, failing and learning. His book, How to Wholesale

Handcrafted Soap, has helped many soap makers get into the wholesale arena. His other book,

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soapmaking. Benjamin offers consulting to those wanting to turn their hobby into a business!

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HowtoColorColdProcessSoapbyAmandaGail|www.lovinsoap.comandwww.howtocolorsoap.com

3

Dedication This book is dedicated to my fellow soapmakers.

I want to say a special THANK YOU to several suppliers who sent in colorants for me to swatch. Thank you so much for your support and contribution to this project. Rustic Escentuals Bramble Berry Mad Oils Nurture Soap Supplies TKB Trading I will be creating a second addition Swatch Gallery late in 2016 to include more colorants. If you are a supplier and would like to have your colorants swatched and included, please email me at [email protected].

http://www.rusticescentuals.com

http://www.brambleberry.com

http://www.madoils.com

https://nurturesoap.com

https://www.tkbtrading.com/

mailto:[email protected]

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HowtoColorColdProcessSoapbyAmandaGail|www.lovinsoap.comandwww.howtocolorsoap.com4

Table of Contents Introduction page 5

Mineral Pigments: Oxides and Ultramarines page 8

Mica page 15

Cosmetic Pigments page 18

Dyes & Lakes page 22

Cosmetic Clays page 25

Herbs & Spices page 27

Mixing Custom Colors page 33

Troubleshooting Guide page 35

Swatch Gallery page 44




5

Introduction As a soapmaking instructor, author and blogger, one of the topics that comes up most

often during my time networking online, in Facebook groups or in the classroom with

other soapmakers, is how best to color cold process soap. There are questions posted

daily about the use of soapmaking colorants. Should I use mica? Are oxides natural? Do

you have to pre-blend pigments? Why did my purple soap morph to green?

This book will have you coloring soap like a pro in no time at all. You’ll learn to read a

colorant’s INCI and know exactly what is in it and how it might react to cold process

soap.

INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. Each color you

purchase or look at to purchase should have an INCI that lets you know exactly what is in

it. This book teaches you to read colorant INCIs and know what each ingredient is and

how it reacts in cold process soap.

You’ll learn how to work with each type of colorant so you’ll know exactly how to add it

to your soap with confidence.

Troubleshooting Guide

After the general instructions is the Troubleshooting Guide. This guide walks you

through common issues that can occur when working with colorants and how to avoid or

fix them. From mixing issues to picking the wrong colorant for your design, you’ll know

exactly what to do and what not to do when an issue arises.

Swatch Gallery

The swatch gallery includes photographs of over 220 color swatches. I did the work so

you don’t have to waste money testing the colorants yourself. Whenever you are in the

market for a colorant, you can reference the guide to help you pick out the colors that you

are aiming for. The digital swatch gallery is provided to inspire creativity on your part.




Understanding Important Terms

For each colorant, I discuss 6 identifiers. It is important to understand what each means.

Colors produced: This is pretty self-explanatory; colors produced is a description of

colors that you will get from the colorants.

Color fading: Light (both natural and indoor) can cause certain colorants to fade. This is

important as you pick out packaging or set up at outdoor craft shows. If you use colorants

that tend to fade, you might want to package your soaps in boxes or fully wrap so that

light does not fade your colorful soap.

Color bleed/migration: Some colorants will migrate in soap. Imagine that you create a

layered soap, blue soap on top of white soap. If you used a colorant that migrates, the

blue will absorb into the white and you won’t be left with a crisp layered soap. This can

also affect swirls. You might create a soap with a crisp swirl using different colors. When

you come back to it a day or week later, the swirls have bled into each other, creating a

muddied soap.

pH sensitivity: Cold process soap has a high pH. This can affect the outcome of using

certain colorants. Sometimes the high pH can change colors completely or it can fade

colors to where it looks like you didn’t add color at all. Imagine pouring a beautiful

purple soap, only to wake up in the morning and it is a puke green color. Knowing if

colorants are high pH stable is very important.

Natural or synthetic: Many soapmakers want to know if their colorants are natural or

synthetic so that the soap they make fits into their branding and marketing. If you soaped

using dyes, then you would not market your soap as using natural colorants.

Usage rate: The usage rate is how much of a colorant you can use in cold process soap.

PPO: PPO stands for per pound of oil.




7

One thing that you'll hear around the soap making community is the saying per pound of

oil...usually abbreviated as PPO. You'll hear or read something along the lines of, "add 1

teaspoon of yellow oxide PPO." This means that for every pound of base oils in your

recipe you'll add 1 teaspoon of yellow oxide.

So let's say you have a recipe of 24 oz avocado oil, 24 oz coconut oil and 30 oz olive oil.

Add up the oil amounts and divide by 16 (don't worry about the lye and water). This will

give you your oil amount in pounds.

24 + 24 + 30 oz = 78 oz

78 oz / 16 = 4.85 pounds

So if yellow oxide is added at 1 teaspoon PPO, you will add 4.85 teaspoons to your soap.

I will usually round to the nearest whole number, which would be 5 teaspoons.




Mineral Pigments: Oxides and Ultramarines

Oxides and ultramarines are some of the easiest colorants to use in cold process soap.

They are pH stable and don’t tend to fade or morph. These days, both oxides and

ultramarines are synthetically produced to insure purity and reduce the level of heavy

metal content.

Oxides

• Colors produced: Iron oxides produce shades of red, orange, brown and black.

Chromium oxide produces shades of green and teal.

• Color fading: Oxides are not light sensitive.

• Color bleed/migration: Oxides will not bleed (between layers or swirls) in soap,

though can bleed onto a washcloth or color lather if too much is used.

• pH sensitivity: Oxides are not effected by the high pH of soap.

• Natural or synthetic: Oxides are synthetic, though they are “nature identical”,

meaning they have the same molecular makeup as the once mined pigment from

the earth.

• Usage rate: 1 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils. Use less for a lighter color.

Oxides Available to Soapmakers

Make sure that the oxides you purchase are suitable for cosmetic use. There are

commercial-use oxides, which are not as pure—or—powdered enough for cosmetic use.

Here are some oxides that you’ll find from suppliers.

• Yellow Oxide

• Red Oxide

• Black Oxide

• Brown Oxide

• Chromium (Green) Oxide




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• Hydrated Chromium (Teal Green) Oxide

Some suppliers get creative in their pigment naming. For instance, if you read the INCI

for Wholesale Supplies Plus pigment named Crafters Choice™ Matte Woodland Green

Pigment Powder, you will see that is simply Chromium (Green) Oxide.

Ultramarines

• Colors produced: Shades of pink, blue and purple.

• Color fading: Ultramarines are not light sensitive.

• Color bleed/migration: Ultramarines will not bleed (between layers or swirls) in

soap, though can bleed onto a washcloth or color lather if too much is used.

• pH sensitivity: Ultramarines are not effected by the high pH of soap.

• Natural or synthetic: Oxides are synthetic, though they are “nature identical”,

meaning they have the same molecular makeup as the once mined pigment from

the earth.


Ultramarines Available to Soapmakers

Make sure that the ultramarines you purchase are suitable for cosmetic use. There are

commercial-use ultramarines that are not as pure—or—powdered enough for cosmetic

use. Here are some ultramarines that you’ll find from suppliers.

• Ultramarine Blue

• Ultramarine Violet

• Ultramarine Pink

• Ultramarine Purple

As with oxides, some suppliers get creative in their pigment naming. Check the INCI and

if it says ultramarines, then you’ll know what it is.




Supplier Modifications for Use (Oxides and Ultramarines)

Liquid Pigment - You will find that some suppliers sell liquid pigment for ease of use.

This is simply pigment in glycerin. You can purchase the powders and create your own

liquid pigment (I’ll show you how below).

Soap Color Bars - Some suppliers also sell pigment color bars. These are simply

pigment in melt and pour soap and should not be used for cold process soap.

Creating Your Own Liquid Pigment

Creating your own liquid pigment is as easy as mixing pigment with vegetable glycerin

or a light soapmaking oil, such as sunflower. I like to use the ratio of 1:2

(pigment:glycerin) when premixing my colorants. Let’s create a premixed pigment using

1 teaspoon of ultramarine violet and 2 teaspoons of vegetable glycerin:

• Step 1 - Measure 1 teaspoon of ultramarine violet into a small container.

• Step 2 - Measure 2 teaspoons of vegetable glycerin into the same containers.

• Step 3 - Using a mini-mixer, mix until completely blended.

• Step 4 - Store in an airtight container. The shelf life of your pre-mixed colorant is

as long as the shelf life of the oil or liquid glycerin that you used (probably 1-2

years).




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How do Oxides and Ultramarines Color Soap?

Oxides and ultramarines color soap by suspension of their particles. Unlike dyes (which

dissolve) they simply disperse throughout the soap mixture. Oxides and ultramarines like

to clump. They are hard to mix and disperse by hand. The use of a stick blender or

mini-mixer helps to disperse the pigment.

On the following page is soap base with Chromium (Green) Oxide. On the left I stirred

by hand for several minutes without much luck. On the right I stirred using a stick

blender.




When do you add them to your soap?

• If you are making a single colored soap, you can add them to the oils before

pouring in the lye solution. You can also add to traced soap, but adding them to

the oils allows you to have enough time to mix in without your soap getting to

thick.

• If you are making a swirled soap, you can add each color to thinly traced soap. I

personally add the pigment dry in a scoop on top of the surface. I then place my

stick blender right on top of the scoop of colorant, push down and pulse quickly.

Usage Rates for Cold Process Soap

Dry pigment - 1 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils. Use less if you desire a lighter

color.

Liquid Pigment - 3 teaspoons per pound of soapmaking oils. 3 teaspoons of liquid

pigment would contain 1 teaspoon pigment and 2 teaspoons of glycerin, which would

equal the above usage rate of 1 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils for the dry

pigment.




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*Please note that suppliers do not share their liquid pigment ratios or recipes. You will

need to test liquid pigments that you buy, starting with the usage rate recommended by

the supplier.

The above are soaps colored using 1 teaspoon of colorant per pound of soapmaking oils.

The colorant was added dry and mixed in using a stick blender. Starting from top and

moving clockwise, ending in middle, the colorants are Ultramarine Violet, Hydrated




Chromium (Teal Green) Oxide, Chromium (Green) Oxide, Ultramarine Blue, Yellow

Oxide, Brown Oxide and Brick Red Oxide from Wholesale Supplies Plus.

Note on red oxide: It is hard to get a saturated red that doesn’t color the lather. The lather

on this soap was tinted pink.




15

Mica

Mica is what gives cosmetics, paint and other products sparkle. Mica comes in tiny

flakes; the bigger the flake, the more surface area for light to reflect, which creates more

sparkle. Mica works best in translucent products, like melt and pour soap, but it still lends

a shimmer or pearlescent look to cold process soap.

If the INCI of a mica colorant lists Mica, it is naturally mined mica. If the INCI lists

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite or Synthetic Amethystogopite, the mica is lab created. I haven’t

run across many synthetic types of mica from soap suppliers.

Mica is colored using either dye (FD&C/D&C dyes) or mineral pigments

(oxides/ultramarines). How do you know what is in your mica? Check out the INCI

provided by the mica supplier.

This INCI for green mica tells us that it is synthetic mica that is colored using mineral

pigment.

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides

This INCI for yellow mica tells us that it is natural mica that is colored using a dye

(FD&C).

Mica, FD&C Yellow 5 Lake

This INCI for brown mica tells us that it is natural mica that is colored using iron oxide

(mineral pigment).

Mica, Iron Oxides

Learn to read the INCI of mica to determine which category it would fit in on the

following page.




Mica + Dye

• Colors produced: A rainbow of colors.

• Color fading: Mica + Dye can fade.

• Color bleed/migration: Mica + Dye can bleed and migrate in your soap.

• pH sensitivity: Mica + Dye can be sensitive to the high pH of soap and morph or

change color.

• Natural or synthetic: Mica is natural. Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is synthetic.

Dyes are synthetic.


Mica + Mineral Pigment


• Color fading: Mica + Mineral Pigment are not light sensitive and do not fade.

• Color bleed/migration: Mica + Mineral Pigment will not bleed (between layers

or swirls) in soap, though can bleed onto a washcloth or color lather if too much is

used.

• pH sensitivity: Mica + Mineral Pigment is not effected by the high pH of soap.

• Natural or synthetic: Mica is natural. Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is synthetic.

Mineral pigments are synthetic, though they are “nature identical”, meaning they

have the same molecular makeup as the once mined pigment from the earth.


How Does Mica Color Soap?

Mica colors soap by suspension of their particles. Unlike dyes (which dissolve), they

simply disperse throughout the soap mixture. If a mica contains a dye, the dye can

dissolve (this creates color bleed). Mica doesn’t clump as badly as oxides and

ultramarines and can usually be stirred in by hand when added to thinly traced soap. The

use of a stick blender or mini-mixer helps to disperse the mica.




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When Do You Add Mica to Your Soap?

• If you are making a single colored soap, you can add mica to the oils before

pouring in the lye solution. You can also add to traced soap, but adding it to the

oils allows you to have enough time to mix in without your soap getting too thick.

• If you are making a swirled soap, you can add each color to thinly traced soap. I

personally add the mica in a scoop on top of the surface. I then place my stick

blender right on top of the scoop of colorant, push down and pulse quickly. For

smaller containers of colored soap, you can use a mini-mixer to disperse.


Dry mica - 1 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils. Use less if you desire a lighter

color and use more if you desire a darker, more saturated color.




Cosmetic Pigments

Some suppliers call mica or mineral pigments, “cosmetic pigments” (which is correct).

For the purposes of this book, I define cosmetic pigments as below.

Cosmetic pigments are a category of colorants that are blends of FD&C/D&C dyes,

sometimes, mineral pigments, and plastic coatings (copolymer). These are typically

neons and ultra-bright colorants.

The plastic coating does three things:

1. It makes the colorant solvent resistant. This means that it can be used in nail

polish, which is quite popular these days.

2. It makes it heat resistant. So if you soap goes through gel phase, it won’t affect

the colorant.

3. It makes it non-bleeding and non-morphing. Dyes are notorious for bleeding and

for morphing in the high pH environment of cold process soap. By coating the

dyes with copolymer, the do not bleed or morph.

How do you know that you are dealing with a cosmetic pigment? Check out the INCI.

Here are some sample cosmetic pigments. You will notice that they contain various

ingredients including copolymers, polyester, FD&C/D&C dyes and, rarely, mineral

pigments.

Radiant Plum (Bramble Berry) - Bis(Glycidoxyphenyl)propane /

Bisaminomethylnorbornane copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide (CI 77002), Ext

D&C Violet No. 2 (CI 60730), D&C Red No. 28 (CI45410)

Zippy Blue Pigment (Bramble Berry) - Polyester -3, Ultramarine Blue

Reborn Purple (TKB) - Bis (Glycidoxyphenyl) propane / Bisaminomethyl-

norbornane Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Red 28 (C.I. 45410), Violet 2 Ext

(C.I. 60730)




19

Cosmetic Pigments


• Color fading: Cosmetic pigments are typically not light sensitive because of the

plastic coating.

• Color bleed/migration: Cosmetic pigments will typically not bleed (between

layers or swirls) in soap because of the plastic coating, though can bleed onto a

washcloth or color lather if too much is used.

• pH sensitivity: Cosmetic pigments are not effected by the high pH of soap.

• Natural or synthetic: Cosmetic pigments are synthetic.


Supplier Modifications for Use (Cosmetic Pigments)

Liquid Pigment - You will find that some suppliers sell liquid pigment for ease of use.

This is simply cosmetic pigment in glycerin. You can purchase the powders and create

your own liquid pigment (I’ll show you how below).

Soap Color Bars - Some suppliers also sell pigment color bars. These are simply

cosmetic pigment in melt and pour soap and should not be used for cold process soap.

Creating Your Own Liquid Pigment

Creating your own liquid pigment is as easy as mixing cosmetic pigment with vegetable

glycerin or another light soapmaking oil, such as sunflower. I like to use the ratio of 1:2

(cosmetic pigment:glycerin) when premixing my colorants. Let’s create a premixed

cosmetic pigment using 1 teaspoon of Fired Up Fuchsia (Bramble Berry) and 2 teaspoons

of vegetable glycerin.

• Step 1 - Measure 1 teaspoon of Fired Up Fuchsia into a small container.

• Step 2 - Measure 2 teaspoons of vegetable glycerin into the same containers.

• Step 3 - Using a mini-mixer, mix until completely blended.




• Step 4 - Store in an airtight container. The shelf life of your pre-mixed colorant is

as long as the shelf life of the oil or liquid glycerin that you used (probably 1-2

years).

How Do Cosmetic Pigments Color Soap?

Although I cannot find the exact answer, I suspect that cosmetic pigments color soap by

suspension of their particles. They do contain dyes, but since they are coated with

plastics, the dyes do not dissolve and tint the mixture (hence, no color bleed). Cosmetic

pigments clump worse than many other colorants. They are hard to mix and disperse by

hand. The use of a stick blender or mini-mixer helps to disperse the pigment. Make a liquid pigment (instructions above) to make dispersion easier.


• If you are making a single colored soap, you can add them to the oils before

pouring in the lye solution. You can also add to traced soap, but adding them to




21

the oils allows you to have enough time to mix in without your soap getting too

thick.

• If you are making a swirled soap, you can add each color to thinly traced soap.


Dry pigment - 1 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils. Use less if you desire a lighter

color.

Liquid Pigment - 3 teaspoons per pound of soapmaking oils. 3 teaspoons of liquid

pigment would contain 1 teaspoon pigment and 2 teaspoons of glycerin, which would

equal the above usage rate of 1 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils for the dry

pigment.

*Please note that suppliers do not share their liquid pigment ratios or recipes. You will

need to test liquid pigments that you buy, starting with the usage rate recommended by

the supplier.




Dyes & Lakes

Dyes (FD&C or D&C) and lakes (dye + metallic salt) can be used to color soap. These

are personally my least favorite type of colorant to use because they tend to bleed and

morph in cold process soap. However, dyes coated with polymer (see Cosmetic Pigments

above) are great in cold process soap.

How do you know that you are dealing with a dye or lake? Check out the INCI. Many

suppliers sell liquid dyes, which are typically dyes or lakes mixed with water and

preserved using a preservative. Here are some sample dyes and lakes.

(Powder) Crafters Choice™ Bath Bomb Blue Powder Color (WSP) - Blue 1 Lake

(Liquid) Brilliant Blue LabColor (Bramble Berry) - Water, Blue 1, Optiphen ND

Dyes & Lakes


• Color fading: Dyes and Lakes are color sensitive and can fade.

• Color bleed/migration: Dyes and Lakes will bleed (between layers or swirls) in

soap and can bleed onto a washcloth or color lather if too much is used.

• pH sensitivity: Dyes and Lakes are effected by the high pH of soap and can

morph.

• Natural or synthetic: Dyes and Lakes are synthetic.

• Usage rate: 1/4 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils. Use less for a lighter

color.

Supplier Modifications for Use (Dyes and Lakes)

Liquid Pigment - You will find that some suppliers sell liquid dyes and lakes for ease of

use. This is simply dye in water with a preservative.




23

Soap Color Bars - Some suppliers also sell dye color bars. These are simply dyes in melt

and pour soap and should not be used for cold process soap.

How do Dyes and Lakes Color Soap?

Dyes color soap by dissolving and binding with the soap particles.

Lakes are made by combining dyes with salts to make insoluble compounds, therefore

lakes color soap by dispersion of their particles.

Powdered dyes and lakes easily clump and speckle if added directly to soap. They are

hard to mix and disperse by hand. The use of a stick blender or mini-mixer helps to

disperse the pigment. Always add dyes and lakes to water to dissolve prior to adding

to your soap.


• If you are making a single colored soap, you can add them (dissolved in water) to

traced soap.


Please note that dyes and lakes will bleed/migrate in swirls.


Dry pigment - 1/4 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils. Use less if you desire a

lighter color. Dissolve in water before adding to your soap.

Liquid Dye or Lake - If you purchase a liquid, follow the manufacturer’s usage rates.

WARNING: I wanted to include information about dyes and lakes in this book about

coloring soap because they are available for soapmakers from suppliers. I do not

personally use dyes and lakes. They can be super messy (in powder form) and are finicky

in soap. Dyes and lakes are great for melt & pour soap and other bath products such as




bath salts and bath bombs where you want the colorant to completely dissolve in the bath

water.




25

Cosmetic Clays

Cosmetic clays are excellent for coloring soap. Not only do they color soap, clays have

beneficial properties when used on the skin.

Clays are drawing and can pull oil from your skin and face. They are also lightly

exfoliating, offering a gentle scrub.

Cosmetic Clays

• Colors produced: A dusty range of cream, yellow, gray, green, purple, red, pink

and orange.

• Color fading: Clays tend not to fade.

• Color bleed/migration: Clays will not bleed or migrate in soap.

• pH sensitivity: Clays are not effected by the high pH of soap.

• Natural or synthetic: Clays are considered a natural colorant.

• Usage rate: 1 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils. Use less for a lighter color

or more for a darker color.

How Does Clay Color Soap?

Clays color soap by suspension of their particles. Unlike dyes (which dissolve) they

simply disperse throughout the soap mixture.

Wet Clays Prior to Mixing into Soap

Clays draw moisture into them so it is important to wet your clay prior to adding to your

soap. Usually you can eyeball the amount of water to add. Add an equal amount of water,

mix, and add more if the clay is really pasty.

The reason I like to wet clays prior to adding to soap is so the clay doesn’t draw in too

much moisture from the soap mixture causing cracks or crumbly soap.





• If you are making a single colored soap, you can add clay directly to the lye

solution (lye + water). This helps draw the color out and gives you more intense

colors when using clay.



Dry Clay - 1 teaspoon per pound of soapmaking oils. Use less if you desire a lighter

color and use more if you desire a darker color. Wet with water before adding to your

soap.




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Herbs & Spices

Herbs and spices make wonderful natural soap colorants. And like clays, not only do you

get color, but also many have wonderful properties that they lend your soap. Here are

some color ideas:

• Purple/Pink/Red/Mauve - Alkanet, Madder Root, Yellow Dock Root, Rattanjot

• Purple/Blue - Indigo, Woad, Alkanet

• Yellow/Orange/Peach - Turmeric, Annatto Seed, Paprika, Orange Peel Powder,

Yarrow Powder, Ginger Powder

• Brown/Tan - Cocoa, Rosehip Powder, Black Walnut Powder, Cinnamon,

Chamomile Powder, Stevia Leaf Powder, Witch Hazel Powder, Kelp Powder

• Green - Nettle, Spirulina, Parsley, Comfrey Root, Spinach Powder, Rosemary

Herbs & Spices


• Color fading: Many herbs and spices will fade in the sun.

• Color bleed/migration: Herbs and spices will not usually bleed or migrate in

soap.

• pH sensitivity: Some herbs and spices are affected by the high pH of soap and

will morph (beet root turns yellow and yellowdock turns red).

• Natural or synthetic: Spices and herbs are considered natural colorants.

• Usage rate: The usage rate varies greatly for herbs and spices. I recommend

starting with 1 teaspoon per pound of oils and go up or down from there.

How do Herbs and Spices Color Soap?

Herbs and spices color soap by suspension of their particles, however some colorants like

alkanet and annatto will infuse in oil and serve as a natural dye.





Herbs and spices can be added to soap in many different ways to get different results.

The easiest and most obvious is to add the powder directly to your soap. Some herbs,

such as alkanet and safflower, can be scratchy when added directly to soap. Some herbs

can cause the soap to be speckled when directly added to the soap.

Infusing Oils with Natural Colorants

If you don’t want scratchy or speckled soap, you can infuse your liquid soapmaking oils

with the colorant and strain the oil prior to soaping. I usually infuse 5 tablespoons of any

powdered herb or spice into 16 ounces of olive oil. You can use heat sealable tea bags to

make the straining part easier. You can use two infusing methods, cold infusion or heat

infusion.

Cold infusion –Add spices or herbs to the oil in a jar and allow to sit 2-6 weeks to infuse.

Never use fresh herbs in cold infusions as they contain water and will cause mold and

bacteria to grow.

Heat infusion –Add spices or herbs to the oil and heat gently to kick start the infusion.

Some spices and herbs infuse easily using the heat infusion method and you can even use

the infusion the same day! You can heat using the crock pot turned to warm for 2-6 hours

or low heat on the stove for 2-6 hours. You can use fresh herbs in a heat infusion if you

plan on using the oil in soap making the same day. Don’t ever store away an infusion

made with fresh herbs as they contain water and your infusion will grow bacteria and

mold.

My favorite method is to use a hot water bath to gently heat the infusions. I seal the herbs

and spices in heat sealable tea bags so I don’t have to worry about straining the infusion

before I use it. I just simply remove the tea bag. Here’s how I do it. (originally from

LovinSoap.com blog)




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I usually infuse 2 tablespoons of any powdered herb or spice into 5 ounces of olive oil.

This amount fits nicely into 8 oz. mason jars.

Step 1 – Measure out 2 tablespoons of your powdered herb into a heat sealable tea bag.

Step 2 – Seal the edge with an iron. Make sure it is sealed and will not come open.

Step 3 – Place the sealed teabag into the canning jar and cover with 5 oz (weight) of olive

oil.




Step 4 – Screw on the lid and secure tightly. If you’re doing many infusions at once

make sure you label them so you don’t forget what they are. I just use a permanent

marker on the lid.

Step 5 – Place your jars into a pan. Fill the pan with enough water to reach about 1”

underneath the lid. You want the water to stay plenty beneath the bottom of the jar lids.




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Step 6 – Turn the heat on low and let heat for about two hours. You can also do this in a

crock-pot. Just set the crock-pot to warm.

Step 7 – Remove the jars from the pan and allow them to cool away from cool air or

drafts. You don’t want the jars to break. I typically put my jars on the counter and cover

with a towel to keep out the drafts or air if it kicks on. Check the color of your infusions.

Some herbs and spices infuse easier than others. I noticed the alkanet, paprika, indigo,

turmeric and annatto all looked nice and dark. But some of the others looked like they

needed a bit more time. You can either heat for another hour or two, or if you aren’t in a

hurry to use them…let them sit somewhere out of the way for a week to get a darker

infusion.




Then you would simply use the infused olive oil in your batch of soap.

Some colorants can be tossed into the lye water to draw out the color. Indigo, woad,

cinnamon, turmeric and madder root come to mind. It really is just a matter of

experimenting with natural colorants to get the color that you have in your mind.

Color Fading and Light Sensitivity

Natural colorants do tend to fade from soap when exposed to light (natural or indoor).

You can combat this by curing in a dark area, out of natural or synthetic light. You can

package your soap in boxes or package fully wrapped in paper to keep away from light.

Be especially aware if you take your soap to outdoor craft shows to sell. I remember

selling soap at an outdoor farmer’s market one Saturday. When I got home and put

unsold soap back onto the curing rack, it was noticeably lighter than the bars still curing.


Powder Herb or Spice - The usage rate varies greatly for herbs and spices. I recommend

started with 1 teaspoon per pound of oils and go up or down from there.

Infused Herb or Spice - You can replace up to 100% of the olive oil in your batch with

infused oil.




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Mixing Custom Colors

You can expand your color collection by mixing colorants, especially by mixing

colorants with either white or black to lighten or darken.

1. 1/2 tsp Voodoo Mica (Mad Oils) + 1/2 tsp White Mica PPO

2. 1 tsp Voodoo Mica PPO

3. 1/2 tsp Voodoo Mica + 1/4 tsp Charcoal PPO

1. 1/4 tsp Mermaid Blue Mica (Bramble Berry) + 1/2 tsp White Mica PPO

2. 1 tsp Mermaid Blue Mica PPO

3. 1/4 tsp Mermaid Blue Mica + 1/4 tsp Charcoal PPO

You can also experiment with mixing different hues to create colors based on the color

wheel and basic color-mixing theory.




• Yellow + Blue = Green

• Red + Blue = Violet

• Red + Yellow = Orange

When mixing colors, don’t be afraid to experiment!




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Troubleshooting Guide

International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI)

INCI is a system of names for soap and cosmetic ingredients. It is important to learn to

read colorant INCI listings to find out what is in the colorant. Some color additives

simply don’t work well in the high pH environment of soap; some color components

morph, fade or bleed. By recognizing these components you can learn to choose colorants

that work well in CP soap.

If your colorant contains certain ingredients, you can make some general statements about the color. For example:

Ferric Ferrocyanide (Prussian Blue)

If a colorant contains Ferric Ferrocyanide, also known as Prussian blue, then your

colorant will morph, or more likely, fade completely. Certain blue and purple mica will

contain Ferric Ferrocyanide, so when shopping for purples and blues, read the INCIs to

determine that it doesn’t contain this.

Carmine

If a colorant contains Carmine your colorant will usually morph or disappear in cold

process soap. Carmine is in red and pink colorants, so read the INCIs of colorants that

you’re shopping for. Carmine is made from the juice of crushed beetles; so if you want

your products to be labeled as vegan, don’t use a colorant containing Carmine (popular in

lip colorants).

Dyes (FD&C or D&C) and Lakes

Dyes and lakes are notorious for morphing due to the high pH of cold process soap. For

example, Red No. 7 morphs to orange in soap. Blue No. 1 morphs to purple in soap (see




Cellini Mica below). Make sure that the dyes or lakes that you are using are stable in the

high pH environment of soap. If you have a mica morph on you, check to see if contains

a dye.

Cosmetic pigments contain dyes and lakes but they are coated to prevent morphing in

cold process soap so they are generally safe to use. Here is an INCI example for a

cosmetic pigment. Notice that it contains dyes and Copolymer.

Reborn Purple (TKB) - Bis (Glycidoxyphenyl) propane / Bisaminomethyl-

norbornane Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Red 28 (C.I. 45410), Violet 2 Ext

(C.I. 60730)

My soap is speckled. Make sure you stir using a stick-blender or mini-mixer. You can

also premix your cosmetic pigment with a light carrier oil or with liquid glycerin prior to

adding to your soap.

Below is a soap that has cosmetic pigment added without being mixed with liquid

glycerin first. Cosmetic pigments are notorious for speckling.

My soap has uncolored streaks or dark colored streaks. If you are having issues with

uneven color, it could be that you did not mix in the colorant enough. Sometimes soap




37

gets too thick while mixing that you have to go ahead and pour. If you are creating a

single colored soap, try adding your colorant to the oils before adding the lye water.

My soap has colored lather. If your soap has colored lather then you need to reduce the

amount of pigment that you are using. Red oxide is especially notorious for coloring

lather when used to make red soap. Below is a soap that is colored using red oxide.

My blue soap colored with mica turned purple. Below is Cellini Blue Mica from

Bramble Berry. When poured, it is a beautiful blue. But when you go to unmold your

soap the next day it will have turned a beautiful purple! Cellini blue has the dye FD&C

Blue No. 1 Lake in it. This dye is probably not pH stable and morphs in the soap due to

the high pH. Many dyes and lakes morph in cold process soap. If you use dyes and lakes

or mica colored with dyes or lakes in cold process soap, make sure they are high pH

stable (your supplier should be able to tell you if it morphs).




My purple soap colored with mica turned gray or disappeared completely. Check the

INCI. Does it contain Ferric Ferrocyanide? Ferric Ferrocyanide, also called Prussian blue,

turns gray (or disappears completely) in the high pH of cold process soap.

My purple soap colored with Ultramarine Violet turned gray. Did you use at least 1

teaspoon PPO? If you use too little of a colorant your soap will come out gray (especially

if it doesn’t go through gel phase). I’ve used 1/2 teaspoon of Ultramarine Violet in two

pounds of oils and got a gray soap.

Fragrance Oils, Essential Oils and Color

Fragrance oils and essential oils can affect your colorants. If a fragrance oil or essential is

tinted it can change the outcome of your color.

On the following page (left) is a soap colored with teal green oxide. On the right is a soap

colored with teal green oxide and scented with orange essential oil. Orange essential oil is

tinted yellow/orange so you can see the slight effect on the color.




39

Aromatic oils can be tinted various colors including orange, yellow, brown and green. To

see if your fragrance oil or essential oil is tinted, simply pour it into a glass jar or draw

some up into a plastic pipette and look at it. Some common tinted essential oils include

orange, patchouli, lime, chamomile, grapefruit, lemongrass, litsea and cassia.

Fragrance Oils Containing Vanilla

Fragrance oils that contain vanilla will turn your soap shades of cream to brown

depending on the amount. Most suppliers will have the vanilla percentage available in the

product description and will mention that it will turn your soap brown. When you’re

shopping for fragrance oils and you come across Vanilla Bean, Warm Sugar, Pink Sugar,

Buttercream Cupcake, Coconut…just be aware that these will probably turn your soap

cream to brown.

A couple of suppliers do offer a non-discoloring vanilla fragrance oil, but they don’t have

very good reviews. It’s worth trying if you really want to add some vanilla to a fragrance

without discoloring. Make a small test batch and give it time to cure before you evaluate

the color and scent.

Vanilla Color Stabilizer

There are products called vanilla color stabilizers that you can purchase from soap

suppliers. They are typically for melt and pour soap and do not work in cold process

soap. Bramble Berry states on their vanilla color stabilizer page that, “This product works

marginally well in CP soap for 4 to 9 months before the fragrance eventually goes

brown…” I personally do not try to use them in cold process soap, but you could

certainly do some tests and see if they help with fragrance oils that contain vanilla.




Goat Milk and Color

When soaping with goat milk (powder or fresh), your soap will usually turn out cream in

color. This can affect the colorants that you’re using.

Below (left) is a soap colored using a purple mica. The soap on the right is a goat milk

soap colored with the same purple mica. You can see the soap on the right has a

cream/brown undertone.

Some soapmakers use Titanium Dioxide to color their goat milk soap white and then add

color. Because your base is then white, you won’t get bright colors, they will always be

muted and pastel…but they won’t have the brown tint. I personally just embrace the tint

when making goat milk soap.

Base Oils and Color

Base oils can play a major role in the color of your soap. Check out the colors of soap

that these single oil soaps create (on the following page). Notice how white some are and

notice how yellow others are? A recipe high in white oils will take color well. A recipe

high in yellow oils will, of course, be tinted with a yellow hue. I personally use refined A

olive (regular), refined avocado oil and coconut oil to get a whiter bar of soap.




41

Un-refined avocado oil is tinted green. Pomace olive oil can be tinted brown/green. So

simply be aware of the color of your base oils and how they can affect your soap colors.




Conclusion

I hope that this eBook provides you with enough information to understand colorants

available to soapmakers and how to use them in your cold process soap. I had a ton of fun

writing it and working with suppliers to test colorants. I even learned a few things along

the way.

Coloring soap can be confusing and overwhelming. It really does take testing and trying

different colorants to find what works best for you. Now you know how to use the

different types of colorants so you won’t be wasting ingredients.

If you have any questions about coloring soap, please email me at

[email protected]. Visit www.howtocolorsoap.com for more inspiration.

About the Swatch Gallery

The next several pages include the Swatch Gallery.

When I first started working on this book I thought it would be great to include a few

swatches of sample colorants. I was thinking 10 micas, 4 mineral pigments, 5 natural

colorants…etc. Little did I know what it would turn into! Suppliers showed amazing

support by sending in colorants for me to test and show in the book. Overall, I ended up

swatching over 220 colorants!

The Swatch Gallery is provided to inspire you and to help you pick colorants for your

soap design. Perhaps you want to make a lavender soap swirled with purple and green

mica, or maybe you want to create a pumpkin spice soap colored with the perfect orange

pumpkin mica. You’ll be able to check out the Swatch Gallery to find exactly what you

are looking for.

Will your soap be exactly the same color as mine? Unfortunately no. Because of base

oils, fragrance oils and other factors, your resulting colors might be slightly different than

mine. Also, because this is an eBook, monitors can make colors vary. And if you print the

color guide, printers can make colors even more varied.

mailto:[email protected]





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The swatches shown are un-gelled soap. Gelled soap (soap that has gone through gel

phase) can change the darkness or lightness of a colorant. I don’t usually notice much of

a change with mica, but it makes natural colorants much more intense. The colorants in

the Swatch Guide were added to traced soap, even the natural colorants.

My base recipe for creating soap swatches is:

• Olive Oil – 25 oz.

• Hemp Seed Oil – 5 oz.

• Soybean Oil – 4 oz.

• Coconut Oil – 30 oz.

• Shea Butter – 4 oz.

Olive oil – I use Olive Oil – Refined A from Soapers Choice. This seems to contribute to

a whiter soap base. I stay away from pomace as it is usually tinted green.

Different oils can produce different colors, so your soap might vary from mine. Please

note that color differences can occur due to the photography and your monitor.

This Swatch Guide is simply to provide inspiration and color ideas. You will need to test

colorants for yourself to see if they work with your recipe and process.

I hope you enjoy!



Documents

How to Color Cold Process Soap