Coloring Cold Process Soap with Oxides, Ultramarines, Micas & Neons
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- Lots of helpful hints and usage rates for synthetic colorants! Please do your own testing to determine if the maximum usage rate suggested is what will work for your soap. Some colors tend to bleed...
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Wow, I watched this three times and took notes! So many choices for soapers just starting out and it seems like the sellers are reluctant to offer choices when talking about pre-mixing. Thanks so much for an honest and practical review. you've given me the confidence to purchase without worrying I'm going to waste money with soap I can't sell or use.
She says "you're very welcome, thanks for watching"
I watched your video several months ago. I just recently had that crackling issue and I'm not satisfied with my colors half the time. I remembered watching your video and searched for hours in my history to find it. Glad I did. Very good job and thank you for taking the time out to make this video.
iwannaapple I'm so glad you found it useful!!! Thanks for letting me know!
Thank you for your sweet comment, Carol!! I appreciate your feedback. :)
I'm so glad you found it helpful!! Appreciate your comment - keep soaping!!
It's a great alternative, for sure!! Thanks for your comment, Melissa!
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge. As a beginner in soap making and wanting to try my hand at colorants, i was very overwhelmed. Thank you for making it simple. :-)
JoAnn Chuchman You're welcome! There's a lot to learn at first, but once you have a few batches under your belt, it definitely gets easier! It's such a FUN and forgiving process!!
You're welcome, Patti! Appreciate your comment! :)
Amy this was wonderful information. I have watched it before but learning soo much more now...YOu are a great teacher and love watching your videos. I have had everything to make soaps for a year and have yet to make a batch, but hopefully will soon. I have learned soo much from you.Thank you
Sheryl
Thank you so much Amy--I have had a lot of hit and miss batches of soap due to colorant issues. This video has been so amazingly helpful. Can't wait to experiment!
Amy, THANK YOU!! I have been having such a hard time figuring out how much colorants I need, because, like you said, I don't make single colored soaps. So far, I've had major fails. The soaps are pretty, but kind of muted and dull colored. This will be tremendously helpful for my future batches.
Yay!!! Glad to help! 😊
This just saved me. I had such a nightmare last night. Thank you so much for t his video.
carrie anastas Oh my goodness! I just saw your comment! I'm so glad it helped you!! Thank you for letting me know. :)
Appreciate your comment, Odie! :)
Thank you...I'm pretty new at soaping and color has been challenging. I watched one of Holly's recent videos & she recommended your tutorial. Really cleared up a lot for me. Thanks again.
Awesome tutorial Amy, I know this will help tons of newbies!! So sweet of you to share this valuable info.. :-) Mel
Thank you so much Amy! This video sure will help me and other soapers. Even if you have been soaping for a while, it can't hurt to learn as much as you can about mixing colors. I had to learn the hard way! Lol. Thanks again for your wonderful helping videos!!! Your a doll! ;))). Carol
Excellent guidelines and tips, Amy. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error when I first started. Thanks for sharing !
Thanks, Rebekka! Glad you like it!
You are very welcome!! Hope you find it helpful. :)
great video Amy. I kept hearing you did this video but I never could find it. the update finally showed up in my feed today yay! I love using neons for pastels, they are much clearer and gentler to me then the washed out look you get from simply not having enough micas.
Yes, I mean to mixing 2-4ozs of colorants (premix in oil, like glycerin, castor, etc) and keep in small jars and use when you need to color small batches of soap when your making cold/hot process. I'm sorry, I want to learn as much as I can before I jump into soap making. Thank You So Much for responding to my question(s).
South Texas Williams Sure! I wouldn't pre-mix too much at a time with oil, but glycerin would work. Just keep it in an air-tight container.
Thank you, Marie!! Hope you find it helpful!
For anyone watching this who uses melt and pour soap, if you mix your pigment powder or mica with some warm oil, it always does the trick and mixes well. Powders always mix well with a warm liquid.
Thanks for the tip!
Amy Warden Your welcome. When you mix mica with Glycerin and mix well with a electric whisk, are there any specks left in the soap?
Yes the glycerin will disperse it completely.
Amy Warden Thanks you for your reply!
You're welcome!! Happy soaping!
I came back to watch a second time to make sure all my notes were correct. With this help, I think I will be able to now. :)
Saving this video for later reference. Wow, there's a lot of information here that Soap Queen TV & Soaping 101 don't really cover.
So glad you found it helpful!! :)
I'm not finished watching the video yet but I had to say; Colorants and me do not mix (Ha! Made a not so funny there). I am encouraged to try again thanks to you. I can't tell you how valuable your video is to me. I'm watching it again and taking notes. I plan on buying some soap in repayment for this brilliant video. Blessings to you.
Glad you are finding it helpful!! Here's to wonderful, colorful soap in your future!!
I love that neon yellow from natures garden.
Appreciate your feedback! :)
Thank you, Rochelle! Hope it comes in handy for you.
Thank you Amy, im now thinking it may be if people are storing it mixed for a couple of weeks.
+Mary Glitz That's probably true!
That's a top notch video! Very informative and full of tips and hints. Thanks Amy!
Amy, I finally ordered colorants from nurture soap last night !
Thank you so much for this information. It is so helpful for new soapers!
+teresa elsey I'm very glad you found it helpful! Happy soaping!!
Actually, taking the oil from the soap recipe is the best way to do it!! Adding too much glycerin can definitely affect the final outcome. I had a soap that turned out softer than it should have because of the added glycerin that I used. But I was coloring the main part of the soap, and if I remember correctly, I decided to mix up more colorant and added it to the soap pot twice. :)
Amy, I would have been SO HAPPY to have that much awesome info. when I started, for sure! Bless your heart for being so sweet and helping with something that can take so much time and effort to figure out. :-) Mel
Great video! Thanks so much for all of your coloring tips!
Awwww, so glad to help, Janet!! Hope you make lots of beautiful soaps!! :)
Thank you, Mel. I just know when I started looking for usage rate info, it didn't seem like there was very much out there. Or it was conflicting. I can't say my recommendations work 100% of the time, but at least it's a guideline to get people started!
I'll have to check it out! It's definitely a very common problem...
Thank You for answering my question, I'm just now getting started in doing Homemade soap. I haven't done my first bash, but hopefully next week. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. But thank you for all your videos, it has really help to clear many questions I had. God Bless
South Texas Williams Glad I could help! Once you start, you'll be hooked! :)
Very informative Amy. You did a lot of work on this. Thanks so much for making this video, and sharing all your experience.
THANK YOU!!! Made everything so much clearer for me 😊
Caroline Trägårdh I'm so glad!! Happy soaping!!
OMG, thank U so much for a full explanation with examples. Good job.
You're very welcome, Tamiko! Glad you found it helpful! 😀
You mean the magic violet mica from The Conservatorie? It's a lovely mica in CP soap! I use it quite frequently. :)
So much useful information, thank you so much!
You're welcome!!
This was AWESOME! Thank you!
Glad you liked it! :)
Glad to help! Best wishes to you!
Thank you Amy for this thorough video. Very valuable information.
You're welcome!! Hope it's helpful!
I’m looking to use some of these for the first time. It was definitely helpful.
Great Information... Thank you so much for taking the time. This isn't really covered anywhere. Now off to look for ricing info. Thanks again.
Denyse Kerlee You're very welcome!! I know I felt the same way, so that's why I did the video. :) Let me know if you don't find info on ricing. I could probably do a video on that too!
Thank you so much this is really helpful for me,. I did make a soap and it looks like a lot of dots, Now i know why, thanks for the video.
Thank you!
I love your videos! They are so helpful and informative!!! Thank you so much!
I'm so glad, MaryEllen! Thank you for letting me know. :)
oh my goodness! I'm so happy I found you!! this is so helpful to me as a new soaper!! you are a wonderful teacher! thank you so much! I am still learning the difference between soap processes, and was wondering if this will work the same with m&p? if it's different.
Honestly, I don't have much experience with M&P, but it seems like you might not need as much color for that type of soap. What you see is pretty much what you get.
Kat Castanares totally agree
Great video. Thanks so much for all the detail info!
You're welcome, Wanda! Glad you enjoyed it!
Loved the video. Very informative. Thank you for these guidelines.
Wow! Thank you! I appreciate the info! I just my 2 big color orders from nurture soaps and mad oils! I'm about to make a batch of soap using a few colors!
That's fantastic, Nicole! They both have high quality micas so you should be able to use the lower end of the usage rate - especially the vibrance ones and the darker colors! Have fun!
Amy Warden I've done a lot of research and these two brands seem to be favorites amongst many soapers. I make a honey/beeswax soap since I own bees and I've only made them natural without color. Today is the big day and a huge thAnk you!!
+Nicole - Big day indeed!!! You're about to make some BEAUTIFUL soaps!
Interesting. I just checked out their site, and they claim to have tested 100's of colorants to get the ones they are offering. Have you contacted them directly to see if they have any answers?
Very nice information - thanks!
You're welcome, Amelia! I appreciate your comment. 😊
thank you so much
Thank you so much for this video. It was very helpful !
Verrrry helpful video - thank you.
You're very welcome!! Thanks for letting me know. :)
Very valuable information!! Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much Amy, great information!
Richard Bahner You're welcome, Richard! Happy soaping!
Very helpful!
Shawna M I'm so glad!! Happy Soaping! :)
I'm not sure. The green turned brown. I had to use a bunch more of it then you would think, several tablespoons worth, to get a green color.
so much useful info, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the info, this saved me HOURS of tests XD
thanks for this priceless information and tips
Awesome lesson! Thank you!
Glad you liked it!! 😊
Ok, great!
PS what do you do when even colors that are s'posed to be soap safe aren't stable in soap? I got the color set from Nurture Soap Molds which I think is supplied at least in part by the Conservatorie and they still morph on me!
I too watched it 3 times and took notes and will watch it again. Being a newbie, I am confused, all that mixing with water... I thought you couldn't add water to a soap batch without a preservative ? or it will go moldy ?
Dorne Dawn So glad you found it helpful! Yes, you can add water to a soap batch in small amounts. It gets absorbed with the lye water as the soap goes through saponification and will evaporate out as it cures. You'll want to mix clays with water as well before adding them to soap. No preservatives necessary in cold-process soap.
Excellent tutorial! Thank you for sharing. I have a whole batch of sample Mica and Oxides, so this is so very helpful. I was just wondering also, if you have ever used a liquid dispersion/liquid soap colour before? Can you just add those straight into the soap batter? Thank you!
Little Cherry Hill Jewellery Yes, the liquid dyes can go straight in. They will bleed in cold-process soap, and most fade in sunlight as well, so I prefer to use the micas, neons and ultramarines.
Good to know! Thank you :)
This is a great video thank you for making it! I was wondering about premixing micas in oil or glycerine and how that would affect my recipe? I usually take a bit of oil from the recipe to mix them so I'm not sure how that would work. As for the glycerine I guess it won't affect the soap? Thanks again
I'm having a terrible time creating anything but a settling pond green, and I found that your blog is no longer available. Do you have an updated that replaced it? Thanks for making great videos for newbs.
Thanks for letting me know - the link just needed to be updated! Try it now. :)
It's very bright!!! :)
Nice! Td crackle.....didn't know that about rbo. I use rbo in a lot of soaps.........and when the crackle hit....it looked planned so I left it as "a happy accident". So any advice on pigments...magic violet in particular?
Hi Amy. Thank you so much for your reply. I had much better results since using your usage rates. I want to try using clay as a colourant. Do you have a recommended usage rate? I am going to try Rose Clay and Kaolin White.
Rose clay will get dark fast. Start with 1/4 tsp. per cup of soap and add from there. Kaolin clay doesn't whiten like titanium dioxide, and if you use too much it will make your soap very dry. No more than 1 tsp. per cup of soap!
Amy Warden Thank you Amy. I chickened out of the Rose Clay when I saw the colour mixed with water. I was going for a pale pink to represent pink sponge cake. I did keep to the 1 tspn per cup as you suggested for the Kaolin so I'll see how the bar turns out. I have to say the batch I made with Kaolin, Silk and Coconut milk was the smoothest I've ever had - it was like silk! Loved it. Thanks again, Di
Great tip!!
Hey Amy! Thanks for your very informative video! I do have a question when working with titanium dioxide. While working on a swirl recipe I wanted my soap base to be white as possible. Is it safe to divide the soap base in thirds with the titanium dioxide already mixed then add my other two colors or should I do each one individually? Thanks I'm advance!
Yes, Gil, you may whiten all of your soap base and add colorants to parts of it. I prefer to color each separately however. Just gives more control of the final outcome, imho
Chalk it up to poor research on their part! I haven't tried those yet - what happened?
OMG THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
Great info, thank you!
I found out last night neon doesn’t always mix right in soap well . I’m curious on how well water soluble dyes work in soap do they all bleed
Neons really must be premixed. Yes, all the water soluble dyes will definitely bleed. 😊
Amy Warden thank you for your reply
Hi Amy. I really like your video and found it very useful
A few questions:
Can I use a water soluble oxide pigment in oil?
If I mix oxide pigments in water and store in bottles, how long can they be stored for?
If an oxide pigment mixes with water to begin with but then later separates and sits at the bottom, is it water soluble or would it be worth mixing with oil?
First of all, yes you can mix water soluble oxides with oil. I wouldn't store them that way though. Second, you can store oxides in distilled water in a sterilized closed container (like a squeeze bottle) for a long time, but it has to be closed (you can't dip into it). Finally, if the oxide settles out, just shake it up again.
Mystery solved ! Thanks 👍🥰
I have a question, when mixing colorants with oil or water do I deduct that oil or water from my recipe?
Excellent question, Paula! It somewhat depends on how big your batch is. If it's just a couple pounds or so, you will definitely want to deduct any oil that you use or you can end up with a soft soap. The water will generally evaporate out anyway as it cures.
I'm new at soap making, could you give me your opinion on what color blue would be good for the ocean and where i can buy that exact color. I thank you in advance.
My faves would be turquoise or peacock blue micas from the Conservatorie. However, their minimums can be high for someone just starting out. You could always use ultramarine blue - it's readily available from many soap suppliers.
Loved it, thanks
I had an ultra cheap frother once - wasn't from IKEA. It lost power really quickly though & I decided I wouldn't do that again!!
If using the glycerin or oil to mix your colorants, how does that effect your base recipe? I think I'd prefer the glycerin but I'm concerned with the final effect on the soap.
It definitely depends on the size of your batch. If you make the most saturated solution possible - as much color as the glycerin will hold - that will help, of course. I've only had one batch where I ended up with soft soap because I had too much glycerin mixed with the colorant. It may take some trial & error to find out what the threshold is for your soap.
If I premix my colorant with water and put it in a bottle, do I need a preservative? I only soap 3-5 pound loafs. Can I use water dispersed, pre-mixed colorant for (?) a week without preservative? What are your thoughts?
Thanks for a great video!
This is a controversial topic for sure. Preservatives are certainly recommended for ultimate safety, but if you are concerned, using glycerin as your dispersal method won't require a preservative at all. I would personally use a colorant that has been pre-mixed in water up to a week though.
Oil mixed should be okay as well? Thank you for taking the time to reply. I'm sure you're busy :)
Toni Larimore
That is correct. Mixing with oil will be fine also! :)
This was so helpful. I just made soap for the first time and mixed my micas in water but obviously it did not blend well. Looks pretty Chrisrmas glittery on the top on a few. Is it dangerous to the skin if used?
Did you use a stick blender to mix your colorant into the soap, or just a spoon? The mica is skin safe, so there's no issue there. Just wondering why it didn't get mixed in all the way. Congrats on your first of many batches!! :)
Amy Warden Thanks Amy.I used a spoon but I guess I didn't mix it well enough. I did go right over to Amazon however and ordered the frothier. Thanks for the tip.
Very informative. Thanks
Thank you Amy. It is now 2017 and I am hoping someone makes a beautiful red without mixing colors..DO you know of any suppliers. I LOVE MAD OILS colors, but I haven't looked recently..I thought I would ask you because I always watch your tutorials before trying anything. IT has been a few yrs since I made my soaps but I am going to get back to it later this month.. (Aug) Thank you so very much! THUMBS UP as always!
I just recently tried the True Red with Mad Micas mix of equal parts Brazen Hussy, Spicy Tomato and Voodoo, and I must say it is pretty true red. Nurture Soap also has a Really Red mica, but I haven't tried it yet. They pre-mix it for you. Both of these use a neon mix to achieve their red color, so they aren't just micas.
Thank you so very much!
After mixing my neons in classic olive oil (as light as I can get an OO to be) I noticed the color still separates and sinks to the bottom. Also, could I mix my neons in melted 76° coconut oil for my salt bars?
I've recently seen some neons that are water soluble. Have you tried premixing a little bit in water? Your other option would be to use glycerin.
Hello, Can you just mix the powder colorants in a bigger batch, like 1-4 ozs?
South Texas Williams You mean pre-mix the colorants with oil? I'm not sure I understand the question.
Hi I am really new to soap making and I was planing to make soaps with some kids using soap flakes/ powder so I was told it's re batching and all I do is add water to make the soap then you add colours I'm using micas and any fragrance but I won't be adding scents and was curious as to the best way to premix the micas do you have any suggestions? I just don't want the powders there incase they are spilled as I did buy enough to compensate for that s
I'm unfamiliar with the soap powder....but I'm guessing your best bet is pre-mixing the mica with water or just adding the mica straight to the powder.
Fantastic info. Amy ! So, why on the website Madoils to they say I should mix their micas with oil and not water?
Not all micas mix with water very well. I have some greens that resist, but I still mix with water. I have a yellow that is impossible so I rarely use it, and if I do I mix with oil
I am trying to streamlined my need to mix colors, some soapers I watch on youtube are squirting colorants into their hp soap using mini sqirt bottles. My problem is trying to find a good source where I can buy water soluble colors for hp and pre-prep them. So I can just point and squirt. Maybe I am delusional. Lol, you seem to have been doing this for a while, I hadn't recalled you employing this technique.
+Teal Allshouse Great idea! No, it isn't feasible for me to have that many bottles of pre-mixed colorants sitting around. The only one I have pre-mixed is TD.
+Amy Warden 👍
Hello! I'm sorry for the silly question, I'm extremely new to soap making and I'm trying to understand... I know you measure per cup of soap... The recipes I've been trying out have all been approximately 3 pounds of soap... Do you by chance know how many cups, approximately, are in a pound of soap? Thank you! This video was super informative, I just don't have any idea about the measurements when referring to a batch of soap!
One pound is 16 oz., 8 oz in a cup, so 3 pounds would be approximately 6 cups of soap. Have fun!!
Amy Warden Thank you! That should have been obvious to me but I've been getting overwhelmed with the fact that everything in soap making is weighed and my brain was overcomplicating it hahahahah!!
It's a lot to take in. And yes, that's why I said approximately, because you would initially weigh the soap ingredients, but cups are a volume measurement. It will be close.