Guide to Colorants
Source of Recipe
internet
List of Ingredients
In soapmaking, there are many different ways of reaching a desired color. You can choose synthetic colorants or you may use natural colorants found in nature. Here, we are going to list some common natural colorants and general information about them, as well as, links to popular websites on the subject.
Herbs and Spices
You may already have many of these in your kitchen cabinets. I will list the herb or spice and the color you will acheive.
Dill weed- green
Parsley- green
Cinnamon- brown speckles, can be abrasive to skin, can be irritant in high quantities
Coffee- brown, helps get rid of common kitchen odors, such as onion
Tumeric- yellow
Paprika- salmon w/ speckles, can be somewhat abrasive
Clove- brown, skin irritant if used in high quantitites
* The common rule of thumb is to use no more than 1 TBS per pound of oils.
Clays
These are powdered clays found from the Earth. Many have absorbant qualities that are useful in poor skin. They help draw out impurities in the skin, such as dirt and oil.
Bentonite Clay- a clay formed from volcanic ash. It is a common ingredient in cat litter because of its great absorbant properties. Will give a tannish color.
Kaolin Clay- also called China clay. Fine grades of this clay are used to make porcelein. It is a white clay low in contaminates and iron. Great for skin balancing. A good ingredient for dry masks.
Fuller's Earth- a fine chalky sediment clay used for sensitive skin. Give a grey-ish colored bar with a silky lather. Wonderful for oily skin.
Rose Clay- this wonderful clay will give a beautiful rose to mauve color.
* For information on Clays-
http://addy.com/brinkley/pigment.html
www.sweetscentsoap.com/soapsupplies.htm
www.pinemeadows.net
Oxide and Ultramarines
Im going to put these 2 together even though they are different. The creation of these is very complex, but Ill give you the general ingredients.
Oxides- from the raw materials are iron, sulfur and acid.
Ultramarines- from China ( Kaolin) clay, sulphur, sodium carbonate.
When using, if it is water soluable, you may add it directly to your lye water. You can also add it to you oils by whisking it to break it up. They can also be added at anytime during the soapmaking process. Very easy to work with.
**Both of these can interact with the color of your oils. If you are using ultramarin violet and your oils are yellowish in color, you can get a grey color. Likewise, if your oils are a yellow color and you use ultramarine blue you will get a green color.
*For information on Oxides and Ultramarines- http://members.aol.com/pigmntlady/instruct.htm
Micas
Micas are described as " any group of minerals that are found in crystallized , thin elastic sheets that can be separated easily. Colors vary from pale green, brown, black to colorless. Ground and used as colorized cosmetics. Micas get their pretty colors from a coating of titanium dioxide and/or iron oxide. They can also be coated with Carmine and Iron Blue. If coated with with the latter, they cannot be used in soap."
-obtained from The Coloration Station http://members.aol.com/pigmntlady/instruct.htm
Micas are very popular in MP soapmaking as it gives a pearlescent apperance.
Information on all types of colorants:
http://www.missmarymac.com/mmmcolor.html
Recipe
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