Here’s the results of some more testing that I’ve been doing of natural colorants in cold process soap.
This week it was paprika, orange peel powder and rose clay: three very different kinds of colorants.
Right after pouring, this is what each test looked like. This batch went into a warm oven to ensure that it would go through a gel phase. Another identical batch went into my refrigerator to ensure that it would not go through a gel phase.
And here is how they turned out. The soaps on the left gelled, while the ones on the right didn’t. You can see the the gelled soaps have a darker, deeper color. The non-gelled soaps stay pastel and creamy-looking.
Some people prefer one look over the other. I just like that I can use one colorant and have two slightly different results: Bonus!
UPDATE: All of this testing was bound to lead somewhere! Click here to read more about the “Coloring Soap Naturally” eBook that is available now, all about natural coloring in cold process soap. I tested 34 different ingredients and in all kinds of ways. Then I took photos of it all and organized it so you don’t have to do all the testing yourself!
Great tests, Ruth! Can’t wait to see what you do with all this awesome work. Are you having any problems with your colors fading once the soaps are made?
This is a wonderful post, Ruth ! Thank you for taking the time to do this test and show us the results. I’m a fairly new soaper and have heard that natural colorants fade with both light and time. Has that been your experience ? ~Suzy
Sorry, looks like this question was already posted! (that’s what I get for commenting from my phone with the tiny screen) !!
Well, I have already noticed that colors that come from plant materials like parsley powder and carrot puree do fade over time, even out of the light. I think things like clays are more stable. But that is something that I plan on looking at carefully. I’m photographing and storing all my little sample bars so that I can compare how they look over time.
Thanks for posting this, Ruth! I haven’t played around much with natural colorants, so it is nice to see what to expect. The colors turned out gorgeous! I especially like the paprika in the top soap. I usually gel my soaps, but I really love the look of your ungelled soaps there.
Thanks for stopping by, Jenny. I can never choose between gelled and ungelled. They’re each so nice for different reasons.
I usually gel my soaps, but I love how you can get two different colors by gelling or not gelling soaps. =)
Hi, Anne-Marie! Usually I don’t care whether they gel or not. I just go with the flow. But it was neat to force both situations and see the difference.