Website design By BotEap.comThere are many options when it comes to coloring your homemade soap. Artificial colors are usually more vibrant than natural colors, but many people like the idea of using all-natural ingredients in their soap.
Website design By BotEap.comThere are also safety concerns with some artificial colors and they can have some unforeseen effects on the final soap product. If you decide to use natural colorants for your soap, there are endless possibilities to choose from and you can give your soap almost any shade you want.
Website design By BotEap.comMany of the natural materials you can use to color soap can be found in your kitchen or at your local grocery store, and many are already used to color food and medicine.
Website design By BotEap.comThese dyes can be easily extracted from fruits, vegetables, spices, and even morning coffee.
Website design By BotEap.comFor example, beets will produce a dye that is bright purple in color, and depending on how much you use, it will turn your soap from pale pink to deep red. To make the dye, cut the beets into half-inch slices and boil three cups of beet slices in two cups of water.
Website design By BotEap.comRed onions will produce a red tint that will turn your soap reddish brown; You will use only the skin to make the dye, so the onions can be used for cooking later.
Website design By BotEap.comRemove the outermost layers of dry skin and the first wet layer; boil two cups of the skin in three cups of water.
Website design By BotEap.comRed cabbage, oddly enough, produces an ink-blue tint, which can be used to color soap from pastel to deep blue.
Website design By BotEap.comShred a head of cabbage and boil it in two cups of water until the cabbage is pale blue.
Website design By BotEap.comIf the dye you get from these methods is not concentrated enough for your taste, simply boil the mixture longer to evaporate more water.
Website design By BotEap.comBe sure to strain the liquid through cheesecloth before use, to ensure any plant matter is removed.
Website design By BotEap.comTypically, you will add your homemade dye to the trail or by hand grinding a batch of cold-process soap.
Website design By BotEap.comYou can also use spices to dye your soap, but the dye should be oil-based, rather than water-based.
Website design By BotEap.comMaking an oil-based dye from spices involves three simple steps. First, mix two teaspoons of the spice with two tablespoons of the oil. Let the spice soak in the oil for a while.
Website design By BotEap.comNext, heat the oil and spice mixture in the microwave for a minute or two. Finally, strain the mixture through cheesecloth or a coffee filter, to remove any spice particles, and you will be left with an oil-based dye that retained the color of the spice you used. Here is a list of some common household food-based dyes and the colors they will produce in your soap. (Always test dyes before use to avoid unwanted results in the final soap product.)
Website design By BotEap.comoAlfalfa – medium green
oAlkanet – deep purple to muted blue
o Beet root – dull pink to red
or Ground marigold petals – yellow
or Carrots – yellow to orange
o Ground chamomile – yellow-beige
o Chlorophyll – medium green
o Cinnamon: tan to brown (can be irritating)
oNails – brown
o Cochineal powder – deep red
o Cocoa powder – brown
oCafé – brown to black
o Comfrey root – light milky brown
oCucumber – bright green
oCurry powder – yellow
o Elderberries – light brown (soaked in bleach solution)
o Henna, earth – olive green, dull green, greenish brown
o Indigo root – deep blue (may stain)
o Jojoba beads: they come in many colors and are exfoliating
oKaolin Clay – white
oKelp / seaweed – green
o Madder root – pinkish red to purple
o Milk (goat or cow): from tan to brown, depending on the sugar and fat content
o Moroccan red clay – brick red
oPaprika – light peach to salmon (can be irritating)
oPoppy Seeds – grayish blue to black specks
o Pumice stone, ground – gray (also exfoliating)
o Pumpkin, pureed – deep orange
oRattanjot – from lavender to purple
oRose Pink Clay – brick red
oRosehips, ground – tan to dark brown
o Safflower petals: yellow to deep orange
o Saffron – yellow
oSage – green
o Spinach – light green
oSpirulina – blue-green
o Titanium dioxide – bright white
oTurmeric – from gold to amber
