When it comes to making your own soap, itโs common knowledge that your DIY isnโt going to be quite as potent as what you buy at the store. But thatโs a feature, not a bug, right? By using natural colors, scents, and oils, we can be confident knowing exactly what weโre putting on our skin day in and day out. And you donโt have to resign yourself to boring white soap if thatโs not your thing. Natural colorants made from botanical ingredients, like spirulina, hibiscus, and saffron, can create gorgeous muted tones that pay homage to Mother Earth herself. Hereโs how to color soap naturally using powdered herbs, flowers, and botanicals you can easily find at the store or online.
How To Color Soap – Naturally!
First things first, while this post focuses mainly on coloring soap, these herbs and spices can be used to add a dash of color to practically any homemade beauty product. Lip balm, body scrub, and even bath bombs can all benefit from a pop of color, so think outside the box! Just make sure to use a light hand so as not to stain your clothes or sheets, yes?
Now on to the soapโฆ
Natural colorants can be used for both cold process and melt-and-pour soap base. While youโre free to experiment with liquid coloring agents, I recommend getting your feet wet with dry colorants first. Not only are they guaranteed not to spoil, but because theyโre dry, they wonโt add extra moisture to your soap. And that means they shouldnโt affect the recipe or cause any issues with mold.
If you canโt find all of these colorants in powder form, feel free to make your own using whole dried herbs and a mortar and pestle (or coffee grinder).
56 Natural Soap Color Powders
To make things easy, I separated the herbs and spices into color categories. For a darker color, simply add more colorant powder, and for a muted color, add less. There is a point, however, where too much colorant may affect the texture of your soap. A good rule of thumb is 1 to 2 teaspoons per pound of soap.
Yellow / Orange
โAnnatto
โBee pollen
โCalendula
โChamomile
โMustard
โOrange peel
โPaprika
โSafflower
โSaffron
โTurmeric
Pink / Red
โBeet root
โCinnamon
โCranberry
โHibiscus
โMadder root
โRaspberry
โRed clay
โRose petal
โPitaya
Purple
โRed cabbage
โRed onion
โPurple corn
โElderberry
Blue
Green
โAlfalfa
โChlorella
โComfrey leaf
โHenna
โKelp
โMatcha
โMoringa leaf
โSpirulina
โWheatgrass
Beige / Brown
โBlack tea
โBlack walnut
โClove
โCocoa
โCoffee
โRosehip
โSage
Gray / Black
โAlkanet root
โBlack cocoa
โBlack sesame
โIndigo
โPumice
โSquid ink
White
โKaolin clay
Mica Powder
While not technically a botanical ingredient, mica powder can be used to color soap naturally. It comes in a variety of shades, so feel free to use an existing shade or mix and match several different colors to make your own shade.
How to Color Homemade Soap
How you use them is going to depend on the kind of soap you’re making.
How to color melt-and-pour soap
When making melt-and-pour soap, you can simply melt the soap base, add your oils and other optional ingredients, and then sprinkle in your colorants.
I recommend always sifting colorants rather than scooping them so as to prevent large clumps. But thatโs completely up to you! If you donโt like the look of the colorant as it settles, strain your soap through a few layers of cheesecloth to get rid of any lingering chunks that may sink to the bottom of the mold. Personally, I think the two-toned effect of the colors as they settle is beautiful, but you do you.
For colorants that are hard to dissolve, you can also mix 1 teaspoon of colorant with 1 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol. Then add that to your melted soap base a quarter teaspoon at a time.
How to color cold process soap
If making soap the old-fashioned way, mix 1 teaspoon of colorant with 1 tablespoon of oil and let it sit while you make your soap.
Once the soap reaches trace, add the dispersed colorant 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired color is reached. Remember, the color will deepen once the soap enters the gel phase, so take note of how much color you used and adjust as needed in subsequent batches.
Note: I have also been known to add my colorant without mixing it with oil first. Simply wait until your soap reaches a light trace, add the colorant, then continue mixing with a stick blender until the soap reaches a medium trace. While I can’t really say that’s the “right” way to do it, it’s always worked out fine!
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