| As a soapmaker, you'll notice that many soaps will | | | | and may stand up in cold processing. I also know for |
| naturally turn out different colors. For example, | | | | sure that beets (reddish-pink) do not work in coloring |
| whenever I've added honey to soap, the soap has | | | | soap whether used in cold-processing or handmilling. |
| turned honey-colored. If it is important to you, like it is to | | | | Turmeric (bright yellow) and paprika (orange) can also |
| me, that your soap is 100% all-natural, you'll be | | | | be used to dye soap with pretty good results. |
| disappointed with many of the available soap dyes. | | | | The only natural soap dyes that I know of made |
| Why? Because they contain the same chemicals used | | | | commercially are available from TKB Trading, |
| to color commercial soaps-namely FD&C colors | | | | Cranberry Lane, and Sun Feather Natural Soap Co. |
| (FD&C stands for Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics). | | | | TKB Trading offers oil-based natural dyes: oil-based |
| These are also the ingredients used in food coloring. | | | | blue (from blue gardenia flowers), oil-based green |
| Some of the known side effects of FD&C | | | | (from chlorophyll--the stuff that causes grass stains), |
| colorants include: | | | | oil-based red (from beetles or "carmine"--this one is not |
| - FD&C Red #40 causes lymphomas and tumors | | | | vegan), and oil-based yellow (from annatto seed). Be |
| - FD&C Yellow #5 (used in Dial soap) causes | | | | aware that TKB Trading has a $20 minimum for |
| allergies, thyroid tumors, lymphomas, chromosomal | | | | orders. Cranberry Lane offers Ratanjot (purple) and |
| damage, triggers asthma, hives, and hyperactivity | | | | Annatto Seeds (yellow). Sun Feather offers powdered |
| - FD&C Yellow #6 causes hives, runny nose, | | | | natural pigments, which are made of pulverized |
| nasal congestion, bronchial constriction, anaphylactic | | | | minerals and plant material. Their offerings include: |
| reaction, bruising, allergies, and kidney tumors. | | | | yellowish-brown (brown ochre), bright white (titanium |
| - FD&C Green #3 (used in Irish Spring soap) | | | | dioxide), purple (ultramarine purple), earthy green |
| causes bladder tumors | | | | (chromium oxide), earthy yellow (yellow ochre), bright |
| - FD&C Blue #2 causes brain tumors | | | | blue (ultramarine blue), and earthy yellow (yellow |
| The only color-true natural soap dyesout there are | | | | sienna). |
| annatto seed (orange), alkanet root (magenta), ratanjot | | | | Furthermore, most all color in soap will fade over time. |
| (purple), spirullina, seaweed/kelp (all green), vanilla | | | | Ironically, reds are known for bleeding. Mineral pigments |
| extract, coffee, cocoa powder (all deep brown), red | | | | (and micas) are more likely to fade in the light than |
| and/or white wine (both make soap pink), carrot juice | | | | others. Do not use things that are not made for soaps, |
| (orange), pureed cucumber (green), and tomato | | | | cosmetics, or food, such as crayons, candle dyes, or |
| (peach). These colorants definitely hold up in handmilling | | | | paint. |