A Splash of Color in Soap Making

Ever since psychologists found the universal value of color and its effects on men, many products have been trying to reach a larger audience by offering a variety of colors to their product. Aside from the physical and psychological advantages of using color for men, color has been used to provide aesthetic value to an otherwise practical product, soap being one of them.

In making soap, color plays an important role as it is the first characteristic to be seen by men. The visual pleasure of looking at the soap of your choice can urge one to buy even without determining its lathering or moisturizing capability. Such delicate matter should not be left to chance, so many have come out with soap colorants to suit all kinds of consumers.

Soap Colorants have mainly two kinds, the natural and synthetic.

Synthetic dyes are what is commonly found in the market and is more popular among commercial soap makers. Synthetic Colorants have a brighter luminosity and luster compared to its natural counterpart. Synthetic dyes are divided into three types: Pigments, FD&C Colorants and Micas.

Pigments are considered the most stable colorant to use in soap making. It is very rare that pigments change its original color state even when mixed with the other additives in soap making. Oxides and Ultramarines belong to this category. Because it comes in powder form, it sometimes has a tendency to clump when not watched carefully.

FD&C (Food, Drug and Cosmetics) Colorants, like pigments, are processed in laboratories and offer an endless amount of color mixtures for the consumer. It offers the most variety in color coming in numbers such as Yellow#5 or Red#3. It is relatively inexpensive and can be bought in most stores in powder or liquid states. It does not go well however with the Cold Process as it has a tendency to change from one color state to another because it reacts badly with alkaline found in the process.

Micas, when used individually is a natural product, but in soap making, mica is usually mixed with a bit of pigment or FD&C colorant to achieve a desired look. Because of its shimmering effect, micas are usually popular for high-end soaps. It provides just the right glint for sophistication and is usually smooth to work with.

For those who want their soap to be as natural as possible, things found in the environment can usually be ground up to provide soap a more natural, earthy look. While natural ingredients can be unpredictable, half of the fun is in the transformation going to the end product. Almost anything with color in nature can be ground up for natural soap coloring.

Herbs, Spices, Clays, Insects, Wood, Beans and other things can be used in soap. It may not achieve the same smoothness as synthetic products but natural outputs are usually less irritating to the skin.

Whichever you choose from these two really depends on priority and values. Make sure your choice is safe and effective for consumption.