Coloring Soap with Herbs
This page is a work in progress. Please check back periodically to see what new things have been added.
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First lets take a look at the boring stuff and get it over with. It’s boring and not as interesting as soap itself, but it’s imporant to know these things. Really it is. So take the time and read this.
When it comes to coloring soap there are many things you can use. You’d be surprised at how many things you already have in your kitchen that will work. If you’re making soap for personal use, you can skip most of this first part. But if you intend to sell your soap, then things aren’t as simple as whether or not something will work, so please continue reading.
The first thing to consider is whether or not your soap is considered to be a cosmetic. For example, if you make claims about your soap such as moisturizing, exfoliating, soothing or deodorizing, then your soap is considered to be a cosmetic and is regulated by the FDA.
Watch your P’s and Q’s when it come to claims. Claims can be verbal, or written. So be careful with labels, brochures and websites. Don’t forget to dot our I’s and cross your T’s.
Using an unapproved colorant in cosmetic-soap with the sole reason of coloring the soap would make this soap misbranded and adulterated. So, if a natrual ingredient which colors soap is used in a cosmetic-soap, this natural ingredient must be FDA approved or there must be some “other” reason for adding this ingredient other than for the sake of color.
Natural plant materials on the FDA’s approved colorant list are Annatto, Caramel, Carmine, Beta-Carotine, and Henna. It’s a very short list.
With true soaps, no claims are made about the soap other than it is soap and it cleans, the soap is labeled simply as “Soap” and over 50% of the soap is an alkali salt of fatty acids. True soaps are not considered to be cosmetic-soaps and are regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commision not the FDA. And you can pretty much use anything you’d like to color your soap as long as it falls within good manufacturing guidelines. There is no list of natural colorants approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Whether soap is a cosmetic-soap or a true soap depends on it’s ingredients and how it’s presented. It’s up to you to decide what you want to do. It’s important to be informed and follow the rules and guidelines.
That said, lets take a look at the many different natural ingredients that could be used to color soap.
Now on to the fun stuff!!!
Below is a list of ingredients, how the ingredient is incorporated in soap and pictures of naturally colored soap which correspond with the ingredient. We will be adding to this list as time goes by, so please bookmark this page and check back periodically to see what we have added.
Alkanet
Alkanet is a wonderful herbal colorant. It’s fairly easy to use and you can get a lovely lavender or purple colored soap with it.
We’ve heard reports of blue and green soaps when using alkanet. The green hue is probably a combination of the alkanet in high pH and from using a majority of yellow oils like olive, or using an overly yellow fragrance oil. But soap should not stay green.
During the soap making process and before the soap cures you may see blue and green, but if the soap stays green or blue, then something is terribly wrong. The soap is most likely lye heavy. You see, alkanet is an alkali pH indicator. This higher the pH the blue-er it appears to be. So if you see blue or green after the soap cures, recheck the soap batch notes and make sure the soap is not lye heavy, because chances are it is.
Beet Root Powder
If you’ve already tried it, then you know the truth. Sure you’ve read on numerous websites that Beet Root Powder will give you a red or a pink. Yes, you may have read that. But will it “really” give you this color in cold processed soap? Sadly the answer is a big resounding NO. What you will get is a tan color in cold processed soap.
Parsley Powder
While some soap makers have had a bit of luck achieving a green color with parsley, others find it difficult at best. It’s very hard to get a green with parsley powder. Most soap makers get brown. It’s a nice color and it’s natural, but it’s still brown.
Some soap makers claim that they add parsley powder directly to their lye solution before adding the solution to their oils. Sorry, but in our experiements, the lye solution quickly turned the parsley powder brown and there was not even a hint of green.
But who knows? You may be one of the few soap makers who can get a green with parsley powder. Perhaps you have a secret. If you do, we’d love to hear it.
Spirulina
Spirulina is a blue green algae. It contains loads of protein, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Here it is used in a cold processed soap recipe which produces a white soap bar. A 1/2 teaspoon of Spriulian was used per pound of oils in this soap recipe. The soap is a bit dark, but the lather is still creamy and white.
A hint of blue may be seen when the soap is first cut into bars, but that hint of blue quickly disappears. What you end up with is green soap. And the green color of the spirulina seems to last a very long time.
Spirulina cost a little more than other herbs or plant material that produce a green in soap. But considering the color you can get from a very small amount, and the length of time the color lasts, it’s well worth the price. As you can see, a little Spirulina goes a long way.
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FDA’s definition of soap: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-218.html
see also http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-215.html