Have you tried making your own batch of natural soap yet? If you are new to the neighborhood, then you will discover that my previous posts also feature information on “learn how to make your own natural soaps”. Up until now, we have touched on some common “soap-making” terminology, we have discussed the science behind lye and saponification, and in post number 04, I shared a recipe and steps on how to make your first batch of blissful bath soaps.

Image source: Lovely Greens - Edited by Hive account@sweetpea

Now, when we make natural soaps, the emphasis is on the word “natural”. To ensure that our soaps have no nasty ingredients in them, everything must come straight from nature itself. This means that you should avoid artificial colourants and fragrances. But don't worry, this doesn’t mean that your soap won’t look good and smell good. There are plenty of natural ways to brighten up soaps and get them looking and smelling divine.

In this post, we are going to focus on giving soap colour using only natural ingredients.

Image by Hive account@sweetpea

In the image above, I made a green tea bar of soap by mixing my liquid with green tea. If I left it as is, however, the soap would have turned out a dull brownish colour. To ensure that I got the “green” effect so that my product could live up to its namesake, I add a teaspoon of Spirulina to the mixture. Spirulina is powder made from algae.

Here’s A List Of Natural Products That Can Be Used To Give Your Lye And Oils Some Colour

Green – Spirulina
Light Orange/Peach - Paprika
Orange – Carrot Juice or Pureed Pumpkin
Light Brown - Cinnamon
Dark Brown – Coffee or Cacao Powder
Activated Charcoal – grey to deep black
Curry Powder – Yellow
Alkanet Root – Blue/Purple
Moroccan Red Clay – Red
Rose Pink Play – Light Pink

This above list features just a few of the earth’s natural products that can be used to colour soaps without adding artificial chemicals. The great thing about these products is that the don’t only colour the soap to make it look attractive, but many of them have healing properties for your skin too.

Here are more colouring suggestions:

Image Source: Three Hills Soap

Just Don’t Always Expect Amazing Results

Natural soaps will never look as bright and as striking as your store-bought soaps. This is because they do not contain artificial colourants that can create such bright and perfect colours. Also, the colour you expected might come out in a lighter or darker shade than you had hoped - this is because the chemical reaction of all the ingredients will be different each time.

So, don’t be disappointed if the soap you are making doesn’t look exactly how you imagined – but please remain happy in the fact that your soap is a healthier alternative for your skin and you can make do without the bold “fake” colours.

The Next Question Is - When Do You Add Your Colourants?

When Is the Best Time to Add Your Colour to Your Soap Mixture?

“When” you add your colouring also has a big effect on the shade of colour your soaps take to. For the best results, I can make the following suggestions:

Powders should be infused with oils and mixed in just before the lye is added to the remainder of the oils.
Liquid colourants can replace the water in your recipe.
Clays and solids should be added in just before the mixture reaches trace.

Trace is:

When your oils are blended with your lye mixture to form an emulsion – meaning that they are no longer capable of separating. You will know when you have reached trace when the soap batter dripping off the stirring utensil leaves little lines that sit on top of the mixture in the bowl. - Source

Green Tea Soap Recipe

To end off, I would like to share my Green Tea Soap recipe with you.

You will need:

Lye
Water
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Green Tea
1 teaspoon of Powdered Spirulina

The steps:

Melt your coconut oils so that it is in a liquid state. Add Olive Oil.
Take a small amount of your oil mixture and add the Spirulina. Use a coffee whizz to blend the powder with the oils.
Mix your lye with your water.
When your lye solution is the same temperature as your oil, you can mix them all together. Remember to add lye to oil and not vice versa.
Add your Spirulina-infused oil to the mixture.
Blend until "trace" is reached.
Pour the soap into your molds.
Insulate and leave the mixture to harden for two days before removing the solid bars of soap from their molds.