How to Color Homemade Cold-Pressed Soap
Making cold-pressed soap does not require any additional heat. Cold-pressed soaps rely on the reaction of lye and water, in which the lye creates its own heat when it reacts. Then you add oils to the lye mixture to create authentic homemade soaps. Once the soap begins thickening, fragrance oils and colorants add a customized appearance. Different colorants exist in the world of soap-making, but the most common colorants used are synthetic liquid soap dye or natural dyes created from herbs and flowers.
Things You'll Need
- Stick blender
- Spoon
- Liquid soap colorant
- Soap mold
- Measuring cup
- Ladle
- Rubber spatula
Instructions
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Add One Unified Color
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1
Stir the soap with the stick blender. Wait for the soap to trace. Once you stir the lye mixture with the rest of the ingredients, the soap's texture will begin forming. When the soap forms a trace or thickens to the consistence of pudding, then you can safely begin adding colorant.
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2
Add any fragrance oil or additives before adding any colorant, and mix well.
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3
Add the liquid colorant to the soap. Slowly place one drop at a time until you achieve the desired color. Stir until the color saturates the soap.
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4
Pour the soap into your soap mold immediately after adding the colorant.
Create a Swirled Effect
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5
Remove ½ to 1 cup of the melted soap mixture once the soap traces.
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6
Add one to two drops of liquid candle dye to the removed soap.
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7
Hold the measuring cup 3 to 4 inches over the pot. Pour the colored soap into one corner of the pot.
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8
Use a rubber spatula to swirl the colored soap throughout the pot. Be careful not to stir too much or the color will blend completely into the soap.
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9
Pour the cold-processed soap into a soap mold.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Always wear goggles, gloves and a mask when handling lye because it is a dangerous chemical.
