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All the pigments and micas on these pages come from
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It is important to use only colourings that are approved for cosmetics.
Desperate soapmakers have been known to use a drop of food colouring
or shavings from wax crayons but this is not a good idea. |
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Most of the colours used on these pages are natural oxides and
ultramarines such as these oxides but you can also safely use synthetic
colours from a good supplier and these come in a range of brighter
colours. One disadvantage to the 'un-naturals' is that they have a
tendency to bleed. There is an illustration and more detail on the
What Went Wrong? page. I tend to use these
if I want a soap with one solid colour. |
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One item that features again and again in these pages is titanium
dioxide. It is a whitener that will turn a transparent base into an
opaque one and when used with other pigments it adds a depth that
isn't present without it. There are two types: oil dispersible and
water dispersible. The water dispersible variety is far easier for
this type of soap as it will mix in very easily with your base if
you follow the basic instructions. If you have the oil-dispersible
type, mix it with a little jojoba oil (strictly a wax not an oil)
or some almond oil etc before you add it to your base. It works but
I haven't found it nearly as easy or as successful as using the water-dispersible
type. |
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A wonderful way to colour soap is to use cosmetic micas like the
copper mica on the left. These glisten when wet and you can produce
all kinds of effects with them from deep rich colours to gentle highlights.
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