Spellkast Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 So, I know NOTHING about all these crazy colorants for soaps and balms and such (oxides, pigments, dyes...who the hell knows) And I bought some powder ultramarine pigments from WSP a while ago when I was trying to make my bath bombs still and THOUGHT that they would work for my very first CP soap...they were very bright and thought they'd be beautiful. WRONG! The powder basically just clumped up in the soap and I had to mix it with a fork for what felt like forever until it finally was just speckled with dye instead of clumped with it...and it became a decent shade of purple...so once the soap traced I poured the purple in and it just totally disappeared! I thought it sank to the bottom, but no matter how much I stirred up the stuff, nothing showed...so I've come to the conclusion that soap eats ultramarine pigments for dinner and I'm HOPING that my soap makes some miraculous morph overnight and becomes this beautifully swirled first CP soap! Because chances are, I will not be making this stuff ever again, and I want my one and only batch of it to be BEEEEEE-YOOOOOO-TEE-FUL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorrie Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Ah that sucks! Did you take some of the oils out of your pot and mix the colorant in there or did you mix the powder right in your pot?Better luck next time!Maybe try rebatching this batch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisa Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Spellkast, thats my question too, the first time I tried the colorants they did that, but only becuase I had not mixed them with a small amount of oils from the pot. It makes all the differnce! Dont give up girl cause you will get that BEAUUUTTTIFULLL soap!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaybee23 Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I have also been reading that you need to mix it with some glycerine or some of your oils before adding. Don't give up, if you do then you have let a batch of soap beat you. Hang in there and give it another shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gloworm Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I did the same thing. You have to mix the UM with a little oil or something before putting in traced soap. I am always disappointed with WSP things that come with absolutely NO directions:mad: . Plastic bags with no info at all. A couple of sentences of direction would go a long way.Glo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryann Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I did the same thing. You have to mix the UM with a little oil or something before putting in traced soap. I am always disappointed with WSP things that come with absolutely NO directions:mad: . Plastic bags with no info at all. A couple of sentences of direction would go a long way.GloMost (not all) of the directions are on their website. Most have directions you can click on with the product. I AGREE 100%, I can't tell you how many directions I have printed off because I need them and can't remember the % or whatnot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gloworm Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Yeah,I know I could FIND the directions on the web somewhere, but when I am in the middle of a batch and pull something out to use I just like to look at my package and follow directions. Gotta run and fire up the computer, find info, try to print and usually the printer gives me grief. Not to mention printer ink cartridges are so expensive. I guess I'm too impatient and think the supplier should print directions on their products. I swear I've got a few things from suppliers that are just marked with a batch #. So now when I look in my drawer it's like-OK what is this stuff. UM, mica, titanium dioxide, candle glitter???? Good for the companies I guess. While I wonder what it is, I'm probably buying more and marking the packages myself.Another pet peave is FO not marked B&B safe or not. How much time I waste looking them up and marking my bottles. OK ranting is over:tiptoe: (I'm slinking away now). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryann Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Yeah,I know I could FIND the directions on the web somewhere, but when I am in the middle of a batch and pull something out to use I just like to look at my package and follow directions. Gotta run and fire up the computer, find info, try to print and usually the printer gives me grief. Not to mention printer ink cartridges are so expensive. I guess I'm too impatient and think the supplier should print directions on their products. I swear I've got a few things from suppliers that are just marked with a batch #. So now when I look in my drawer it's like-OK what is this stuff. UM, mica, titanium dioxide, candle glitter???? Good for the companies I guess. While I wonder what it is, I'm probably buying more and marking the packages myself.Another pet peave is FO not marked B&B safe or not. How much time I waste looking them up and marking my bottles. OK ranting is over:tiptoe: (I'm slinking away now).I'm going to rant too (sorry for stealing your thread Spellkast, but you probably want to rant too- I'm thinking after placing an order w/ WSP). I was ordering $160 in product last night from there and the shipping was going to be $89. I purchased all soap clamshells, 12 glass jars, and misc (small) items. There was no way I was paying $89 so I dumped 1/2 my cart. AND Glo I hear ya on printing costs (WSP is making a killing between no labels and crazy high shipping prices!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elle110 Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Spellcast,You can either mix your UM in glycerine or oils from your soap, mix like heck to get the clumps out and then if you are swirling pull soap out of your pot and add to your UM/Oil mixture then swirl in the pot. Even if I am not swirling I still put some soap out and add to the mixture to give it time to start incorporating then I pour it in the soap and stir like heck.Also, make sure you are using enough UM, that was my problem in the beginning, since a color was so bright I would add a teaspoon of UM to a 6# batch and then be surprised there was no color. I have a really pretty lavender that you would thing a tsp. would be more than enough but no, I have to add around 2 T. to get a medium lavender color.Your soap is not eating your color it probably just needs more or mixed in better HTHElle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeana Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 So, I know NOTHING about all these crazy colorants for soaps and balms and such (oxides, pigments, dyes...who the hell knows) And I bought some powder ultramarine pigments from WSP a while ago when I was trying to make my bath bombs still and THOUGHT that they would work for my very first CP soap...they were very bright and thought they'd be beautiful. WRONG! The powder basically just clumped up in the soap and I had to mix it with a fork for what felt like forever until it finally was just speckled with dye instead of clumped with it...and it became a decent shade of purple...so once the soap traced I poured the purple in and it just totally disappeared! I thought it sank to the bottom, but no matter how much I stirred up the stuff, nothing showed...so I've come to the conclusion that soap eats ultramarine pigments for dinner and I'm HOPING that my soap makes some miraculous morph overnight and becomes this beautifully swirled first CP soap! Because chances are, I will not be making this stuff ever again, and I want my one and only batch of it to be BEEEEEE-YOOOOOO-TEE-FUL!Sorry to hear your colorant didn't work. I've been using many of the micas, ultramarines, and the oxides for a while now and they provide the best colors for me. Sometimes liquid dyes change when you add them to the mixture and you don't really know what you will end up with. I made some soap last night with green oxide. I put about a tsp in right after I added the lye. It was glumpy at first but I didn't want to add anything else to the batch. Then I stick blended it and it actually ended up a little too dark. I've definitely learned waiting until trace to add color doesn't give enough time to correct issues that could be going on. Next time try adding your color just after you mix your lye in pretty well then blend to trace. If you don't wait until trace to add stuff you will have it blend better and you will have time to add more if you need to. And I think you will be much happier with the results.Give it another shot. All of this takes time to learn. You'll make some ugly soap sometimes when learning how to make the beauties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spellkast Posted January 18, 2006 Author Share Posted January 18, 2006 Well, I took some of the soap out and mixed the coloring in there..and I stirred like a mad scientist...most of the clumps came out, but today my soap is this ugly gray color AND it's like mushy and has a little spot of oil at the top...I think I may POSSIBLY need a better scale This sucks...I knew I was a lousy cook- but now I know I'm a lousy soaper, too! Well, good thing for M&P!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elle110 Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 NO, you can do it, don't give up now. What kind of scale do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spellkast Posted January 18, 2006 Author Share Posted January 18, 2006 LOL- I don't give up all that easily...but it may be a good thing- one less thing on my plate since I already make like 657863478563478658 things!!! I'm gonna try it one more time with some other form of dye and a different FO...I can't smell this one at ALL (JS's Dream Angels Halo.) Maybe green clover & aloe...love that scent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeana Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Well, I took some of the soap out and mixed the coloring in there..and I stirred like a mad scientist...most of the clumps came out, but today my soap is this ugly gray color AND it's like mushy and has a little spot of oil at the top...I think I may POSSIBLY need a better scale This sucks...I knew I was a lousy cook- but now I know I'm a lousy soaper, too! Well, good thing for M&P!!!Don't worry about the little spot of oil. Sometimes if I have some oil on top and it seems really soft, I will leave it in the mold for an extra day and it will absorb right back where it belongs. You can usually tell the difference between an botched batch and one that needs a little more mold time. Are you using a stick blender? The color should mix very well with one. It will save your arms. And just use a lot more color next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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