Argh! Select Shades Mess!

[MochaMama]

Argh! I tried to get a dark red tint to my MP soap because I was using the Dragon's Blood FO. So after following the chart to a T, tell me why did my soap turn out dark, grayish lavender?

Well, I'll tell you. The intial color mix was ....dark pink, not dark red. Ok, I thought, add more drops of red. Note: DO NOT do this. So that's how I got the lavender. Oh, MochaMama, how did it become grayish? Well, let's see. I had some black clay that I so cleverly added, thinking it would bring the color down. Hmm, mission accomplished - now I've got grayed out lavender soap.

Sigh. Sometimes I really hate experimenting.

I've figured it out though. I need to use clear soap to get some of the more true colors on the chart. Apparently the MP white base of the soap interferes with the coloring, i.e no matter how much red I add, it will still look pinkish.(Look, I'm a genius - I figured that out all by myself.)

Smells nice though. Very spicy/woodsy - patchouli is the I'll just cut it up and call it Mist or something like that.

Thanks for "listening".

[topofmurrayhill]

Which color did you try from the chart?

[MsDammit]

LOL I hear your pain-one thing I have learned the hard way using select shades is don't pay attention to the color!! Just follow the chart, I don't know how many times I've colored soap and thought oh sh*t that doesn't look anything like the chart color only to check on it the next day and see it's morphed into totally different color.

[Kymber]

I have had a few of the Select Shade colors that I followed to the absolute "T" according to their charts that did not come out what it was suppose to. One was a purple and I have red...very pretty red I might add...but definately not the purple I was trying to acheive. But then did a different purple on the charts yesterday and it is a gorgeous purple...even tho it looked gray before it gelled. Also had a couple on the Celestial Colors that turned a different color then what they were suppose to. One was a yellow that actually turned a very pretty orange-ish, not what I wanted but pretty anyway.

[CareBear]

Dark red is almost impossible to get in soaps. The only way I've accomplished it is with clay and then I got bloody soap. I've used Dragon Lily Essentials Red which promises it can get you there but even then the most I've dared left we with a delightful deep pink.

I agree that with SelectShades you really have to trust the chart for CP because the shit in pH that happens as the oils saponify will dramatically impact the color - but I'm NOT sure that holds with MP.

[MochaMama]

What I'll probably do is use SFIC clear base to get the 'true' colors that I want from Select Shades. I really like working with the colors, but the color on the color chart doesn't always jibe with reality - probably because of the opaque quality of the soap.

I thought about red oxide for about 1/2 sec, until I read on some board how someone used too much and it make red suds! I've got enough problems with the brown cocoa butter suds.

Thanks for all your responses!

[topofmurrayhill]

You probably know this already but just in case you missed it. There are different color charts in Select Shades depending on the product you're making. They have charts for clear B&B, opaque B&B, CP/HP soap and CP/HP soap with a high proportion of olive oil.

[Scent Cellar]

I don't use any olive oil but I do use a high proportion of rice bran. Would I just use the blend chart for CP/HP?

[kidsngarden]

Did you add the FO then the color? My DB discolors to a really dark brown in CP so I have to color and unfragranced portion.

Bethany