All About Natural Colorants
Coloring your products naturally has never been easier. As customers start to pay more attention to ingredient labels and discover the benefits, it increases the demand for clays and other botanicals. Best of all, they look beautiful in everything from soap to face masks.
Learn about the natural colorants we offer and how to make them pop in your products!
Natural colorants at Bramble Berry
Clays
Along with creating lovely shades in products, clays also help
absorb excess oil from the skin. That makes them perfect for masks, facial soap,
scrubs, etc. We offer a variey of shades and absorption properties - learn more
in Which
Clay is Right for Your Skin?
Powders
We carry everything from activated charcoal to orange peel powder. Some
just add color, while others also add exfoliation. They're perfect for DIY soap,
bath bombs, scrubs, and more.
Botanicals
You can infuse dried flowers and add them to DIY projects. However, they
do add very subtle color and scent. You can also sprinkle them on top of
soap or mix them into bath salts for a beautiful rustic
look.
How to use natural colorants
Each one has slightly different recommendations for use, so make sure to check the product pages before getting started. For instance, indigo powder can look brighter if it's added right to your lye water. Below are two common methods for working with natural colorants.
Mixing them in
directly
For dry products like bath bombs and scrubs,
add the natural colorant to the powder and stir well. Start with about 1/8 teaspoon
and be sure to make a small test batch - some colorants may not mix in well with
your product or with water. If the powder is prone to clumping, you can push it
through a sifter or break it up with your
fingers.
For cold process soap, we recommend mixing 1 teaspoon of the color with 1 tablespoon of oil or distilled water - whichever is recommended on the product page. Then, add 1 dispersed teaspoon at a time at trace. For melt and pour, mix with water or alcohol and add 1/4 teaspoon at a time. Learn more in How to Color Handmade Soap.
Infusing
A general usage rate to start with is about 1 tablespoon of
powder or botanical per pound of oil. Which oil is up to you - we recommend one with
a neutral color and a long shelf life. Put the infusion in an airtight container and
let it sit at room temperature for 4-6 weeks. Then, strain a few times through a
coffee filter or cheesecloth to get any leftover bits of colorant. Store the oil in
a clean airtight container.
You can also speed that process up by placing the infusion in a slow cooker for 1-4 hours.
How much you add to your recipes depends on the color and how strong it is. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there.
Tips
Natural colorants really benefit from gel phase. It helps them look more vibrant in cold process soap. Learn more in All About Gel Phase.
Natural colorants are also more prone to fading over time. Storing your products in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight will help them last as long as possible.
If you're ready to create beautiful recipes with natural colorants, find inspiration here!
