# When do you add your oxides for color?



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Do you add your oxides at trace for color? Also, I added some eo at trace, then it seemed to not mix well. When is the best time? 

Another- what is your favorite exfoliant? Used ground corriander, wow was that scratchy!


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

I just started using oxides, and I add mine to the oils before mixing, or I'll add it in after I combine the lye/milk (or water) and oils. I think you'll need to add your scent (either EO or FO) when you mix your oils and lye/milk (or water) together.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

should have done a test batch! Had an 8lb of oil batch, and for some reason, it separated. Ugh! I had already added the oxides in different bowls, so had to cook each batch, mixing up the oxides in each one. One of them is the ugliest soaps I've ever made. Used a brick red oxide, and it came out looking like sausage- used bear tallow, so I guess I'll give it out as bear sausage soap.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

InHisName said:


> should have done a test batch! Had an 8lb of oil batch, and for some reason, it separated. Ugh! I had already added the oxides in different bowls, so had to cook each batch, mixing up the oxides in each one. One of them is the ugliest soaps I've ever made. Used a brick red oxide, and it came out looking like sausage- used bear tallow, so I guess I'll give it out as bear sausage soap.


Are you making HP soap? I make CP, so I'm not sure if you'll want to add yours at a different time or not! Doesn't the soap get very thick during HP? I imagine you'll want to add it to the oils. I'm so sorry you had trouble, especially with an 8 lb batch!! 

I'm going to make more soap this morning, and I"m going to try again at getting a good swirl with the regular "white" soap and using a red oxide...my last swirl didn't turn out so swirly, because I stirred each color separately until they were traced too thickly, so this time I'll stop as soon as it gets to trace. 

The bear sausage soap sounds neat!! :happy2:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I mix my oxides & ultra marines with a bit of glycerin before adding a bit of very thin traced soap to the bowl of colorant. 

If I'm coloring the whole batch, then I put the colored soap back into the soap pot. 

Oxides dissolve in oil, ultra marines dissolve in water. They both dissolve in glycerin!!

I gave up using red oxide!! If you use enough to actually get a brick red, then you also get red bubbles. Pretty cool around Halloween. Otherwise, you get a sausage color ... BTDT!

Katie, Stir your colored soap to just bring up the dissolved colorant from the bottom of the bowl. Pour your uncolored soap in your mold, then use the stick blender to finish combing the color of your swirl.

To reach to the bottom of your log mold, you'll want the colored soap to be at a light trace and pour from a height so the colored soap can penetrate the uncolored soap.

Alternately, * pour a layer of uncolored soap, then pour a swirl of color soap * repeat from * to *. Take a chop stick and drag it through the soap in small circles.


eta: Don't forget to post pictures!!!


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Thanks Cyndi! I'm going to try an in-the-pot swirl and see how it goes...and I'm actually going to try the red! Yikes! It's a brighter red, not a brick red, so cross your fingers for me! 

If you go to my Purl & June FB page (link in my signature), you can see my first attempts at the oxides. I did three soaps, a gingerbread (all brown), an evergreen (was supposed to be swirled!), and the hot cocoa one. The hot cocoa one actually worked out well, because I wanted to uncolored soap to stay on top! The evergreen soap didn't swirl because it was too thick, but I like how it turned out anyways. 

Ok, I'm off to make some soap!


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

I think what really added the sausage factor in my soap was that I had added white oxide to the other part of the batch to swirl, so this is a lovely light brick red flecked with white- I guess more salami than sausage- ish.... 
added mine in a bit of almond oil, then put it in at trace.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

I may end up with sausage soap too! Here's my batch:

I blended until oils were combined with lye mixture, then I added my fragrance oil (which contained vanilla, which accelerates trace, so I knew I'd have to be quick) then poured some into a separate container for coloring. Then I blended the base soap until it just started to trace. 










Then I added the color to the separate container:









Barely had time to blend it before it started tracing:









Then I wanted to do the in-the-pot swirl, so I added the color at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions. (you can see it was too thick already)









Then I used the spatula to swirl the soap clockwise, and then once counter clockwise, but I think I swirled too much.










Then I poured into the mold, and the two colors were blending more than I wanted. 



























So I'm curious to cut it tomorrow and see how it actually turns out. 

Cyndi, I can see why you gave up on reds. I was hoping for a brighter red, since the soap is scented "cranberry." Oh well, I'm sure it'll look interesting! I'll see tomorrow when I cut it. It's at least fun to experiment!!


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

The vanilla will probably turn your soap a bit brown--most vanilla does.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

True, Tinker, but I used this FO once before and it didn't turn brown (must have a very small amount of vanilla). My other FO's with vanilla like my Pumpkin Crisp and Vanilla Lavender definitely do! At least I'm hoping it won't turn brown...then it'll be really ugly. LOL. It already looks a little like tomato soup.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Katie, next time you do an in the pot swirl and your colored soap is thick like that, get up on a stool and pour from a greater height in the 3, 6, 9 & 12 positions. Instead of swirling it around, pull the color in to the center of the post, (just once for each splotch) trying to squish it down into the soap. Then pour into the mold back and forth the length of the mold.

Or use this method:



> Alternately, * pour a layer of uncolored soap, then pour a swirl of color soap * repeat from * to *. Take a chop stick and drag it through the soap in small circles.


I think you'll be pleased!

And you do need some glycerin to dissolve that oxide .... hmmmm .....


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

great pictures, Katie!

Hope it turns out well for you, would be lovely for Christmas.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Well, I'm very happy with the way it turned out! The color turned into a really pretty mauve, and the swirls were actually in there! I was worried they got too muddled up. 













InHisName, how did your soap turn out?


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Yours is beautiful! The swirls are great  Mine- well took some to church today and gave it away as bear sausage- to an usher that gave us some yummy venison bratwurst last week. He was tickled- so I guess it has it's place!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Beautiful Katie!!

IHN ... you might be surprised how many folks like "RUSTIC" looking soaps like your 'bear sausage'


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

That looks great, your swirl came out very nice.


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