The use of natural colorant in soap has become a big topic over the last several years. Partially because the natural soap community has grown. With companies like Dr. Sqatch raising the popularity of handmade soap and environmental issues concerning single use plastic.
That has created a big question in a lot of soap makers minds. How far should I go down this path? How much is too much? These can be big questions when you are running a business. You can't just do what you want. It might not be cost effective. With options like soaking hibiscus in your oil to achieve some potential natural benefits and a natural colorant. How far is too far? Habiscus isn't exactly cheap. It also isn't exactly expensive but when you include the two weeks cure time. And the feeling that since you went to the trouble of making the natural colorant perhaps you should use a natural fragrance oil the cost just goes up and up. Add the fact that a soap that is too expensive will never sell. Where do you stop?
The answer is of course, what is most important to your customers?
Well when you're first starting the answer is also obvious, who knows? Part of the problem is that most of the time you can't really trust the opinions of your first customers. Because family and friends are likely to lie about how good the product is. Which in turn leads to failure after failure.
That said it is obvious given it's popularity that it needs to be an option. Then the question becomes characteristics. Clays can go into a soap with almost no change to the appearance of the soap. The problem then becomes options. Clay only comes in a few colors. Pink reds, and green being the most common. As you can see in the image green clay doesn't really change the color of the soap. Which means that the soap maker has to resort to other methods.
The plant powders above are two of the most common options alkanet on the left and spirulina on the right. As you can see these are both speckled. This is one of the major differences between mica and a natural colorant from a plant. The speckled appearance means that the use of the natural colorant is obvious.
There are ways to get around this as well. With options like soaking the powders on oil. Those work arounds tho relatively affective don't get rid of the speckles 100%. There are also limits here with honest reds not brown reds, purples, blues, dark greens, are bright yellows.
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