Basic Soapmaking

Basic recipes and instructions for soapmaking

natural soap colorants from your kitchen and garden

  • Home
  • About Us
  • What’s New!
  • Sitemap
  • Newsletter

natural soap colorants
from the earth and your kitchen and garden

There are many natural soap colorants that you can add to your soap recipes that are earth-sourced. Coloring your soaps naturally has many benefits, it: 

  • produces beautiful colors;
  • avoids unwanted and artificial chemicals (the main reason many people make and seek out handmade soaps;
  • does add to the pollution of our waters;
  • can bring additional skin enhancing benefits.

Soap colorants come in many forms such as dyes, micas, oxides and pigments I am not going to debate if oxides and pigments are “natural” (this could be a heated debate and is a very personal choice).

soap colored with apple cider, cocoa powder, clove and paprika

This page is about earth-sourced coloring options for soap makers who wish to keep their recipe as natural as possible.

When I began soap making I researched natural soap colorants because I wanted to stay as close to a natural process as possible. Herbs, flowers, spices and clays give nice soft hues and tones, the trade off is that natural soap colorant may seem limiting to those who wish to venture in bold and vibrant colors. 

Here are ways to get color using ingredients from your kitchen or garden. You may need want to look into ordering from a soap making supplier for certain specialty natural soap colorants.

words of advice:

  • start off with less;
  • test, test, test (start with small batches(;
  • scent of most botanicals does not resist saponification in cold process and hot process soap making, keep you floral waters for other projects (the only one that I’ve found that does make it through are juniper berries which leave a nice soft scent;
  • many oils already offer some color, for instance olive oils come in a variety of hues.

infused oil

You can infuse your soap making oils with flowers, herbs and spices and powders.

Choose based on the color you want and you can be  practical also,  I infused some oil with some sage that grew abundantly in my garden.It is best to use dried herbs, spices and flowers.for oil infusions, more information on ways to infuse oils can be found here.See the list below for suggestions.

water replacement

You can replace the distilled water in your lye solution with other liquids to give your homemade soap recipes some beautiful colors. Instead of water use coffee, red wine,beer, juice and fruit and vegetable purees

Please note that you should refrigerate or freeze the liquid replacement because the sugars in certain of the liquids may burn.  

Want to try a recipe using carrot juice as a natural soap colorant? Click here for a recipe on how to make a natural soap with carrot juice, honey and ginger.

Purees can offer some nice color and some soap makers value the antioxidant properties of various fruits and vegetables, especially when they are bountiful in season. 

soap colored with pumpkin puree, charcoal and vanilla bean specks

herbs, spices, flowers and powders

Certain herbs, spices are natural soap colorants and can be added to your lye-water, to your oils or at trace. When I add them at trace I do take a bit of my oils to mix the powder and ensure consistency. 

Many of these natural colorants add texture and can be exfoliating such as parsley, sage, vanilla bean specks and lemongrass. Be sure that the ingredient is not too scratchy. 

This is a starting list of possibilities. You can delve deeper into the world of options with the kindle book.

This is a starting list of possibilities. You can delve deeper into the world of options with the 107 Natural Colorants for Cold Process Soap kindle book available on amazon.


BLUE TO PURPLE

  • alkanet root
  • indigo
  • madder root

BROWN

  • all spice
  • cocoa powder
  • cinnamon
  • clove
  • molasses
  • nutmeg
  • peppermint
  • sandalwood powder
  • vanilla bean specks
  • walnut hull

GREEN

  • alfafa (dried)
  • basil
  • comfrey leaves
  • chlorophyll
  • dill
  • green tea powder
  • kelp
  • parsley
  • spinach (dried and ground)
  • stevia powder
  • wheatgrass powder
  • sage
  • spirulina
  • tea leaves

YELLOW TO ORANGE

  • annatto Seed
  • carrots (dried and grounded)
  • calendula
  • cayenne pepper
  • chamomile
  • curry powder
  • lemon zest
  • mace powder
  • orange zest
  • paprika
  • safflower petals
  • saffron
  • turmeric
  • yarrow

clays and minerals

You can color your soap and add therapeutic properties by adding minerals and clays to your soap. Clays also add “slip” which refers to the smooth glide in a soap.The ratio varies from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon per pound (454 grams) of oils.

  • activated charcoal – very dark grey to black
  • bentonite clay – green to grey to brown
  • dead sea mud – green to grey
  • rose clay – light pink 
  • kaolin clay – available in many colors (white, yellow, green)
  • red morrocan – red to dark brown

castile olive oil soap using activated charcoal powdersoap colored with bentonite clay and activated charcoal

Leave natural soap colorants and go to Homepage

Go to Natural Soap Making

  • home

Recipes

  • Soap Recipes
  • Bath

About Soap Making

  • Learn How to Make Soap
  • Natural Soap Making
  • Soap Making Instructions

Soap Making Methods

  • How to Choose Soap Making Recipes
  • Melt and Pour Soap Making
  • Cold Process Soap Making
  • Room Temperature Soap Making
  • Hot process soap making
  • Rebatching Soap Making
  • Liquid Soap Making

More Great Stuff!

  • skin + soul blog
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Soap Making at Home Connection

Site Policies

  • Privacy
  • Disclaimer
  • Why make soap?
  • Books

By Ron & Andrea Rennick, Copyright © 2012 to 2015 www.ridgesoap.com

 – All Rights Reserved

Pages

  • african black soap recipe
  • Aloe Vera Soap Recipe
  • amazing sea salt bath benefits
  • baby laundry soap recipe
  • baby soap recipe
  • Basic Soap Recipes
  • bath salt recipe
  • beeswax soap recipe
  • biodegradable soap
  • books about bath salts
  • Books about soap making
  • calendula flower oil
  • castile soap recipes
  • cold process soap making
  • dead sea mud soap recipe
  • epsom salt bath benefits
  • himalayan bath salt benefits explained
  • History of Soapmaking
  • homemade bath fizzies
  • homemade bath products
  • homemade castile soap
  • homemade herbal salve
  • homemade lip scrub
  • homemade massage oil
  • homemade milk bath
  • homemade soap recipes
  • homemade teacher gift ideas
  • honey oatmeal soap recipe melt and pour
  • honey soap recipe
  • honey soap recipes
  • hot process soap making
  • how does soap work
  • how to make castile soap
  • how to make herbal soap
  • how to make lavender soap
  • How to make organic soap
  • how to make soap
  • Lard Soap Recipes
  • Lard, why use it in soapmaking
    • Rendering lard from bacon
    • Rendering lard from pork fat
  • lavender soap recipe
  • lemon poppy soap cake
  • liquid soap making
  • lotion bar recipe
  • lye soap recipe
  • make natural soap
  • making castile soap
  • making soap without lye
  • massage oil recipe
  • melt and pour soap making
  • natural soap colorants from your kitchen and garden
  • natural soap making
  • natural soap recipes
  • oatmeal soap recipe
  • Our Soap Recipes
  • rebatching soap making
  • room temperature soap making
  • saponification
  • soap making at home
    • soap labels
    • soap making equipment
    • soap making ingredients
    • soap making instructions
    • soap making kit
    • soap making molds
    • soap packaging supplies
  • soap making recipes
  • What is tallow in soap making?
  • Why Make Soap

Copyright © 2025 · Market theme by Restored 316