Frequently Asked Questions about LabColor Dyes

How do I know which Labcolors I need?
Labcolor dyes are separated into groups by use. These groups also have subgroups of shades. Passing your mouse over the name of the subgroup will activate the link. If you make any form of Cold Process soap, choose the High pH group. All other products can choose from the Low pH or the High pH group.

What does "for 8 oz." and "for 16 oz." mean?
Labcolors Dye Solutions are Super Concentrated. They may be used by the drop or by mixing with water. For the "8", you would add the contents of the 10ml bottle to 8 ounces of water. For the "16" you would mix the 20 ml bottle with 16 ounces of water. Both are the same as buying diluted dye without paying the higher cost for "ready made" or for shipping water.

How can Labcolors be used in such small amounts and still get strong colors?
Our formulation is superior to all other colors on the market. The dyes are very concentrated. These formulas were designed in 1999 by cosmetic chemist, Jen Snider. Hundreds of hours of work went into testing the formulas and ensuring that these colors would be cost effective and easy to use.

Are Labcolors pretty much a guaranteed colorant system?
Nothing in soapmaking is every guaranteed but this is the easiest, most reliable colorant system you will ever use. Once you understand the concepts in the blending chart and usage rates, you won't want to go back to working with powders!

Will these colors in the product fade over time?
Any colorant will fade with exposure to direct sunlight. Even your clothing will fade in the direct sunlight given enough time! We recommend trying to store your soaps in the shade at outdoor craft shows. Normally exposure to lights in stores should not affect the color of your soap.

Will the colors bleed in Melt and Pour soap?
Yes. The colorants are water soluble and will bleed in melt and pour soap.

How much of the High pH basic color do I use in my soap per pound of raw soap?
We recommend between 3/4 ounce to 1 1/2 ounce of diluted color to raw, thinly traced cold process soap (Oils + lye water). This is a generalization so be sure to look up the blending information for the particular color you're interested in.

Help! Some of my colors look like they've separated!? What should I do?
Colors with Ext. Violet No. 2 may get thick and need to be heated up prior to working with. Pop the color in the microwave for 10 seconds (no more!) increments and shake until the colorant is fully dispersed. Additionally, these colorants may also get a bit thick on you when working with them: Emerald, Royal Purple, Aqua, Blue Mix, Fuchsia, just remember heat will thin them out and make them easier to work with.

I followed the color chart and my soap isn't the color that was shown on the chart. What happened?
Soap is part art and part science. There are different things that cause the colorant to react differently than the color chart. For example, high amounts of Olive oil or Hemp oil cause a more yellow base. We have designed a high Olive Oil colorants line for just this reason. Different fragrance oils or additives in your soap can cause differences in your color. Additionally, some computer browsers may have different outputs of the color than other browsers so keep this in mind. You can change the colors slightly by trying the small batch testing method.

Do you sell just the FD&C and D&C powdered colors? I don't want to pay to ship water.
No, we do not sell the straight powders. What we do offer are very concentrated 10 ml or 20 ml sizes. You can either use these incredibly concentrated liquids directly into your cold process soap or dilute them in distilled water. Our colorants formularly is based on the mixed color batches (you mix the 10 ml size in 8 ounces of water). The reason your colors are pre-mixed in a small amount of distilled water is simple: less mess for you. Working with FD&C colors is an incredible mess. This system is easy to use and clean up after.

How do I know what exact shade I will get when making a batch of soap?
Use Small Batch Test to test your soap color. Pull out three ounces of soap when you're making another batch of soap. Make sure this soap is not colored with anything. Now add drops of the dye to this solution. Make sure you COUNT your drops! Each drop acts as approximately 1/8 tsp. Example: 4 drops = approximately 1/2 tsp. So if you add 4 drops, you would have the color for 1/2 tsp per Lb of soap. This will give you a pretty accurate idea of the color for your soap. Pour into a small mold, insulate and color fully. After 24 hours, this will give you a pretty good indication of the color that you will get. Make adjustments from this smaller batch. Remember, it's always good to test with smaller (less expensive) batches than your larger batches. Keep good notes!

I use Hemp Oil in my soaps and products, will this affect the colors?
Yes it can. If you use Hemp oil in greater than 10% concentrations, we suggest using the High Olive Oil colorants.

I added color to my Cold Process soap and the color is a strange shade of "X". What's going on?
Nothing bad is going on. Not to worry, your color should come around within 24 hours after making your soap. Many times, the gel phase will change the color.

I understand there will be slight differences, but how do I know exactly what to do from batch to batch to get the same color?
There is nothing to do except take very detailed batch notes. Remember, soapmaking is a science. It's always prudent to take notes so you can replicate from batch to batch or troubleshoot should something go wrong. Always keep records of each batch, number the batch, and it is a very good idea to put this information on your soap label also. This way you can keep track of each batch if something should go wrong.

I blended up a yellow color for my soap, and the liquid is not yellow but crazy neon orange!
Don't worry, this color is simply incredibly concentrated and looks odd in its concentrated state. Add it to your soap and it will go the correct color in 24 hours.

How do you know what color you will get with a Milk Soap?
Milk Based soaps tend to go an orange or tan because of the scalding of the milk. We recommend freezing your goatsmilk prior to mixing it with lye and using a 50% water/milk solution to cut down on the orange tan color of Milk Soap. Use the high olive oil colorants to get a more accurate color but understand that the colorant will have to overcome whatever milk-scalding color the base is. DO a small test batch before making a huge sized batch of soap.

What does "suggested maximum 1 Teaspoon per Lb." mean?
We don't believe you should ever use more than 1 teaspoon of colorant in any of your products. There actually should be no reason to ever go over 1 Teaspoon per lb of product with Labcolors.

Do I have to blend these with water and add preservative to use?
We have already preserved the colorants but if you heat the colorants up in the microwave or double boiler, we always recommend adding 1% Germaben II just to be on the ultra safe side. Alternately, you can freeze your color in the freezer and not use a preservative. You do need to add water - either 8 or 16 ounces depending on how much colorant you ordered. Your colors are shipped ultra concentrated to save you money on shipping.

Can I get these with no preservative?
Sorry, anything with water in it has the potential to mold so we must include a preservative of 1% in your colorants.

What is the shelf life of Labcolors?
If stored properly Labcolors have a shelf life of 2 years or more. We suggest replacing after two years.

I've come up with a great color. Will you add it to your chart?
Yes! We love to see what colorants you can come up with. E-mail us with the colorant and once we test it and find it fabulous, we will add it to our chart.

Is there any way to know if my browser is reading colors differently than what the colors are?
Sorry, there is no way to determine this. DO a small test batch of the colorant in your soap recipe just to be on the safe side.

On some colors the INCI information is a lot! Do I have to list ALL of this on my label?
Yes you do. You do not need to list Distilled Water if your recipe already includes water.

I have all the colors listed in the INCI information in powder form, can I just mix these up and use the color chart?
No. The formulas vary in their composition by colorant amount. It is unlikely that you will be able to duplicate the color chart formulations easily.

Can I use Labcolors in my lip balms or Lotion Bars?
No. These colors are not made for wax or wax based cosmetics as they are water based. They will not mix into your product and instead, will puddle at the top in a color-y mess. Oil Soluble and Wax safe colorants are coming soon.

I make a lot of soap, and 4 oz won't last me very long. Can I get larger sizes?
Of course, please e-mail us for quotes on larger amounts.