Beginners guide to how to colour cold process soap naturally using a selection of different clays

Hello everyone!
One question I see time and time again is how to achieve striking colour results in cold process soap, using only natural colourants. This means no micas, no synthetic colourants and no oxides. (oxides and micas can be classed as natural or nature identical, depending on what they are coated with, but for this video, we are going 100% unarguably natural!) We have put together this video to show you how we colour some of our soaps naturally using clays.
Clays are extremely beneficial for use in soap, they add colour, they have various different skin loving properties and they can even help anchor your scent in soap.
When it comes to colouring soap naturally, there are a wide variety of options, but we love using clay as it really is so easy!
Today we will be using French green clay, French yellow clay, Moroccan red clay, rose clay, Rhassoul clay, Dead Sea clay, Kaolin clay and a 50/50 mix of Moroccan red and French yellow clay to colour our soaps and show you the colour results that we achieve. We will also be chatting through the individual benefits of each clay as well as the overall benefits of using clays in soaps.
The video is quite a long one today! We have tried to condense it as much as possible, but we wanted to make it fairly detailed in order to give you as much information as possible!
If you enjoy our videos and soap making tutorials please do give us a like and subscribe :-) We will be uploading new videos every Friday and possibly the odd midweek bonus video here and there! You can also follow us and find our soaps here:
www.sussexsoap.co.uk
sussexhandmadesoap
sussex_handmade_soap
If you do head over to our website, we offer our KZbin friends 20% off purchases if you enter code "youtube20" at checkout :-)

[@liveandletlive7152]

I love the colour coming from the clays. I prefer them to mica any day❤

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

They do create such beautiful, natural shades don't they 🙂

[@ProverbsSixteen3]

Just what I needed. Thank you - I spent ages trying to figure out which clay to buy but his has been a great help. I'm going for a the Moroccan clay for my first soap attempt.

[@lindachandler2293]

Beautiful demonstration. Exactly what I was looking for.

[@remnantfewministriesminist495]

Glad I found your video! Thank you so much. I appreciate the time and fun that went into making this video!

[@isabellaschorno3714]

They look lovely, thank you for sharing.

[@rainesonne1320]

I love this video! I’d love to see other natural ingredients that you can use to color your soap with!

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you, we do have a few other videos featuring natural ingredients and we will be making more videos on this subject over the coming months :-)

[@shellybrentlinger7403]

Great video! Loved all the information on the clays and the colors. Thank you!

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Shelly, I hope you found it helpful :-)

[@kajolgolchha1326]

Really loved & informative and very great to see this experiment loved to watch this is my first time really loved it and subscribed 🥰💯

[@alpheaatwill5149]

Very detailed and informative. Thank you!

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you, I hope you found it helpful :-)

[@WildKraftyAotearoa]

Fantastic!

[@marisaelskamp4497]

Love those colors

[@michelleplume4778]

Hi, I’m new to your channel, love to watch people making soap. I didn’t realise you couldn’t just sell homemade soap in the U.K. without it being tested, it’s the first time I’ve heard anyone say that, and I’ve watched many MANY videos lol thank you for the information and great soap making.

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Michelle :-) Yes, here in the UK the regulations for selling soap are strict. Getting it assessed is just one part of the process and it is a pretty expensive thing to do too! I must admit, there is a part of me that envies people across the pond in the US who don't need to have each individual recipe assessed before they can sell or donate soap.

[@sangeetasakhale1106]

Thank you for sharing this helpful video 🙏🙏

[@angelssheabutterbusiness5587]

Thank you 🥰 so much very informative holistic natural, Bless you 🙏

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you. Natural soaps are our favourites and we love being able to colour them with clays. It adds such a nice touch to the soaps.

[@merryljohnson2764]

Wonderful video!!! Loved all the colours! Please do explore the blue and pink clays too!

[@nancydeadman8525]

Thank you for sharing, very informative.

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you, glad you found it interesting!

[@monicahatch6498]

Wonderful video Thank you!

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Monica :-)

[@bellabates4512]

I appreciate your long video so interesting thank you very much

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Bella

[@TheeHerbJunkie]

Thank you very informative

[@AnnaMintTea]

This video was so helpful! Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

You are welcome Anna and I am glad that you found it helpful.

[@nourashaheen487]

Special thanks Noura from Egypt Since the 1st minute and description Veryyyy rich video

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you so much :-)

[@tanyacosgrove3571]

Hello, I really do appreciate it all of this information. I'm new to soap making but LOVING it and I want to keep it as natural as possible and this video is just awesome, so thank you so much and stay safe ☺️

[@verawalsh2708]

Thanks that was great 👍🏽

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Vera, I hope you found it helpful :-)

[@spiralesdargent]

Really helpful, thankyou

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

You are welcome :-)

[@amandacrown7307]

Thanks so much for sharing this video.. I have more insight as to what clays can do in soaps.. Looking forward when you have a video for blue clay cambrian

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

You are very welcome Amanda, I am glad that you found it useful. This Friday's video is going to be one making use of natural clay's and plant colourants to create a themed soap and it is one of my favourite designs that we have done so far! :-)

[@tassiegirl1991]

Those are so pretty and I have purchased most of those clays but not used all yet. I must say your uncoloured batter looks fab I must see if I can find what you use . I’m pretty new to this and doing as a hobby to share with family and friends. Do you ever steam the tops of your soaps? I wonder if they would have a shine if you did? Thanks so much really enjoyed it and heck I don’t mind the length of the video.

[@wetdroidedition2549]

The soap lady 😍

[@heatherthaxton451]

I love how you talk about the clay properties. Are you able to describe some of those properties if you sell them?

[@bogdangentile7463]

Thank you

[@keasileweniqila1832]

Very interesting to watch...lovely!

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Keasi, we are glad you found it interesting and thank you for watching :-)

[@carolynrupard2699]

Thank you for your videos. They are so easy to understand and educational. Can you share best place to buy clays?

[@susanann4171]

I love these colours, I love the natural look, do you use the same soap recipe for most of yr soaps?

[@TheMariana29]

Lovely colors 😍😍😍can't wait to make some soap 😀 thank you for sharing! 🙏

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you and good luck with your soap making :-)

[@lennyasmrart]

wow thank u that was alot of work so informative and inspiring

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

You are very welcome! I am pleased you found it inspiring :-)

[@rubyraza]

Thanks for this ❤️😊👍 I have few different clays Russian blue Cumbrian too !! 😜 am going to try and use these as a natural colour in cp soaps . 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

I would love to try the Russian Cambrian clay! Unfortunately I have found it impossible so far to get the correct documentation that I would need to be able to sell soaps made with it here in the UK.

[@spiralesdargent]

Hi Ann, jumping on this one! What documentation do you need when adding clays into soap? Do you need it for micas and essential oils too? Where do I get all of that please?

[@asmaaswilam8598]

I absolutely love your soaps and your colors ❤❤ Can i ask, which type of colors, is it mica or what And very thankful for your experience ❤❤ Im new subscriber🤩🤩

[@boomboom2673]

I was making some soap and I got lye in my eye one little grain of lye, it felt like I lit my eye on fire it ate a whole on the inside of my eyelid it was an awesome experience. thank god I can still see.

[@sabrinah6446]

Thank you! Great video! Informative and funny! I am about to make my first load of soap, and I would like to color only with clay. Did I understand right, that you have to take the amount of water that you need to mix the clay away from the original amount of water that you use in step 1 to make lye? (sorry, long question ;-) )

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hello Sabrina. Yes, that is how we do it. We take a small amount of the water from step one and mix it with the clay. You don't need too much (we tend to use about a tablespoon). Good luck with your first batch of soap! :-)

[@ChocolateMelanin]

I absolutely love those colours in your soap 😍😍😍 can I ask, where did you get your 12 bar soap mould. Thanks for sharing this 🥰🥰 New subscriber 😊

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hello! Thank you for the lovely comment and sub! I spent an extraordinary amount of money on shipping and bought the 12 bar mould from Bramble Berry online (they are based in the USA). I believe it is also available online from "YouWish" who are a company based in the Netherlands who sell a lot of the Bramble Berry range. If you are UK based, their shipping rates are a bit better than buying from the USA!

[@hollymcdonnell339]

Love it

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Holly :-)

[@AlbertinaMarinelli]

Hello and thank you for this very informative video. Besides the colouring, have you noticed what other characteristics do these clay add to the soap? For example smoother lather, silkier, less slime, or maybe they kill bubbles.... What is your experience?

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

When we use clay in our soaps we notice that they feel slightly silkier to use, it adds a really nice "feel" to the soap. Many people also swear by using clay's to help anchor the scents of essential oil into the soap though we personally don't notice a huge difference in scent retention between when we use clays and when we don't.

[@user-iw7vt7jy5b]

❤❤👍👍

[@brigidlaffey7343]

Beautiful soaps❣️Do hope you think again about any possible foray into future use of ‘fragrance oils’: “Across multiple research studies, chemicals used to make fragrances are classified as allergens, hormone disruptors, asthma triggers, neurotoxins & carcinogens. The punchline: fragrances are highly toxic. Fragrances commonly contain phthalates, which are chemicals that help the scents last longer.” 😳

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Brigid. We have done a lot of our own research into fragrance oils too, before deciding to use them. The fragrances that we are using are phthalate free and do not contain parabens (the chemicals that are often linked to hormonal problems and can be classed as carcinogenic). All the fragrances that we will be using have been certified as skin safe. Both essential oils and fragrance oils contain allergens and can be classed as toxic (especially if ingested), however both are deemed safe for use in soaps as long as proper usage rates are adhered to. We are adding in our fragrance oil range as this is something that many of our customers have requested. We actually have a few customers who can't use soaps that contain certain essential oils because they are allergic to them but can use the fragrance oil version of the same scent. We will still be offering our essential oil soaps too though, so our customers can make their own choice about what they wish to use :-)

[@pepperjimenez3991]

I have seen some soapers mix the dry clay with almond oil instead of water. Are there pros or cons to this method vs mixing with water to come up with the pigment or color?

[@corabeach7696]

GREAT VIDEO TY,,CAN YOU USE THESE PIGMENTS IN MELT&POUR SOAP AS WELL?

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you Cora. To be honest, we don't make melt and pour soaps and so don't have a lot of knowledge when it comes to what can go in to them, so I am afraid I can't give you an answer, as I am not sure myself!

[@1118cristina]

👍♥️♥️♥️

[@samihage1223]

How to make glycerin transparent vegan soap? How to make base soap? How to preserve essential oil scent after adding it to soap mixture? How to get a hard soap texture that last longer other than the sodium lactate, does the oil type play a role or the temperature

[@yonikki]

My purple kaolin clay turned my cold process rebatch into "chili red" ... maybe it reacted to the lavender essential oil? I only used silicone spatula. It's looks like lava but smells like lavender. So ugly lol. I might have to stick to unscented soaps while adding natural colors.

[@goshinsocial1798]

Hi thanks for this video please where do you get your clay from🙏

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hi, We use Foundinbio in Portugal for our Dead Sea, Moroccan clay and rose clay and we use Mystic Moments and The Crafters Shop for our others :-)

[@brendatalton6242]

Good morning, Do I mix equal parts of water and clay if I'm making a large batch?

[@TheeHerbJunkie]

Would you just mix your essentials with clay and water ? If I’m using for natural colorant and to anchor soap ?

[@kindredinspirit]

Curious, seems like a lot of clay per bar? If you use 1 T per 1 lb soap, didn’t you mix 1 tb with water 1/2 t water and added that much to each single bar? Or did I miss something?

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hi Kindred Spirit, We use 1 tablespoon of clay per 1 pound of oil, which is higher than some people choose to use, but it is a ratio that works for us. When creating the small, single bars in this video we did not use a whole tablespoon of clay per bar. The amount of clay used and shown in the video was factored down to allow for the fact that the bars we were making were smaller and contained less oil. For these individual bars we used just over 1/2 a teaspoon of clay per bar, which works out to the given ratio of tbsp per 1lb oil :-)

[@chicaboom4505]

Bellissimi questi colori! Sono così caldi👏 Ppotewbbe indicare un sito dove acquistare tutte le argille? Grazie per i suoi video.

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Thank you. I recommend "FoundinBio" (based in Portugal) for many of the clays. For the ones they do not sell, we use Mystic Moments (UK based)

[@naketastanley1732]

Hi, is the rose pink clay french?

[@diklanav]

Hello and thank you for sharing! I I grow up in Israel :) I have a question regarding clay soaps, is it good for everyday use? Thank you

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hello and welcome to our channel! I have visited Israel once and found it to be a very beautiful country with so much history. I was lucky to experience visiting the Dead Sea and it is a memory I will treasure forever. The clay soaps can be used every day as the clays used are very mild and are used in small quantities so are suitable for everyday use. :-)

[@diklanav]

@@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany thank you for your greetings and answering so quickly. Looking forward seeing your videos.

[@hankeringafterthegoodlife2420]

Hi do you find it coloures the lather?

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

No, we find that the clays don't tend to affect the colour of the lather. If they were used in much higher quantities then it may be possible, but in the amounts we have used the lather is still white.

[@brigidlaffey7343]

😳

[@GR-hy3tf]

How do you spell the Israeli clay? I would like to buy it. Thank you for sharing. ⭐️

[@flint857]

I was wondering if these clays absorb the scents of essential oils. I was a bit worried you'd have a soap that does wonders for the skin but smells like nothing.

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hello Sonny. If anything, it works in the opposite way. Many people choose to add clays to their soaps to help to anchor the scent of essential oils and to make the smell last longer and fade less. We use clays in a lot of our soaps and have never had issues with them causing the scent to disappear :-)

[@flint857]

@@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany thanks a bundle that was most helpful! My soap making journey begins next week.

[@pamcolechadwell1302]

Does this work with Melt and pour soap?

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hello Pam. I am afraid I don't know the answer to this as we have never used melt and pour and don't know a lot about it. I do know that additives can behave differently in cold process and melt and pour though, so I honestly can't say if it would or wouldn't work. Hopefully someone with a little more experience of melt and pour will read this and be able to give you a helpful answer!

[@luanne115]

Where can you find your basic soap recipe? Thanks!!

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hi Luanne, Our basic soap recipe can be found in the description of most of our videos, however, for reference for a completely plain, unscented, uncoloured soap, these are our ingredients: 109g sodium hydroxide 220g Water 340g Olive Oil 184g Coconut Oil 99g Sweet Almond Oil 75g Shea Butter 57g Castor Oil 38g Cocoa Butter

[@smilehappy5856]

Where to get it? Please link .

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

We use "Foundinbio" for many of our clays. You can find them here: foundinbio.com/

[@sunnybreakthrough7037]

Hello dear, I like your video, am a soap making beginer please help me in getting different colors for my soaps. Thanks.

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hello Sunny, Have a look through our other videos. We have a large number of videos up detailing how to use natural colourants and the kind of results you can achieve.

[@healinghealthnutritionwell852]

Where do you purchase your clays from?

[@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany]

Hello, We purchase from a few different suppliers, but our favourite for clay's is Foundinbio. They are based in Portugal but offer really fast and free shipping to the UK :-)

[@stellamarisokello2140]

@@TheSussexHandmadeSoapCompany does the company readily supply the documents re: clays

[@listiyani2038]

Colourant clay is expensive in my country 😭

[@aminaschmiat6476]

It's Palestine not Israel

[@maleficent5381]

Depends on where you're looking on the map, and where the clay is from exactly. Both Israel and Palestine are recognized by the U.N. as independent states, being totally separate.