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When you want to add a bit of colour to something, there&#;s a lot to consider. What colour do you want? Do you want opacity along with the colour? How long do you want the colour to last? What is the end use of the product? And let&#;s not forget the all-important solubility. I often get questions about using one colourant instead of another in recipes, so I thought I&#;d write an overview on the different types of colourants I use, why I choose them, and what they&#;re best suited for.
Solubility: Insoluble
Colours available: More natural shades of brown, beige, green, pink, red, and white
Will they oxidize or fade? Not in my experience
Potency: Depends on the clay, but generally somewhere below oxides and above botanicals
I love clay, and I&#;ll add it to pretty much anything if given the opportunity for slip (in soap), cleansing, moisture management, and (of course) colour. There are a lot of different clays out there, but when we&#;re talking clay for colour we&#;re usually talking about Australian and French clays. They&#;re available in a variety of muted tones (with the outlier of crazy dark Australian Reef Red), and smooth and light, making them innocuous additions to many things (grittier clays like bentonite or rhassoul are generally not good clays to use as colourants unless you&#;re looking for something brown/grey and scrubby).
Something to keep in mind with clays is that their colour is prone to shifting when wet. If you&#;ve ever applied a clay face mask you&#;ll know what I&#;m talking about. For this reason clays are not generally suited to applications where they&#;ll go from wet to dry.
Another consideration with clays is the possible variation within the clay category. I&#;ve heard from several readers that the Australian Red Reef clay they&#;ve purchased for my Red Rose Lipstick is not the same colour as mine, and does not produce the same colour of lipstick. Whenever something is natural and not produced specifically for its colour, this is a concern. I&#;ve also found clays seem to have more variation in appearance depending on lighting.
I tend to use clays for colour mostly in soaps. Since I almost always add clay to my soaps it&#;s an easy way to add colour without any extra ingredients. Clays also hold their colour through saponification.
Other places I&#;ll use clays for colour is in cosmetics. I have several lipstick recipes that are powered entirely by blends of red/pink/beige clays, and they&#;re quite lovely. Because they&#;re in an oil base the clay doesn&#;t dry out and shift colours or go splotchy once applied. I&#;ve tried lip stain/lip gloss type applications with clays, but they end up drying out, powdering up, and looking (and feeling) terrible on the skin. And while you can make lipsticks with clay, I do find I prefer to make them with oxides and carmine&#;you can get much brighter colours, and a much wider range of them. You can also be guaranteed to get the same colour blend every time.
When I use clays in powders like blushes I find I always have to supplement the colour with oxides to get the colour concentration required, even if the clay used is an excellent match for the colour I want. Once it&#;s been mixed with other ingredients it&#;s just not strong enough to hold its own.
Solubility: Insoluble
Colours available: Natural shades of brown, green, teal, black, red, green, and yellow
Will they oxidize or fade? No
Potency: Very potent, even in small amounts
Iron oxides are a fantastic arrow in your colour quiver. They are potent, consistent, insoluble, smooth, light, inexpensive, and reliable. They don&#;t fade over time, and they pack a serious colour punch in tiny amounts. They can be added to finished formulas that need just a hint of colour without effecting the final product.
Iron oxides occur naturally as what is basically rust, but heavy metal contamination is a concern. Therefore, the oxides we purchase are synthesized. They&#;re chemically identical to their naturally occurring cousins, but they don&#;t contain dangerous heavy metals.
I use oxides in a lot of recipes. They&#;re great in soaps because you only need a tiny amount, they hold true through saponification, and they don&#;t fade as the soap ages. They&#;re brilliant for tinting lip balms without effecting the texture of the final product. Where they really shine, though, is in cosmetics of all varieties.
The potency of oxides simply cannot be replaced in cosmetics. For anything that contains titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and/or sericite mica (USA / Canada), you need the potency of oxides to get yourself a final product that isn&#;t mostly white. The stability of oxides is also a must-have, as I don&#;t know anybody who likes discovering their carefully colour-matched concealer is a completely different colour a week or so after making it. And because oxides are the same colour every time you buy a jar, you can rest assured that your carefully blended colour formulations will hold true over time.
Solubility: Insoluble
Colours available: Vibrant shades like cobalt blue and bright lavender
Will they oxidize or fade? No
Potency: Very potent, even in small amounts
Ultramarines are pretty much the same as oxides when it comes to how we use them, they are just synthesized from different ingredients. The blue is the synthetic version of lapis lazuli, a very expensive semi-precious stone from Afganistan that used to be our sole source of bright blue pigment. We figured out how to synthesize it in the early &#;s, and now ultramarines are synthesized from ingredients like sulfur, clay, and charcoal. The bright blue pigment is irreplaceable (without using FD&C dyes) and is fantastic in blends with carmine to create beautiful purple hues.
Solubility: Insoluble
Colours available: All the colours of the rainbow
Will they oxidize or fade? No
Potency: Fairly low
Micas are fine, shimmery powders that pack a strong sparkly punch. They&#;re available in all the colours of the rainbow because they are coloured with oxides and FD&C dyes, so not all micas are all that natural (check the INCI of each colour/variety to see how it is pigmented).
I find micas offer a strong colour punch to the appearance of a product, like a tube of lip balm, but the colour isn&#;t strong enough to make much of a difference on the skin. I&#;ll usually pair them with some iron oxides if I want a strong colour to come through in the end product.
Solubility: Varies
Colours available: Varies, depending on how natural you want to keep things
Will they oxidize or fade? Varies
Potency: Varies
This is a category with a lot of variation.
If you&#;re ok with FD&C dyes you can get any colour of the rainbow and it&#;ll last forever. I&#;ve worked with a couple of the powdered FD&C dyes, and they work very much like iron oxides do. They&#;re insoluble, highly potent, and generally much brighter; an FD&C yellow will be a true, bright yellow while yellow iron oxide is browner and muddier. If you like super vibrant colours, they work really well.
New Directions Aromatics sells a few shades of natural liquid dyes. They&#;re derived from things like spinach and spices, and are water soluble. I&#;ve only tried the orange, and I&#;ve found it to be useful in CP soaps and lip stain. I have, however, noticed that it is a bit reminiscent of the paprika it&#;s derived from in the scent/taste department. I can&#;t speak for the other colours as I haven&#;t tried them, but you could find the green is a bit spinach-y. I&#;d recommend doing your research an reading the reviews before committing to anything.
For oils, the colours you&#;ll come across most often are greens and oranges. Raw hemp seed oil (USA / Canada) is quite green and will lend a green tint to lotions and body butters, but it isn&#;t strong enough to colour the skin. Buriti oil and seabuckthorn are two orange oils, with buriti being the strongest of the two. Buriti is so orange that it&#;s almost impossible to use as anything but a colourant&#;straight application to the skin will have you looking like a pumpkin quite promptly. I love using buriti oil in soap to get yellows and oranges (depending on how much I add). Seabuckthorn oil varies in strength (the berry oil is more potent than the seed oil), and can vary from giving an orange tint to balms and soaps to giving you an orange tint.
Solubility: Water soluble, oil dispersable
Colours available: Bright, vibrant red/pink
Will it oxidize or fade? No
Potency: Extremely strong
Carmine is amazing and completely irreplaceable in the natural world (FD&C Red No 7 is a fairly close colour match, but it is insoluble so you cannot use it anywhere we need carmine&#;s water solubility). It&#;s a bright pink/red and packs an exceptionally potent punch. Just a small amount of the powdered stuff mixed with some water and glycerin gives you an unbeatable lip and cheek stain. A few drops of the liquid dye gives you a beautiful tinted lip balm, and more can be added for a stronger tint. It is quite pricey by the gram, but it&#;s much lighter than the oxides, so in the end it&#;s not quite as awful as you get a larger volume for the price.
Now, carmine is not vegan&#;it&#;s made from the cochineal insect. If you&#;re vegan and/or grossed out by this (or can&#;t afford it), I&#;m afraid I can&#;t really offer you a natural alternative. In tinted lip balms you can use a bit of red iron oxide instead, but the colour won&#;t be quite as vibrant. I&#;m afraid you are out of luck for water soluble alternatives, though.
Solubility: Water soluble
Colours available: Natural shades of red, pink, beige, brown, green, etc.
Will they oxidize or fade? Yes
Potency: Low
I want to love botanicals for colourants, but they are pretty darn useless. They&#;re water soluble, but once mixed with water they oxidize quite rapidly, eventually leaving you with a brownish grey final product. They&#;re also not very potent, meaning you can&#;t really use them in anything that contains ingredients like titanium dioxide or sericite mica (USA / Canada). In soap they tend to dramatically shift colour during saponification, generally turning brown or black. The best uses I&#;ve found for botanicals as a colourant is in bath salts/ bath bombs as they&#;ll colour the dry product and then dissolve into nothing in the tub. You can also infuse them into oils and then strain out the solids. This will give you a nicely coloured oil (makes for nice tinted lip balms) that has fairly low colour transfer to the skin. Do watch out for scent/flavour transfer, though! I&#;d also recommend keeping these infused oils in formulations that don&#;t use any water to avoid oxidization.
Honestly, when it comes to botanicals I&#;d save your money. I haven&#;t found them to be hugely useful (or essential, at least) for much of anything.
This post was updated November 29, .
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Color Index Generic Name: Key Top ^ Page Top^
This is the C.I. Generic Name (abbreviated) given by the ASTM and Colour Index International (CII) for that pigment. The first 2 or 3 letters describe the general pigment color and the number is the individual pigment identifier. N/A (not applicable) means that pigment has not been given a color index name or number.
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Natural Dye and Solvent Pigments
Pigment
NY = Natural Yellow;
NO = Natural Orange;
NR = Natural Red;
NV = Natural Violet;
NB = Natural Blue;
NG = Natural Green;
NBr = Natural Brown;
NBk = Natural Black;
NW = Natural White;
PY = Pigment Yellow;
PO = Pigment Orange;
PR = Pigment Red;
PV = Pigment Violet;
PB = Pigment Blue;
PG = Pigment Green;
PBr = Pigment Brown;
PBk = Pigment Black;
PW = Pigment White;
PM = Pigment Metal
The CI (Color Index) Common Pigment Name: Key Top ^ Page Top^
In this database the common name is the name given in the Color Index (third edition, ) by the Color Index International published by the Society of Dyers and Colourists and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, and are also used by the ASTM International, American Society for Testing and Materials.
When the Colour Index (3rd edition) has not specified a name, I have used the name that the first manufacturer, inventor or original patent holder has given that pigment. In the case of ancient pigments, historic pigments, minerals or other odd pigments, I have used the most commonly used traditional historic, mineral or chemical name as determined by my research.
Common, Historic and Marketing Names: Key Top ^ Page Top^
These are the various names that have been used for that pigment whether or not it is the correct usage. This is NOT an endorsement of any particular name, but merely a collection of names that are in common usage or have been used in the past according to historic pigment books & references, paint sales literature, and pigment manufacturers references. They have been collected (in order of importance) from
1.) Paint manufacturers, pigment manufacturers and/or other pigment supplier literature;
2.) Various web sites in particular AMIEN.org, Blick Art Materials Artist Supply, Handprint.com, Kremer Pigments, Natural Pigments, Kama Pigments, Sinopia Pigments, PCImag.com and along with internet forums on art and painting, web sites of paint manufacturers, paint suppliers, chemical manufactures and pigment manufacturers;.
3.) The Color Index, Third edition (published by the Colour Index International, );
4.) Historical books on pigments, oil painting, watercolor painting and other art forms (see Free Art e-Books);
5.) Artist manuals and handbooks (see the bottom of the Pigment Database's main page for a complete list of reference works);
6.) Various dictionaries and encyclopedias (both historic and contemporary).
(hue):
When a manufacturer has has used a common historical name for a pigment that is not the accepted traditional historic pigment name and has not clearly indicated it to be a hue or substitute, I have indicated it with the "(hue)"* in parenthesis. For example calling\naming a paint made with Phthalocyanine Blue as "Azure", "Smalt" or "Cobalt Blue".
*In order to stay within ASTM specification D -05, manufactures are encouraged to use the word "hue" when the paint or pigment marketing name is not the real name of a paint or a pigment. Substitute and tone could be also considered acceptable means of indicating a hue substitute for the actual color. However, the ASTM specifications are usually voluntary and there is little means to enforce them. Also because of language differences, changes in the paint or pigments common identification because of contemporary usage (often perpetrated by manufacturer's incorrect color marketing names), and last but not least - the sheer multitude of historically used paint names for any given paint\pigment, it's nearly impossible to prove or say a manufacturer of art materials is being purposely deceptive.
C.I. Constitution Number or Colour Index Constitution Number (chemical composition): Key Top ^ Page Top^
These are the chemical constitution numbers given that pigment by the Color Index International published by the Society of Dyers and Colourists and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, and are also used by the ASTM International, American Society for Testing and Materials. Each of the numbers in the "Colour Index Constitution Number" has a specific chemical or compositional meaning; for more information see the Colour Index Number Chart or go to the Color Index International and ASTM, American Society for Testing and Materials web sites (these links open in a new window)..
Chemical Composition: Key Top ^ Page Top^
These are the basic chemical names, or mineral names along with chemical composition. I have also included CAS numbers, when I can fine them. Sometimes multiple names are given because chemical names can be stated in different ways and can also give an indication of the manufacture method. Very often a pigment can be a group of related compounds rather than one specific chemical. I have not included detailed chemical descriptions or analyses, but only basic information that should help you to find further information. I have included references designated with "(Ref)" where further information can be attained.
Adulterants, extenders and other additives may be added to artistic paints to improve the paint rheology, transparency, and\or drying time. Often inert pigments, extenders and fillers are added to the color pigments in student grade paints or to modify paint pigments with overly strong tinting strength, i.e. the Phthalocyanine Blues and Greens. These extra ingredients are rarely listed of the label.
Color Description: Key Top ^ Page Top^
This is a general attempt to explain the hue in plain English. The perception of color is as individual as the the people viewing it and any such description can not be completely accurate, but merely give a general idea of the what color looks like to the average person. Many pigments have a range of shades and hues. This range in hues can be due to many things such as different manufacturing processes, exact chemical composition and crystal shape. In most cases, i have not used any of the attempted means of standardizing color descriptions for this (such as the Munsell system), but where the pigment is included in the Color Index International Pigments and Solvent Dyes (The Society of Dyers and Colourists, third edition ), I have used that description, when there is no color hue description in the Color Index, I have used other reference sources in particularly manufacturer or supplier literature.
&#; = Effects of long term light exposure are given when known, this may allow an artist to anticipate color changes and possibly use them as an advantage. These effects are all relative to the pigments inherent light fastness and may take decades or even centuries in museum conditions to be visible.
Fades = Becomes more Transparent
Lightens = Loses chroma but maintains
relative transparency or opaque character;
Whitens = Becomes lighter towards white and more opaque;
Darkens = Becomes darker but retains hue;
Dulls = Loses chroma towards neutral but maintains the relative tone;
Blackens = Turns very dark or black losing chroma;
Hue shift = Changes hue towards a different color
Opacity - Transparency: Key Top ^ Page Top^
This designation is only a general reference to the most common encountered opacity or transparency inherit to the pigment. In paints, the transparency of a pigment can change due to what is used as the painting medium or binder (i.e., oil color, watercolor, encaustic, acrylic, etc.). There are many pigments that are opaque in watercolor but transparent or semi-transparent in oil paints. The transparency of a paint or pigment can often be manipulated by the manufacturing process for a particular purpose. The addition of inert pigments or other modifiers can also change the perceived transparency of a paint formulation or pigment.
When available, i have used the Color index's designation or manufacturers literature to arrive at this figure. When the Color Index description is unavailable i have arrived at a general figure by manufacturer literature or personal experience. A general designation such as given will not always be the case in any particular formulation.
1 = Opaque,
2 = Semi-Opaque,
3 = Semi-Transparent,
4 = Transparent
Light Fastness Rating: Key Top ^ Page Top^
The light fastness rating can only be a general guide, when available, i have used the ASTM rating or manufacturers literature to arrive at this figure. The ASTM has not rated all pigments, and I believe will no longer be rating pigments. For that reason the rating in this database will not always be the ASTM rating but a rating culled from other sources, most importantly manufactures literature. The ASTM ratings have a 5 increment scale and the blue-wool scale is 8, in this database lightfastness ratings have been condensed or averaged to a less specific 4 designations. Very often, pigments in tints are less light fast and this should be taken into account when determining if a pigment or paint will meet your needs. I can can not cover every possible paint, binder, or pigment formulation in this chart as it would take too much time and space. In particular the quality of the actual pigment manufacture has much influence on a pigments fastness to light, heat and other chemicals. Additives, binder, and many other factors all have a influence on light fastness or fastness to other environmental influences. Whether a paint is watercolor, oil color, tempera, etc. has an effect on light fastness. Varnishes and other treatments to the painting surface or support can have an influence too. The only way to be sure, is to make your own tests on the paint or pigment you have. Reference the following: (ASTM D - 10,
Standard Test Methods for Lightfastness of Colorants Used in Artists' Materials, or ASTM D01.57, the Subcommittee on Artists' Materials doc here, opens new window); or this (AMIEN.org Thread - opens new window). Blue Wool Scale will be given when known, but be aware that these may be from tests on a single formulation, and may not be the same for all brands or binders.
I = Excellent,
II = Good,
III = Poor (may last many years in museum conditions, but should be used with caution for permanent works of art)
IV = Fugitive/Very Poor
BWS = Blue wool scale
7-8 = Excellent,
6 = Very Good,
4-5 = Fair (Impermanent),
2-3 Poor (fugitive),
1 = Very Poor (fugitive)*
*When known, blue wool scale ratings will be given for tints in the following format: Full;1/2 tint/;1/4 tint (i.e. Cadmium Red would be 8;8;8 with excellent light fastness in all tints). Note: these may from tests on a single formulation or pigment brand, and may not be valid for other brands or binders.
Oil Absorption: is given in g/100g or grams of oil per 100 grams of pigment Key Top ^ Page Top^
or as H, M, L (see below)
The oil absorption figure has been arrived at from the pigment manufacturer's literature or artist reference sources (see the bottom of the Pigment Database's main page for a complete list of reference works). The higher the oil absorption, generally, the longer it will take to dry when used in oil painting. The addition of driers, siccatives, retardants and other additives can effect the drying time of any specific formulation, or they can be added by the artist to speed up or slow down the drying of oil paints. In some literature the oil absorption rate is given as ml/100g, although not technically the same as g/100g, for the purposes of this database they are close enough.
Depending on the specifications i have available I may also use the following designations:
H = High; - These pigments absorb a lot of oil.
M = Medium; - Average drying or cure rate
L = Low; - Usually very fast driers
Toxicity
: Key Top ^ Page Top^Under this heading will be a general designation of a possible hazard. It is assumed intelligent people will use at least ordinary care when handling all paints or pigments. The designation has been arrived at from, in most cases, the manufacturer's literature, art books and art reference works (see the bottom of the Pigment Database's main page for a complete list of reference works), MSDS sheets, the EPA manual: Environmental Health & Safety in the Arts: A Guide for K-12 Schools, Colleges and Artisans (full PDF here), The Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI), The Health and the Arts Program - Great Lakes Centers at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health (UIC SPH), The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works has a collection of articles on art safety, The Consumer Product Safety Commission's Art and Craft Safety Guide (PDF, 250 KB) and Art Materials Business Guidance
All paints and especially dry pigments can be hazardous if carelessly handled, but, if handled properly with common sense all but the most dangerous pigments can be used safely. Very few pigments used in the arts are edible, and even so called "Food Colors" are not meant to be used in large quantities and may have unknown side effects or allergic reactions.
WARNING: Always use a dust mask when working with any dry pigments. Work in a separate area of your studio away from children, pets or other living things. Do not smoke, eat or drink around any art materials. Dispose of all waste materials in an environmentally safe way.
A = Low hazard, but do not handle carelessly;
B = Possible hazard if carelessly handled, ingested in large amounts or over long periods of time;
C = Hazardous, use appropriate precautions for handling toxic substances;
D = Extremely Toxic, only attempt working with these pigments (especially the dry form) in laboratory like conditions with proper safety equipment (see "Prudent practices in the laboratory: handling and disposal of chemicals" at google books opens new window); or the PDF - Booklet Safe Handling of Colour Pigments Copyright © : BCMA, EPSOM, ETAD, VdMI - link from VdMI
The Side Notes Column: Key Top ^ Page Top^
These are typically interesting things I have read, or information collected on a pigment that may be worth further study. Please remember that they are NOT statements of absolute fact. Many pigment qualities are rumors, old wife's tales and misconceptions repeated over and over until they accepted as fact without any scientific proof. References (Ref) may be provided for further info.
Miscellaneous:
(hue) = When the word "hue" in in parenthesis (hue), it refers to a hue color not designated on the label, when the word "hue" is not in parenthesis is part of the pigment name as per ASTM guidelines.
(Ref) = A link to a reference source. This may be the reference source of the information that I have given, or just a link to more detailed information.
? = a question mark next to a name, note, or data code indicates that it may or may not be correct information due to conflicting information, questionable references, possible typo or other discrepancies in the manufacturer or other reference documentation. Further study is needed to clarify.
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