Ube Powder As Purple Colorant?

[Bexilou19]

Hey soap friends! Has anyone tried using ube (purple yam) powder as a natural colorant? I'm hesitant to try it because so many people have told me that the powder turns orange when it interacts with the lye, but others have made ube soap and the purple turned out just fine. Is there a certain trick to keep the purple color from changing?

 

[kandra]

The ph will turn it. Here’s how you can test without making any soap too

 

[Bexilou19]

The ph will turn it. Here’s how you can test without making any soap too

Neat! Thanks for the video, this was great info. Guess I'll have to plan on using some purple mica or clay to keep my ube soap purple.

 

[kandra]

Neat! Thanks for the video, this was great info. Guess I'll have to plan on using some purple mica or clay to keep my ube soap purple.

There are a lot of natural options for purple if you're looking for something other than mica. Clay is one option, but you can also use alkanet root or my "anti-alkanet" powder. Here's the scoop on both of those: Anti-Alkanet (and Alkanet) Master Class LIVE (the Replay) | Soapy Friends

 

[Yooper]

Ube powder, derived from the purple yam, can be a natural colorant for soap, but it does require careful handling to preserve its vibrant purple hue. The color change from purple to orange is caused by the alkaline nature of lye, which can interact with the anthocyanins responsible for ube's purple pigment.

To maintain the purple color, consider using a lower concentration of lye or incorporating acidic ingredients like citric acid or lemon juice into the soap recipe. These acidic components can help stabilize the anthocyanins and prevent color fading. Additionally, adding ube powder towards the end of the soap-making process can minimize its exposure to the lye and reduce the risk of color alteration.

But adding acids to the mix can mean you will neutralize the lye….so it won’t make soap.