COLORANTS LISTED ON INGREDIENT LABEL (WHY THAT LABEL LOOKS SO LONG)

Why do some ingredient labels look like they have more than others? Why does that ingredient label seem overwhelming to read? How do I read the ingredient label? Why? Why? How?

These are all legit questions! Let's start off with reading that label!

Label Example: Ingredients: Olive Oil, Water, Coconut Oil, Organic & Sustainable RSPO Palm Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Almond Oil (Sweet), Castor Oil, Kaolin, Sodium Lactate, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Iron Oxide, Chromium Oxide Green, Tin Oxide, Ultra Marine Blue, Manganese Violet

Whoa! Thats a big list! This is an example from our Rainbow Soap. 

Ingredients are in the order of the amount being used. Olive Oil is the highest and largest amount used on this label followed by water, coconut oil and so on. After the Sodium Lactate you see Titanium Dioxide and it goes down to Manganese Violet.

Quick explanation:  Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Iron Oxide, Chromium Oxide Green, Tin Oxide, Ultra Marine Blue, Manganese Violet, are all what the colors in the soap are made from. Titanium Dioxide is before, so that may show that Titanium dioxide is being used as a whitener. It could also mean that Titanium Dioxide could be used in multiple colorants. Or it could just mean both.

Now, after Titanium Dioxide you see  Mica, Iron Oxide, Chromium Oxide Green, Tin Oxide, Ultra Marine Blue, Manganese Violet. These are all ingredients that make the colorant what it is. (Remember, that mica is behind the titanium dioxide, so that could also be the form of multiple colorants) 

For this recipe, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Chromium Oxide Green makes up for the green color.  Next - Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Manganese Violet, Iron Oxide makes up for the color purple. And so on. This is showing an quick example of how the ingredients are laid out for colorants. To explain and help understand why it may look like a load, but it's really not. And yes, they are skin safe.

When it comes to colorants in soap, a little bit goes a really long way. Here we measure our colorants by the gram. But in simple measurements it may only be a teaspoon in a pound of soap. 

So, you've looked at other labels and it seems short, sweet and simple. And the label just ends with "colorants" or "skin safe colorants". A lot of times, this is to shorten the label for a variety of reasons. Maybe there is limited space on the product and/or label. Maybe they want the soap to look more organic and/or simple to the eye. We have very little labels which are labeled "Colorants and/or "skin safe colorants". We try to put all the colorant ingredients on our labels and not leave it vague. Due to it going into our products, colorants are ingredients, and they're made from "something". 

So there you have it. Have any questions? Please use the contact us for and send me an email. I love hearing from our customers! 

Now go get your wash on!