Need a little more color in your life? Try our brand new Liquid Crystal Dyes!
You can add them to bath bombs, body sprays, lotion, and more. They're easy to work with, and a little goes a long way. Learn how to use Liquid Crystal Dyes below.
What are Liquid Crystal Dyes?
They're highly-contentrated liquid colorants made with water, glycerin, polysorbate 20, FD&C dyes, and a preservative. The dyes come ready to use - you don't need to dilute them. Just shake well and add to your project.
Crystal dyes come in a variety of bright shades, including blue, pink, and yellow. In bath and body products, they create a more translucent look and they don't have any shimmer, like micas or Color Blocks. That crystal clear look is especially amazing in melt and pour.
Liquid Crystal Dyes vs. Lab Colors
We carry another liquid dye called Lab Colors. There are some key differences between the two.
Lab Colors are also made with water and FD&C dyes. However, they don't have the polysorbate 20 and glycerin. They also need to be diluted before use to prevent speckling in products. Learn how to dilute Lab Colors here.
You can use Lab Colors in cold process soap. Just start with a few drops, then be sure to force gel phase for the best results. We don't recommend Liquid Crystal Dyes in cold process soap. In our tests, they weren't stable and tended to morph in the final bars.
On the other hand, Liquid Crystal Dyes can be used in bath bombs, while Lab Colors can't because they'll stain the tub (and sometimes skin too!) That's due to the glycerin and polysorbate 20 in the crystal dyes - it helps the color disperse and mix into the bath water.
How to use Liquid Crystal Dyes
You only need a few drops of Liquid Crystal Dye to get vibrant shades! We recommend using droppers so you don't add too much by accident. Like all colorants, adding too much can transfer to the tub or your skin.
Also, Liquid Crystal Dyes can bleed in melt and pour soap. If you want crisp layers, we recommend Color Blocks instead.
Here's how to use them. We recommend the dyes for all the products below, but not fully oil-based ones like body butter.
Bath bombs
Mix together all your dry and wet ingredients first. Then, start with 3 drops of Liquid Crystal Dye. Mix thoroughly with your hands - this can take a few minutes to get everything incorporated. You can add more color from there if you like.
Liquid soap
To prevent speckling, mix in the dyes when the soap is warm. Add 1-2 drops while it's still cooking, or heat up a base in the microwave on 30 second bursts until it's warm and has a thinner consistency.
Melt and pour soap
Start with 1-2 drops when the soap is melted. Mix for a minute or two until everything is fully incorporated and there are no specks.
Lotion
You can add the dyes to your water phase or when you add fragrance and preservative. Start with 1 drop. Like liquid soap, they incorporate best when warm. If you're working with a base, heat on 30 second bursts before adding color.
Body sprays
For fully water-based products like these, you can add the dyes at room temperature. Start with 1 drop and mix thoroughly.