ZENICOLOR SOLO, Melt & Pour Colourant, 30 g Rose

Soap dye Zenicolor Solo Rose

Zenicolor Solo Rose is a liquid soap dye that colours melted soap base pink without lumps and without pre-mixing. It is intended mainly for melt and pour soap. The colour comes from pigments dispersed directly in the soap base, so the dye spreads evenly through the melted base without streaks and without lengthy stirring.

The main advantage is ease of use. There is nothing to pre-mix, no powder to weigh out, and no need to worry whether the pigment “takes”. The shade is adjusted by the number of drops, so a single pack gives you a delicate pastel pink in white soap base as well as a deeper tone in clear base. The 30 g pack is suitable for home production and for testing new designs.

Why choose a dye in a soap base

• No lumps or streaks – the pigment is already dispersed in a soap and glycerine base and mixes in quickly once added to melted soap base.
• Easy dosing – the dye is added drop by drop, and you can increase the intensity gradually until you reach the shade you want.
• Shade stability – pigments are insoluble particles. Unlike soluble dyes, they do not migrate between coloured layers of soap, so they are also suitable for multicoloured and layered designs.
• Compatibility with soap – the raw material is based on sodium salts of fatty acids, a surfactant and moisturising agents (glycerine, sorbitol). These substances are commonly found in soap base and, at normal usage rates, do not change its behaviour.

Use in formulations

The most common method is colouring melt and pour soap. The soap base is melted and removed from the heat, and the dye is added drop by drop just before pouring. Stir briefly after each addition. Judge the shade only once the soap has set, as the colour usually looks darker and more intense in liquid base than in cooled soap. For multilayer soaps, colour each layer separately. Streaks caused by incomplete mixing can be avoided by adding the dye to base that is still fully liquid.

The dye is water-dilutable and contains a surfactant, so it can also be used in liquid rinse-off products – liquid soap, shower gel or bubble bath. It is added to the finished mixture cold, drop by drop, with stirring. With larger amounts, check the effect on the viscosity and clarity of the gel.

The usage rate is not a fixed figure. Start with a small amount and adjust the intensity drop by drop. The final colour depends on whether the base is white or clear, and on the thickness of the finished soap.

Suitable for products such as

• Melt and pour soap – white and clear base, single-colour and layered soaps, soaps with embedded elements.
• Liquid soap and shower gel – subtle colouring of a rinse-off product without a powder that would have to be dispersed.
• Bubble bath – wherever the base is water-based or surfactant-based and the dye needs to disperse evenly.

The dye is not intended for anhydrous products (balms, oil serums, loose bath salts and bath bombs). The water-based soap base will not disperse in oil, and in a dry mixture it may trigger a premature reaction of the effervescent ingredients.

Good to know

The dye contains water, glycerine and a surfactant, so it behaves as part of the soap base rather than as a pure pigment. At lower usage rates this has no effect on the result. With deep tones in large amounts, it may slightly soften the base or make clear base slightly cloudy. The dye is intended for soap and rinse-off cosmetic products. Use in lip products or near the eyes would require checking whether the pigments used are approved for these applications.

The dye is not primarily intended for cold process soap (made with sodium hydroxide). A high-pH environment may change some pigments, so a test on a small batch is recommended before using it in this process.

Dye in a soap base or pigment powder

Pigment powders (oxides, mica, ultramarine) are more concentrated and can also be used in anhydrous products. However, they require pre-mixing with glycerine, oil or a small amount of base, otherwise lumps and specks form. Zenicolor Solo already has this step done, so it is quicker and more reliable where you work with a soap or surfactant base. Soluble dyes (for example food dyes) give clear colours in clear soap, but in layered soaps they bleed into each other over time. A pigment-based dye keeps the boundary between layers sharp.

Frequently asked questions