Soap Painting

by Carrie Nelson
(Alabama)

I have been using Black Iron Oxide to paint on my soaps (i.e. tiger stripes on an orange tiger).

I find that, even after a day, the pigment wants to rub off on my fingers when I handle the soap. I have seen some mentions here and there about sealing soap.

I even saw a webpage where someone painted with acrylics on soap then sealed it with varnish. I know varnish is not a product I want to use because it is not safe for bath soap and it alters the fragrance.

Is there a sealing product or method available to seal the soap, after adding pigments to the surface of the soap, so that they don't rub or come off when the soap is handled?

Thanks!
Carrie

Answer:

Hi Carrie,

Soap painting isn't something I've tried yet.

If I was to try it though, I think I would seal the painted surface by dipping it in some clear melt and pour soap base. I'd then give a spritz of rubbing alcohol to remove any bubbles that have formed on the surface.

Since I've never done this, I'm not sure if it will work or not. I'm betting it will be fun to experiment with though!

Good luck and happy soap painting,
Cathy




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Soap Painting

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by: Barbara

If you're talking about Cold Process method, have you tried Activated Charcoal? Personally, I haven't used it (yet!), but some soapers use it to mix with other colors for swirling. Doesn't seem to rub off, I guess. If you're doing Melt and Pour, and you want to decorate the top of your soap, have a look at www.goplantetearth.com and search "GPE Soap Paper" Some mighty cool stuff! I purchased the kit (a few sheets of GPE paper, templates for soap molds and a few designs.I made some soaps that wow'd! The trick is to use colors in your soap that accent the design. Again, the kit comes with a few designs, but you can create your own just by looking at some fractal art or photos if you like. The designs are sealed with triple gloss spray, and do wash away as you use the soap, but they're gorgeous!
Hope this will give you some creative options!

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