Should shaving soap be white, flecked or color-coded according to scent? This question assumes non-staining color approved for safe use in cosmetics. For example, should Lime soap be lime green? Should Lavender be be the purplish color of the lavender bud?
Soap Color Poll
- Thread starter BentonClay
- Start date
Color coordinated.
No preference. Scent and performance are what matter to me.
Not the most important factor but with D.R.Harris, Arko, Monsavon and Williams among my favs I voted for white.
White or at least non-colored. And for creams, quadruple that. Colored creams are just wrong.
I voted for coloured soaps, but only if the colour evokes thoughts of the scent as per your example of lime<->green
There are no natural soap dyes. (with the exception of using curry to make soap yellow) Most use mineral oil based dyes which is not good for the skin.
- Thread starter
- #8
Appreciate the clarification. When I said natural soap dye I meant something like your example, where some soapers use curry, or beet, or parsley.
I'd prefer to have no coloring agents added.
Forgot to add that most spices, herbs, or other natural colorants tend to give a very dull earth tone. So if you tried to make green soap it would look more like swamp mud green than lime green. Curry yellow is kinda orangish and paprika red is more like a dull pink. Also some of these spices are not so nice on a freshly shaven face. Great on pork chops, not on face. lol
- Thread starter
- #11
I agree they're problematic. Something lie chlorphyl isn't bad but still color matching is almost impossible.
If I was in marketing or manufacturing of soap and/or cream, I would take the following into consideration:
In the thousands of posts concerning shaving soaps and creams that I have read on multiple forums, I have never read a single post from someone making a decision on buying to not purchase a product because the product was not colored (such as the white AOS Lavender Shave Cream). However, I have read multiple threads and also consider my own personal bias that say they have refused or at least decided not to buy a product because it was colored.
In the thousands of posts concerning shaving soaps and creams that I have read on multiple forums, I have never read a single post from someone making a decision on buying to not purchase a product because the product was not colored (such as the white AOS Lavender Shave Cream). However, I have read multiple threads and also consider my own personal bias that say they have refused or at least decided not to buy a product because it was colored.
I voted "Color is not a factor for me". As long as it shaves great, smells good, and does not give me any skin reactions I don't care what it looks like.
- Thread starter
- #14
So you're saying for many, color is a turn-off. Do you think because of the look (e.g., maybe purple for lavender does not convey a masculine image) or concerns from the perpective unwanted/unsafe additives?
color is not a total turnoff to me, but I like them light. ex: a lime soap with a light green tint. I think it add to the products attractiveness. But white colored soaps are nice too. I recently saw a soap on etsy that had ash of something in it. It was completely black. It looked really unappealing!
Color not a factor (unless the dye tends to affect the brush).
Dave, most likely both. There will always be those who don't want the additional additives. I myself prefer not to want the physical materials in a coloring agent, yet I also have a soft spot for CO Bigelow, which, although not colored, has enough chemical additives in it to mummify a small army. For me to claim "purity or nothing" would be hypocritical.
However, if the aforementioned CO Bigelow came out of the tube green in color, I would not purchase or use it. There is just something offputting about whipping up a colored lather and applying to my face. I suspect there are many others like me. Even if it is strictly psychological, it is a deterrent. If every little bit of edge counts in marketing, I would question doing it, unless there is surefire proof that coloring soaps and creams improves their sales.
Something as personal and hands on as lathering up your face with a substance cries out to me to at least have the illusion of a "clean, pure and harmless" operation. Think of all the commercials and print ads you have seen over the years evoking a clean and pure thought and inevitably there will be a beautiful woman drying herself off with a white towel or a bed covered in white sheets and pillows, etc.
This is only my opinion, however. I am relatively old and pretty much old school. I'm only answering your question from my perspective.
Michelle, I can't speak for all soaps, but I know there are shaving creams from the popular Jermyn Street firms that lather up colored. I used one once, but washed my face off with my hands under the faucet, so I do not know if it tints the towels.
It's what's on the inside that counts
Color isn't a factor for me although I do get a little weirded out when I squeeze out some T&H West Indian Limes - the green just doesn't look natural. #1 is how the soap/cream performs for me when I shave and #2 is how it smells. What it looks like doesn't have much impact on me. Hey, pink lather might hide some of the weepers!
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