Step 1: Use Oil for Oil. Oil-soluble colours are for oil-based, water-free products: lip balms, body oils, salves, and bath oils. A water-soluble colour will not dissolve in these and will bead up instead.
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Step 2: Add to the Oil Phase, Warm. Stir the colour into your melted oils and butters, or into a warm oil, so it dissolves evenly. Gentle warmth helps the colour spread through the base smoothly.
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Step 3: Build the Tint Slowly. These colours are strong, so add a drop at a time until you reach the tint you want. For a lip tint, remember the colour on the lips will be lighter than in the pot.
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Step 4: Confirm the Set Colour. Let a small test balm set and check the finished shade on skin or lips, since colour reads differently once solid. Adjust, then colour the full batch.
About Oil-Soluble Colours
Oil-soluble colours solve a specific problem: how to colour a product that has no water. Lip balms, body oils, salves, and bath oils are all oil-based, and a water-soluble dye simply will not dissolve in them, beading up instead of blending. Oil-soluble colours dissolve into the oil phase and spread evenly, giving a clean, vibrant tint to anhydrous products. They are the colour of choice for lip balms and tints, coloured body oils, and for adding rich colour to melt-and-pour soap through the oil-loving part of the base.
Working with them is straightforward. Add the colour to your melted or warmed oils and butters, build the tint a drop at a time, and remember that a lip colour reads lighter on the lips than it looks in the pot. Every colour here is documented and made in a WHO-GMP and ISO 9001:2015 certified facility with a COA on request.
Good to Know
• Oil for oil, water for water. Oil-soluble colours belong in balms, oils, and salves. In a lotion or gel with water, they will not blend evenly, so use a water-soluble colour there.
• Warm to blend. Stir the colour into melted or warmed oils and butters so it dissolves smoothly. Cold oil takes longer to take up colour and can leave it uneven.
• Lip colour reads lighter. A lip tint always looks stronger in the pot than on the lips. Test the colour on skin or lips and build it up gradually to the shade you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oil-soluble colours are cosmetic dyes that dissolve into oil rather than water. They are used to colour oil-based, water-free products like lip balms, body oils, salves, and bath oils, and the oil part of melt-and-pour soap. Because they dissolve in oil, they give a clean, even, vibrant colour where water-soluble dyes cannot.
Use an oil-soluble colour, added to your melted oils and butters or to a warm oil so it dissolves evenly. Build the tint a drop at a time, since these colours are strong, and test a small set sample. Remember that a lip colour looks lighter on the lips than it does in the pot, so adjust accordingly.
Because a lip balm or body oil has no water for a water-soluble colour to dissolve into, so it beads up and refuses to blend. Oil and water do not mix, and colour follows the same rule. For any oil-based, anhydrous product, you need an oil-soluble colour, which dissolves into the oil phase instead.
A small amount, added gradually. These colours are concentrated, so add a drop at a time, stir it through the warm oil, and build up to the tint you want. Keep a note of drops per batch so you can repeat a shade. For lip products, aim slightly stronger in the pot, since the colour reads lighter on the lips.
These are cosmetic-grade colours, and some are suitable for lip products while others are not, depending on the specific colour and its approved uses. For anything going on the lips, confirm the colour is approved for lip use in your market, use it at the recommended rate, and check the product's documentation. A COA is available.
Yes, oil-soluble colours work in melt-and-pour soap, colouring through the oil-loving part of the base, and they can be used in the oil phase of other products. For a fully water-based product like a lotion or gel, use a water-soluble colour instead. Test a small batch, since colour can look different once the product sets.
An oil-soluble colour is a dye that dissolves into oil to give a clear, even tint. A mica is a mineral powder that adds colour plus shimmer or pearl and disperses as particles rather than dissolving. Use an oil-soluble colour for a smooth solid tint, and a mica when you want sparkle or a pearlescent finish.
