Dyeing with rhubarb

I came across this lovely blog called Nakin Soap Blog from Icelandic blogger Ambra. She does amazing things with natural dyes for soap, fabrics and wool. Being a rhubarb fan, the one I liked the most is her pink rhubarb soap.

Now if you're impatient like me, you might rush through the text and then run outside to cut off some rhubarb

stalks and put them in oil to macerate. You'd be wrong though.

Luckily, after I did that, I went back to her post and read it plus the comments more carefully. It's not the stalks you'll need for that gorgeous pink but the root.

So I ran outside again and dug up some root and put them in olive oil. The roots are yellowish but the extract will make your soap turn pink when it comes in contact with the lye.

Usually I let my macerates sit on the windowsil for at least 6 weeks. Being an impatient but adult person I actually can wait that long (but it's hard). Not this time though. After 3 hours I decided I should give it a try with a small 150 grams batch of guest soaps.

They didn't turn out pink but they definately show some very light salmon pink. I did put a tiny piece of root in the garlic press and added the juice (just 3 drops) to the soap. I think they look very promising.






Oils: olive (rhubarb root infused), coconut, rice, shea butter, castor, palmpit

Liquid: water
Additives: none
Scent: FO tea rose