Technique Tip : Dusting with Mica

Mica is a beautiful colorant that makes glycerin soaps, bath products, and cosmetics shine. But there’s another way to use it which will bring out another dimension to your soap designs!

When I made the Gloomy Ghosts Soapsicles in the picture above, I wanted to create a faded effect to look like fog and mist. The process of both embedding my soap ghosts and making a smooth 3 color transition was really beyond me, so I had to figure out a new way.

My solution was not to use mica in the soap, but ON the soap. I made a clear bar with the ghosts inside, then dusted mica on the outside of the soap. It worked great because I could totally control the amount of color, creating a nice foggy look.

To do this, simply take a soft brush blush. Put some mica on a plate or just use the inside of the lid of your mica jar. Get some mica on your brush, tap off the excess and softly brush it onto your soap. You don’t have to prep the soap with alcohol or anything. Fresh glycerin soaps will have a slight tackiness anyway. It goes on subtley at first, so you can build up the color until you get the brightness you like.

For the Gloomy Ghosts, I used Bronze Mica for the top part and Violacious Violet for the bottom.

Here are 2 other designs I used this technique on. The navy marbled bars have Bronze Mica dusted here and there to add some dimension, and the Coat of Arms Soap has Heavy Metal Gold just to highlight the beautiful detail of the crest.

Sometimes a difficult challenge turns into a simple solution. Try this technique with your next soap – it’s fun, easy, and you’ll get great results!

Debbie, Soapylove