Please read all the information in the How To Use The Color Chart and How To Use Select Shades. Many of your questions can be answered by reading the information, as well as checking the Online Forum.

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Question: It seems that I will be paying shipping for water. Do you sell just the FD&C and D&C powdered colors?
Answer: No we don't sell the powdered colors.
The powdered colors are not processed for use. Many people purchase powdered FD&C dyes and have problems with them.
The reason these colors are in a base of distilled water is that they are processed and ready to use. All straining, and manufacturing procedures to ensure that the products are safe for use have been done for you.
Each batch of Select Shades are quality tested to ensure that you will get the same color with each order. Unlike FD&C and D&C colors which can vary from batch to batch.
The shipping is minimal compared to the the amount of product that can be colored using Select Shades compared to other liquid colors on the market.
You can buy 1/2 oz or more of Powdered FD&C dyes on the market from between $3 to $15.00 for 1/2 oz
With Select Shades the water is simply a "Carrier" for the dye, and not a "Dilutent".
With Select Shades you are receiving more color for your money, which has been processed and ready to use. Not to mention, Less Mess! If you have ever worked with powdered color additives you will understand the mess, it goes Every Where!

Question: 1/8th teaspoon per pound of product? How can this be used in such small amounts and still get vibrant true colors?
Answer: Formulation. These colors have been formulated to bring out the full color of the dyes. It is a concentration of dyes in a base that gives true color with very little color needed! The driving force behind Select Shades was to make an Economical, easy to use color additive. And according to all tests and customer comments it is a success.
Remember with Select Shades, More doesn't mean better!

Question: I followed the color chart and my soap isn't the color that was shown on the chart. What happened?
Answer: Many things in soap can cause a color to react. We have taken into consideration regular grade A Olive oil as one of the oils that can cause some change of colors. (See 25%+ Olive Oil CP/HP)
Fragrance Oils, Essential Oils and other additives to the soap can cause some change of the color shown. Also remember that your browser may be "Reading" the color differently as we took actual photos of the finished product.
The colors shown are representations of the colors, we can not guarantee you will get EXACTLY the same shade as shown in the chart since it is impossible to test the colors in every possible combination of oils, liquids and additives.
The color chart MUST be used as a GUIDE. No color chart can be 100% accurate, however Most times the colors will be exact!
CHECK YOUR MONITOR COLOR SETTINGS BY CLICKING HERE!

You should be able to Tweak the color, try the Lye Water method described below to check for certain what shade you will be getting in your batch.

Question: I added color to my CP soap and the color is an UGLY BROWN! I was expecting a purple/blue color! Did I do something wrong?
Answer: NO! You didn't do anything wrong!
Just wait! The color will come around to the correct color. Many times after Gel or during Gel stage you will see the color change happening.
If your soaps do not go into gel this will not affect the color. It will come around also.
This is also given that you did not add any other additives to your soap that would normally affect the color of the soap, such as known discoloring FO's.

Question: How do I know what exact shade I will get when making a batch of soap?
Answer: We suggest trying the Lye Water Method to test your soap color.
Mix 1 1/2 oz of Water with 1/2 oz of lye. Blend in another glass 1 oz of water with approximately 1/4 tsp Titanium Dioxide.
Place a few drops of the Titanium Dioxide (Water soluble) in the Lye Water solution until you have a good white color about the shade of CP soap.

Now add drops of the dye to this solution. Make sure you COUNT your drops!

Each drop acts as approximately 1/8 tsp.
Example: 4 drop = approximately 1/2 tsp. So if you add 4 drops, you would have the color for 1/2 tsp per Lb of soap.

This will give you a pretty accurate idea of the color for your soap.
For High Olive Oil soaps (those over 25% Olive Oil) add 1 tsp of Olive Oil to the lye water mixture.
Some colors may need a little time to react to the lye water solutions. You should wait at least 5 to 10 minutes to be sure. You also may need to mix the solution as the Titanium Dioxide may settle in the solution.

Question: I use Hemp Oil in my soaps and products, will this affect the colors?
Answer: Yes it can depending on the amount used.
You may want to follow the High Olive colors, as Hemp oil can sometimes cause more "Greening" to the actual color. We did not test these colors with Hemp Oil.

Question: I understand there will be slight differences, but how do I know exactly what to do from batch to batch to get the same color?
Answer: TAKE NOTES!
Always keep records of each batch, number the batch, and it is a very good idea to put this information on your soap label also. This way you can keep track of each batch if something should go wrong.
Note taking is one of the MOST important things you can do with soap making!
Each new batch of Select Shades has a batch number and date and is quality tested before it is sold to ensure that you get consistent colors.

Question: I blended up a green color for my soap, and the liquid is not green but nearly black! Do I dare add this to my soap?
Answer: Yes you can add it to your soap!
The color of the liquid colorant when blended may not look even close to the color you will get in your soap. Once added you will see the color it is meant to be.

Question: Will these colors in the product fade over time?
Answer: If stored properly and away from direct sunlight, there is no problem with fading.
Exposure to direct sunlight will affect any color to a certain extent.

Question: How do you know what color you will get with a Milk Soap?
Answer: There is no way to know what color you may get with a milk soap. Milk soaps tend to go to Tan or Brown and no color will be accurate. We can not test for Milk Soaps as there are too many variables to them.
Test is about the only way you will learn what colors do and do not work in Milk Soaps.

Question: I understand the usage rates, but the suggested maximum says 1 Teaspoon per Lb. What does this mean?
Answer: It means that we Suggest you should never go over that amount per lb of any product.
That is the Maximum usage rate allowed under good manufacturing practices.
There actually should be no reason to ever go over 1 Teaspoon per lb of product with Select Shades ™ !

Question: Are Select Shades pretty much, FOOL PROOF?
Answer: We would LOVE to say YES! However, nothing is fool proof. As we said, we can not test these colors in every possible combination or product. There is always a learning process when using any new product. But we feel (as do many of our customers), that Select Shades are easier and far less learning is involved to get the shades for your products you desire.

Question: Do I have to blend these with water and add preservative to use?
Answer: No. They are ready to go, nothing else is needed to use these colors.

Question: I don't like using preservatives in my soap. Can I get these with No preservative?
Answer: Sorry but the manufacturer does need to include a preservative in the formulation. However the amount used is less than 1% by weight.

Question: Do I have to use the color chart? Can I just play with the colors and see what I can come up with?
Answer: Of Course you can! That is also part of the fun of the colors. You are not limited to a few color choices, let your creativity go wild! If you come up with a great color combo, let us know, we may add it to the color chart.

Question: I don't get the Color Families, what exactly are they, and how can they help me choose a color?
Answer: Color Families are groups of colors within a certain hue. Such as Blues, Greens, Reds, etc.
Most colors have multiple color families for one color, since the color actually changes depending on the product it is used in and the usage rate. One color at a usage rate of 1 tsp in CP soap may be in the Blue Family, while the same color at 1/4 tsp for CP Soap may be in the Green Family.
They are useful in finding color selection. You probably know about what color you are wanting to color your products, Color Families make it easier to select the right shade.
With the use of the Color Family it is easy to match or find complimentary colors for ALL your products! Soap, Lotions, Bath Gels etc. Simply select the Color Family you want, and the product you want to color.

Question: Why under some Color Family categories is there Green colors in the Blue or Blue colors in the Green etc.?
Answer: We based the Color Families on the MAIN color in the product. Sometimes it was really a tough choice to decide where a color should go, so we had to just select one. Also remember that your browser may be reading certain colors differently.

Question: Is there any way to know if my browser is reading colors differently than what the colors are?
Answer: Unfortunately, there isn't. We use actual photos so the colors may not be what is considered as "Browser Safe". We have viewed the color chart on many different computers, and there was only very slight differences.

Question: On some colors the INCI information is a lot! Do I have to list ALL of this on my label?
Answer: Yes you do. Some people are sensitive to some colorants, (natural or otherwise), it is rare but these people know what to look for on a label. You do not need to list Distilled Water or Diazolidinyl Urea Iodopropynl Butylcarbamate twice on your label if your product already contains Distilled Water or Germall Plus.

Question: I need MSDS Sheets for these colors, can you provide them?
Answer: Yes. MSDS sheet for Select Shades can be found by clicking HERE
That is a printable MSDS sheet for all Select Shades.

Question: I have some other liquid colors or FD&C and D&C powders. Can I use the Color Chart with these?
Answer: Probably not, as Select Shades use special blends we had formulated by a color manufacturer. There may be slight differences in the products you have, which would not work correctly with the Color Chart.

Question: I have all the colors listed in the INCI information in powder form, can I just mix these up and use the color chart?
Answer: Again Probably not.
These are very specific formulations, we do not give out the actual amounts used in these colors as that is protected under trade secrets. We only need to give you the product INCI information in descending order. The actual amounts very from color to color.

Question: I can't get my salts to color correctly. I want a dark color and I am using the Opaque blending and it doesn't seem to be working?
Answer: Ahhhh Bath Salts. We love them, but they are so hard to color. The whiteness of the salts and soda is sometimes too much for some colors to handle. Salts will usually end up being in the light to pastel color range. Please keep in mind the maximum usage rate of 1 Teaspoon per lb, you do not want to go over that amount!

Question: Will the colors bleed in M&P Soap?
Answer: Probably. As M&P has a high water content.

Question: What is the shelf life of Select Shades?
Answer: If stored properly Select Shades have a shelf life of 2 years or more. The Manufacturer suggests to replace after two years.

Question: Can I use Select Shades in my lip balms or Lotion Bars?
Answer: No. These colors are not made for wax, or wax based cosmetics.

Question: I make a lot of soap, and 4 oz won't last me very long. Can I get larger sizes?
Answer: Yes. If you desire 16 oz up to 1 Gallon, we can work with you. EMAIL us for a quote.
Please remember that 4 oz can color up to 96 Lbs of soap at 1/8 tsp. per Lb.

Question: I live on the West coast and you are on the East coast, do you have a distributor that is closer to me to cut down on shipping costs?
Answer: At this time Select Shades are exclusive to Tradewinds Fragrance.

Question: I have a technical question for the Technical Support Team but no one is answering my email?
Answer: The Tech team are volunteers. There are two reasons why we do this.
So that we can actually keep the costs of Select Shades down, instead of paying to have a large support team on call. Many times if an answer to a question can be answered from THIS PAGE, you may not get a reply.
Also because Select Shades are so easy to use, within the first year of Select Shades there was a total of 8 actual technical emails. It was not worth the expense to keep a full time Tech person on staff.
We have added a Technical Forum to the site, where users of Select Shades can ask questions and get response from other users.

Question: Who are your Technical Support Team?
Answer: The Technical Support Team is a group of Select Shades customers who have helped test and develop Select Shades. They have offered their time to help others who may have questions regarding Select Shades. The identity of the Team Members is confidential.

Question: Can I become a Technical Support Team Member?
Answer: At this time all Team Member positions have been filled. If you would like to be considered for an opening EMAIL
To be considered for a position, we would need you to send us samples of products made with Select Shades. You will also be given a "test" on your knowledge of Select Shades, Soaping, and Bath and Body Products.