Pigmenting Silicone with Mica Pigments
Ok, you’ve decided you want to try this but you’ve seen gorgeous pours from other makers. How do I know what kinds of pigments I can and can’t use in my toys?
Well, I might be able to help.
First, make sure that all of your pigments are body safe. Personally, I shoot for mica based pigments that are all eyes, lips and skin safe within FDA guidelines.
Bonus if they are also EU safe as well!
Avoid known problems like lead, cadmium, chromium, carmine, ultramarine and lapis lazuli. This is not a complete list, so do your own research.
TKB Trading makes this pretty easy. Here’s a link that will take you to a list of mica-based pigments that are safe for eye and lips in the US. If you are in the EU, hit this link instead.
Now then… how do you know what a pigment is going to look like in silicone?
Well, there are a couple options. (This might be easier to understand by video, so hit this link to see the video version of this section.)
First, I use 99% isopropyl alcohol to test my pigments. I’ll drop a bit of pigment on my counter top, and then add a bit of alcohol to it. This will bring out the true colors when it is wet.
You can also try it with some silicone thinner. However, I prefer alcohol because it is cheap, plentiful and easy to clean up.
Finally, particle size matters!
If particles get too large, say larger than 120 microns, then the silicone can have a hard time encapsulating them. At around 120 microns, the pigments start to look like glitter.
You might find that this can be mitigated by using a skin coat in your mold. Coat the inside of your mold with a thin layer of unpigmented silicone, then add your pigmented silicone. This will create a boundary layer that separates your pigments from the surface.
You will need to test this to make sure that your pigment is completely encapsulated and doesn’t actually reach the surface. If you find that your pigment flakes off when you rub it vigorously, you will need to go back to the drawing board.
But… what kind of silicone can I use?
Well, I’ve already talked about that… Here’s a link!
Until next time…
