Main components : indigotin, clay.

Use :
This pigment is ideal for soap making, fine arts and paints. It cannot be used for dyeing.

The plant :
Polygonum tinctorium Aiton is an annual herbaceous species of 40 to 80 cm height.
This species originating from Asia was extensively grown for the manufacture of natural indigo in tropical areas of China, Vietnam and Japan where it is still used for traditional textiles.
It was introduced into several countries in Europe where it is well acclimated and grown.

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Main constituents :luteolin, flavones (minor – apigénine, chrysoeriol).
This natural dye extract does contain nearly 51% more of natural color than our traditional extract. Deep yellows obtained at pH 8.0.

Uses :
Natural dyeing and textile printing : Weld extract is from the main European dye plant resource for yellow shades. It can be used with any kind of fiber, combined with any mordant and most other dye extracts to obtain a very wide range of lightfast colours. For deep yellows, this dye develops best in slightly hard water – for example by adding  sodium carbonate or calcium carbonate (chalk) for instance to set up your bath to pH 8.0.

Products not intended for food or dietary supplements.

The plant :
Weld or Dyer’s weed (Reseda luteola L.) is one of the most oldest dye plants used for yellow colour. It was classified as “grand teint” (color fast). The whole plant is a good source of natural dye, except the root. It was used as a natural dyestuff since the Roman Antiquity or Prehistoric times. Its use widely spread from the Middle Age and weld was grown in England, in France, in Belgium and in the southeast of Germany.

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Main components : indigotin.

Use :
Textile dyeing : the indigo dye provides ranges of blue shades, from very clear to dark, with good lightfastness and washfastness. Its use in textile needs to turn it from an oxidized state (blue pigment, insoluble) to a reduced state (greenish yellow pigment, soluble) which will allow to fix on fibers before being again oxidized (by the oxygen of air – a magic step that develops the blue color). These reactions can be processed in natural vats by using our fructose syrup and hydrated lime for instance (or iron, henna or reducing fruits natural vats) or by using a chemical reducing agent (sodium hydrosulphite or thiourea).
Instructions and downloads : Preparation of indigo vats & dyeing instructions, advanced information on indigo natural vats (only in French, sorry).
The indigo can be easily combined with other dye extracts (yellow, red for example) to widen the pallet of shades (green, purple…).

Paintings, decoration, fine arts : the indigo is then directly used as a natural pigment, after homogenizing into the selected binder or medium.

Other uses : cabinetmaking, ink.

Products not intended for food.

The plant :
Polygonum tinctorium Aiton is an annual herbaceous species of 40 to 80 cm height.
This species originating from Asia was extensively grown for the manufacture of natural indigo in tropical areas of China, Vietnam and Japan where it is still used for traditional textiles.
It was introduced into several countries in Europe where it is well acclimated and grown.

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Main constituant : Copper chlorophyllins

Uses :
Natural dyeing & textile printing : This extract can be used to dye any fibre previously mordanted with alum and cream of tartar or gallnuts and aluminium acetate. Different shades of natural green can be obtained depending on the formula and the mordent.

Fine arts, leisure and decoration : The chlorophyll can also be used for your aqueous formulae for fine paints, watercolors and natural inks.

Coloring of aqueous solutions or binders, cleaning products / liquid soaps and many others.

Products not intended for food or dietary supplements.

Chlorophyllin :

Chlorophyll is the main photosynthetic pigment of plants. It is present in most of plants and in certain bacteria and algaes. It is able to capture light energy and convert it into biochemical energy, essential for life.

In Autumn, green leaves turn to yellow to dark red by loosing their chlorophyll under the effect of plant enzymes. When the chlorophyll is degraded, the other pigments of the plant (such carotenoids) are revealed and create the colors of Autumn.

Chemically, chlorophyllin (an essential molecule for plants) is very similar to hemoglobin (essential molecule of animals).

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Uses :
Natural dyeing it is useful for numerous preparations. Hydrated lime is used for the preparation of indigo dyebath with iron and indigo organic dyebath, for instance with fructose syrup (e.g. 1-3-2 organic dyebath according to Michel Garcia’s recipes). Dipping your fabrics into lime water before dyeing with indigo will also enhance the shades.

Other uses :decoration and coatings, building – manufacture of fillers and distempers. In agriculture, to amend acid soils. Floculant in the water-treatment plants…

Products not intended for food.

Product to be handled with precautions. Respect use recommendations (protection of skin, eyes, do not breathe, do not ingest). Safety data sheet available.

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Uses :
Natural dyeing : it is used to stabilize aluminium acetate in fibers. Calcium carbonate can also be added to madder dyebaths when the water does not contain enough calcium to brighten red shades.

Other uses : inorganic filler in paints, domestic uses… Sometimes also named Whitening agent, Blanc d’Espagne, blanc de Meudon.

Products not intended for food.

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This tartaric acid is isolated from by-products of the wine making (white wines generally). Water is the only solvent used in the manufacturing process. Product of food grade – food ingredient (E334).

This ingredient is PREPARED BY UP-CYCLING OF BY-PRODUCTS FROM THE WINE INDUSTRY.

Uses :
Natural dyeing : for the mordanting of wool and silk, in addition to alum, tartaric acid gives different shapes than those obtained with the cream of tartar. Recommended also for cochineal dyeing.

Other uses : as an organic acid, pH adjustment, reducing agent, complexing agent and setting retardant for plasters and cement compositions. Formerly used as photographic developer.

Products not intended for food.

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This cream of tartar is precipitated, then purified, during white wines making. This is a food ingredient (E336), also named potassium bitartrate and it does comply with food regulations.

This ingredient is PREPARED BY UP-CYCLING OF BY-PRODUCTS FROM THE WINE INDUSTRY.

Uses :
Natural dyeing : Cream of tartar is very useful for the mordanting of wool and silk, in association with potassium alum. It does improve the binding of mordant on the wool and the silk, makes shades brighter and contibutes to a better uniformity of colours. It also has anti-felting properties and protects the fibers during the mordanting and dyeing steps.

Cream of tartar  is also very helpful, in association with alum, for the mordanting of raffia, sisal or abaca fibers, even if these are cellulosic fibers.

Other uses : Baking powders, wine care, cookie, candies, pastries, toothpastes, metals care…

Products not intended for food.

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Main constituents : luteolin, flavones (minor – apigénine, chrysoeriol).

Uses :
Natural dyeing and textile printing : Weld extract is from the main European dye plant resource for yellow shades. It can be used with any kind of fiber, combined with any mordant and most other dye extracts to obtain a very wide range of lightfast colours. For deep yellows, this dye develops best in slightly hard water – for example by adding  sodium carbonate or calcium carbonate (chalk) to your bath.

The plant :
Weld or Dyer’s weed (Reseda luteola L.) is one of the most oldest dye plants used for yellow colour. It was classified as “grand teint” (color fast). The whole plant is a good source of natural dye, except the root. It was used as a natural dyestuff since the Roman Antiquity or Prehistoric times. Its use widely spread from the Middle Age and weld was grown in England, in France, in Belgium and in the southeast of Germany.

Go back to Natural Extracts & Natural Dyes