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: flavones (luteolin, apigenin) + tannins + other coloring molecule.

Uses :
Natural dye & textile printing : this plant extract allows to dye any type of fibers. It does provide more intense colors on mordanted wool. Indicative shades depend on the recipe and mordant : Yellow-straw (aluminum mordant), grey-brown in the presence of iron, orange light in the presence of titanium. This extract provides a good lightfastness.

Other uses : Medicinal plant: the leaves and stems of thyme are traditionally used for symptomatic treatments of digestive disorders, coughs and as a mouthwash. The essential oil is used in the formula of various pharmaceutical specialties and is widely used as an antiseptic in aromatherapy. It is also present in the perfumery and hygiene products sectors. Aromatic plant: the leaf and dry flowering tops of thyme are used in the food sector and in many culinary preparations. It is also an excellent honey plant.
Not suitable for food use.

The plant : Thymes are sub-shrubs with woody, tortuous and very branchy stems, bearing small pale pink or white flowers. They are perennial plants of the Lamiaceae family. Thyme is very resistant. It needs sun and grows wild on the arid and rocky hills of the Mediterranean regions up to 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The plant is found in Western Europe. It is also established in Eastern and Southern Europe.
The essential oil is obtained from fresh flowering aerial parts. The essential oil content varies from 5 to 25 ml/kg and its composition varies depending on the chemotype.

Co-products and upcycling : based in the South of France, GREEN’ING is committed to develop natural colors from local plants and valorize agro-industrial co-products. This thyme extract is a perfect example, resulting from GREEN’ING’s research and development in extraction from distillation by-products and aromatic herb sectors. A new example of proximity between the dye plant sectors and PPAM, a source of bio-economy.
It is one of the basic ingredients of the new range of extracts that we offer in warm and varied colors from Occitania.

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Main components : flavones (luteolin, apigenin and their derivatives) + tannins

Uses :
Natural dye & textile printing : this plant extract allows to dye any type of fibers. It does provide more intense colors on mordanted wool. Indicative shades depend on the recipe and mordant : Yellow-straw (aluminum mordant), grey-brown in the presence of iron, orange light in the presence of titanium. This extract provides a good lightfastness.

Other uses : Medicinal plant: the leaves and stems of thyme are traditionally used for symptomatic treatments of digestive disorders, coughs and as a mouthwash. The essential oil is used in the formula of various pharmaceutical specialties and is widely used as an antiseptic in aromatherapy. It is also present in the perfumery and hygiene products sectors. Aromatic plant: the leaf and dry flowering tops of thyme are used in the food sector and in many culinary preparations. It is also an excellent honey plant.
Not suitable for food use.

The plant : Thymes are sub-shrubs with woody, tortuous and very branchy stems, bearing small pale pink or white flowers. They are perennial plants of the Lamiaceae family. Thyme is very resistant. It needs sun and grows wild on the arid and rocky hills of the Mediterranean regions up to 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The plant is found in Western Europe. It is also established in Eastern and Southern Europe.
The essential oil is obtained from fresh flowering aerial parts. The essential oil content varies from 5 to 25 ml/kg and its composition varies depending on the chemotype.

Co-products and upcycling : based in the South of France, GREEN’ING is committed to develop natural colors from local plants and valorize agro-industrial co-products. This thyme extract is a perfect example, resulting from GREEN’ING’s research and development in extraction from distillation by-products and aromatic herb sectors. A new example of proximity between the dye plant sectors and PPAM, a source of bio-economy.
It is one of the basic ingredients of the new range of extracts that we offer in warm and varied colors from Occitania.

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Main constituents: hydrolysable tannins > 95%

Use : Pre-treatment and mordanting of vegetable fibers: Plant tannins is very rich in tannins. Tannic acid allows the pre-treatment of cellulosic plant fibers (called engallage in this case) in order to improve the fixation of the mordant during mordanting. THIS TANNIN PROVIDES A LIGHT COLOR.

Natural dyeing and textile printing : all fibers can be dyed with PLANT TANNINS. The colors obtained have slightly better lightfastness.
For bright colors, it will be used in the first bath followed by the mordant of aluminum salt. We recommend the ALUMINUM LACTATE, manufactured from renewable raw materials. In the presence of FERROUS SULFATE or FERROUS LACTATE (shading process after tannin), this extract forms very solid and dark complexes, to create numerous grey shades grays. In the presence of TITANIUM, a bright orange is obtained.

Not suitable for food use.

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Main components : flavones (luteolin, apigenin and their derivatives) + tannins

This extract can be used in the pure version (this one) but it is also used as a base for the shades Honey and Peach (evocating the corresponding shades). 

Uses :
Natural dye & textile printing : this plant extract allows to dye any type of fibers. It does provide more intense colors on mordanted wool. Indicative shades depend on the recipe and mordant : Yellow-straw (aluminum mordant), grey-brown in the presence of iron, orange light in the presence of titanium. This extract provides a good lightfastness.

Other uses : Medicinal plant: the leaves and stems of thyme are traditionally used for symptomatic treatments of digestive disorders, coughs and as a mouthwash. The essential oil is used in the formula of various pharmaceutical specialties and is widely used as an antiseptic in aromatherapy. It is also present in the perfumery and hygiene products sectors. Aromatic plant: the leaf and dry flowering tops of thyme are used in the food sector and in many culinary preparations. It is also an excellent honey plant.

Ne convient pas pour un usage alimentaire.

The plant : Thymes are sub-shrubs with woody, tortuous and very branchy stems, bearing small pale pink or white flowers. They are perennial plants of the Lamiaceae family. Thyme is very resistant. It needs sun and grows wild on the arid and rocky hills of the Mediterranean regions up to 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The plant is found in Western Europe. It is also established in Eastern and Southern Europe.
The essential oil is obtained from fresh flowering aerial parts. The essential oil content varies from 5 to 25 ml/kg and its composition varies depending on the chemotype.

Co-products and upcycling : based in the South of France, GREEN’ING is committed to develop natural colors from local plants and valorize agro-industrial co-products. This thyme extract is a perfect example, resulting from GREEN’ING’s research and development in extraction from distillation by-products and aromatic herb sectors. A new example of proximity between the dye plant sectors and PPAM, a source of bio-economy.
It is one of the basic ingredients of the new range of extracts that we offer in warm and varied colors from Occitania.

Return to Natural Dyes & plant extracts

Uses : Natural dyeing and textile printing : this plant extract allows to dye any type of fibers, mordanted or not. The tannins of gallic type (tannic acid = hydrolyzable tannins) naturally bind to cellulosic fibers. The shades are obtained depending on the concentration of bath and mordant : beige, fawn (not mordanted or aluminium), greys in presence of iron, orange in presence of titanium. This plant was part of the recipe of Noir de Bédarieux, our city. It was also used and described in the recipes of Paul Gout’s 157 colours or those of Antoine Janot’s 85 colours.
Other uses : Tannery.
Do not use for food.

The plant : Coriaria or Redoul (litterally ‘myrtle-leaved corroyere’, Coriaria myrtifolia L.) is a common species in the South of France and Catalonia. This shrub which has leaves similar to myrtle and can be 2-3 m height, is present along paths and rivers. WARNING: the fruits of this plant are very toxic and can sometimes be confused with brambleberries. The literature also indicates that the aerial parts are toxic. We have carried out research and analyzes which show that the most toxic parts are the seeds (the fruit pulp is much less so). Our extract is made from material without any fruit, using an optimized extraction process and our analyzes demonstrate that toxic molecules are only detected in trace amounts in the extract.

Historical uses and Noir de Bedarieux : Redoul or coriaria has been known and used since the Middle Ages in the South of France and in Catalonia. Narbonne and Montpellier were by far the largest importing centers for Catalan corroyère in Languedoc. During the first half of the 14th century, the city of Montpellier, the main center of demand, was gradually overtaken by Narbonne. Its name comes from the Latin corium or corroyage, indicating its use for tanning hides, its first use. Redoul is the basis of one of the technical innovations of the Languedoc and Catalan cloth dyers of the Middle Ages: it made it possible to obtain a beautiful black by giving a second dye with tannins and iron salts to a sheet which had already received a “foot” of pastel which could, in this case, be significantly less intense. Closer to us, books on the chemistry of dyes from the 19th century describe the production of Noir de Bedarieux, of which redoul is the main ingredient. GREEN’ING being located very close to Bédarieux, it was obvious for us to revive this color.
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Main constituents : hydrolysable tannins (elagic type).

Uses :
Natural dye and textile printing : this plant extract allows to dye any type of mordanted fibers. Beige, brown shades according to the formula. Grey in the presence of iron.

Other uses : tannery

Products not intended for food or dietary supplements.

The plant :
The chestnut tree can reach 25 to 30 m in height. This is a spontaneous species around the Mediterranean sea. It is also cultivated in all temperate Europe, in Northwestern Africa, in the Middle-East and in Northern America.

The large-scale use of chestnut tannin arose only at the end of the XIXth Century while appeared processes for black dyeing of silk and its use in tannery. The coloring principle, which gave a dark reddish shade to skins, was then separated from the tannin extract.

An overexploitation of the resources and diseases severely affected both European and American chestnut groves that have considerably reduced today.

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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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