Organic indigo is a powder from the leaves of the indigo plant called Indigofera tinctoria. It is one of the oldest dyes known to humankind. It is also the only natural blue. 

Its colorant is present in other plants including woad (Isatis tinctoria) and Japanese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria),

Indigo was used to dye shrouds for Egyptian burials, uniforms for Napoleon's Army and has also been used to dye prestige cloth for African chiefs and denim for blue jeans. 

The color was synthesized around 1880 by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer. Shortly after, the world indigo market collapsed as manufacturers switched to the new miracle synthetic dye. 

Soon after, cultivation acreage plummeted and within 20 years, only a fraction of the indigo used worldwide was from natural sources.

• Ingredients (Common Name): Natural Indigo


• Ingredients (INCI Name): Baphicacanthus Cusia (Nees) Bremek Powder


• Part of Plant: Leaves


• Shelf Life: 1 year

Indigo powder - the famous blue dye - is extracted from the leaves of the indigo plant. The extract may be purchased as lumps or chips (both of which require grinding before use) or as a fine powder.

Indigo is also available in leaf form - the leaves are harvested, dried and ground into a powder. This form is used as a hair dye and for direct application.

Our Relationship With Indigo

Decades ago, Maiwa began looking for blue. The word “indigo” was everywhere, but the legendary dyeplant proved much more elusive. 

It had been a little over one hundred years since the German chemist Adolph von Baeyer had discovered the chemical formula for indigo and worked out a way to synthesize it industrially. 

During that time farmers who grew indigo and those who knew how to extract it became increasingly rare.

Indigo has great longevity: archeological evidence of its use dates back to Indus valley civilization in the third millennium BCE. 

Ancient cultures—Greek, Roman, Chinese, Japanese, Indian—all created distinctive textiles based on indigo blue. 

Remarkably, indigo was also used in Central and South America, where it was independently discovered. Blue seems to be both universal and at the same time deeply tied to the culture that uses it. 

How to buy natural indigo powder, please contact us WhatsApp+86-18291857498

When exploring a new relationship with block printers, or scaling up a weaving or dyeing project, indigo is first. 

In contrast, when we are teaching, indigo is last. 

The experience of working and dyeing with indigo is so powerful, there is such magic in the process,

 that if we began with indigo, the students would never move on to the other colours.

HOW TO DYE WITH INDIGO

Indigo can dye all natural fibres. It gives beautiful shades of blue — from the palest summer sky to an almost purple black. 

The colour achieved depends on the type of vat, the concentration of indigo, and the number of dips. 

Indigotin (the dye component of indigo powder) is insoluble in water. To use it for dyeing it must be reduced to a water-soluble form. 

All indigo vats need three things: 1) Indigo 2) A reducing agent 3) A Base.

INDIGO

We recommend natural indigo extract in powdered form. 

Natural indigo generally contains anywhere from 15% to 55% indigotin by weight depending on the crop, growing season and harvest.

A REDUCING AGENT

Chemically, we need to reduce the indigo to make it soluble — we do this with a reducing agent. 

Reducing agents can be sugars, some natural dyes or other plants, or chemicals.

 A reducing agent lowers the oxidation state of the indigo molecule, transforming indigotin into leuco-indigo — which is soluble in water at room temperature. 

If we just add powdered indigo to water it will remain in pigment form, suspended but not dissolved.

What is the difference between a suspension and a solution? A fish is suspended in the ocean. But salt is dissolved in the ocean. 

You can see the fish (which remains distinct) you cannot see the salt (which has dissolved). If we can see the indigo (the dye bath is blue inside) then the indigo is not dissolved and the dye bath cannot be used to for dyeing. 

When the indigo is reduced it dissolves and the dye bath is a greeny-yellow colour.

A BASE 

In order for the reducing agent to act on the indigo, a basic environment is required. Chemically speaking, a base is the opposite of an acid. 

The reduction of indigo requires a basic (alkaline) solution. 

A recommended base for an indigo vat is calx (calcium hydroxide) also known as lime, pickling lime, or hydrated lime. 

Do not confuse it with “quick lime” (calcium oxide) which is much more corrosive, or chalk (calcium carbonate) which is too mild a base for an indigo vat. 

HOW TO DYE WITH INDIGO

1) Scour the cloth or yarn.

2) Build your vat.

3) Dip the cloth or yarn.

4) Oxidize the cloth or yarn.

5) Final wash of the cloth or yarn.

Usage Instructions: For melt and pour soap Mix 1 teaspoon of the powder with 1 tablespoon of 99 percent isopropyl alcohol. 

Add 0.5 dispersed teaspoon at a time to the melted soap. 

For cold process soap Mix 1 teaspoon of the powder with 1 tablespoon of distilled water. 

Add 1 dispersed teaspoon at a time at trace. 

It can also be added to the lye water. 

Use up to 0.5 tablespoon of color per pound of soap.