Natural Indigo Leaves

The most important thing to remember when shopping for natural indigo is that there is no single way to dye. Indigo is an ancient and natural dye that was used in the earliest times of textile production. Today, indigo dye is used primarily to dye cotton, linen, silk, and wool. The leaves of the indigo plant are used to create a natural blue dye that can be used in a variety of applications. Each leaf is boiled with a little bit of water until the water turns blue. The boiling process releases a natural dye called indanthrene that produces a deep blue color. Once the leaf is boiled, its steeped in cold water until the water turns a deeper blue, which helps to preserve the color.