Antique Persian Rugs

Vegetable Dyes

How much is known about the Green Dye used in the Chicago River?

Being I have never visited Chicago, I first learned on Wikipedia that Chicago dyes its river green on St. Patrick's Day. The Wikipedia article, as well as many sources, say the dye ingredients are a top secret. However, other sources know bits of information about it. (One site says it is a vegetable dye, other sources say it is a fluorescent dye ) How much is known about the properties and ingredients dye used in the river? One newspaper I saw online said over 50 cities wanted to know the formula. Even though the formula is not being released by the group doing the dying, but because the river is publicly accessible, I would presume that someone has taken samples of its water to a chemical lab for analysis.

So, is the green dye used in the Chicago river still a big secret?

First, I do not know. But if I were doing it, I would use eosine. This is a cheap dye that looks orange, but when the sunlight hits it, it fluoresces green. This means that the light orange doesn't show much, but the brighter the light, the more intense this green glow. Also, if I were in Chicago, I would not want to use any thing dangerous, and eosine is long known. Long ago, there was a household cleaning solution called Spic 'n Span. That was dyed with eosine.

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Vegetable Biryani Traditional Indian Food

Hair Dyeing: Basma

There is another favorite hair dye besides henna in the East. It is called basma. This vegetable hair dye is environmentally friendly. It is prepared from dried leaves of tropical plant indigo, which have greenish grey color. Basma can be used only with henna or coffee, because basma itself can dye your hair in green or greenish blue. Basma has excellent cosmetology properties: it stimulates hair growth and gives it a natural shine, improves hair structure, strengthens hair roots, and eliminates dandruff.

Also as henna, basma should be prepared immediately before applying on hair; you have not to store a hair dye. Take from 20 till 100 grams of basma and henna powder depending on your hair length. The proportion is determined depending on the desired tone and hue intensity. Having dissolved a powder in proportion of 1:1 you will get a nice brown hue. If you want to get hair so black as night, the proportion should be 1:2 (henna: basma); but having changed the proportion of components (1:2 basma: henna) you will get hair of bronze color.

Apply the dye dissolved with water to cream mixture to dry or wet clean hair; it is better to start with back of the head. Then apply the dye on top of the head and on temples, and then on the entire length. For effect enhancing you should put plastic hat on your head, and then cover it with a towel. Keep the dye for 20-30 minutes (for having a light tone), or 1-3 hours (for having rich dark tone).

However, dyes from natural ingredients are not permanent as chemical dyes are. Therefore hair dyed with henna or basma should be spared; wash it with mild shampoos and rinse it with conditioners and balms of the same type (do not use deep cleaning shampoos!). Maintain the color intensity using such a rinse. Pour the mixture of 25 grams of henna and 25 grams of basma with 1.5 liters of boiling water. Filter the mixture carefully, cool it and rinse your hair with it. You have to moisturize your hair regularly and nourish it with protein masks for keeping the resulting hair shine. You can make the mask by yourself: mix 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of honey, aloe leaf juice, 1 teaspoon of castor oil.

You should remember: if your hair is dyed with vegetable dye, you cannot use artificial dyes. The reaction of chemical agents with henna and basma can lead to unexpected results, including blue or green hue. Natural dye has to be completely washed off. Go to Hair Dyeing and know more about natural hair care.

About the Author

Carole is the author of some web-blogs in Health category. You can find more interesting and useful information at Beautiful Skin Blog and Ideal Weight Blog.

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