Mindful Design

Medicinal Dye Plants

Following the discovery of Ayurvedic dyes I decided to explore this further. According to The Ayurvedic Institute’s website “it is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing science. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “The Science of Life.” Ayurvedic knowledge originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and is often called the “Mother of All Healing.” (The Ayurveda Institute, 2021). Another fashion brand that use healing dyes is Monsoon Blooms and on their website they state “Our cotton is coloured according to the wisdom of Ayurveda at a small dye-house in the southern forests of Kerala. Using 100% natural plant dyes rich in medicinal properties, the fabrics are known locally as ‘healing cloths’ used more for health than for fashion.” (Monsoon Blooms, 2021). They also state the plants used by the dyers and what the cultural significance and healing properties are. These plants include neem, holy basil, tumeric and aloe vera. I decided to research medicinal plants further and find out how exactly we can benefit from the medicinal properties of plants through using them as a dye for clothing and textiles.