EJW Barber, in his scholarly book, textiles prehistoric, classical writers Pliny used the Greek term, sandarac, a beautiful red mineral that was also used as dye. The same mineral has been used in paintings through the Renaissance. The mineral realgar, an arsenic compound sweet red. Colors: The Story of dyes and pigments, said it was one of the red pigments used by the Egyptians in the prehistoric paintings of cosmetics and medicines. Realgar was determined only by the prisoners, a new dimension to the mine. Arsenic can be absorbed through the skin and small amounts can make a beautiful complexion, as the Victorians knew. However, arsenic accumulates in the body and continues clothes with realgar, red surprising that the user very sick in a month.
Today Ökotex (sp?), A European organization that establishes standards for colored fabrics have different standards for clothes (little contact with the skin), intimate wear (worn on the skin), sportswear (leaching with sweat as possible) and babies (leaching of saliva as possible.) Few colors are acceptable for baby clothes, natch. Many dyes contain heavy metals that can accumulate in the body, if they do in.
Treatment of dye can be as important as the color effect on the body. Residual sodium carbonate is very irritating to the skin. The washing process of the fiber reactive dyes is the crucial step in determining their safety. The washing process is long and arduous, taking as long or longer than the dye. Industry standard procedures to a boil wash with agitation followed by a wide wide clarified. Procion MX is the most difficult to clean.
Someone mentioned the indigo rub off on skin. Indigo is the oldest known dye and can be done so that no bribe, it requires skill and care. Tuaregs, also known as the blue people, and others such as the excess of indigo on the surface of the canvas because of the brilliance he gives, but it is a cultural preference. We have a history of 5000 years + expose persons to the indigo and have not noticed any ill effects. Yet there was an incident in the early 1990s with Smith & Hawkes or 7 generation tries to be aware environmantally and sweaters knitted by hand with some son dyed with natural indigo. As knitters erupted from son, was the skin on the hands and arms a mess. Some more than others, but it was natural, what could be the problem? Well indigo requires a high pH achieved with wood, soda or lye, to color. Garnet was not properly neutralized and the residual alkalinity was the cause of all problems.
This message was precipitated by conversations about where I also posted dyerslist.
