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History of Natural Dyeing

The use of dyestuff became very prominent only after the 15th century as the art of dyeing spread from China and Egypt to Japan, Europe, and Central America.

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Even Indian text notes the use of yellow, blue, and red dyestuff. With the increase in the trade of wool, silk, and cotton around the world, dyes became a prominent commodity. The increase in trade of wool, cotton, and silk resulted in heavy demand for the commodity which further resulted in heavy demand for dyes.

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In the mid 19th century Henry William Penkin synthetically duplicated the red color dye from the natural madder, synthetic dyes could be produced in large quantity to meet the ever-increasing industry need, the demand for natural dyes declined and in 1869 the natural dying industry was on a downfall. Synthetic dyes cause a lot of harm to the environment and to us, which is why Livbio is reviving the art of herbal dyeing in the industrial setup.

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