The Dirt on Dye

Dyed, tinted & preserved products have been wildly popular for some time now, and they don't seem to be going anywhere. However, there are many questions & concerns over the toxicity of the dye, both to the user and to the environment. We wanted to make sure we could answer it as thoroughly as possible as it's a bit more complex than one might think, so we hope you find this information helpful!

Keep reading to get the dirt on dye from David Dahlson, our resident flower expert.*

*Please note, the opinions expressed in this blog are those of David's and do not represent everyone here at Mayesh. We left in his personal thoughts about the trend to show that his actual research and findings were unbiased. We are all for designers expressing themselves and creating their art, with or without dye :)

“To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light
To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.”

I could not agree more, and as Lord Salisbury states in Shakespeare’s play “King John”, to paint the lily is ridiculous excess. But that is just my opinion, and if tinting or painting flowers is liked and admired by some people, then so be it. One man’s poison is another man’s passion, as the saying goes, and we live in a society that values freedom of expression.

As a floral wholesaler, Mayesh offers many types of dyed, tinted, and painted flowers, as well as dried, tinted, and preserved flowers and foliage, and even some bleached items. Many people, including myself, have had preoccupations with the possible toxicity of the processes and products that allow for the creation of tinted flowers. I have made a deep dive into these products and the takeaway is that, generally speaking, most of these dyed and tinted floral items are safe to use, and safe to dispose of.

The caveat with this is that it depends on your comfort level. If you are comfortable with products like bleach, disinfectants, and hydrogen peroxide, which are commonly found in most homes and places of business, then tinted flowers should not present any issue that is any more egregious than the household items found amongst one’s cleaning supplies. Obviously, if you are not comfortable with these items, and you have made a conscious decision not to use them and do not have them in your home, then probably these flowers are not for you.

One commonsense principle to remember is that fresh flowers are extremely sensitive to toxic substances and will simply atrophy and die if the products applied are too strong and too toxic.

Tinted and Dyed flowers - FRESH

The three principal ways that flowers are colored are either through absorption, by spray application, or by dipping in paint.

Absorption is the process wherein the flower draws color up through the stem. Most absorption dyes are made from pure pigment that is non-toxic. Often a surfactant will be added in tiny amounts to enhance the efficacy of the absorption. An example of a common surfactant is dish detergent.

Risk Level – Extremely Low

Sprayed flowers are, as one would think, blooms that are sprayed by the flower producer either in the field or in post-harvest, or alternatively by the designer. The paint product has very low toxicity and is much safer than almost all spray-paints. Again, if the paint was toxic it would simply kill the flowers.

Risk Level – Very Low

Dipped fresh flowers are generally quite limited, as total immersion in paint would be detrimental to most varieties of flowers. The fresh flower most often dip-dyed is the chrysanthemum, both in the Pompom form and also the disbuds or ‘Mums. However, in recent years dip-dyeing has become much less prevalent than in the past.

Risk Level- Low

Tinted and Dyed Flowers – PRESERVED

In order to obtain a good preserved flower or foliage, a good fresh flower is required. The most common methods of preserving flowers is either through freeze-drying, or by the absorption of glycerin. Any artificial color would either be introduced by absorption prior to being placed in glycerin or being dried, or by spraying or dipping after preservation. When it comes to dip-dyed preserved or dry floral items one must consider the source of the product. If coming from Europe, the paint products pose a very low risk to health, as the industry is well regulated. On the other hand, if the country of origin is China where there is limited regulation then the risk could potentially be elevated. Again, I highly recommend making decisions based on your comfort level.

Preserved flowers using absorption dye: Risk Level – Very Low

Preserved flowers that are dipped dyed: Risk Level – Low/Medium/High

Bleached Flowers

This group of products goes through quite an intensive process to achieve the white look. They use a variety of industrial products to render them “bleached”, but which are essentially the same compounds you can find in most peoples’ homes. The process also preserves the flowers.

Risk Level - Low

Dyed Flowers – DRIED

Of all the colored options for floral material this group is the most sketchy, as it is hard to ascertain exactly what the composition of the paint or dye is. As the plant products are dry, and will not wither or wilt from the paint application, almost any kind of material can be applied. I am personally comfortable with products coming from the European Union, fairly comfortable if it originates in South America or the USA, but I would be uncomfortable with using products from China. I would be much more at ease taking dried items and spraying or dipping them myself. If you are making a purchase from Mayesh, please do check with your Sales Associate to ascertain the country of origin.

Risk Level – Low/Medium/High

Conclusion

It is my opinion that fresh flowers which are artificially colored in some way are safe to use, and there are reasonable options for preserved, bleached, and dried flowers. That said, there are of course environmental concerns to consider, but this comes down to a personal decision as to whether you are comfortable with chlorine products and allied chemicals going down our drains, potentially affecting wildlife and water quality. As a nation, and throughout the world, the amount of bleach and bleaching agents that are disposed of through our drains on a daily basis makes the amount used in bleaching flowers a mere pittance. Similarly with dyes and pigments, and on this point at least floral dyes are almost all non-toxic, posing no threat to wildlife and water quality.

Yes, we probably should outlaw chlorine products for the well-being of the planet, but then we would need to question basic tenets of our society to do that. In the meantime, if you are comfortable with the laws and regulations controlling paints, dyes, and chlorine in the USA, and you want to use tinted flowers, you may rest assured in knowing they are, by and large, safe to use.

But if you, like me, prefer flowers in their natural state, then please elect not to use them.