About herbal colour

                             ABOUT HERBAL COLOUR

It has become the buzzword over the past couple of years and the "herbal" tag is prominently displayed on most packets of Holi colours being sold across the city. But the only difference between the so called eco-friendly variety and ordinary gulaal seems to be in their smell. "Herbal gulaal is perfumed. That is the only difference we are aware of" is what the wholesalers at Sadar Bazaar told TOI.
With Holi round the corner, the markets are a profusion of colour, dotted with piles and piles of red, yellow and green. But few buyers are aware that the colours, which manufacturers claim are 100% natural and environment-friendly, can cause serious skin problems. What is being marketed as herbal gulaal is only a mixture of araroot, cement and mud in varying proportions.

Bittu, a trader in Khari Baoli, says, "We normally buy packets of gulaal from Sadar Bazaar and have no idea what goes into making the colours. Normally, pure araroot is used with added colours but there are several people who are also selling adulterated colours that are made of cement, etc, and crushed really fine to produce a smooth powder."      

Growing Importance of Herbal or Natural Colours

No matter how attractive these colours may seem, it is very essential to check the quality so as to avoid health problems that may follow. This ancient festival of colours can be more fun and harmless if you play with natural or organic colours. In fact, in recent years, the importance of eco-friendly and chemical-free colours has been stressed. These colours are skin-friendly and are also not harmful to the environment.
The basic features of organic colours are:

• Non-toxic
• Skin-friendly
• Free from heavy metals
• Easy to remove
• Organic ingredients

Ingredients Used in Herbal Organic Colours

The organic herbal colours are usually made from organic turmeric, beetroot, kumkum, indigo leaves, white maida, rose petals, marigold flowers, gram flour, tulsi leaves, mehendi leaves, sandalwood powders, and varieties of organic stuff and flowers.

* yellow colour is made from the turmeric........where as green colour is mainly made from the neem leaf, and the red colour is made from the beat root.