This is powdered extract of fresh leaves of Isatis tinctoria, also called woad (/ˈwoʊd/), dyer's woad, or Jerusalem Asp. In France it is called pastel and in German Waid. In Dutch we call it wede.
Woad is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, a biennal herb up to 1.60 meter tall. Woad is also the name of a blue dye produced from the leaves of the plant.
Woad contains the indican, Isatan A and Isatan B, all precursors of indigotin. It also contains some Indirubin. You have to make a woad vat in order to use this powder, and you can combine woad with indigo. In the past, woad was formed into woad balls that would cause fermentation to take place, thus forming the indigotin needed to dye blue. Nowadays woad extract is produced by alkaline hydrolisation just like regular indigo powder.
For the samples I created a simple hydros vat using the instructions of this blog with 10 grams of woad powder per liter water, you can use 5 grams per liter for a medium shade of blue. From experience, woad extract needs less hydrosulfite than a regular indigo vat.
I have written an extensive blog about indigotin extraction that you can read here.
The Sussex Soap Company made a beautiful soap using our Woad powder, you can watch the instructional video here.
Woad Powder (Isatis Tinctoria)
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
1 — IDENTIFICATION OF SUBSTANCE/PREPARATION AND OF THE COMPANY UNDERTAKING
Trading Name : Woad Extract
Company DekelDyes
Emek Ayalon 14A
Shoham / Israel
+972525410033
Classification of the Substance or Mixture
Classification according to EC Regulation 1272/2008
Classification according to EC Regulation No. 67/548 or No. 1999/45
2 — COMPOSITION, INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
This is a natural product and processing/manufacturing is done on the traditional way and no chemical/ solvent treatment is done during the processing or at the final stages.
Botanical Name: Isatis Tinctoria
Common Name/Synonyms: Woad powder, Woad extract, Indigotin from Woad
C.I. Number: C.I. Vat Blue 1
Product Code CAS NO. 482-89-3
Appearance: Dark Blue powder
Preparation: It is prepared from leaves of Isatis Tinctoria by natural fermentation process.
Part used: Leaves.
3 — Hazards Identification
This product does not require classification and labelling as hazardous according to CLP/GHS.
The material is not subject to classification according to EC lists.
Dark Blue powder. Typical
Body tissue irritant. Avoid contact with all body tissues.
Health-0
Flammability-0
Reactivity-0
Exposure-0
Storage-0
0 is low hazard, 3 is high hazard
4 — First Aid Measures
Call a physician, seek medical attention for further treatment, observation & support after first aid.
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air at once. If breathing has stopped give artificial respiration immediately.
Eye: Immediately flush with fresh water for 15 minutes.
External: Wash continuously with mild soap and fresh water for 15 minutes.
Internal: Wash mouth out with water. Call a physician or poison control at once.
5 — Fire Fighting Measures & Instructions:
Non flammable solid. When heated to decomposition, emits acrid and irritating fumes. Use triclass, dry chemical fire extinguisher. Firefighters should wear self contained breathing apparatus
6 — Accidental Release Measures
Use mask, hand gloves and safety goggles. Restrict unprotected personnel from area. Sweep up, place in sealed bag or container and dispose. Ventilate area and wash spill site after material pickup is complete. See Sections 8 and 13 for further information.
7 — Handling and Storage
Suggested Storage Pattern: Store with dyes, indicators, and stains. Store in a dry place. Keep container tightly closed.
8 — Exposure Controls , Personal Protection
Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing. Wear Dust masks, Safety goggles, PVC hand gloves and Safety shoes Protective suit
9 — Physical and Chemical Properties
Appearance: Dark Blue powder. Odorless.
Solubility In Water: 2.11
Heavy Metal Content: Zn=5.26 Cr= na Absent = Pb, As, Cu, Hg, Ni, Cd - NA.
Moisture Content: 3.51
Ph Of 1% Solution: 8.30
Speciality : Colour changes to greenish yellow in alkaline medium.
Main colouring content: Indigotin
10 — Stability and Reactivity
Avoid contact with strong oxidizers. The Shelf life is Indefinite, protect from light.
11 — Toxicological Information
ORL-RAT LD50: N.A.
IHL-RAT LC50: N.A.
SKN-RBT LD50: N.A.
Acute effects: Irritant, causes eye and skin irritation.
Chronic effects: N.A.
Target organs: N.A.
N.A. = Not available, not all health aspects of this substance have been fully investigated.
12 — Ecological Information
Data not yet available.
13 — Disposal Considerations
Please consult with state and local regulations.
14 — Transport Information
Shipping: Non restricted as per IATA / ICAO regulations.
Hazard Class: N/A
UN Number: N/A
N/A = Not applicable
15 – Regulatory Information
This product in produced from the plant calledI satis Tinctoria. It is an agricultural product. It can be used for dyeing fabrics and making soaps.
16 — Other Information
This Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is for guidance and is based upon information and tests believed to be reliable. No guarantee of the accuracy or completeness of the data and shall not be liable for any damages relating thereto. The data is offered solely for your consideration, investigation, and verification.
Reviews
I used this woad in my soap recipes after I had to reformulate all my recipes containing indigo after that got banned for use in soap in the UK. It works beautifully and is also appropriate as woad was used a lot in Celtic Britain.
I love this Paler Shade Of Blue. I dyed cotton, linen, silk and wool. I used Suzanne’s recipe for a strong vat, 25 grams. It went a long way. In the end I threw in a white Terry hand towel to exhaust the dye vat. Eventually, when I have enough yarn dyed I will weave a silk shawl and a
wool scarf.