About Our Dyes

We care deeply about the impact our products have on artisans, customers, and the environment. And this most certainly holds true when it comes to the dyes we use in our garments.

After all, our own kids and family members wear Misha & Puff, too! We care about what we're putting against our loved one's skin... and how anything we do affects the planet.

We use two types of dyes in our products: plant-based dyes and low-impact dyes.

Plant-Based Dyes

Plant-based dyes are about as natural as you can get. Not to mention, they are simply lovely! We once visited the farm in Lima that makes our plant-based dyes, and our host put his hand into a dye bath and drank it. It was just mango! (Note: We do NOT recommend drinking dyes. We're simply illustrating how gentle plant-based dyes are.)

Plant-based dyes do tend to fade faster than their synthetic counterparts, however. And if you're growing crops to make plant-based dyes, you need to consider land management and the environment, just as you would any other crop used for eco-friendly textiles.

Low-Impact Industrial Dyes

When we use industrial dyes, we make sure they're "low impact." Low-impact dyes are still synthetic, chemical-based dyes. But they don't use the same toxic chemicals as conventional dyes.

  • Low-impact dyes have better absorption rates into the yarn. This means less water needed during the rinse process and less run-off of dye during the rinse. So low-impact dyes are better for the environment.
  • Low-impact dyes are also known as "azo free." Azo dyes are used in conventional dyes, and they can be toxic.
  • Low-impact dyes don't contain heavy metals. This is better for the skin and for people with metal allergies.

Note: Oftentimes, low-impact dyes are referred to as "fiber-reactive dyes." Generally, this is accurate—most fiber-reactive dyes are considered low impact according to the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX. Fiber-reactive dyes that don't meet the standard usually have trace amounts of toxic metals.

Any synthetic dyes we use at Misha & Puff are certified low impact according to the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX.

Questions? We love hearing from you. Ask away!