Natural pigments from six species of Thai plants extracted by water for hair dyeing product application

Pigments from six species of Thai plants were water extracted at various temperatures and pH levels to generate eco-friendly dyes intended for application in alternative natural hair dyeing products. Sappan tree extracts gave greater yield than beleric myrobalan, false daisy, thao yanang, kae lae, and turmeric. False daisy, kae lae and thao yanang extracted with water at 100 °C-pH 9, sappan tree extracted with water at 25 °C-pH 9, beleric myrobalan extracted with water at 25 °C-pH 7, and turmeric extracted with water at 4 °C-pH 5 obtained the greatest yields within its species. The hue angle of extracts from all species ranged from yellowish, brownish and greenish color, and their absorption wavelengths ranged from 400 to 666 nm. The extracted pigments were peridinin, 19-but-fucoxanthin, fucoxanthin, diadinoxanthin, violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, zeaxanthin and DV chlorophyll b. When these extracts were applied for hair dyeing, the extracts of false daisy, kae lae, beleric myrobalan, and sappan tree mixed with ascorbic acid (a natural developer) and ferrous sulfate (a mordant agent), gave a dark reddish-brown to orangish-brown color. The dyed hair revealed excellent color strength, a smooth hair surface morphology, high-affinity interaction, and color fastness up to fifteen shampoos.