Color is powerful. It catches your eye, sets a mood, and leaves an impression long after the first glance. In today’s world, most of the colors we see every day — in clothes, cosmetics, and even soap — are the product of synthetic dyes and lab-made pigments. They’re vibrant, yes, but they also carry a weight of processing, chemicals, and shortcuts that don’t quite align with the values I hold for Wayward & Wild.

Here, every hue tells a story. From the soft tones of our handknit camp cotton rounds, dyed with everyday foods, to the rich swirls of our soaps, tinted only with plants, clays, and spices, the colors are a reminder that nature already offers a palette worth celebrating. This isn’t just about avoiding synthetics or speaking poorly of them — it’s about choosing authenticity, sustainability, and a deeper connection to the wild world around us.

The Practice of Food-Based Dyes 

When I first experimented with dyeing cotton yarn for our camp cotton rounds, I didn’t reach for bottles of chemical dye found on the shelves of the craft store. Instead, I pilfered my kitchen cabinets, garden, and apothecary. Paprika. Cinnamon. Avocado Pits. Turmeric. Red Cabbage. Blueberries. Walnuts. Butterfly Peas. Rhubarb. Nine everyday food items became the base of my natural dye experiments, each one producing a tone I couldn't have expected until it bloomed across the cotton.

What makes food-based dyes so magical is their unpredictability. Turmeric yields a sunny yellow, but leave it in the sun too long and it can fade into something gentler, more antique. Red cabbage can swing from blue to purple depending on pH — the same vegetable, completely different color stories. The colors feel alive because they are. They shift, soften, and evolve with time, unlike synthetic colors that remain frozen in perfection.

That quality — the living, changing nature of food-based dyes — is exactly why I use them. They remind us that beauty isn’t static. It’s not locked into an industrial standard. It’s responsive to its environment, just like we are when we step into the backcountry.

Why Cotton Rounds? 

The camp cotton rounds are simple tools: reusable, handknit, and made for anyone who wants to cut down on waste without sacrificing function. They replace disposable rounds, tucking neatly into a toiletry bag or backpack. But what sets them apart isn’t just their utility — it’s the way they carry color.

Dyeing these rounds with food-based pigments makes them more than just reusable cotton. It connects a daily ritual — washing your face, cleaning up after camp — with something ancient and grounded. Each round is touched by food that once nourished, now transformed into color. It’s not just practical; it’s art woven into function.

That philosophy isn’t confined to cotton rounds. At Wayward & Wild, it flows into every bar of soap we make. While many soapmakers rely on mica powders or synthetic pigments to achieve their eye-catching colors, we choose to work with natural sources:

• Clays like rose, green, and kaolin bring gentle pinks, earthy reds, and soft creams.

• Plants and spices — think cinnamon, turmeric, and paprika — give warmth and vibrancy.

• Foods like spinach or cocoa add subtle depth and grounding tones.

This choice isn’t just aesthetic. It’s practical and ethical. Natural colorants align with our mission to create products that are low-impact, safe for sensitive skin, and reflective of the wild landscapes we love. Just as I don’t want to pour synthetic dyes down the drain when dyeing textiles, I don’t want my soaps to release lab-made pigments into water systems.

Instead, every bar carries with it a reminder that beauty can be simple, intentional, and honest.

It’s not just about philosophy. There are real, practical reasons why we commit to natural dyes:

1. Skin-Friendly Ingredients: Synthetic dyes can sometimes irritate sensitive skin. By sticking with clays, plants, and food colorants, we reduce the risk of harsh reactions.

2. Eco-Friendly Practices: Natural colorants break down safely in the environment. No microplastics, no artificial pigments washing down into rivers.

3. Resource Consciousness: Many food-based dyes can be made from scraps (like onion skins or avocado pits) that would otherwise be discarded. That means less waste, more resourcefulness.

4. Consistency with Mission: We can’t claim to make products for outdoor lovers while using industrial shortcuts. Natural dyes reflect our alignment with adventure, earth, and intentional living.

When you pick up one of our camp cotton rounds, you’re holding more than cotton. You’re holding a piece of avocado pit, a memory of onion skin, a trace of blueberry. When you lather up with our soap, you’re touching clay that once rested deep in the earth, or spice that's been ethically grown and harvested by supported human hands. These connections matter.  It’s not about keeping up with trends or producing flashy, fast-turnaround products. It’s about crafting pieces that belong in the outdoors, that align with sustainable living, and that reflect the authenticity of the wild places we cherish.

If you want to explore natural dyeing for yourself, I’ve also created a free Wild Dyes Guide — a simple resource for experimenting with everyday food items to color textiles at home. It’s an invitation to play, to discover, and to see color differently. You can find this under the Library tab.