Color Hasn’t Always Been Just A Pretty Face

 Color Therapy Then & Now

Denise Turner, ASID, CID, CMG

Color Turners

Many of us take for granted that color has always been with us to adorn our homes and bodies, but that hasn’t always been the case. In ancient times, man had symbolism, mystery and magic in mind when using color. It wasn’t until the Renaissance period that color changed from sacred formulas that were deeply rooted in mysticism, to the artist’s individual expression of beauty. Artists such as, Sandro Botticellin and Leonardo Da Vinci became famous during this period and brought another dimension to the way we perceive color. http://www.paintingsite.net/history-renaissance.html

Sense the beginning of recorded time (and probably sooner) man understood color’s healing powers. Ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Indian, Greek and Roman physicians revered color. They diagnosed through it and prescribed organic and inorganic medicines and rituals. Though Egyptian medicine dates from about 2900 B.C., best known and most important pharmaceutical record is the "Papyrus Ebers" (1500 B.C.), a collection of 800 prescriptions, mentioning 700 drugs. The document revealed that ancient Egyptian physicians prescribed colored minerals, such as red and yellow ochre, malachite and red. http://dianabuja.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/papyrus_ebers.png

Hippocrates, the Father of Western Medicine was very much aware of color’s holistic powers. He incorporated Color Therapy into his practice. Hippocrates painted his treatment rooms in healing hues and like his predecessors, he used colored ointments and salves as remedies.

TECHNOLOGY-COLOR & LIGHT THERAPY
Light plays a vital role in our lives; without it all life ceases to exist. Light equally plays a vital role with color; without it all color ceases to exist. Many of the ancient principles of Color and Light Therapy are used today, in modern medicine. Color or Chroma Therapy is a form of Energy Medicine.

USED BY: 

• Pediatricians to treat neonatal, infants with jaundice. Babies are bathed in blue light, which helps bring them back to a healthy state.
• Dermatologists to treat acne, rashes, psoriasis and other skin disorders.
• Mental health specialists to treat individuals with SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorders), a form of depression. Therapy helps them restore and retain energy and fight winter blues. SAD is often associated with shortened daylight hours in winter months of northern latitudes.
• Sleep specialist doctors treat insomnia sleep-related disorders.

• Commercial airlines to help reduce jet lag in passengers, on long international flights.

Researchers have two primary beliefs why Color and Light Therapy is an effective treatment for SAD, depression, insomnia and jet lag patients. One-it triggers the brain's production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter related to mood disorders. Two-it relieves depression and jet lag by resetting the body's circadian rhythm, or inner biological clock.

Here’s an amazing product, that I’m proud to be a part of. I consulted with Mr.Steam to help design and market their Steamtherapy©. This Chroma, Aroma and Music Therapy, steam shower enhances your breathing exercises, leaving you with a sense of wellness. The scent and color evokes moods and heighten your emotions. http://mrsteam.com/steamtherapy/index.html

COLOR TURNERS helps businesses and manufacturers make the best decisions where color choices are critical. We provide accurate and tangible ways to significantly reduce your business and manufacturing risks and turn your knowledge into increased sales and customer satisfaction. http://www.colorturners.com denise@colorturners.com

Tints, Shades & Tones

Does This Color Match?

How many times do you hear “I want this shade of color” or “I like this shade but darker or lighter”?

Tints, shades and tones are fairly simple color terms; however they are often used incorrectly. Just listen to the countless, misused color terms you’ll hear in TV commercials promoting cosmetics, paint, clothing and cars. It’s no wonder they’re used incorrectly.

So what’s the big deal about using the right color terms? Here’s why! If you’re attempting to communicate with someone who's creating a particular color, you need to speak the same language. So I’m here to set it straight.

If a color is made lighter by adding white, the result is called a tint. If black is added, the darker version is called a shade. And if gray is added, the result is called a tone.

Another term that is misused is when looking at a certain color and asking… “I want another shade” which they think means a different hue of a color like a blue compared to a blue green. Another shade would be a darker version of a color as a shade is a color plus black or minus black. Here’s another commonly misused color phrase that you’ll hear when someone’s attempting to coordinate fabrics....“does this match?” The majority of the times they really mean.... “do these colors coordinate?” To use the word “match” indicates that they are the same exact color.

Tint

Tone

Shade



COLOR TURNERS helps businesses and manufacturers make the best decisions where color choices are critical. We provide accurate and tangible ways to significantly reduce your business and manufacturing risks and turn your knowledge into increased sales and customer satisfaction. http://www.colorturners.com  denise@colorturners.com