A detailed survey of a variety of natural colorants and their different applications including textiles, polymers, and cosmetics. Colorants describe a wide range of materials such as dyes, pigments, inks, paint, or chemicals, which are used in small quantities but play an important role in many products such as textiles, polymers, food, and cosmetics. As the effects of climate change begin to be felt, there has been a shift in focus in the field to renewable resources and sustainability, and an interest in the replacement of oil-based products with greener substitutions. As the push to adopt natural resources grows, there have been significant developments in the research and application of natural colorants as a step in the transition to a bio-based economy.