Black Henna

Black Henna – There is no such thing  !

Black henna does not exist. PPD, a highly toxic and dangerous chemical that colours black, is often added to henna sold as “black henna”.Henna does not come in fixed shades and colours. Henna is a plant. It’s dried, powdered, leaves produce a dull yellow green powder which, when mixed with water, produces a dull green colour paste. This paste reveals shiny brown tones underneath the green surface after a few minutes. This is henna paste. When henna paste is  applied to grey hair and white hair, and when it is applied to skin, it produces an orange colour stain.  Other hair colours will slightly deepen in colour. Henna can turn hair orange, red, and auburn, and brown and black when used in conjunction with indigo. However, on skin, pure henna will only ever turn orange or deep brown with rust tones.  It will never turn black.

Beware  PPD Beach Burn : The Black Henna Myth

The truth is that there is no such thing as “black henna” or any fixed shade henna. There is only one henna plant and its scientific, botanical, name is lawsonia inermis. It produces an orange red dye colour and nothing else, unless it’s mixed with something else – the crucial question is whether that “something else” is natural or chemical ? “Chemical” spells danger and even death. PPD is chemical. Unfortunately, the real danger of the black henna myth lies in wait every year on the beaches in hot sunny climes where, so often, seemingly pure and innocent “henna tatoos” are available. Please: DON’T DO IT !  Read on. This is something that all holiday makers should be aware of. No one should have to risk horrific PPD injuries on holiday, or at any time. If you are offered a henna tatoo, ask how long it takes to colour the skin; anything under 30 mins is PPD contaminated henna”, and if it’s over 30 mins, our advice remains : avoid it.

Click on the following links which explain the hazards of PPD in black henna and in hair dye :

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/health/doctors-warn-of-black-henna-risk

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/vanities/henna.asp

http://blogingchica.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/dangers-of-black-henna.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1934496.stm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2063862/Julie-McCabe-coma-using-LOreal-Preference-hair-dye.html

http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/paraphenylenediamine-allergy.html

Beware hair dye with PPD in it.  Never get a black henna tatoo whilst on holiday, or anywhere else !

Click here for the Dangers of Paraphenylene Diamene (PPD) Hair Dyes

Watch Out !

Lots of  henna for hair is sold in plastic bags or in smart looking boxes with beautiful faces adorned with beautiful hair on the front. Always check the ingredients are listed. If you see anything other than “lawsonia inermis” added to the ingredients then it’s not pure henna. If the ingredients are not listed, don’t trust it.

And watch out for the brightly coloured green powders that have colour dye particles added to make them look fresh and enticing. Anything added to pure henna dye for hair – apart from other pure & non chemical ingredients – contaminates it.

Also watch out for those cute little death trap bouquet garni type white cotton bags full of black PPD crystals. Popular in Turkey and surrounding countries, it’s quite common to see people of all ages using these pouches to achieve darkest black in their hair and on their eyebrows. It’s concerning that something so dangerous is marketed as something safe and natural. It couldn’t be further from the truth . PPD dyes will weaken your hair and damage your health.

 

Know  Henna ! (click)