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Black Henna
The Facts, The Truth, The Warnings

"Why are so many people having problems with "black henna"? The short answer is that henna is not the problem; a toxic dye that people are adding to the henna to make it black and quick is the problem!

Henna's dye component, hennotannic acid, does not pass through into the dermis, it only stains the dead cells in the epidermis. Hennotannic acid naturally makes the brick/red/brown stains; it usually takes many hours to get a good henna stain on the skin, and that stain is quite harmless. However, many people want something that looks more like a black tattoo, and want it quickly. Because of this, many street vendors use PPD (a black hair dye) to make the temporary faux tattoos that their clients ask for; they call this "black henna". PPD is a very dangerous toxin and is banned by the FDA for use on skin. Do not be fooled by people who say that their black henna is "all natural" or "safe". Such a thing does not exist.

Specific information on the health effects of PPD is available at the chemical information page from the University of California at San Diego. PPD can cause blisters and scarring in some people when used on the skin (see photo below). Even if you have had black henna done once or many times before without a reaction, you could get a reaction the next time you have it done. More importantly, studies have shown that PPD has very serious long-term health consequences including liver damage and cancer.

"Black henna" vendors are often set up at beaches, fairs and resorts, and they may not know how much harm they are doing. The blisters and scarring tend to show up 3 weeks on clients after the application of the PPD black henna. The vendors certainly may be ruining their own health by handling PPD! If you believe that you are having a reaction to black henna, get to a doctor as soon as possible and bring a printout of this page to the doctor. The symptoms can usually be controlled, and if caught early, scarring can be avoided.

Health officials are beginning to wake up to this problem. Until they can control the use of these toxic chemicals, there are ways to protect yourself from black henna and find responsible, traditional henna artists.

Children are especially at risk; the poisons in "black henna" are more concentrated in their smaller bodies.

You have the right to ask the following questions (a good henna artist will be open to your concern for your own health):

1) Ask what's in the henna paste

If the "black henna" artist cannot give you a complete listing of ingredients in the paste, DO NOT get a henna design from that person!
A concerned, safe artist should only have pure, natural, harmless henna, and should be able to tell you exactly what is in the mix. Some ingredients commonly found in natural henna paste are lemon juice, lime juice, tea, eucalyptus oil, cloves, tamarind and fenugreek, among others.
If the paste is greenish, and smells like spinach or a hay bale, it is probably natural henna. Sometimes reputable henna artists add natural oils, cloves, tea and coffee which can spice up the fragrance and darken the color.
If the paste is deep black or grayish, it is probably NOT natural henna and should be avoided.

2) Ask how long to leave the henna paste on

If the henna artist tells you that you only need to leave the paste on for an hour or two, their henna probably contains PPD and should be avoided! Real traditional henna must stay on your skin longer to make a stain - usually 6-12 hours. The resulting color will be a reddish brown, not black. One brand, Mehndi Mud, tells you to only leave the paste on for an hour, but does not make the claim that it stains black - this should be safe.

3) Ask if the henna stain will be BLACK

Real henna does NOT stain black. PPD does stain black! If the artists is offering "colored henna" ask to see a list of ingredients, and decide for yourself if the product is safe for you. Those 3 questions should tell you whether the henna artist is using PPD or traditional henna. If the henna artist resists answering any of these questions it might be a good indication that their paste is not safe for you.

If you have received "black henna" and experience oozing sores, itching, blistering or rashes anytime up to 4 weeks after application, you probably have a PPD chemical burn! Do not try to treat it yourself. Print out this page as well as the pages from UCSD Chemical Information and go to your physician immediately. This is a serious chemical burn from a toxin, not an allergic reaction, and must be attended to professionally. Your physician may not be familiar with PPD and henna, so please take this information with you to assist him/her in the treatment.

Very rarely a person might have a problem with traditional natural henna .... it is just the law of averages that at least one person will be allergic to somthing. Henna simply doesn't penetrate far enough into healthy, adult unbroken skin to cause problems. If a person has a reaction to traditional henna (just mild itching, not raised oozing blisters and scars), it is usually because of a sensitivity to the clove oil, mehlabiya oil, henna oil, or eucalyptus oil which were added to the mix. A person with sensitive skin should ask for traditional henna with only lemon juice added. You do have the right to ask, so don't be shy!

We do not sell or use black henna or PPD. You can also be assured of the purity of our henna and we will gladly give you a list of the ingredients we are using.

Feel free to email us if you have any questions about black henna: neqasha@kenzi.com