Aug 29, 20196 min read

Staying Safe with Natural Henna

Updated: Feb 19, 2021

What is chemical henna, and why is it dangerous?

We've probably all come across a henna horror story at some point that's made us ask if henna is dangerous. Here's how to stay safe and tell the difference between safe, natural henna and dangerous chemical imposters...

A picture of chemical henna cones with the word DANGER stamped diagonally across the centre

Hang on, I thought you said henna was safe?

It is! Natural henna is safe and the risk of reaction is incredibly low. If someone experiences a reaction to henna, it's more likely that they're reacting to one of the ingredients in the paste like lemon juice or essential oils.

Chemical 'henna', on the other hand, is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. In fact, chemical 'henna' is so dangerous that NHS UK have a whole page dedicated to it on their website.

Risks of chemical 'henna'

The most common (and commonly-known) type of chemical 'henna' is black henna which often uses chemicals like paraphenylenediamine ("PPD") to create a rapid black stain.

Despite common misconceptions PPD is legal for us within the EU, but its use is approved for use within permanent hair dyes and is strictly controlled. Even then, PPD continues to carry significant risk: in 2015 Julie McCabe (38) died as a result of suffering an anaphylactic reaction triggered by PPD present in boxed hair dye and it is estimated that 14% of hair dye users suffer an adverse reaction, resulting in people being admitted to A&E departments across the UK on a daily basis.

According to Dr Chris Flower (Director General of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Assocation): "PPD is safely and legally used in permanent hair dyes where clear instructions are given, and where the maximum level is controlled by law. But black henna often contains PPD at high levels, to give a dark colour quickly."

However, Dr Flower continues: "When applied to the skin in the form of a black henna temporary tattoo, PPD can cause chemical burns and lead to allergic reactions."

According to Slater & Gordon Lawyers, PPD in hair dye accounts for 2% of the formula. PPD in black 'henna' can contain up to an estimated 62% PPD applied directly to the skin.

Even in pastes that do not promise a black stain, the risk of unnecessary and potentially dangerous chemicals is still incredibly high. In an attempt to delay the rapid decay of henna, these pastes contain a variety of (often unlabeled) chemicals designed to make the henna "shelf-stable" (more on this later). Pastes may also contain synthetic dyes meant to create henna-like stains in a variety of non-natural colours.

Where will I find chemical 'henna'?

A screenshot of Amazon.co.uk search results for the term "henna" showing various results promoting dangerous chemical pastes

Unfortunately, it's everywhere - and often in places you wouldn't think twice about.

Amazon, eBay and other online retailers often stock or facilitate the sale of chemical 'henna' pastes. Chemical 'henna' cones are also commonly found in corner shops, family marts, and shops that focus on natural medicine, holistic healing, or 'alternative' trends.

In some cultures, chemical 'henna' is the norm and natural henna artists are fighting to raise awareness about the risks and dangers that go with it which have often been unknown or ignored for generations.

Tourists traps are also at risk for chemical 'henna' touts, especially those who deliberately target tourists. They often rely on tourists being ignorant of the risks, and no doubt benefit from most tourists returning home after their 'tattoo' where it can become all but impossible to take action against the artist. (Sidenote: This is where the majority of henna horror stories happen!)

Why isn't anyone stopping this?

Henna is not regulated like other cosmetics, and as such isn't subject to the same levels of scrutiny or safety requirements.

Whilst this is great news for small-time henna artists (like me!), it unfortunately leaves the door wide open for companies to take advantage of the lack of regulation and testing. Kaveri, Golecha and Prem Dulham are among the most common culprits currently selling chemical pastes and calling them 'henna':

It says "all natural" on the box...

You know what else is natural? Cyanide and bears. "Natural" does not always equal "good for you".

(Plus, let's be honest: these companies are sneaking chemicals in to what should be an all-natural product, would we really put it past them to lie about it?)

How can I tell if henna is safe?

The easiest way is to ask. A henna artist should be able to list all of the ingredients in their paste, even if they won't tell how they mix up their recipe.

Natural henna paste has four main components:

Henna powder (dried leaves of the lawsonia inermis plant)
Sugar (table sugar, dextrose, or syrup for consistency and texture)
Essential Oil (typically lavender. cajeput, tea tree or eucalyptus)
Lemon juice, water or a similar mixing agent (black tea, coffee or other fruit juices are rarer but not unheard of)

If you want to find out more about what goes in to natural henna paste and why, check out my recent blog post: What is Henna?

If you can't talk to the artist, then there are a couple of other 'sense-checks' you can run to figure out if you're dealing with the real thing or a chemical im-paste-a (see what I did there? Okay, I'll show myself out...):

Packaging: Does this paste and the cone it comes in look like it could have been made by hand? As in the pictures above, chemical 'henna' often comes in branded cones with the company name and/or logo printed on the foil. Most artists will use colourful cellophane to wrap their cones, and artists who brand their cones often do to by adding a sticker to the cone rather than pay for branded cellophane or foil.
Smell: Everyone says this is the big one but, as someone who used chemical 'henna' in their teens thinking it was the real thing, it can be tricky to tell the difference if you have no frame of reference. (Once you've smelled natural henna, you'll be able to tell the difference from a mile away.) Natural henna paste will often smell most of the essential oil used in the mix, so it can be easy to pick out familiar scents like lavender or tea tree oil. Chemical pastes will have a distinctly chemical smell, like paint thinner or strong cleaning products.
Stain: Natural henna has a very clear staining process (look out for a future post - coming soon - on the science behind henna stains). The TL;DR is that henna stains are orange when the paste is first removed from the skin, and they later develop to a shade of brown depending on a number of factors. Chemical 'henna' pastes will often stain immediately, or will stain with synthetic colours like bright blue, green, red and pink. Henna is always a shade of brown.
Source: Where did the paste come from? As mentioned above, buying your henna from Amazon is a dangerous game. Some artists will sell their paste directly via their website, but others will use eBay and Etsy where they don't have a website of their own. In these cases, you should be able to reach out to the supplier and ask about the origins of their ingredients. A good artist should be able to tell you where and often when the henna was harvested (but, if they're anything like me, you may need to give them a little time to dig out the info).

What do I do if I've had chemical 'henna'?

This will depend on how recently you've been exposed.

If the paste is still on your skin or has been recently removed, seek medical attention. The first 48 hours are vital. If you're able, try to take a sample of the paste with you (it's unlikely that the artist will give some to take away, but even collecting the dried flakes can help identify what you were exposed to).

If your exposure wasn't that recent, you might want to consider an appointment with your GP or healthcare professional even if you didn't experience any obvious reactions.

Don't assume that you're safe just because you didn't see an immediate reaction. According to research, patients without previous exposure to black henna can take up to 14 days to display signs of an allergic reaction. The article further states that some reactions may appear as far as 45 days after the application.

(Psst: You might want to take this article to your GP or healthcare professional if they're unaware of the risks of chemical henna.)

I'd like to know more...

This is by no means a completely comprehensive guide to chemical 'henna' and the associated risks, and there are so many people out there on the great wide web who can go in to much more detail.

If you're interested in learning more, why not check out:

If you want to see how bad chemical 'henna' can be, here are some of the news stories that I've come across over the past few years.

(WARNING: Most articles contain images of burns and scars as a result of chemical exposure. Not for the faint of heart!)