Dangers of "Black Henna"

The Dangers of "black henna"

You may have read on various websites about the health dangers of "black henna"...

I will once again reiterate the importance of knowing what you're getting and what the risks are.

Effective August 11, 2003: Health Canada alerts Canadians not to use "black henna" temporary tattoo ink and paste containing PPD. Read more >

PLEASE NOTE: not all 'black henna' artists are bad people; the majority don't even realize how unsafe it is! Knowledge is power, and my message will provide you some insight on the risks.

"Black henna" chemical burn
Image courtesy of: Hennapage

What is "black henna"?

There is no such thing as "black" henna. The jet black colour is achieved from a chemical ingredient added to the paste. This synthetic ingredient is usually a coal-tar dye called "PPD" or para-Phenylendiamine. It is absorbed into your skin, enters your blood stream, and in turn passes through your kidneys and liver. People have had extreme reactions and lifelong damage.

The chemical burn caused by PPD causes the skin to blister, swell and itch. You can have a permanently scar. You can also develop allergies to other things, even if you use it once.

Every single application of "black henna" affects you — the toxins stay in your body for the rest of your life.

Even if you don't see a visible reaction to PPD, it is still harmful. PPD penetrates deep into the skin, reaching the dermis (living cells) and passing into the blood stream. This is in contrast to henna, which only penetrates as far as the dead skin cells of the epidermis. Once in the blood stream, PPD may have effects on the kidneys, resulting in kidney impairment. Repeated or prolonged inhalation exposure may cause asthma, so those who prepare PPD-based black henna are at risk as well. PPD never leaves your body -- in fact, it builds up over time, leading to permanent injury and allergies.

Imagine not being able to use sunscreen, cosmetics, dark-coloured fabrics, leather, and hair dyes ever again. And that's the best-case scenario.

PPD is regulated by Health Canada for limited use in products, such as hair dyes. It is not intended for use directly on skin, especially in high concentrations.

Since Health Canada ruled that using PPD in henna, vendors have started using other chemicals: Nigrosene (also called "Acid Black 2") is an AZO dye. It's commonly used in dying leather and plastic. Nigrosene is very harmful and can cause similar reactions (blistering, itching, swelling, scars) and allergies.

If a vendor tells you it's food dye, they aren't tell you the truth: Food dye will NOT make henna black. Food dye will NOT stain your skin for days. Food dye molecules are too big to penetrate skin cells, and therefore sit on the surface and can be wiped away with a wet cloth.

Where is "black henna" usually found?

Festivals and fairs
Theme parks
Mall kiosks
Beaches and resorts in Mexico, the southern US states, throughout the Caribbean
tourist areas of France, Spain, Italy, England, Sweden

What to do if you have blistering, burning, itching & other "black henna" reactions:

Go to a doctor immediately!
Do NOT scratch the area. Do NOT wash with water.
Tell the doctor you have a chemical burn. Print this information & bring it with you: Swiss Medical Journal article
The doctor will most likely prescribe a topical steroid cream to reduce swelling, itching and blistering.
You may end up with a scar... if you're lucky, that's all you'll end up with. You may have future reactions to cosmetics, hair dye, plastics, leather, fabrics, drugs, sunblock and more.

Blistering, oozing and itching black henna tattoo

"Black henna" tattoo: blistering, oozing & itching for weeks

The resulting scar, even with topical steroid treatment

Why even bother with "black henna"?

People will argue that black looks like a tattoo. You'd be better off drawing with Crayola markers on your skin than risk the lifelong damage that "black henna" gives you.

Safe alternatives to 'black henna' are body paints: Temptu sells FDA-approved body paints that look like a real tattoo! Many colours to choose from, its easy to apply and lasts days, even weeks.

Using 'black' henna misses the point of REAL henna. Think of all the beautiful traditions and artwork that have resulted from centuries of use. There is beauty in the simple discovery of this natural dye. Celebrate it!

How can you tell if it's real/natural henna??

Ask the artist questions! Did they make their own paste? If so, what's in the henna paste? There should be 4 main ingredients: henna powder (made from the leaves of the henna plant); an acidic liquid (eg. lemon juice, tea, coffee); sugar (this is the glue that keeps henna on your skin); and essential oil (look for safe EOs eg. Tea Tree, Lavender, Cajeput, Ravensara and/or Eucalyptus... Mehndi oil is unregulated and can contain strong Clove oil and even kerosene!) If the artist can't answer your questions, don't let them henna you.
Look for ICNHA certified henna artists: International Certification for Natural Henna Arts. A rigorous test and practical exam is required to get this certification. This ensures that you are dealing with an educated artist who ONLY uses natural henna. Ask to see their certificate of achievement.
Cross-examine by using the list below:

REAL henna...

is made from dried, ground-up henna plant leaves... not the roots, bark, twigs or other parts of the plant. Only the leaves contain the dye.
smells like fresh soil/hay/spinach. It may also smell of the other ingredients: tea/coffee/lemon juice and essential oils (eg. lavender, eucalyptus)
will only stain skin in oranges, browns, reds and burgundies, in light to dark shades. It does NOT produce jet black stains or other colours (e.g. blue).
stains your skin for 1-4 weeks. The longer the paste is left on your skin, the darker the stain will be.
paste is like mud, sitting on top of your skin. It will flake off as it dries, and just needs to be picked off, not washed off.
will leave an orange stain on your skin, after the paste is flaked off.
takes 24-48 hours to completely darken (oxidize).
benefits your skin; it doesn't hurt it. Henna has been used for centuries as an antiseptic, astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, antispasmodic (relaxing), antipyretic (cooling), topical sunscreen, antiperspirant, a treatment for sunburn & eczema, in the prevention & masking of foot odour, as a skin moisturizer & conditioner, and as a treatment for alopecia (hair loss).
will feel very cool on your skin. (Fortunately, heat will help extract the dye from the paste, so you can cover up if you feel too cold.)
will not leave blisters, open sores or scars on your skin... No matter where location it is applied!

If the vendor tells you they are using 'black henna' — WALK AWAY! It takes one bad decision to ruin your life.

Additional information:

Reporting "black henna" vendors in Canada

If you suspect Black Henna is being used, contact your nearest Health Canada Product Safety Office.

PPD Synonyms

Paraphenylenediamine (PPD or PPDA)
Para-aminoaniline (p-aminoaniline)
1,4-Benzenediamine
Orsin™
1,4-Penylenediamine
Ursol™ D
Rodol™ D
Paradiaminobenzene (p-diaminobenzene)

Product sensitivities

If sensitivities / allergies form as a result of 'PPD' exposure, here are substances you may also react to:

PABA-based sunscreens or creams
Azo or disperse textile dyes
Sulfa drugs
Hair dyes
Black rubber products
Some "caine" drugs such as benzocaine
Sulfonamides
Para-aminosalicylic acid / sodium
Diaminodiphenylmethane (epoxy hardener)
Para-aminodiphenylamine (p-amino-diphenylamine)
Paratoluenediamine (p-toluenediamine)
2,4-Diaminoanisole
Ortho-aminophenol (o-aminophenol)
Sulfones