Lee Swanson Research Update

Henna: Nature's Healthy Hair Colorant

November 2008

Many women, especially pregnant women, look for natural, chemical-free, plant-based hair dyes to color their hair, thanks to the controversy about the safety of ammonia, peroxide or other harsh chemicals in certain salon or store-bought kits. Thankfully, Mother Nature gives women (and men, too!) an all-natural option for healthy hair color or dye: henna.

Cultivated in tropical areas such as Egypt, Sudan, China, India, Florida and the West Indies, henna is a perennial shrub and is distinguished by its pale bark and white or light pink aromatic flowers. Growing up to 10 feet tall, henna, also known as Lawsonia inermis, has been used for centuries in Asian folk medicine as a topical for skin care among many other uses. It continues to be part of Asian and African cultural rituals, especially to tint the skin, hair and nails. Today, in the United States and Europe, it's primarily used in conditioners and in many chemical-free dyes.

How does henna work as a dye? Henna gently coats each hair shaft with a natural, semi-permanent protein called hennatannic acid. Heat causes the hennatannic acid to cling to the proteins found in the hair, and, because henna coats and seals the hair shaft, it conditions and protects the hair from environmental stressors. The color changes with henna dye are typically not as dramatic as other types of dyes; henna works to enhance or deepen existing hair color. Many individuals with skin sensitivities purposely avoid hair color or dye with p-Phenylenediamine (PPD), a stabilizing chemical often found in hair dye including some made with henna. Reading the product label and directions is crucial to understanding how all hair coloring products work with their ingredients, thus, helping avoid any potential allergic reactions.

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