About: black henna rant

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Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on May 17, 2000 at 18:46:52:

I noticed that on About.com, allergies, there was a notice that people could have terrible allergic reactions to henna ... and said the reports were coming out of beach communities in California (like, ... DUH....) So I sent the person who runs the site this: "How to tell if your "black henna" or henna is safe in 3 questions or less."

I want to see that reputable henna artists can be distinguished from people dispensing toxins that cause chemical burns and liver damage, and I want physicians to know what's coming into the office, so they can treat their patients appropriately. So ..... She was very glad to have this, and I feel pretty good about it.

If YOU want to put this on your website, have it as a flyer, whatever ..... GO FOR IT. Use my name, and if you want to link it to my email for more info, cool. Go ahead and edit it so it works for your website. Keep the main content. I hope the url's come up ok in this post....

"How to tell if your "black henna" or henna is safe in 3 questions or less:

"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. Specific information on the health effects of PPD is available at: http://chem-courses.ucsd.edu/CoursePages/Uglabs/MSDS/1,4-phenylenediamine.-info.html
This is a very dangerous toxin! PPD doesn't cause blisters and scarring in everyone, but causes such in MANY people, as seen in http://www.hennapage.com/henna/warnings.html .
"Black henna" vendors are often set up at beaches, fairs and resorts, and since they are doing a transient business, 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. They certainly may be ruining their own health by handling PPD!

In order to find responsible, traditional henna artists, and understand how to protect yourself and others from " black henna" that contains ppd, here is what you should do:
1) Ask what's in the henna paste!
If the "black henna" artist cannot give you a complete listing of his ingredients for what he is applying, DO NOT patronize him! A concerned, safe artist should only have pure, natural, harmless henna, and should be able to tell you exactly what is in the mix. If the paste is greenish, and smells like spinach or a hay bale, it is probably natural henna. If the paste is black, it is probably NOT henna. Ask to see a complete list of ingredients if you are concerned!
2) Ask how long to leave the henna paste on!
If the "black henna" makes a BLACK stain on your skin in less than 1 1/2 hours, it is probably PPD! It is NOT henna. Real traditional henna takes longer to make a stain, and then it will first appear brick color, not black.
3) Ask if the henna stain will be BLACK.
Henna does NOT naturally stain black. PPD naturally stains 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 will tell you whether the henna artist is using ppd or traditional henna. It is tragic that people are using PPD instead of henna, because it is harming their clients, and ruining their own health as well.

IF you have recieved a "black henna", and 1-4 weeks after the application, you have blisters, swelling, oozing sores and misery, you have a PPD chemical burn! Do not try to treat it yourself! Print out http://chem-courses.ucsd.edu/CoursePages/Uglabs/MSDS/1,4-phenylenediamine.-info.html
and http://www.hennapage.com/henna/warnings.html 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 in the treatment!

There are extremely rare problems with traditional natural henna .... because there is someone allergic to everything. 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 clove oil, mehlabiya oil, henna oil, or eucalyptus oil were added to the mix. A person with sensitive skin should ask for traditional henna with only lemon juice added."

Catherine Cartwright Jones 2000
info@mehandi.com for further information

Follow Ups:

Whooooaaa! Kree Arvanitas 00:20:24 5/18/00 (4)
- Re: Whooooaaa! Kenzi 20:08:08 5/18/00 (0)
- Good point Catherine Cartwright Jones 08:24:39 5/18/00 (0)
- Re: Whooooaaa! Carrie 01:24:27 5/18/00 (1)
  - Mix & Henna Kree Arvanitas 08:58:01 5/19/00 (0)
Re: About: black henna rant...Bravo! Kenzi 19:10:08 5/17/00 (0)

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: I noticed that on About.com, allergies, there was a notice that people could have terrible allergic reactions to henna ... and said the reports were coming out of beach communities in California (like, ... DUH....) So I sent the person who runs the site this: "How to tell if your "black henna" or henna is safe in 3 questions or less." : I want to see that reputable henna artists can be distinguished from people dispensing toxins that cause chemical burns and liver damage, and I want physicians to know what's coming into the office, so they can treat their patients appropriately. So ..... She was very glad to have this, and I feel pretty good about it. : If YOU want to put this on your website, have it as a flyer, whatever ..... GO FOR IT. Use my name, and if you want to link it to my email for more info, cool. Go ahead and edit it so it works for your website. Keep the main content. I hope the url's come up ok in this post.... : "How to tell if your "black henna" or henna is safe in 3 questions or less: : "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. Specific information on the health effects of PPD is available at: http://chem-courses.ucsd.edu/CoursePages/Uglabs/MSDS/1,4-phenylenediamine.-info.html : This is a very dangerous toxin! PPD doesn't cause blisters and scarring in everyone, but causes such in MANY people, as seen in http://www.hennapage.com/henna/warnings.html . : "Black henna" vendors are often set up at beaches, fairs and resorts, and since they are doing a transient business, 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. They certainly may be ruining their own health by handling PPD! : In order to find responsible, traditional henna artists, and understand how to protect yourself and others from " black henna" that contains ppd, here is what you should do: : 1) Ask what's in the henna paste! : If the "black henna" artist cannot give you a complete listing of his ingredients for what he is applying, DO NOT patronize him! A concerned, safe artist should only have pure, natural, harmless henna, and should be able to tell you exactly what is in the mix. If the paste is greenish, and smells like spinach or a hay bale, it is probably natural henna. If the paste is black, it is probably NOT henna. Ask to see a complete list of ingredients if you are concerned! : 2) Ask how long to leave the henna paste on! : If the "black henna" makes a BLACK stain on your skin in less than 1 1/2 hours, it is probably PPD! It is NOT henna. Real traditional henna takes longer to make a stain, and then it will first appear brick color, not black. : 3) Ask if the henna stain will be BLACK. : Henna does NOT naturally stain black. PPD naturally stains 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 will tell you whether the henna artist is using ppd or traditional henna. It is tragic that people are using PPD instead of henna, because it is harming their clients, and ruining their own health as well. : IF you have recieved a "black henna", and 1-4 weeks after the application, you have blisters, swelling, oozing sores and misery, you have a PPD chemical burn! Do not try to treat it yourself! Print out http://chem-courses.ucsd.edu/CoursePages/Uglabs/MSDS/1,4-phenylenediamine.-info.html : and http://www.hennapage.com/henna/warnings.html 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 in the treatment! : There are extremely rare problems with traditional natural henna .... because there is someone allergic to everything. 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 clove oil, mehlabiya oil, henna oil, or eucalyptus oil were added to the mix. A person with sensitive skin should ask for traditional henna with only lemon juice added." : Catherine Cartwright Jones 2000 : info@mehandi.com for further information

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