Herbal Hair Care: Henna As A Natural Attraction
August/September 1993
By Kathleen Halloran
The urge to go a little wild above the hairline seems universal and ageless. For at least 5000 years, people have turned to henna (Lawsonia inermis) for their hair dye. No color can change an image or free a spirit quite like red, with which most people associate the henna hues. But the coloring agent from this tropical shrub or small tree now covers the color spectrum, delivering black, tawny, even blond shades in addition to the traditional vivid red. Although henna has long been combined with indigo or logwood to obtain other colors, a spokesman for one firm of henna importers told us that they use the leaves, flowers, and stems from three different kinds of Lawsonia to produce basic red, black, and neutral hues. (Botanists today recognize only a single species.) Those colors are then combined in varying proportions to produce a palette of a dozen or so intermediate shades. The red comes only from the leaves.
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Through the centuries, henna has been a traditional cosmetic in Middle Eastern and Oriental cultures, used for coloring not just hair, but nails and skin. Even today, the powdered leaves are used to create decorative patterns on the skin of Indian brides. It has also been used as a dye for wool, cotton, and silk; henna-dyed cloth was the wrap for some Egyptian mummies. The essential oil from the flower has been used in perfumery, and the plant reportedly has had medicinal applications for headaches, skin irritation, and several diseases including leprosy and smallpox.
Henna’s biggest appeal to the Western world is that it offers a harmless alternative to commercial dyes. Concerns in recent years about the safety of hair dyes containing coal tars has focused more attention on natural dyes such as henna that are extracted from plant parts. With a track record that dates to Biblical times, henna has been proven safe to use.
Henna colors by coating the hair strand, at the same time adding shine and fullness, particularly on oily or fine hair. Because it does not strip the natural pigment, henna is a good choice for the timid or for people who want only to highlight their original shade.