Does Henna Come in Different Colours?
Various Shades of Henna Mean Additives Are In The Mix
Oct 20, 2009
Henna as a natural dye is regaining popular appeal thanks to its beneficial properties to hair, permanent vivid colour and lack of chemicals. However, many misconceptions about henna exist – one principal myth, that henna comes in different shades.
Does Henna Come in Different Colours?
Brands such as Rainbow Henna and Lush Henna come in a panoply of shades, from “honey blonde” to “copper” to “mahogany”. In many cases, particularly with off-brand hennas, these products are labelled as pure henna.
In fact, the Lawsonia inermis plant – the henna bush – produces only one colour of dye, a vivid orange-red. All hennas that advertise a colour other than “red” (or more accurately, “pure”) are therefore compound hennas. Compound henna is usually a quantity of henna powder mixed in with other herbal or artificial ingredients to alter the colour. Occasionally, it contains no henna at all.
Cassia obovata, another plant, is used as a conditioning agent for hair in a similar manner to henna leaves; this is sometimes sold as “neutral henna” or colourless henna. So-called “black henna” may be a mixture of indigo and henna or indigo and other ingredients; more worryingly, it may be a chemical called PPD.
Why Does Pure Henna Give Different Colours?
Although the dye pure henna produces is only one shade, the results it has on different heads of hair vary greatly. Henna works with the natural (or dyed) hair colour rather than simply masking it; so a platinum blonde will find henna gives a fiery Lucille Ball red, while a woman with medium brown hair will achieve a darkish red and a woman with black hair may only see subtle reddish highlights in the summer. Repeated hennaing darkens the colour, but a platinum blonde will never be able to achieve the same colour as a brunette with pure henna, and vice versa.
Are Compound Hennas Dangerous?
The safety of compound hennas is difficult to determine, as the ingredients vary greatly and the packets are sometimes unlabelled. Real henna is prized for working well with previously-dyed or permed hair; compound hennas, on the other hand, have been known to contain metallic salts which react with dye or permed hair to cause a greenish colour or even damage hair.
The safest way to buy compound henna is to choose a trusted brand which labels all the additives, and strand test first to see how the product reacts with your hair.
Is Compound Henna Poorer in Quality than Real Henna?
Whether or not pure henna is “better” than compound is ultimately subjective. Many people are quite happy with the herbal blends and like the resulting colours. Others find that compound henna, particularly in the paler shades, produces a muddy effect with drab colour that fades quickly. It should alo be noted that “neutral henna” or “colourless henna”, which is really cassia, is not entirely colourless – it adds slight golden tones to pale blonde hair.
People who switch from compound henna to pure henna often comment that real henna makes their hair feel stronger and healthier, while compound henna does not. Another frequent comment is that pure henna is surprisingly vivid - even a "red" shade of compound henna is far less red than the colour achieved by using body-art quality henna.
How to Tell if Henna is Pure
Never buy unlabelled henna or take a shop assistant's word that it is pure; many stores sell fourteen different colours of “pure henna” without an inkling that other ingredients are added. Henna labelled “for hair” is often mixed with Indian herbs such as amla and shikakai.
Body-art quality henna, also called mendhi henna, is more likely to be pure and good quality. Check that the ingredients say “100% henna”. Henna powder is green and smells like new-mown hay. More importantly, a strand test with pure henna will show a vivid result that darkens over a few days as it oxidises.
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