What is henna extracted from?
Henna is a plant, Lawsonia inermis, that grows in arid regions of Africa, the middle East, and Asia. When powdered and mixed with water, its leaves make a potent red-orange to maroon dye. Traditionally, many African, Middle-Eastern, and South-Asian cultures used henna to decorate their clothing, their belongings, and their bodies. It was used to decorate rawhide drum heads, for example. When applied to the skin or hair, the dye clings to proteins on the surface, forming a protective shield. Henna has UV protective properties, and is harmless to most people when used in its vegetable state. It is sometimes mixed with chemicals such as Paraphenylendiamine to produce a black color that is atypical of the color produced by natural henna. PPD henna, as it is called, can cause blistering or more serious reactions. Luckily, PPD henna can be easily identified by its acrid smell and purple-black color. 100% vegetable henna smells similar to grass clippings and is green to brown in color.