Mizani_Mrs
Well-Known Member
Hi all, i was searching for more info on the henna i purchased at my local indian market mumta al-aroosa and i came across this information on www.mehandi.com. (i'm not sure if sareca or someone else already posted this info in the other thread). But anyways, there is a long list of brand names of henna and there is a picture of the henna magnified to 60X so you can see if it contains any dyes or sands. I apparently all henna from india has green dye added to fine sand, then added to the henna. Jamila doesn't have green dye, but has a grit to it which means it contains fine sand also. mumta al-roosa does contain green dye'd sand. This green dyed sand is added for eye-appeal, to make the henna look more greener though it doesn't improve the stain. So i guess i have to do a little more digging to find out if the green dye has any negative affect on our hair, and if so then i think we need to only stick to Jamila henna (and any other brands on this website that doesnt have green dye).
here is the link http://www.mehandi.com/closeup/60xindex.html
Here is also a quote from the mehandi site regarding dye... from this page if you want to read the full story... http://www.mehandi.com/closeup/powders1.html
"Many suppliers, especially in India, add green dye to their henna to make it appear "better".
A bright green henna color may indicate dye has been added to the powder, and has nothing to do with the stain result.
The vivid green chunks here, spreading green are artificial green dye, coal tar dye, added to make the product more "eye-appealing". The presence of green dye is irrelevant to the stain. The presence of this dye and is confirmed and identified in:
"Study of Quality Characteristics of Henna", Chourasia, Sardar, Patil, Mathew,Kanpur, India: Essential Oil Association of India, 1989
"Major contaminants /adulterants in henna leaves are stems, dirt, plant waste and other leaves. However in case of henna powder admixture of dyed sand is observed. It shas been reported that for adulteration, finely ground local sand is used. It is first dyed with auramine yellow (C.I. No. 41000) and then green with diamond green (C.I. No. 20440). This is then mixed with pure henna powder. The extent of adulteraion is viariable in accordance with the price of the powder reflected therein.
"Added azo dyes were not found in henna leaf samples, but yellow and green coal tar dyes were observed in powdered samples. As mentioned earlier, this may be due to the presence of (the afore mentioned dyed sand). Unlike Lawsone, the natural color of henna, these added synthetic azo-dyes used for dyeing the sand or for polishing the leaves may have an adverse effect on the skin. It is, therefore, necessary to ensure that these artificial dyes are not there in the product marketed.
Virtually all henna powders from India that I have surveyed have this dye!
Other Dye Plants Added to Henna:
The deep red pieces in this picture are Myrobalan, a dye plant:
Myrobalan \My*rob"a*lan\ (?), Myrobolan \My*rob"o*lan\ (?), ] n. [L. myrobalanum the fruit of a palm tree from which a balsam was made. A dried astringent fruit much resembling a prune. It contains tannin, and was formerly used in medicine, but is now chiefly used in tanning and dyeing. Myrobolans are produced by various species of Terminalia of the East Indies, and of Spondias of South America.
-- web1913
Some of these added dye plants give a redder henna color, and are harmless, but they are NOT henna, and the exporters frequently do NOT admit they have adulterated their henna with another dye plant.
Grit:
Many henna powders have mineral grit, sand, and dirt in them. I rub the henna paste between two microscope slides, and if I hear a gritting sound, there's dirt, sand or grit in the henna. If I don't hear anything, the henna is clean. Grit doesn't change the henna stain, but if there's a lot of it, you're paying for dirt rather than henna. "
here is the link http://www.mehandi.com/closeup/60xindex.html
Here is also a quote from the mehandi site regarding dye... from this page if you want to read the full story... http://www.mehandi.com/closeup/powders1.html
"Many suppliers, especially in India, add green dye to their henna to make it appear "better".
A bright green henna color may indicate dye has been added to the powder, and has nothing to do with the stain result.
The vivid green chunks here, spreading green are artificial green dye, coal tar dye, added to make the product more "eye-appealing". The presence of green dye is irrelevant to the stain. The presence of this dye and is confirmed and identified in:
"Study of Quality Characteristics of Henna", Chourasia, Sardar, Patil, Mathew,Kanpur, India: Essential Oil Association of India, 1989
"Major contaminants /adulterants in henna leaves are stems, dirt, plant waste and other leaves. However in case of henna powder admixture of dyed sand is observed. It shas been reported that for adulteration, finely ground local sand is used. It is first dyed with auramine yellow (C.I. No. 41000) and then green with diamond green (C.I. No. 20440). This is then mixed with pure henna powder. The extent of adulteraion is viariable in accordance with the price of the powder reflected therein.
"Added azo dyes were not found in henna leaf samples, but yellow and green coal tar dyes were observed in powdered samples. As mentioned earlier, this may be due to the presence of (the afore mentioned dyed sand). Unlike Lawsone, the natural color of henna, these added synthetic azo-dyes used for dyeing the sand or for polishing the leaves may have an adverse effect on the skin. It is, therefore, necessary to ensure that these artificial dyes are not there in the product marketed.
Virtually all henna powders from India that I have surveyed have this dye!
Other Dye Plants Added to Henna:
The deep red pieces in this picture are Myrobalan, a dye plant:
Myrobalan \My*rob"a*lan\ (?), Myrobolan \My*rob"o*lan\ (?), ] n. [L. myrobalanum the fruit of a palm tree from which a balsam was made. A dried astringent fruit much resembling a prune. It contains tannin, and was formerly used in medicine, but is now chiefly used in tanning and dyeing. Myrobolans are produced by various species of Terminalia of the East Indies, and of Spondias of South America.
-- web1913
Some of these added dye plants give a redder henna color, and are harmless, but they are NOT henna, and the exporters frequently do NOT admit they have adulterated their henna with another dye plant.
Grit:
Many henna powders have mineral grit, sand, and dirt in them. I rub the henna paste between two microscope slides, and if I hear a gritting sound, there's dirt, sand or grit in the henna. If I don't hear anything, the henna is clean. Grit doesn't change the henna stain, but if there's a lot of it, you're paying for dirt rather than henna. "
