 | ||
 | | |
 |  |  |  |  | ||||||
| | | | | | | | | | |
Science and Safety Other Additives to Look Out For Why Use Essential Oils In Your Paste? Which Liquids Make the Best Paste?
Pure, natural henna is safe, but there are a few things you need to know to avoid dangerous additive or imitations. There are also certain people that should not have henna done without their doctors connect. It is absolutely essential that you understand all of these safety issues before you apply henna to someone else! Almost no one is allergic to henna, and those who are generally experience mild itching and possibly redness. In 7 years as a professional henna artist, I’ve hennaed thousands of people and only four have complied of this mild itching. The problems, however start when dangerous things are added to henna paste. The most dangerous is PPD, which was mentioned in a previous section. This chemical is added to henna or applied straight in order to achieve quick black or near black temporary tattoos. PPD, or Para-phenylenediamine. This is the same chemical found in most hair dyes. Accidental and brief contact with the scalp during dying is usually safe for most people. (Although at Henna Muse, we recommend you dye your hair with natural substances to avoid this harsh and irritating chemical.) When added to henna for body art it is left in direct contact with the skin for long periods of time and is often far more concentrated than in hair dye. This can and does cause irritation so sever that it leaves permanent scaring. It can also cause more serious problems such as a life long allergy to related chemicals which are common and found in detergents and dyes in clothing. Kidney failure and even death have been reported. The most dangerous part about PPD is that it is a sensitizing chemical. That means that each exposure to it will give you a greater chance of having a reaction. People have a tendency to believe that if they have had a black “henna tattoo” once that they are not allergic so it’s safe to get more. This is not true! Every time you are exposed to PPD you have a greater risk of reactions. Please avoid this at all costs!! Since PPD is added to henna, its often hard to tell the difference between natural henna and adulterated henna. How do you tell if an artist is offering a safe product?
There are, just to make this more confusing, some safe products for black temporary tattoos. Its important that you be able to recognize them as such. One is called Temptu. This is the product used to create tattoos for movies. It is a painted on pigment rather than a product that dyes skin like henna. Temptu will last 3 days with extremely careful wear. There are also rainbow colored “hennas” that don’t contain much henna at all. The little bit that’s in them is just for texture. Cosmetic dyes do the coloring, and again they color the surface of skin like paint rather than penetrating skin cells. Ingredients in these products can be questionable and the color will only last a few days. They are also hard to work with and not really worth the effort. A new product on the market is Jagua. Its made from the Gunipa fruit of south america. It last 10-15 days and is applied in a gel or paint form. Although it’s safe, it is startlingly difficult to tell from PPD. First of all Jagua will be grey when the paste is removed and it will require 12-24 hours to develop into black or near black. Once again, ask the artist what color the stain will be right away when the paste is removed. If the answer is orange, its henna. If the answer is grey or pale blue, its Jagua. If the answer is dark brown or black its POISON! Other Additives to Look Out For Another possible additive is black walnut hull powder. This additive has been found to darken henna slightly and cause it to go more into the brown range rather than red. This is safe for most people but can be extremely dangerous and even deadly to anyone with nut allergies. We don’t recommend walnut hull for professional use, however for personal use if you’re not allergic, its a fun product to experiment with in your recipe. Some essential oils can be dangerous in you mix as well. Make sure to do your research and make sure any oils you add to your paste are non-toxic and not irritating to skin. Many people are sensitive to particular essential oils so make sure to tell others what’s in you paste before you henna them. Among the safest oils that will help darken your paste are lavender, tea tree and cajeput. Don't use products called "Mehndi Oil" or pastes that contain "Mehndi Oil." This is a blanket term for paste additives that may contain good "terps" but it's more likely that it contains less safe essential oils like camphor. It may even have really nasty ingredients like turpentine! There are some certain people who should abstain from using henna. It is always important, if you are under a doctors care, to check with him/her before you do anything to your body. This includes pregnancy. Henna is perfectly safe during pregnancy (although lavender essential oil is recommended as the safest essential oil) but you should still clear it with your doc to be on the safe side. Children under 5 should not use henna. It would be safe for most, but dangerous for children who have a conditions called Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, or G6PD. Although very rare, it can cause sudden even dealdy anima in these children. Because it may have went undiagnosed, its best to avoid hennaing young children all together, especially on a professional basis. If you’re going to do henna professionally it is absolutely essential that you maintain common hygiene practices. Make sure to use a hand sanitizer between clients. Clean all tools with alcohol. Use disposable tools wherever possible. For example if you prepare the skin with alcohol, use a cotton ball or single use pad rather than a cloth. Don’t work when you think you may be contagious. | ||||
| | | | |