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My Story - why I ditched loreal hair colour

My Loreal Hair Colour & PPD Story

Like Thoreau, I entered the wilderness voluntarily when I gave up on the modern world. When I stopped
using hair dyes I thought that was the end of my beautiful hair days but, as I started to research
the alternatives, I found his beautiful words ringing true in my ears – “ from the forest and wilderness come the tonics and barks which brace mankind…..”

My black hair started going grey in my teens and by the time I hit thirty I practically had a halo. In the beginning I turned to commercial hair dyes. I wanted a natural look so I went for black and occasionally dark brown. My scalp used to itch and sometimes sting when I used hair dye. A bald patch developed in the midst of my usually thick and healthy hair and my hair started to thin, all of which I put down to stress at the time. I knew nothing about the dangers of paraphenylene diamene hair dyes back then. I was simply grateful that I could cover my mass of grey hair and not have to walk around looking like I was only pretending to be youthful.

Later on, I heard about the hair dye cancer scares and allergic reactions which people were experiencing. But what really hit home was when a friend of mine suffered an appalling reaction to a famous brand of hair dye out of the blue, despite having used hair dye safely for years before then without any trouble. Her face and body blew up like a giant balloon; she was in agony and had to be rushed to one hospital and then another. Her condition was life threatening and she was lucky to survive. That was frightening. And she’s not the only one it’s happened to. That made me decide once and for all to opt out of the commercial hair dye farce and look for a natural alternative.

It was then I turned to “henna”, only the penny didn’t drop until years later that it wasn’t pure henna I was using. It was fancy looking packets, with images of gorgeous looking hair on the front, marketed as “henna” hair colour powder which in fact contained henna mixed with paraphenylene diamene dye, also known as PPD. No different to the cancer scare/life threatening commercial hair dye brands I’d already fallen for. I was even dumb enough to buy “black henna”, not knowing any better.

Natalie's Hair Dye Reaction Story

Natalie, Canada
Received : 21.9.07

Hi Sabrina,
My name is Natalie and this is my story….
This is what I normally look like


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I’m now, just finally recovering from a severe allergic reaction that I had to dying my hair two months ago (July 6th 2007). I had my hair coloured at a salon and they used:

Matrix Seamless Crème Demi Color: Ingredients: Aqua/Water, cetearyl alcohol, propyleneglycol, deceth-3, Laureth-12, ethanomine, oleth-30, lauric acid, glycol distearate, ployquaternium-6, hexadimethrine chloride, silica dimethyl silyate, resorcinol, tolune-2, 5-diamine, pentasodium penteate, parfum/fragrance, sodium metabisulfite, polyquaternium-22, carbomer, mica, erythorbic acid, benzylsalicylate, CI 77891/Titanium dioxide, m-Aminophenol, prunus armeniaca/apricot kernel oil, prunus perisca/peach kernel oil, butylphenyl methylpropional, limonene, 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol HCI, hydroxybenzomorpholine, linalool, 2-oleamido-1, 3-octadecanediol

Hours after colouring I was itching and scratching like crazy and the next day my scalp was one weeping mess … oozing clear and yellow liquid as well as blood. I went straight to hospital emergency and I was hospitalized for 3 days. I was plugged into an iv to get double doses of steroids and Benedryl. My face completely blew up, my forehead pushed out…I was completely unrecognizable. I was on heart attack and stroke watch and my entire right hand side of my body was numb for 3 days. The Dr’s in the hospital said that if this was to ever happen again I would have severe permanent consequences. The swelling changed position/shifted throughout my face over the 3 day period depending on the cocktail of drugs I was on…


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hair dye reaction 1	hair dye reaction 2

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hair dye reaction 3	hair dye reaction 4

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hair dye reaction 5

After I was released from hospital I was on:

- 10 steroid tablets a day for 10 days
- 4 X Benedryl a day for 10 days
- 1 X Reactine a day for 10 days
- 1 X Zantac a day for 10 days
- 1 X Extra Strength Advil a day for 10 days

By the end of the 10 days I could not think/hold a normal conversation and could not write my name on forms at the doctors office.

After 10 days, I stopped taking Benedryl and Reactine and Advil…but told to continue with the Steroids and the Zantac but I was then given a new prescription to wean me off of the steroids (otherwise I was told my face would blow up again which it did while weaning down!).

In all, I was on steroids for 2 months and my whole body both physically and mentally has broken down. Although I am starting to feel better…I look horrible. My hair has turned mousy brown again … I’m greyer than ever. I’ve gained weight and I’m depressed. I’m unbelievably moody so I’m either acting like a Rotweiller dog that hasn’t been fed in weeks or I cry at the drop of a hat.

I can’t believe I am even considering coloring my hair again but I am 39 and will be even more depressed if I start looking old due to graying hair colour. Long term … I need to find a solution so I can get on with my life and feel good about myself again.

I clearly CAN NOT RISK another allergic reaction. I am clearly allergic to diaminophenoxyethanol … this is listed in the ingredients on the Matrix product pack. Re: The PPD part I’m not clear on what other ingredients I am allergic to. I’m thinking these ingredients that were in the product I used: hydroxybenzomorpholine and m-Aminophenol are the names that come up associated with/tied to PPD:

4-Benzenediamine
1,4-Benzenediamine
para-Diaminobenzene (p-Diaminobenzene)
para-Aminoaniline (p-Aminoaniline)

In any case, I’m wondering if (a) I’ll be able to use your product without risk and (b) if I’ll be able to figure out how to properly mix it/put it on my hair (I failed miserably when I attempted to colour my own hair at home. I got more on the carpet then I did on my head).

My hair is thin, dry, medium brown with grey (lots now!) and I normally dyed it dark auburn brown/red. I like it dark with red, not just red or bright red.

Can you help me????

Let me know.

I did find a salon in town here that says they use Organic Hair colours/dyes. I’m contemplating going to them for a consultation and a patch test… I truly hate the idea of having to do this myself but I’m soooooooo weary about using a salon product again. They say they use: Goldwell, BES, Clariol and Aveda products… I haven’t looked into these too much since I’m assuming they’ll have bad bits in them.

Anyway thanks for listening to my story. Hopefully you can help…recommend what of yours…something else to use I hope!!!

Thanks so much,
Natalie

21.9.07

Hi Natalie

I was/am absolutely horrified to see those pictures of your beautiful face all blown up like that. Natalie, it's a crime, no less than the most appalling physical and mental assault. I hope at the very least you're thinking of suing for damages for all its worth. I know money won't let you set the clock back and won't take away the trauma of a nightmare experience which you still seem to be living, but I'll tell you something Natalie, you might just feel a whole lot better for it, and you might just alert a whole lot of other women, and men, who recklessly put their health at risk by using these poison hair dyes. Check out your legal rights and, if the risk is no risk, or minimal, consider hitting them where it hurts ( in the pocket and in the beauty press ) and give some damage back !

I hope and pray you'll get through this and that, for your sake and your familys sake, you'll come out of this with great strength. Tom Kraus says “When life knocks you down you have two choices- stay down or get up.” Take it easy Natalie, be around those who love you, and look ahead.

Regarding hair colours, I can tell you that you will be safe with my henna and indigo; they contain only henna and only indigo, and NOTHING else. It's a hassle getting used to mixing and applying... more the mess really, but otherwise there's no real science to it and it's very straight forward. I would encourage you to try ( or take the product to a salon and ask them to do it for you) . I'm attaching instructions which I normally send out with the Kit to give you an idea of how it all works. Dark brown with red is definitely on the cards with this product and I believe you'll absolutely love the result if you try it. I'll be here to help you with any queries or concerns, and if you like, we can agree a date and time for me to be “on e mail stand by” at the other end of the computer during your application.

You may of course opt to try other “natural” colours out there on the market, but just make sure they are natural and always check the ingredients and don't take risks.

I'm so sorry for what you've gone through. It happened to a friend of mine, who was also around your age, with a young child, and it was horrific. She got through it, eventually. Luckily, she had lots of family around to help out and to see her through the first awful weeks afterwards.

Hope you didn't mind the silly ads, and I hope they put a smile on your face. Keep in touch, and let me know how you get on, whatever you decide.

All best wishes,

Sabrina.

Received 21.9.07

Hi Sabrina,

Thanks for your kind words…yes, I am horrified to and can not believe this happened to me…I’ve kind of decided NOT to sue the company since that means suing the hairdresser and I don’t want to ruin her life/put her out of business. I knew I was somewhat allergic since 5 years ago I had a mini reaction in comparison to this (scalp only itching and weeping) so I was careful to use a more gentle product (Redkin demi wash colour) but now I’m afraid to go back (to Redkin).

It’s difficult. If I did not know my hairdresser I would not hesitate, but this was the hairdresser that I used to use in high school and my sister still uses her/and is friends with her… I dated her brother!!! I was simply in town for a wedding and needed my hair doing so my sister and I both went to her and had our hair done. It’s quite the dilemma for me… Up to know I have assumed all responsibility for this since I know that I am allergic. It’s a moral decision now…

In any case, I’d like to try your product, so how do we get started? I am graying brown and would like to be auburn/red/brown. I’ll see if someone can help me apply the product to avoid mess J. Looks like chemistry class to me!

Please advise.

Thanks again,
Natalie

21.9.07

Hi Natalie

Did you know that it's the manufacturer's liability, not your hairdressers? I believe the same principle will apply in Canada. See - http://news.scotsman.com/glasgow.cfm?id=620632003 and http://www.leeds.ac.uk/law/hamlyn/donoghue.htm - the classic legal case (snail in the ginger beer case) on manufacturers duty of care / liability to the ultimate consumer .So if you sue, you'll be suing the manufacturer directly and, as far as I understand, your hairdresser will have nothing to do with it... could be worth looking into, especially if you might qualify for free legal advice and assistance ( depending on financial circumstances and also whether you have an equivalent legal aid/conditional fees system over there). Do look into it and think about it... it seems tragic to let them get away with it. Don't be too harsh on yourself ; unfortunately, we just don't always realise the severity of a potential allergic reaction like this. And that's what it was... a potential reaction. And I think really that “potential” is lurking there for all of us; commercial hair dyes like that ought to carry warnings in the same way that cigarette packets do, as a reminder.

Ok, if you want to buy the henna indigo combo, it's item 12 on the shop page ( see link below). You can either select worldwide postage ( in which case you don't pay VAT/value added tax, but you might have some equivalent taxes at your end - I'm not sure) , or you can select UK postage and give your friend's address and I'll post to her... unfortunately we don't have the facility to take payment over the phone.

Glad to hear from you. Take care Natalie,

Sabrina.

Received 22.10.07

Hi Sabrina,

I’m the girl that send you the huge email about my severe allergic reaction.

I just did a patch test using your product on the weekend and sadly, I had a reaction. I never had any issues before this whole thing happened, and now even over the counter shampoos bother me. I’ve have had to switch to 100 % natural shampoo and I really can’t believe your 100% pure henna gave me a reaction.

I am going to give it another month using a scalp cap and see if that works. I’m so sad … I’m desperate to colour my hair. Do you think I just need more time for my body to readjust or that’s it I’m done and allergic to everything?

I’ll keep you posted.

Natalie

29.10.07

Hi Natalie

First of all , so sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

I'm so sorry to hear about this reaction. Can you describe it....did it affect just the area you had applied the henna to, or was it a whole body reaction? I'm sensitive to (pure) henna and indigo which means every single time I apply henna and indigo I get all itchy on my scalp - it's one of those really unfortunate things; I use aloe vera gel or juice to calm it down, then the next day I shampoo again thoroughly and it's all gone. Some people are sensitive even to pure herbal products, but I'd like you to describe it as best you can so I can try to figure out if it may be mild sensitivity that we can do something about and that you can struggle along with as opposed to full blown allergy which rules these products out altogether. Yes, I think the scalp cap is a good idea for the next time you try, but just do a small section of hair maybe at the nape of your neck to try first time round.

Hopefully... and my guess is that this is the case (God willing), the reaction you're experiencing to all products is your body still adjusting and finding its balance after the ordeal of what you've been through. Have you been checked for eczema ,by the way, because I'm wondering if you might presently have got some sort of stress related eczema which will react to everything right now. I do believe, personally, that stress has an awful lot to do with this and that right now you would probably benefit from just big time relaxation, and stress busting techniques.....whether it be long walks, frequent friends & family get together, fun parks, whatever it takes basically ! I think you need to give yourself all the time you need and try not to rush anything. The longer you leave it the better. I do remember going through something similar, but nowhere near as bad as your experience, where stress related eczema (which seemed to be temporary) caused me to react to just about everything and anything I put on my face, body and scalp....... I'd almost given up hope of finding anything I could use. But with time and some adjustments in lifestyle, diet, and stress overall, everything just seemed to fall into place again. I still can't use anything at all, but I do have some choices now which I never had before, and I do feel that stress levels are key to everything concerning life and health. I hope you'll take things very easy and try to take it all in your stride at a slow pace - no rush. Be patient.

If you had reacted to the henna alone and not to anything else I'd be very worried and upset to tell you the truth ! But the fact that you're reacting to lots of things suggests that your body is still dealing with something and needs time to settle. Do ask your doctor about eczema and maybe have a food & products allergy test to determine what you're sensitive to right now. You might consider also something like aloe vera juice right now - something to help detoxify your body and supplement your general health - but if you're going for herbal tablets, check with your doctor first in case of any contraindications.Hopefully,Natalie, this will all pass; I've got a feeling it will. Don't give up. And please keep me posted.

Take care, all best wishes

Sabrina

2.1.08

Hi Sabrina,

Sorry, my apologies. I got a bit depressed and then distracted…then the holidays set in. I was actually thinking about you the other day since I am planning to do another patch test next week, to try again to see what happens.

I have not tried your product, or any other since the last time we spoke. First, I am going to try yours again, and then as a back up I have also purchased Herbatint to try another day if your product still bothers me. I’m hoping it will work, that perhaps it was just too soon. I am resistant to the idea of taking an anti-histamine benedryl before doing the test in the case it 'masks' the true consequence of using yours or any product. Does that make sense?

Regarding what reaction I had…this is generally what happened:

I had the hairdresser mix the product and then appy it to 4 places on my head … both sides above my ears and in the back hair line. All areas were VERY small test patch areas. In addition he brushed a small sample of the mixture into my inside arm.

It felt fine to begin with … I was very optimistic. But within 1-2 hours approx. I was feeling light headed with kinda hot flashes, dozy and tired. The skin on my scalp started to show signs of slight swelling and irritation. The area on my inside arm was progressing into a rash.

At 3 hours I washed my hair, and it was obvious I was having a reaction. I immediately took 2 X benedryl and 1 X Reacton to calm things.

The swelling/rash on my scalp and rash on my arm was there for about 1 week.

That’s it, nothing more to tell really … kinda depressing isn’t it?

I went to my homeopathic Dr. the day after the test and my allergy level was higher then it had been in recent days. He tested me and said the test had defiantly impacted my allergy level. He has tested me since and it’s all leveled out again so I’m ready to give it another try.

If you have any other suggestions, let me know… I’ll keep you posted and thanks for your concern.

PS - Do you think/Could the alcohol (red wine) that I was drinking the night of the wedding effected or heightened the allergic reaction I had? I had my hair colored at 1-2pm, I had my first glass of wine by 5:30pm. I had about 5 glasses of wine at the wedding (that night, the night my major reaction set in).

Recently, I've been wondering about my histamine levels in wine and food and I'm starting to wonder weather I need to check that. If my Anyway, just a thought...

Intolerance to Histamine

Alcoholic beverages with a high histamine (some red wines) or alcohol ingested with histamine-rich foods may result in adverse reactions in persons with an impaired diamine oxidase (the enzyme that breaks down histamine) function.

Adverse reactions induced by alcoholic drinks are common. Many normal individuals will experience nasal congestion and mild flushing of the skin within minutes of ingesting alcohol. Patients who suffer from Rosacea and Seborrheic dermatitis are more prone to facial flushing from alcohol. This is not an allergy, but related purely to the vasodilator (dilated blood vessels) effects of alcohol.

The commonest abnormal reaction to alcohol is seen in persons from an oriental background, who get flushing, increased heart rate, and symptoms of reduced blood pressure due to a genetic impairment in the metabolism of alcohol. This is sometimes referred to as 'oriental flushing syndrome'. The response is thought to be due to increased levels of acetaldehyde (in the blood, which causes signs of histamine release) due to impaired breakdown of alcohol caused by Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) deficiency. Approximately 50% of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are deficient in ALDH, and this has been reported to be protective against the development of alcoholism.
Certain drugs like Metronidazole (antibiotic) and Griseofulvin (antifungal) can inhibit the effect of ALDH and cause the oriental flushing syndrome.
The vasodilatory effect of alcohol in the stomach can increase the absorption of food allergens in the stomach and could aggravate food allergies.
Alcohol causes the release of histamine and some wines have a high concentration of histamines
Alcohol is a very common trigger for vasomotor rhinitis.

Natalie

3.1.08

Hi Natalie

Thanks for writing back in such detail.... no problem at all about the delay. Hope you enjoyed the holidays !

I have to say I'm absolutely baffled by what's going on. I have never come across this situation before.... I don't know, or know of, anyone who's actually had an allergic reaction to henna other than those with G6PD enzyme deficiency. This does indeed sound like a full blown allergic reaction to henna !! Unless there's something else going on in your body which has just not been identified yet. What does your homeopath, and doctor, say about all of this? I'd be interested to know what their opinions are.

As regards the alcohol theory, well you say the symptoms started about 2 hours into the application, whereas the first glass of alcohol was about 3 and a half hours later. The consumption of alcohol may well have exacerbated everything, but what's worrying is that you clearly were having a reaction before you consumed any alcohol at all. So we need to proceed really cautiously here.

I'm wondering if you might have G6PD enzyme deficiency - that's the only thing I can think of... but your symptoms don't seem to match : http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000571.htm

I think it's important to discuss all this with your doctor and to mention G6PD enzyme deficiency as a possible cause to see if your doctor might be able to confidently rule that out

I'm honestly honestly not sure what to say and not sure what advice to give to you. My gut feeling about all this - and if it were me this is what I would do - is to forget hair dyes including all henna and indigo for at least 12 - 18 months or longer, then do one small patch test on the inner arm ( without the tablet as you say) and see what happens. It may be that your body still needs time to get over a major shock and time to settle. I honestly think the less you do right now in terms of trying new products, the better. Stick with the bare minimum and the bare essentials ( or nothing at all) ! I went through something similar as I mentioned before ... a period where I felt I was allergic to everything. I even had an indigo reaction ! That was indigo bought from a reputable supplier who was recommended as an international seller by a very reputable henna site. My face and head swelled up but nowhere near as severe as yours.... it was minor in comparison. I was devastated because - on moral grounds - I had made the decision not to use hair dyes anymore. I couldn't use henna alone because I ended up orange due to the white hair ! My only lifeline was indigo.I had safely used indigo once or twice prior to that by the way, and I was convinced there was nothing “dangerous” in indigo and decided to try again months later with my own supplies.... everything was fine. I don't know whether there was something in the indigo I had bought from someone who was considered highly reputable ( who assured me they had no complaints from anyone else) , or whether it was just one those things - a one off. I was reacting to lots of things at the time and looking back I wonder if my body just needed a good long break from natural as well as synthetic chemicals ! Now I've settled and I have discovered my favourite products which I can use safely - amongst them of course henna and indigo for hair !

I'm posting a request for help on henna tribe to see if I can prompt any opinions on all this from henna experts. Here's the link ( give me a few minutes to get my post on there) :

http://hennatribe.com/viewtopic.php?p=71082#71082

Do keep me posted Natalie. I'm so sorry to hear this is proving to be such a struggle, and such a disappointment, for you. Let's keep hoping and praying that things will change and that you'll be able to successfully use these products one day. By the way, did you think about suing for damages regarding the hair dye reaction?

All best wishes, take care

Sabrina

diaminophenoxyethanol

EUROPEAN SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PRODUCTS classify it as safe !

http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_o_042.pdf

The Dangers of Paraphenylene Diamene / PPD Hair Dyes

The truth is that there is no such thing as “black henna” or “colour henna”. There is only one henna plant and
its scientific or botanical name is lawsonia inermis. It produces an orange red colour and nothing else, unless
it’s mixed with something else – the crucial question is whether that “something else” is natural or chemical. “Chemical”, in my view, spells danger and even death. PPD is chemical.

Check out the following links which explain the hazards of PPD :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1934496.stm

http://news.homesandproperty.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/thehealthnews
.html? in_article_id=72894&in_page_id=1797

http://news.homesandproperty.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/womenfamily
.html? in_article_id=177724&in_page_id=1799

http://news.homesandproperty.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/thehealth
news.html? in_article_id=110050&in_page_id=1797

http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/paraphenylenediamine-allergy.html

http://www.smw.ch/pdf200x/2001/2001-13/2001-13-351.PDF

Dangers of diaminophenol

http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/DI/2,4-diaminophenol_dihydrochloride.html

I only seriously got down to henna and indigo research once I understood what PPD was. As I said, even
the packets of “henna” which I had been using had “paraphenylene diamene” listed as an ingredient in tiny print on the leaflet inside the box. I also learnt through my research that many brands sold as “natural henna” which didn’t contain paraphenylene diamene DID contain green dyes which were not listed as additives and which made the powder look artificially fresh lime green in colour, thus rendering the henna impure and adulterated. Real henna is not bright green or any shade of lime green ; it’s more a dull khaki, kind of “mud”green.

Pregnancy & Hair Dyes - the danger of using hair dyes / hair colour whilst pregnant !!

go to : http://www.foresight-preconception.org.uk/hairdyes.htm

This is what they say :

“ PERMANENT HAIR DYES

Unfortunately, Foresight is unable to accept for mineral analysis hair samples that have been treated with permanent dyes or perming solution.

Dyes that are intended to “stay put” contain materials that actually penetrate the hair shaft. They can in some cases add minerals such as lead (black dyes), manganese (brown dyes) and copper (red dyes). In other cases they can result in some of the minor trace minerals, which lie mainly in the outer casing of the hair, being lost, and also zinc.

As we do the analysis on your hair for such crucial reasons, it is essential that it is really accurate. for this reason, we have to ask you to get us a sample that is completely free from dye. If your hair has been dyed very recently, it may take about 6-8 weeks to grow out about 1“ at the nape of the neck that is not contaminated.

For the long term, we have very recently learned from the London Hazards Centre that permanent dyes can enter the bloodstream from the scalp, and can be found in the urine 40 minutes after the hair is dyed. Recent research has linked them to bladder cancer; over 4,000 women a year are known to suffer from balder cancer, and 1,600 deaths are caused by it, with a high number of hair-dressers being included in these.

Because the dye enters the blood, we advise people very strongly to avoid hair dyes while the ova is ripening, and during pregnancy and breast-feeding. It is really only sensible to keep from all avoidable causes of cancer once you are a mother - and obviously, if you decide not to dye, it will be doing your hair-dresser a good turn too!

The wash-in/wash-out dyes appear at the moment to be less suspect, but we have insufficient research on them to be able to give total reassurance. We will try and give further updates in forthcoming Foresight newsletters.

Foresight Association
April, 2004

Sources
Permanent hair dyes have a number of noxious substances. Dye applied to hair is absorbed through the scalp and can be found in the urine in 40 minutes.

Problems Caused
Dyes therefore enter the bloodstream and are eliminated via the kidneys.

1,600 hair-dressers a year in the UK are diagnosed with bladder cancer, thought to be directly due to handling hair dyes.

Some of the substances have been linked by research to bladder cancer.”

Henna on it’s own on grey black hair

I eventually wised up to using only pure, unadulterated, henna on its own but the result was freakish – my grey hair turned bright orange and I basically ended up with a head full of brown black hair and orange wires. It gave me a sort of scary new age image that just wasn’t me. I found that neat henna on grey hair leaves the grey hair wiry and coarse . It didn’t soften like when I’d used hair dyes and the result was that I felt like I had two
kinds of hair. This is where indigo/katm (?) comes in because I’ve found that indigo with henna softens my grey so well that I now have a head full of soft and perfectly colour blended hair that looks natural and beautiful. But it took a while to get there.

The Katam / Indigo Mystery !

I became interested in katam as a herbal hair colour when I found it commonly referred to in eastern literature as a type of plant, “similar to henna”, used for dying the hair. I used to think that indigo was katam, as it works in a way which is very similar to katam when mixed together with henna. Identifying katam has always been a difficult task because, unfortunately, many of the ancient texts have been translated into the English language by people without specialist knowledge of herbs and plants. Some texts do specifically identify katam as indigofera tinctoria [indigo] which looks remarkably similar to henna when its leaves are crushed into powder, except that it tends to be just a little more green in colour. And it’s true that indigo behaves like katam so that it will turn henna brown and also almost black ( depending how long you leave it in for). When you apply (together or separately) henna and indigo to the hair it generally produces dark brown or a shade of black with dark red or auburn undertones.

My research of eastern literature and plants and herbs lead me initially to understand and believe that the “katam” referred to by the ancient herbalists was in fact the indigofera tinctoria plant. It works exactly the way it is described in the literature and it’s even termed “indigo”. But the problem with conclusively determining that indigo was katam was the varying texts and differing reports - some people would say the colour of katam is black and others would say it is green. Some would say it is the “reddish root of a plant from Yemen”. The problem there with identifying indigo as katam was that although the indigo plant itself is green and it has the ability to produce a brown / or black colour, it doesn’t have red roots ! So the katam mystery was, for a long time, unresolved !

Dr.Olga Engelhardt (http://www.henna-und-mehr.de), has now been identified katam as : Buxus dioica. This is what Dr.Engelhardt says about katam :”

“yesterday my colleague Dr. hanne schönig (who is considered as the expert about yeminite herbals) sent me an answer to my questions about katam in sending me an extract of her book. I didn’t get the font for the arabic transcription she used and so I was not able to get a full understanding of the extract. Nevertheless it answered my question about the latin name of the herb and so I was able to do further research in the internet. The latin name of katam is Buxus dioica. To know more about this I typed this word in google and got only two arabic websites. the first http://www.science4islam.com/index.aspx?act=da&id=211 mentiones in arabic all what is in the arabic literature available (hadith and others scholars on the tibb an-nabi) on this herb. As I read this I understood the references from Hanne Schönig and also the mistakes which were made in the translations of texts on katam. The second http://rawasy.net/narticle.php?sid=2143 seems to me an yeminite site and it presents text on henna, naqsh, and katam in such tiny letters that I was not able to read it all. I went to the wikipedia and typed there too Buxus dioica:http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxus, here I got only the description of the whole plant family and a long list of all plants known of the family but no mention of katam or Buxus dioica. The same case in the english wikipedia. But in the German wikipedia was a botanical pic with a description applying to all plants of the buxus family. It fits the desription given by hanne schönig, the description by the islamic scholars and my sample of the dried plant.

The plant itself grows only in the high mountains and is found rarely (that explains the high price). It strengthens the hair and darkens the color of henna and makes it last longer. I used it together with henna to color the hair between red and black but it is rarely demanded by customers nowadays (I guess since the arrival of the PPD-containing annelincolors). The latter point explains my impression that employed alone (the pulverised leaves of it) it doesnt really dye black. But it darkens the hair and gives them a faint red shine. I have used since I came back from Yemen two times the katam with henna together and had each time the feeling, that my hair was a little bit darker than before. Also, I think that it does not color very even. some strains were really black, like the hair I had before I became grey and in other parts, it seems to me that there is no difference to hennared.”

So, according to Dr.Olga Engelhardt, indigo is NOT katam ! But it is remarkably similar. I have used both indigo (indigofera tinctoria) and buxus dioica and compared them, and I like to call buxus dioica “baby indigo” as it works exactly like indigo and , in my view, it is effectively a less potent form of indigo. I would suggest that indigo may be used like katam if carefully applied for the appropriate period of time to avoid the hair colour reaching a black shade. It is 100% pure and herbal and can be used with henna to produce a brown hair colour and many other hair colours - see the hair colour galleries for colours and ideas.

My Statement

When I finally discovered the real henna plant and the indigo plant, not to mention the whole world of natural herbs that surrounds us, it was such a huge relief. And that was when I truly appreciated the message of Walden.

Thoreau was right – there is everything in the forests and the wilderness which is beneficial for mankind and just waiting to be discovered. We are blessed with herbs, tonics and barks in which I’m certain lie the key to every ailment, every sickness, and every beauty misery. I’m one of those people who believe we’ve got our focus wrong. Man made chemicals and additives are not long term answers for us that cure the problem; they are a short term fix that do long term damage. The beneficial herbs and tonics and barks of this earth on the other hand, when properly researched and utilised, do only good to us; and in that lies the greatest good and the long term cure, and it is the way to peace from the oppression and the torment of a chemical world that dominates this globe and every aspect of our lives.

Whether you share my belief or not, if you are looking for an alternative to PPD hair dyes, try my products. It takes some getting used to in the beginning ; it’s always hard to change the way we think and the way we do things, especially when it seems like too much bother, but I believe if you try you’ll love the results and you won’t ever look back. Why would you when all you can see and feel is the benefit to your hair and health? I now enjoy my henna and indigo routine knowing that it’s good for me, and my hair looks better than it’s ever looked in years – it’s soft and shiny, thick and wavy, and it even grows faster than before ! I love how my hair is now, and I love receiving compliments about my hair. But best of all is the knowledge that it’s entirely the result of colours and nourishment from the herbs and tonics of this beautiful earth.

Sabrina

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