Is Black Henna Safe?
The FDA says henna, a coloring made from a plant, is approved only for use as a hair dye, not for direct application to the skin as in mehndi, and that this unapproved use of a color additive makes those products adulterated. It says an import alert is in effect for henna intended for use on the skin.
Black henna adds another problem. The FDA says the ingredient used to blacken henna is often a coal-tar hair dye containing p-phenylenediamine, or PPD, which can cause dangerous skin reactions in some people, that there is no telling who will be affected, and that by law PPD is not permitted in cosmetics intended to be applied to the skin. It says it has received reports of skin injuries from products marketed as henna and as black henna.
In the EU, hair dye labels carry a warning that temporary black henna tattoos may increase your risk of allergy, in wording set by Commission Regulation (EU) No 1197/2013.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Regulatory filingThe FDA says henna is approved only for use as a hair dye, not for direct application to the skin, and that this unapproved use of a color additive makes such products adulterated. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says the ingredient used to blacken henna is often a coal-tar hair dye containing p-phenylenediamine, which can cause dangerous skin reactions in some people. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA says there is no telling who will be affected by PPD, and that by law PPD is not permitted in cosmetics intended to be applied to the skin. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says it has received reports of injuries to the skin from products marketed as henna and products marketed as black henna. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA says an import alert is in effect for henna intended for use on the skin, because it is an unapproved use of the color additive. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingLabel wording set by Regulation (EU) No 1197/2013 for hair dyes warns that temporary black henna tattoos may increase your risk of allergy. European Commission, Regulation (EU) No 1197/2013, via web.archive.org ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.