EU concludes henna is safe as a hair dye

The European Union’s (EU) scientific committee on consumer safety has concluded that henna is safe as a hair dye, probably thwarting a request from French health authorities that henna be tested on animals.

This is now generally illegal in the EU under the revised cosmetics directive, and such tests must be approved by the European Commission, when alternative methods are not available and there is a real health risk. France said laboratory tests indicated that henna (active ingredient Lawsone, or 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) was potentially genotoxic and wanted to test this on animals but the EU committee has reviewed existing scientific evidence and concluded that this is not necessary for henna hair dyes with a Lawsone content of up to 1.4%.

It concluded: “100g Henna powder mixed with 300ml boiling water…is considered safe for the consumer.” The committee however refused to declare safe henna based body paints, but it is unclear whether the Commission would approve an animal test for this use alone.