Permanent hair dye swap to Plant-based hair colour

Why make the swap

• Why switch to plant-based hair colour

  Henna, indigo and cassia are powdered plant leaves, with no ammonia, peroxide or PPD. Henna alone gives red to auburn, henna then indigo gives brown to black, and cassia adds a slight golden tone to blonde or grey hair.

• What's the concern with permanent hair dye

  Permanent dyes, about 80% of hair dye sold, make colour by reacting dye chemicals with hydrogen peroxide. In the NIH Sister Study, permanent dye use was linked to 45% higher breast cancer risk in Black women and a borderline 7% in white women, though NCI calls the wider evidence mixed.

• General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.

• Good to know before you buy

  Skip ‘black henna’, which can contain PPD. No plant powder lightens hair: the blonde pick only adds a slight golden tone to blonde or grey hair. Patch-test 48 hours ahead, strand-test, and tell your stylist you’ve used henna before any bleach, dye, perm or relaxer. Use it on hair only, not on skin or eyebrows.

  Brown: Light Mountain henna, medium brown, 3 × 4 oz: A premixed powder of indigo, henna, senna and amla leaves. Semi-permanent: the maker says it lasts about 4 to 6 weeks. Patch- and strand-test first.

  Black: Vitamatic organic indigo powder, 1 lb: Use it after the red henna above: the maker says indigo gives dark brown and black tones combined with henna. Patch- and strand-test first.

  Blonde: Zenia neutral henna (cassia obovata), 7 oz: Cassia, which the maker calls colourless. It adds only a slight golden tone to blonde or grey hair and can't lighten darker hair. Patch- and strand-test first.

  Red/auburn: MB Herbals pure henna powder, 8 oz: Pure henna leaf with no added colour. On its own, the maker says, it gives orange-red to deep orange. Patch- and strand-test first.

• Sources (3)

  1. Sister Study (Eberle 2020): permanent dye linked to 45% higher breast cancer risk in Black women, 7% in white women (opens in a new tab)
  2. NCI: how permanent dyes work; hair dye and cancer findings are mixed (opens in a new tab)
  3. FDA: henna is approved only for use as a hair dye (opens in a new tab)

  Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.