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Contains:
- Black Walnut Hulls
- Calendula
- Henna
- Indigo
- Maddar Root
The green powder, commonly known as 'Henna' and used as a natural dye for hair derives from the leaves of a small tree or large bush that belongs to the Myrtle family. It is at home in the dry regions of northern Africa and India, where it is widely cultivated, mostly for cosmetic use. The red color results by means of a fermentation process that is activated when the powdered leaves are mixed with water and left in a hot, moist environment. The different shades of color are derived by admixture of other substances, such as tea or other dye plants. Natural Henna never dyes black. All black Henna products, as well as most commercially available Henna powders contain chemical additives to ensure an even pigmentation. In recent years Henna tattoos, a traditional body decoration usually applied ceremonially at major rites of passage, such as birth, marriage, circumcision and funerary rites, have become popular in the West. However, so called black Henna has been indicated to produce very intense allergic reactions that are due to the chemical additives mixed in to produce the artificial black dye. Red Henna, which has been traditionally used for this purpose does not result in allergic reactions, on the contrary it has some beneficial effects on the skin.
In India, Pakistan and Northern Africa Henna is not only used cosmetically but also for medicinal purposes. The white flowers produce a delightful fragrance and have been distilled to produce an essential oil and flower water which are used in perfumery. It is often planted as a hedge plant since its spiny thorns deter animals and intruders.
To dye hair red with natural Henna, mix the powder with hot water until it has the consistency of creamy spinach. Apply thoroughly to the hair, taking care not to rub it into the skin below the hairline, as it will dye the skin as well. Wear plastic gloves to protect your hands as well. Natural red Henna is beneficial for the hair, adding luster and volume. The color wears off over a period of time.
Medicinal:
Henna has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, which have been used medicinally to treat athlete's foot and other skin diseases, boils, burns, bruises and inflammatory conditions of the skin as well as chickenpox, small pox and leprosy. The medicinal use of Henna is widespread in Ayurveda, Unani and traditional folk medicine of India, Pakistan and Northern Africa, where seeds and roots as well as the leaves are used internally for various conditions, from diarrhea, to enlarged spleen or as a contraceptive.
Magical:
The red dye of Henna traditionally represents the color of life and is thus associated with all rites of passage: birth, circumcision, marriage and death. It is considered protective against evil influences, malevolent spirits and the evil eye. Henna has also traditionally been associated with love and sexuality, its fragrant flowers adding a seductive perfume to its protective shade.
Because of its use in traditional medicine there have been studies to attempt to support these uses. Indigotin, the substance responsible for the blue of the dye is thought to have antiseptic and astringent properties, and there are studies currently underway on indirubin, also found in woad, to discover if it has anti-cancer properties. Early studies have shown that the alcohol extracts of indigo’s stems and leaves protect the liver from damage by chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride, found in cleaning agents, refrigerants and aerosols and the leaves can help to lower blood pressure. One study reported in the International Journal of Pharmacology vol 7 (3) pages 356-63 2011 by Renukadevi, K.P. and Suhani Sultana, S. suggests that the plant’s extracts from the leaves have potent antioxidant actions and antibacterial and anti-cancer ones. However the studies were carried out on animals and in vitro, no tests have been done on human subjects in any of the research quoted here.
In the same study the leaves were analyzed and found to contain flavonoids, saponins, tannins, steroidal terpenes, phenols and anthroquinone, and were found to be effective against lung cancer cells in vitro. The report concludes with this sentence “This study suggests that ethanol extract (sic) of Indigofera tinctoria have profound antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic effect. (sic)”
In another study, “Anti-hyperglycaemic activity of ethanol extract and chloroform extract of Indigofera tinctoria leaves in streptozotocin induced diabetic mice (Family Papilionaceae)” published in the Research Journal of Pharmaceutical. Biological and Chemical Sciences Jan-March 2011, Bangar, A.V. and Saralaya M.G. conclude “…from the present study that Indigofera tinctoria leaves alcoholic extract long-term treatment may be beneficial in the management of type-1, type-2 diabetes.” Yet another study looked at the traditional use of the plant in treating epilepsy and in the Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, it is concluded that extracts from the whole plant were “useful in controlling lithium/pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in albino rats.”
Indigofera tinctoria means dyer’s indigo-bearing plant (tinctoria means dyer and indigofera means indigo bearing). There are many plants in the genus; it is thought that there are around 700, which is of the Fabaceae family, making indigo a relative of the pea. Marco Polo wrote about the indigo dying industry in the 13th century on his travels around what is now Quilon in the Indian state of Kerala in 1298. However we know that indigo was used as a dye by the people of the Indus Valley Civilization between the 4th and 2nd millennia BC. In the Industrial Revolution the dye was used for European military uniforms and of course has been used in the US to dye blue jeans their distinctive color. However imported indigo was banned in many countries in Europe in the 17th century so that it did not compete with woad, as dyers and cultivators of this native European plant protested against the importing of indigo. Later indigo and woad were used together to strengthen the color of the dye.
In India indigo has been used to color paper used for writing letters as well as for ink and oil-based paints for artists. A Persian rug dating back to the 5th century BC has been found to have indigo-dyed fibers and at Thebes Egyptian mummies were found to have indigo-dyed cloth with them. The Greek historian Herodotus (who wrote rather fancifully of the collection of cinnamon bark, claiming it was from the nest of the fabled bird, the phoenix), writing circa 450 BC described the use of indigo in the Mediterranean region at that time, and we know that ancient Greeks and Romans used indigo imported from India in “cakes”. The ancient Egyptians and Romans applied it to wounds and ulcerous sores.
In traditional Chinese medicine indigo has been used as a pain reliever, for fever, inflammation and to purify the liver and blood. In Indian traditional medicine it has been used to promote hair growth and is used as a hair dye for black hair, just as henna is used for red hair. It has been used for centuries in Ayurveda to treat depression, for cancer, bronchitis and other respiratory problems such as asthma, hemorrhaging, as well as problems with the spleen, lungs and kidneys. Some research suggests that it has liver protective properties. In other traditional medicine systems in the Indian subcontinent it has also been used for cardio-vascular problems, urinary tract problems and the paste made with the leaves is applied to sores, ulcers and piles and a decoction of the leaves was applied to the stings and bites of venomous creatures as well as to relieve pain and aid fast healing of burns and scalds. At one time in India it was used to cure bites from rabid dogs and the resulting hydrophobia.
An important dye plant, yielding a blue dye which was used by the ancient Celts as a body-paint. Native to the Caucasus Mountains, west and central Asia; this is one of the oldest dye plants known. Seeds have been found in Neolithic sites and ancient Egyptians used it to dye mummy wrappings.
Economically important in Europe in the Middle Ages, the Woad industry was decimated by the introduction of Indigo from India in the late 1500s. There was even a French edict that forbade using Indigo under pain of death. Seedpods are attractive in dried arrangements. Showy yellow flowers in early spring (2nd Year)- 1