On a recent trip to Croatia, my daughters saw a vendor of Henna tatoos-  In the lazy summer sun, it seemed like an innocent enough souvenir to take home.  I missed the sign about the “Electric Black” Henna and said yes.   So just in case you didn’t know, like me,  there is no such thing as Black Henna- just nasty  black hair dye,  which is actually a chemical called PPD.  This chemical, which won allergen of the year in 2006 by a National Association of Dermatoligists is a toxic chemical, not meant for use on the skin.

My daughters had severe reactions to this chemical from serious headaches, fever and the most debilitating and tenacious rash response I have ever seen.  We have had positive response from herbal, homeopathic and aromatherapy remedies but she has missed most of her summer vacation in bed.

Henna tattoos are brownish red in color and are applied like a coloring over the skin, they are not pricked into the skin and they are NOT black.  If you know anyone traveling to sunny beaches please warn them to be careful of vendors of black tattoos.   After doing some research on the internet I have found stories from all over the world of children and teens like my own, who unknowingly poisoned themselves and many who had lasting scars from the event.

Thanks for sharing this post and spreading the word.