Ingredient

Red Henna

Lawsonia inermis

Henna is surrounded by legends, beliefs, and millennia of use on the hair and skin. The powder is made from the leaves of a flowering plant called Lawsonia inermis and, if you ask us, it’s the ultimate hair treatment.

Where do we get it?

Lush buys red henna in Iran, despite the political turmoil of recent decades that has made it difficult to trade at times. Our supplier, who mills henna leaves collected from farmers of the Sistan and Baluchestan Province, is dedicated to providing unadulterated henna of the best quality, which gives vibrant red hues to the hair (not orange as can also be found). This is thanks to the iron-rich soil where the plants grow.

With seven manufacturing sites across the globe, this information may vary depending on where your Lush products are made.

What are the benefits of henna for your hair?

• Imparts an auburn-red colour
• protects and conditions
• gives shine
• makes the hair look slightly thicker

Henna also treats the scalp thanks to its antimicrobial properties. Indeed, the powder cleanses the skin from bacteria, microbes and fungus, which helps limit dandruff and refresh the scalp.

Unique Stories

Discovered in 1916, the active colouring ingredient of henna is called lawsone. It reacts with keratin, the protein that makes the hair, providing a long-lasting dye that coats the entire hair shaft. Lawsone acts as a varnish, which explains why the result of a henna colouring depends on the hair colour it’s applied on. It also makes the hair slightly thicker, which gives a bit more body to your overall look. Finally, where chemical dyes tend to damage the hair by breaking into it, changing the natural colour, henna and its coating effect help protect, condition and give a lot of shine.