Lawsonia inermis (Lythraceae)

Commonly referred to as henna, this flowering plant is native to southern Asia, tropical and subtropical Africa, and the semi-arid areas of northern Australia. Use of henna leaves as a dye for skin, hair, finger nails, leather, wool etc. is a well-known practice since antiquity.

Cosmetic use

Henna has been used as a cosmetic hair dye since ancient times in India, the Middle East and Africa. For skin dyeing, a paste of ground henna (either prepared from a dried powder or from fresh ground leaves) is placed in contact with the skin from a few hours to overnight. The colour that results from dyeing can fall into a broad spectrum, from auburn, orange, deep burgundy, chestnut brown to deep blue-black. Henna invigorates and strengthens hair while giving it volume and protecting it from climatic aggressions. Henna deposits on the surface of the hair a coloured film which fortifies and gives body to the finest hair. An excellent hair conditioner, it is also an effective anti-seborrheic.

Henna’s colouring properties are due to lawsone, a naphthaquinone dye that has an affinity for bonding with protein. Lawsone is primarily concentrated in the leaves, especially in the petioles of the leaf. Sugars, fraxetin, tannin, gallic acid, resin and coumarins are the other constituents of henna.

Commercially packaged henna, intended for use as a cosmetic hair dye, is available in many countries, including India, Middle East, Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Phyllanthus emblica(Phyllanthaceae) syn. Emblica officinalis

Commonly called Indian gooseberry, it is well known for its edible fruit known as amla. Dried and fresh fruits are renowned for their extensive traditional medicine use in Ayurveda and Unani medicine. Other plant parts such as fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark and flowers are also used in traditional medicine. The primary ingredient of the ancient and now popular ‘chyawanaprash’ – a rasayana or rejuvenator polyherbal Ayurvedic formulation, amla is rich in tannins. Because of this it is also widely used in inks, shampoos, textiles (as a mordant for fixing dyes) and hair oils.

Cosmetic use

Amla has been traditionally used in India to nourish hair and prevent premature graying of hair. Widely used as a cosmetic in India in the form of shampoos and hair oils, it is an accepted hair tonic in traditional recipes for enriching hair growth. The amla fruit is reputed to have the highest content of vitamin C of any natural-occurring substance. The other major chemical constituents of amla are phyllemblin, gallic acid, ellagic acid, pyrogallol, some norsesquiterpenoids, corilagin, geraniin, elaeocarpusin, and prodelphinidins. Rich in minerals and amino acids, amla reportedly has thrice the protein content and 160 times the apple content in comparison to apples. Amla juice has 20 times more vitamin C than orange juice.