Warning out vs henna tattoos

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have warned that temporary tattoos using henna products could cause “severe inflammation and scar formation” on the skin.

DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Eric Tayag said henna products are naturally in shades of orange and brown. So if the products are offered in black stain, he warned, this only means that dye has been added into it.

Tayag said the FDA has issued an advisory against henna with “coal tar dye or PPD (p-Phenylenediamine)” which causes blisters and severe allergy.

In the advisory, FDA director Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go said, “All temporary skin-staining products, commonly known as henna dye products, need Philippine FDA approval as cosmetic products before they are marketed or used in the country.”

Go added all ingredients used in preparing the products must be disclosed by manufacturers, importers, traders or distributors so that the FDA would know if they are approved for cosmetic use.

“It is the extra ingredients that are potentially harmful, especially if these are from coal-tar hair dye containing PPD. In some people, PPD evokes skin reactors which may lead to severe inflammation and scar formation,” he added.

The FDA warned that there is no way of telling if PPD has been mixed in henna preparations unless they are properly labeled according to Philippine FDA standards.

Consumers, according to the FDA, must be given assurance that the products are manufactured under current Good Manufacturing Practice as prescribed in the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive.

The advisory was issued following a warning from the United States’ FDA about reports of adverse skin reactions produced by the products. A five-year-old boy reportedly developed severe reddening or inflammation of the skin where the temporary tattoo was placed.

The FDA said so far, it has not received similar complaints, adding though that unlicensed temporary tattoo dye manufacturers, importers, traders or distributors are advised to apply for an FDA license to operate and market the products. 

Consumers who experienced adverse reactions were asked to report via [email protected].