The Henna Bush
Henna is a wonderful cosmetic agent for conditioning, moisturizing and strengthening the hair, nails and skin. Aside from this, this magical plant (from seeds to flowers) exhibits several medicinal properties and hence used for the treatment of various ailments.
The dying properties of Henna leaves comes from a chemical known as Lawsone. However, aside from this, it contains chemicals like mannitol, tannic acid, mucilage, flavanoid, terpenoid, steroid, cardiac, glycosidegallic acid and andnapthaquinone.
In lay man terms, this plant is an astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, cosmetic, coagulant, anti-hemorrhagic, anti-neoplastic, cardio-inhibitory, hypotensive, UVA and UVB screening agent and also has sedative properties.
The most common medicinal uses are:
- Rheumatic, Arthritic and Muscular pains.
- Dysentery,
- Jaundice and several Liver Disorders (inflamed liver)
- Headaches and Migraines
- Sunstroke/Heatstroke, sunburn, burns, boils, heat rash
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Scabies
- Vitiligo
- Athletes foot
- Head lice (even very severe cases)
- Dandruff
- Ringworm
- Inflammation and bruising such as from chemotherapy treatments and leprosy
- Sore Throat
- Typhoid and Hemorrhages
- Excessive and heavy menstrual bleeding
- Leucorrhea or excessive white discharges
- Candida or Yeast Infections
- Sedative and Aphrodisiac
Its recorded use of 5000 years has been primarily as a medicine, only recently( approx: 1500 years) has it turned into an art form and become popular for its cosmetic graces.
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