The mehendi was too dark to be real. Manufactured by Shakil Industries in Hyderabad, the ‘Special Karachi Mehndi’ cones were a popular choice among customers for their rich colour and allure. Yet unknown to many, they concealed a dangerous secret — the material in the cones contained picramic acid, a synthetic dye which can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions, ranging from redness and itching to severe symptoms like swelling and blistering.
“We source our mehendi (henna) powder from various States such as Rajasthan, Haryana, and Maharashtra. At times, we obtain it from the Old City area of Hyderabad,” says Adesh, a mehendi artist from Secunderabad. He points out that trust is fundamental in their business since artists cannot always determine if the powder contains harmful chemicals. “But many customers have shared their experiences of skin irritation and allergy after applying mehendi,” he adds.
Earlier this year, officials of the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) raided the cottage industry in Hyderabad’s Mehdipatnam area following information about the unnaturally dark henna. The discovery of the hazardous chemical in mehendi cones is just one of the challenges faced by the DCA, amid a surge in counterfeit drugs and cosmetic products in Telangana.
