When people talk about senna for hair, they almost always mean cassia obovata, the plant sold as neutral henna, which belongs to the senna family and borrows the family name. It is a different plant from the senna leaf sold for laxative teas, and it is the one that hair care brands actually put in their packs.
Two sennas, two very different jobs
The senna family is large, and two of its members get mixed up all the time because they are sold under overlapping names. One is grown for medicine and the other for hair, and knowing which is which saves a buyer from a lot of wasted orders and unhappy customers.
| Hair senna | Tea senna | |
|---|---|---|
| Usual trade name | Neutral henna, cassia obovata | Senna leaves, sonamukhi, Tinnevelly senna |
| Main use | Hair packs and conditioning treatments | Laxative teas, tablets and herbal medicine |
| Colour on hair | None on dark hair, golden on light hair | Not used as a hair colour |
| What to watch | Fine sieve, fresh green powder | Strength and dose, short term use only |
So if a recipe or a product says senna for hair, read it as neutral henna. Our guide to what neutral henna is covers the plant and its many names.
What senna does for hair
Mixed with warm water and left on the hair, hair senna coats each strand, so that after rinsing the hair feels thicker and looks glossier while dark hair keeps exactly the colour it had. That conditioning effect, rather than any dye, is the reason it is sold as a hair pack.
On blonde, white or grey hair it can leave a soft golden tint, and people searching for senna for hair colour are usually after exactly that: some warmth on light or grey hair without the orange that henna would give. On dark hair it will not colour at all, so it is not a dye for anyone who wants to change a brown or black shade.
Can you use senna tea leaves on hair?
Some people do steep laxative senna leaves and use the tea as a hair rinse. It is unlikely to harm the hair, but it is not what the hair care trade uses, and it gives none of the body that a paste of neutral henna does. If you want the hair effect, buy hair senna. If you are a brand, make sure your supplier ships the right plant, because the cheaper tea leaf is sometimes ground and sold as neutral henna, and the difference only shows once customers start using it.
How to use hair senna
- Mix about 100 g of powder for short hair, 200 g for medium and 300 g for long hair.
- Add warm water until the paste is like thick yoghurt.
- Work it through damp hair, cover with a cap, and leave it for 30 minutes to two hours.
- Rinse well with water. Repeat every two to four weeks.
Our guide to neutral henna for hair goes through results on each hair type, and what to expect on grey.
Buying senna for hair care or for tea
We supply both plants from Sojat, Rajasthan, so we can tell you which one your product needs. For hair care, our cassia obovata, sold as neutral henna, ships as whole leaves in bales of 25 to 100 kg, or as powder in bags up to 50 kg and private label packs from 10 g. For teas and herbal medicine, our senna leaves and senna pods ship from 100 kg. Every lot comes with a lab report, and a free sample goes out first.
Frequently asked questions
Is senna good for hair?
Hair senna, sold as neutral henna, conditions hair and adds shine and body. It does not colour dark hair. The laxative senna leaf is not the plant used for hair care.
Does senna make hair grow?
No. There is no good evidence that any senna regrows hair. It makes the hair you have look thicker and shinier for a week or two.
Can senna colour grey hair?
Hair senna can give grey or white hair a soft golden or straw tint. It will not cover grey with brown or black. For that, people use henna followed by indigo.
Is senna powder the same as neutral henna?
Not always. Neutral henna should be cassia obovata. Some sellers sell ground laxative senna leaf under the same name, so ask for the plant name on the invoice.
What is the minimum order for hair senna?
25 kg for cassia obovata, as leaves or powder, with private label packs from 10 g. Senna leaves and pods for tea start at 100 kg.
Specs change with the crop, the season and the grade. Ask our export desk for a current lab report, the minimum order and a price to your port, and we will come back within 24 hours.