Drug & supplement interaction

Henna + Retinol

Retinol brand name: Aquasol A.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Henna and Retinol in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Henna and Retinol

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Retinol and Henna in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Henna safety at a glance

Henna overall Use caution Natural henna is generally safe applied to skin and hair, but 'black henna' and oral use can be harmful.

Pregnancy Unsafe When used orally. Henna is believed to have abortifacient properties. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of henna when used t... Read the full pregnancy detail

Breastfeeding Unsafe When used orally. Henna is believed to have abortifacient properties. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of henna when used t... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Retinol and Henna? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Retinol

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Retinol is filed under 2 classifications — cytochrome p450 2c8 (cyp2c8) substrates, oral drugs. Henna has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being lithium (moderate) — and none of Retinol’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Henna Does Interact With Other Medications

Henna has 1 moderate known drug interaction in our database — Retinol isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1 No known interaction 2,829 (incl. Retinol)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Henna

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Henna. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Henna and Retinol May Share a Side Effect

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail
Henna
“Orally, henna can cause an upset stomach, possibly due to tannin content (18,104797). Henna has also been linked to rhabdomyolysis, renal injury and failure, hemolytic anemia, and mortality when taken orally.

Topically, henna can cause contact dermatitis, including redness, itching, burning, swelling, scaling, fissuring, papules, blisters, and scarring.”

Henna · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anemia.
6 sources cited

18. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

104797. Asgari S, Esfandbod M, Haghshomar M. Henna-induced hemolysis and acute kidney injury in an 85-year-old man; A case report. Arch Acad Emerg Med. 2020 Oct 14;8(1):e82.

100852. Rund D, Schaap T, Da'as N, Ben Yehuda D, Kalish J. Plasma exchange as treatment for Lawsone (henna) intoxication. J Clin Apher. 2007;22(4):243-5. PubMed

1370. Lyon MJ, Shaw JC. Allergic contact dermatitis reaction to henna. Arch Dermatol 2000;136:124-5. PubMed

4146. Garcia Ortiz JC, Terron M, Bellido J. Contact allergy to henna. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1997;114:298-9. PubMed

6144. Lewin PK. Temporary henna tattoo with permanent scarification. CMAJ 1999;160:310.
“Topically, henna can cause allergic contact dermatitis, with symptoms of redness, itching, burning, swelling, scaling, fissuring, papules, blisters, and scarring. Although some allergic reactions to pure henna have been confirmed with skin patch testing, most reported allergic reactions to henna are due to the added compound para-phenylenediamine (PPD). PPD is not found naturally in henna.”

Henna · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in asthma.
6 sources cited

1370. Lyon MJ, Shaw JC. Allergic contact dermatitis reaction to henna. Arch Dermatol 2000;136:124-5. PubMed

4146. Garcia Ortiz JC, Terron M, Bellido J. Contact allergy to henna. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1997;114:298-9. PubMed

6144. Lewin PK. Temporary henna tattoo with permanent scarification. CMAJ 1999;160:310.

6145. Lestringant GG, Bener A, Frossard PM. Cutaneous reactions to henna and associated additives. Br J Dermatol 1999;141:598-600. PubMed

6146. Etienne A, Piletta P, Hauser C, Pasche-Koo F. Ectopic contact dermatitis from henna. Contact Dermatitis 1997;:183. PubMed

6147. Wantke F, Gotz M, Jarisch R. Contact dermatitis due to henna, solvent red 1 and solvent red 3, a case report. Contact Dermatitis 1992;27:346-7. PubMed
Retinol

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Retinol. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Henna but not commonly for Retinol: kidney problems, stomach pain, severe muscle breakdown and stomach upset.

Effects for Retinol come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Henna come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Henna in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Unsafe

When used orally. Henna is believed to have abortifacient properties. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of henna when used topically; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Henna or Retinol

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Henna or Retinol, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Retinol

This page covers Henna only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Retinol page lists 28 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), African Wild Potato (moderate), Breadfruit (moderate), Cannabidiol (cbd) (moderate) and Coffee Charcoal (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 16 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Retinol page

“Activated charcoal is the one interaction here rated major, and it deserves attention first. It binds drugs in the gut and can pull retinol (Aquasol A, prescription vitamin A) out of your system, cutting how much actually stays in circulation.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Retinol interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Henna as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 9 real supplement products containing Henna, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Henna. Even though Henna itself has no known interaction with Retinol, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Henna and Retinol Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Henna

Steady interest

#862 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Medication Retinol

Steady interest

#2,481 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?

Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Henna reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Henna and Retinol records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.

Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Henna

What is Henna?

Hair and skin dye
Cooling and skin care
Wound and skin healing (traditional)
Antimicrobial and antifungal (traditional)
Nail and scalp conditions

Henna is a plant most widely used as a natural dye for hair, skin, and nails, and has a long history in traditional medicine for skin and minor wound care. Strong human evidence for medicinal benefits is limited, and pure (natural) henna applied to skin is generally well tolerated, but so-called 'black henna' products can cause serious skin reactions. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using henna for any health purpose, and avoid taking it by mouth.

Lawsonia inermis · Lythraceae · Leaves (also bark, seeds, and flowers in traditional use) · Dried leaf powder, paste, oil, and occasionally extracts; mostly used topically for hair and skin

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Henna is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Henna record says about it on its own.

Henna: dosing

There is no established medicinal dose for henna. It is mainly used externally as a paste or powder for dyeing hair, skin, and nails, and the amount used depends on the cosmetic purpose.If you choose to use a henna product, follow the directions on the label and choose pure, natural henna from a reputable source. Avoid products labeled or sold as 'black henna' because of the risk of serious reactions.Henna should not be taken by mouth.

From our Henna monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Henna monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Vitamin A

What Is Vitamin A Used For?

Brand name: Aquasol A

Vitamin A is used to treat vitamin A deficiency. Aquasol A (intramuscular injection) is specifically indicated when a person cannot take vitamin A by mouth — for example, due to nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, or a condition that prevents the gut from absorbing nutrients properly (malabsorption syndrome).

Vitamin A D ointment is a topical product used on the skin to help treat chafed skin from diaper rash, temporarily protect minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, and relieve chapped or cracked skin and lips. It also helps protect skin from drying effects of wind and cold weather.

See full Vitamin A drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Henna

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Henna — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major

1Moderate

0Minor

2,828No known interaction

1 Moderate 2,828 No interaction

Moderate

1 interaction

Lithium Carbonate (prescription Drug) ›

No interaction 2,828 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Henna against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,828 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Henna list.

See the full Henna interactions page

See every supplement checked against Retinol, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Henna References

The 30 references that drive our Henna monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
Lyon MJ, Shaw JC. Allergic contact dermatitis reaction to henna. Arch Dermatol 2000;136:124-5. PubMed
Garcia Ortiz JC, Terron M, Bellido J. Contact allergy to henna. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1997;114:298-9. PubMed
Kandil HH, al-Ghanem MM, Sarwat MA, al-Thallab FS. Henna (Lawsonia inermis Linn.) inducing haemolysis among G6PD-deficient newborns. A new clinical observation. Ann Trop Paediatr 1996;16:287-91. PubMed
Majoie IM, Bruynzeel DP. Occupational immediate-type hypersensitivity to henna in a hairdresser. Am J Contact Dermat 1996;7:38-40. DOI
Lewin PK. Temporary henna tattoo with permanent scarification. CMAJ 1999;160:310.
Lestringant GG, Bener A, Frossard PM. Cutaneous reactions to henna and associated additives. Br J Dermatol 1999;141:598-600. PubMed
Etienne A, Piletta P, Hauser C, Pasche-Koo F. Ectopic contact dermatitis from henna. Contact Dermatitis 1997;:183. PubMed
Wantke F, Gotz M, Jarisch R. Contact dermatitis due to henna, solvent red 1 and solvent red 3, a case report. Contact Dermatitis 1992;27:346-7. PubMed
Nigam PK, Saxena AK. Allergic contact dermatitis from henna. Contact Dermatitis 1988;18:55-6. PubMed
Gupta BN, Mathur AK, Agarwal C, Singh A. Contact sensitivity to henna. Contact Dermatitis 1986;15:303-4. PubMed
Pasricha JS, Gupta R, Panjwani S. Contact dermatitis to henna (Lawsonia). Contact Dermatitis 1980;6:288-9. PubMed
Cronin E. Immediate type hypersensitivity to henna. Contact Dermatitis 1979;5:198-9. PubMed
Raupp P, Hassan JA, Varughese M, Kristiansson B. Henna causes life threatening haemolysis in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Arch Dis Child 2001;85:411-2.. PubMed
Akpolat ND, Aras A. Local hypertrichosis: A rare complication of a temporary henna tattoo. Turk J Pediatr. 2016;58(4):413-414. PubMed
Goldscheider I, Herzinger T, Varga R, et al. Childhood lichen planus pemphigoides: report of two cases treated successfully with systemic glucocorticoids and dapsone. Pediatr Dermatol. 2014;31(6):751-3. PubMed
Ilyas S, Wasif K, Saif MW. Topical henna ameliorated capecitabine-induced hand-foot syndrome. Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2014;33(3):253-5. PubMed
Katar S, Devecioglu C, Ozbek MN, Ecer S. Henna causes life-threatening hyperbilirubinaemia in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2007;32(2):235-6. PubMed
Kheir A, Gaber I, Gafer S, Ahmed W. Life-threatening haemolysis induced by henna in a Sudanese child with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. East Mediterr Health J. 2017;23(1):28-30.
Khine YY. Acute Kidney Injury following Ingestion of Henna Leaf Extract: A Case Report from Myanmar. Blood Purif. 2017;44 Suppl 1:41-45. PubMed
Kind F, Scherer K, Bircher AJ. Contact dermatitis to para-phenylenediamine in hair dye following sensitization to black henna tattoos - an ongoing problem. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2012;10(8):572-8. PubMed
Rund D, Schaap T, Da'as N, Ben Yehuda D, Kalish J. Plasma exchange as treatment for Lawsone (henna) intoxication. J Clin Apher. 2007;22(4):243-5. PubMed
Uygur-Bayramicli O, Dabak R, Sargin M. Acute chemical colitis resulting from oral intake of henna. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2005;39(10):920-1. PubMed
Poursadra E, Anvari-Tafti M, Dehghani A, Eghbali-Babadi M, Rafiei Z. Comparing the effect of henna oil and olive oil on pressure ulcer grade one in intensive care units patients. Adv Biomed Res. 2019 Nov 27;8:68. PubMed
Zibanejad S, Miraj S, Rafieian Kopaei M. Healing effect of Quercus persica and Lawsonia inermis ointment on episiotomy wounds in primiparous women. J Res Med Sci. 2020 Feb 20;25:11. PubMed
Kubat S, Aksu H, Hasbal NB. Acute renal failure due to henna stone ingestion as a remedy of diabetes. Nefrologia. 2020 Jul 20:S0211-6995(20)30083-7. PubMed
Asgari S, Esfandbod M, Haghshomar M. Henna-induced hemolysis and acute kidney injury in an 85-year-old man; A case report. Arch Acad Emerg Med. 2020 Oct 14;8(1):e82.
Niazi M, Mehrabani M, Namazi MR, et al. Efficacy of a topical formulation of henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) in contact dermatitis in patients using prosthesis: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. 2020 Mar;49:1023 PubMed
Arslan S, Zorba Bahceli P, Ilik Y, Artaç M. The preliminary effects of henna on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in women receiving oxaliplatin-based treatment: A parallel-group, randomized, controlled pilot trial. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2020 Oct;48: PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Henna and Retinol Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Henna with Retinol?

We do not list a known interaction between Henna and Retinol. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.

Do Henna and Retinol have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.

How was the Henna and Retinol combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Retinol is filed under 2 classifications, and Henna has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Retinol's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.

Does Henna interact with any other medications?

Yes. Henna has 1 documented drug interaction in our database — Retinol is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

Does Retinol interact with any supplements?

Yes. Retinol has documented interactions with 28 supplements in our database — Henna is not one of them. The Retinol interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Henna monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Vitamin A drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Retinol supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Retinol, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 30 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Retinol and Henna?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.