What is Henna?
Henna is the Persian name for a shrub known as Lawsonia inermis. The henna plant is native to Asia and the Mediterranean coast of Africa and now thrives in warmer climates all over the world. It has small, four-petaled flowers ranging from yellow to pink and its leaves produce a red dye. The leaves are harvested, dried, and ground into a fine powder. This powder is then used to dye hair red and for the ancient art of mehndi body painting. Henna contains hennotannic acid, a dye that bonds with the collagen in skin cells and keratin of fingernails and hair, leaving behind a red coloring.
The henna plant is one of the oldest cosmetics ever used and is extremely safe. Natural henna, when applied to the skin rarely causes any adverse reactions, if you are concerned you should do a small patch test first. Natural henna is safe even for use on children as it contains no dangerous chemical dyes or harsh additives.There is no such thing as black henna. In order for henna to produce a black color chemicals that are unsafe for your skin must be added. Black henna should be avoided. A chemical dye known as PPD, which is not authorized for use on the skin by the FDA is often added to the natural henna to produce a black color. It can cause liver and kidney damage, as well as scarring of the skin. Fresh henna powder smells like fresh cut hay or spinach and is an earthy green or khaki color. If the powder is bright green in color a chemical dye has been added. If the powder is brown and has little or no scent, it is likely the product is stale and too old to yield a good color for mehndi or henna body painting.
The henna plant is one of the oldest cosmetics ever used and is extremely safe. Natural henna, when applied to the skin rarely causes any adverse reactions, if you are concerned you should do a small patch test first. Natural henna is safe even for use on children as it contains no dangerous chemical dyes or harsh additives.There is no such thing as black henna. In order for henna to produce a black color chemicals that are unsafe for your skin must be added. Black henna should be avoided. A chemical dye known as PPD, which is not authorized for use on the skin by the FDA is often added to the natural henna to produce a black color. It can cause liver and kidney damage, as well as scarring of the skin. Fresh henna powder smells like fresh cut hay or spinach and is an earthy green or khaki color. If the powder is bright green in color a chemical dye has been added. If the powder is brown and has little or no scent, it is likely the product is stale and too old to yield a good color for mehndi or henna body painting.
Creating Henna Designs
Henna has been an inspiration to the imagination and
creativity of the artists. Make your won designs- left or right-handed, simple
or complex. All you need is a steady hand, a great deal of patience, and of
course a creative spirit.
Organic henna body-art-designs vary by country or region, within the cultural boundaries of beauty and tradition. Shapes, pattern, and application techniques often are particular to a given area.
Organic henna body-art-designs vary by country or region, within the cultural boundaries of beauty and tradition. Shapes, pattern, and application techniques often are particular to a given area.
Basic Henna Recipe
- Teaspoon (5 g) powdered henna, sifted to a
talcum powder consistency.
- Teaspoon (10 ml) distilled water or brewed dark tea, boiled and cooled to
room temperature
- 5 drops henna oil
- 2 drops clove oil.
- (a) In a glass or plastic bowl, combine the
henna powder, water, and eucalyptus oil. Mix only after all the ingredients
have been added, and mix only in one direction (clockwise or counterclockwise).
Stir quickly to eliminate all lumps.
- (b) If possible, let the paste ferment for at least 5 hours before using. Cover
the mixture but do not seal or refrigerate. To test consistency, gather paste
on a spoon and invert. The paste should drop off the spoon in 10-15 seconds.
Making the Henna Cone
Preparing the henna cone is an acquired skill
that will become easier with practice. If you are planning a henna party, make
up a dozen cones ahead of time and have them ready.
To make a henna cone, you will need
- Quart-sized plastic zipper freezer bags,
heavy-duty plastic freezer bags, or plastic from upper heavy painter's drop
Long-bladed scissors cloth.q Transparent adhesive tape
- long-bladed scissors
- Transparent adhesive tape
- Straight pins
Follow these steps for cutting and folding the
cone:
- Cut off the rec losable top of the freezer bag
with scissors. Cut along the side and bottom seams to separate the plastic into
two separate sheets. For other plastics, a comfortable cone size can be from 4
inches by 5 inches (10cm by 12.5 cm) to 4 inches by 7 inches (10 cm by 17.5
cm).
- Fold the sheets in half. Holding the open edges with your thumb and index
finger, cut across the closed edge. You now have four plastic sheets.
- Holding the two sheets lengthwise, place your middle finger on the corner of
the top one. Bring the opposite diagonal corner to meet the corner you are
holding. Wrap the plastic over and over around your middle finger to create a
cone.
- Adapt the size of the up opening and width of the cone by moving your middle
inside the plastic sheets. The up should be the tiny diameter of a straight
pin.
- Have several pieces of 1.5-inch (4cm) precut tape ready. Carefully tape down
the final plastic corner near the up. Run at least one strip of tape vertically
up the entire open seam. Tape as needed to seal the open edges, but do not tape
the ends shut. You cone will be about 6 inches (15 cm) long and have an opening
that allows just a 2 - finger space at the top.
- Using a small teaspoon, fill the henna cone two-thirds full. With the top
still open, shake the cone rapidly up and down until the henna mixture moves
down to within ¼ inch (6 mm) of the cone tip. Wipe off excess henna near the
top of the cone. Alternatively, you may place a heaping tablespoon (15-plus ml)
of henna paste in the middle of the plastic sheets before you form them into a
cone.
- Fold down the wide end of the cone and use your thumbs and index fingers to
squeeze the henna into the tip. Twist the wide end and secure it with a rubber
band, or fold it down and secure with tape. Tape shut any other loose edges. If
the tip of the cone is too small and paste is clogging the hole, use scissors
to enlarge the opening, or poke a straight pin into the opening to loosen the
clog.
Applying the design
Have a paper towel handy to clear the tip of the
cone from time to time. Remember, the color and design will hold better if the
paste is allowed to remain on the skin for at least 1 to 3 hours.
- Hold the cone between the thumb and your index finger about
1/4 inch (6mm) from its tip. Touch the tip of the cone to the skin. Then lift
up to release the henna paste. Trace the outline of the design on the skin,
then fill in the details one section at a time.Lefties should begin at the
right side of the design and work towards left.
- As you are working the pattern, keep ti moist so that it doesn't peel away.
Use a cotton swab or a square to gently apply a lemon sugar solution-3 teaspoon
(15 ml) lemon juice mixed with mixed with one teaspoon (5 mg) sugar- to the
design. If you can, moisten the henna design every 1/2 hour for three hours.
- When you are ready to remove the paste, apply any oil - eucalyptus, mustard,
avocado, sesame, olive, almond-generously over the design. Then use the edge of
a butter knife, a credit card or your finger nails to scrap off the hardened
excess.
- Avoid washing the area of henna design for several hours. After the paste
has been removed, smear the area with oil again. Each day apply the body oil to
the design; it will help the drawing last longer.Those with darker skin tones
might want to reapply the design on the following day for a longer lasting
pattern.
