It is an old form of body beatification originating from South Asia and the Middle East. Henna is a shrub found in tropic climates. Over time henna has been used for different purposes including body art, as cooling agent from the sun and burn, medicinal purposes etc.

The leaves from the henna shrub a re crushed and ground to fine powder. In the older days when I was young we took the powder added some water to make it like goo and applied it with tooth picks. This of course is way before you could find pre-made cones that are so readable available today. Modern application and recipes however have advanced greatly. A simple recipe to make henna with a fairly descent stain is 20g of henna powder and one teaspoon sugar, enough lemon juice so that the paste is of even consistence with no air buckets. Let it sit for 24 - 48 hours for dye release. Then either fill it into a cone or a jacquard bottle and off you go.

Have a clean surface, meaning avoid any extra lotions or oils as they will prevent the stain from deeply setting. Waxing prior to application of henna helps because your dead skin has been removed and your new layer of skin will make the henna stain last longer. Bleaching/whitening should be done prior to application and not after again to ensure a rich henna stain.

Once the paste is removed, avoid water and washing the stain for the first 12-24 hours ideally. It is not recommended to waxing or Nair after the application of Henna as waxing will remove several layers of skin which will drastically lighten the stain if not remove it completely. Shaving does not hinder the stain as it does not remove skin.

Henna can range from pale orange to be a deep mahogany red. HENNA IS NEVER BLACK. The paste when wet is brown, and when dry can look black. Once the paste is removed the stain is usually orange and darkens over the next 48 hours to a deep red. If you see instant black Henna stay away! Colored henna such as orange, blue, purple, green etc is usually either TEMPTU (temporary tattoo adhesive) or sparkles added to wet paste.

Black Henna WARNING & DANGERS!

Black henna does not exist! Black henna is made from a harmful and DANGEROUS chemical called “PPD is Para-phenylendiamine”. This chemical can cause irritation, blistering and permanent scars, it is not FDA approved for skin use. This dye property can also have long term effect on your health, and is sincerely not recommended to be used on any part if you outer body.

If you wish to learn  and see more about  the dangers of Black Henna please click the link below