What is henna?

Henna powder, the most important ingredient in henna body art, comes from the fresh, ground-up leaves of the henna plant, Lawsonia inermis. Fresh henna is key -henna from your local import store or natural foods store will stain hair, but may not be fresh enough for staining skin. See the suppliers list for importers who sell mehndi quality henna. It's best to buy from someone who is a professional henna artist who uses his/her own product and knows it well.  Please also see our database of henna brands with reviews from henna artists around the world.

Although you may find “blonde” “red” “brown” or “black henna” on store shelves, these products are meant for hair, and contain other plants and/or chemical additives besides henna. Henna does not come in "different colors". Real, natural henna always stains reddish-brown and the stain takes a day to develop. If it stains black or brown quickly, it's not henna, and may be a toxic chemical. Go here for the black henna warning page.

Henna is not a tattoo, nor is it paint or ink -it is a natural dye that stains the upper layers of the skin and does not penetrate beyond the dead skin cells.

Where does henna come from?

Henna has been used by a wide variety of cultures, tribes, and ethnic groups for thousands of years. Buddhists, Christians, earth-based religions, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and others use henna for celebrations including weddings, holidays, and coming-of-age rituals. Regions where henna is or has been practiced include North Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Some factors that may affect henna stain

Thicker, more keratinized skin such as that on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet absorb henna color better, and stain darker.

Certain oils, such as baby oil, Vaseline, other petroleum based products, and sunscreen, as well as Vitamin E and antioxidants will also prevent henna from staining the skin.

Skin chemistry plays a big part in the color of the henna stain, which may be affected by stress, diet, body temperature and hormones, as well as beauty products used.

Henna stains will always be darker on the hands and feet, and lighter on the torso, face, and neck.

How to mix henna

If you are lucky enough to live where you can pick your own fresh henna leaves, and your water is pure, you can mix henna with water and have success. For the rest of us who are not so blessed... a simple recipe, then some variations:

Simple henna recipe

• Mix fresh henna powder with water or lemon/lime juice (or a liquid with a similar pH level) in a ceramic, glass or plastic container. Let stand 4-12 hours, or until a small amount placed on the skin of your hand or wrist and left for five minutes leaves a bright orange stain. Also the top layer of paste may appear darker, as the paste has begun to oxidize. This is sometimes referred to as “dye release” and is another way to tell when the henna is ready to apply.  The exact time depends on what kind of henna you are using (Moroccan henna tends to achieve dye release sooner).
• Apply using the tool of your choice. Henna is applied using a wide variety of tools: fingers, a stick, porcupine quills, a wire, paintbrushes, syringes (with the needle trimmed off), small plastic squeeze bottles (“Jacquard bottles” or “j-bottles”), tightly rolled cones of plastic (“Indian cones” or “mylar cones”), cake decorating tools (“carrot bags,” “Kree Kones,” “carrot bags with metal tips”), and so on. Choice of tools depends on personal preference and comfort as well as availability.
• Allow the henna to remain on the skin 6-12 hours. The longer the paste is left on the skin and the person being hennaed stays warm, including applying additional heat, the darker the stain will become and the longer it will last.

Variation on the simple henna recipe

Each artist has his/her own recipe, brew and methods. We collect these recipes here.

The following recipe is closer to the recipes used by most professional artists in the West, since it works better at festivals, and in other situations in which busy modern clients do not have time to wait. Many artists use monoterpene rich essential oils to help henna stain darker, faster:

• Mix fresh henna powder with water or lemon juice in a bowl. Let stand 4-12 hours, or until a small amount placed on the skin of your hand or wrist and left for five minutes leaves a bright orange color. (See above regarding dye release)
• Add sugar (or honey or molasses), approximately one tablespoon per 100 grams of henna powder. This helps the paste to stay on the skin.  Add more sugar/honey/molasses when the weather is dry, less if it is humid.
• Add 5-20 drops per tablespoon of henna paste of any of these: Tea Tree, Eucalyptus , Clove , Cajeput, Geranium, Ravensara, Frankincense, Cardamom or Lavender essential oils. Mix well. *These must be labeled “100% Pure Essential Oil” – no fragrance oils, carrier oils, or other ingredients, as they will prevent the henna from staining the skin.  Some artists mix the essential oils in at the same time as the henna, water/lemon juice and sugar/honey/molasses.
• Cover henna mixture and let stand 4-12 hours (depending on what henna you are using, you CAN use your paste right away). 
• Apply, using the tool of your choice. (See above)
• Allow to remain on the skin 4-12 hours (See above).It is widely believed that henna mixed with essential oils will get darker faster and thus does not need to stay on as long, but the same basic rule -longer + warmer = darker -still applies.

Fixatives and wraps

Since leaving the henna paste stuck to the skin helps henna get darker, artists often use a fixative to help the henna stay stuck to the skin.  There are a variety ways to keep a henna design stuck to the skin. They can generally be grouped into two categories – Fixatives and Wraps.

These include: a mixture of lemon juice and sugar, as well as liquid latex, glue, hair spray or gel, and others.

Wraps help henna get darker because they keep body heat close to the skin and keep the design warm. Cotton, tissue, bandages, gauze, fabric, and leaves have all been used to wrap henna body art and help it get darker. When wrapping, be careful that the area does not get too hot, or the henna paste will run and smear, ruining the design; wrapping in plastic is generally not advised for this reason.

Aftercare

The longer henna paste is left on the skin, the darker the stain will be. As mentioned above, fixatives and wraps help henna get darker regardless of where it is placed on the body. Time is always crucial; henna stains take 12-48 hours to oxidize and darken. Application of additional heat, avoiding chlorinated water (even tap water) for 12-24 hours, as well as applying natural vegetable oils to protect the stain may contribute to a darker, more long lasting henna design.

It's all about the fun of playing in it and enjoying the process along the way. Hopefully this will get you headed in the right direction!

If you have questions please join the Open Henna forum. There are many generous and friendly henna artists there who are happy to talk about it all!