Henna

[flower22]

Recipes and Methods
All the following recipes have common elements and tips, though some are more detailed. Common elements include: 1) picking a good quality/the right kind of henna, (2) using something to help "set" the henna mixture like lemon juice, and some include ingredients that help darken or strengthen the henna stains (make them last longer), like black tea, etc. When I have a chance, I will synthesize and organize this section, but for now, here are all the individual descriptions:
"The application of henna is a ritual which may take up to 6 hours. After all ingredients are mixed and designs applied the person shouldn't disturb painted areas for 6 hours or more, depending upon the richess of color and how long you want the design to stay on. This recipe was given by a Moroccan woman for henna application:

Purchase fresh red powder henna (Afshan or Sadaq brands boxed and wrapped.
one cup brewed black tea, allowed to sit overnight
1 tsp of fresh lemon juice from a lemon which sat in the sun 12 hours or more,
brass bowl, not ceramic,
mixing spoon,
Rose and Orange water to wash hands and feet before application.

"First of all, make sure your henna is of good quality. I usually buy it in little boxes at indian grocery stores; I have found that the bulk henna at the local health food co-op just doesn't give a good color in comparison.

Second: be sure your skin is clean and free from all lotions, oils, etc. These will prevent your henna from absorbing!

Third: Use boiling water, preferrably bottled/distilled (though the tap water around here isn't a problem). Now -- here comes the big secret -- MORDANT! You need to add some lemon or lime juice (preferrably fresh) to get the color to set. I use at least 2 tablespoons. Let the henna sit for a bit before you apply it, so it can cool down and do its thing.

(The best method I have *ever* found is from the U.A.E. -- dry limes (I dry them in slices -- they dry quicker, and it seems to work better) then boil the dried limes in water until the water turns red. I dry from 3 to 6 limes at a time, lose a few pieces to mold, and have enough for one big batch. This gives the most *incredible* dark color... I had henna patterns on my hands for almost an entire *month* after the Pennsic henna party... my fingernails are grown out about 2/3's, toenails are still mostly henna).

Fourth: I leanred this great trick at Pennsic from a woman who lives in Egypt. You take a heavy-duty plastic bag (like you get at women's clothing stores) and cut a piece out, twist it into a funnel, and pin it together. Fill with henna, and you have the neatest, most precise tool! I have tried toothpicks, orange sticks, syringes, and tubes -- the make-it-yourself funnel is the best I have ever seen! I still keep toothpicks and and orange stick on hand to clean up the lines of my design... plus I use a big paintbrush to do my nails. (As I mentioned off-handedly, *don't* do your nails unless you can handle orange nails for months to come!)

Fifth: Leave the henna on as long as you can stand it. I went nuts the one time I wrapped my hands and feet in gauze, and I messed up the patterns besides. I let it dry, then when it cracks I fill in the holes with a few dabs of watery henna; then I let it dry some more, and moisten it with lemon or lime juice from time to time. It will set better if it dries with heat, stick your hands in the sun, or dry them around a candle flame (this is hard!) or use a hair dryer (my favorite trick). When you do need to remove it, scrape it off, don't just wash it off.

I've been doing henna for quite a number of years, and I've tried it with varying temperatures of water, with lemon juice, lime juice, clove oil, and just plain water. What I've detailed above works the best. I haven't tried using olive oil (from the clove oil experience, I'd say this will give it a weird texture. But Sartahk assures me he had a girlfriend who did her hair this way) or using strong tea, or moistening it with sugar-water; these tips came to me after I had perfected my method (don't fix it if it ain't broke! :-) but I'll probably try them someday, just to see how they work!" --Zimra, henna veteran

"Mix henna & water to form paste add a little lemon or lime, and a bit of nail polish remover.

Mix it all so that it is still thick, kind of a globby mix. If you don't already have plans for how you want to decorate, there are two things you can do: get a syringe (without needle), fill it up with henna, and use it to drizzle the henna mix in patterns over your skin. OR you could get heavy tape (black electrical or duct tape-- I wouldn't recommend this for non-hairless areas) and draw designs out on it, cut the designs out, and then put it over your skin so that the designs are holes which will be filled with henna. This is a little more complicated.

After you put it on and it dries a bit, swab the area with a cotton ball dipped in a mixture of oil and lemon juice. Just lightly. Then wrap your hands, feet, whatever, in cotton and put socks on. Leave on over night. The next morning, scratch the caked and dried henna off. The designs will be orange at first but they will darken. Try not to wash the area for a day or so, if you can help it.





Other Tips
I've heard of ladies wrapping their hands/feet with plastic wrap to keep the mud on and then wrap with warm towels, so the dye stains more...same principle as using a plastic bag and a hairdryer on hair with conditioner in it. Use boiling water to mix the henna. I've also heard of mixing the henna with lemon or onion juice (or other organic acids) to "set" the designs." --Kate


"A friend of mine was in San Francisco, and saw an woman with the most incredibly intricate henna designs on her hands. When she asked her how she got that result, the woman replied that she *sifted* the henna before she prepared the paste, and got a very fine line that way.

When I had my hand hennad the artist rubbed eucalyptus oil on my hand. She said it helps the skin accept the henna.
"I did the same thing when I did one of the designs on my foot. That design came out darker than the one I did *without* using the oil.
"Joani (another lister) also told me that she mists her designs lightly with water so they *stay* moist the majority of the time the paste is on the skin. She said this makes her designs last nearly 6 weeks. WOW! I usually only moisten mine occassionally with the lemon juice/sugar mix."

tip from me: if you use henna on your hair for highlight or to get a good reflection in the sun put some, grounded cofee into it! it'll help darken the coulour and make it a rich brown with red highlight

[flower22]

mixing henna with beetroot powder

[flower22]

[flower22]

henna feet




henna stensils

(hands)

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(feet)



henna application is made through a seringe or sometimes through a fine tube

[shashi_kapoor]

Me bangra gal calls it mehendi, she has some cool art of henna

[flower22]

Henna, also known as mehndi, is the ancient art of bodypainting with paste made from powdered leaves from the henna plant. Mehndi originated in the Middle East, North Africa, and India. Traditionally, the hands and feet are painted before important celebrations and the painting process is a festive occasion as well.


but i think it originated from a Arab country because the parterns are very similar to Arabic prints and Arabic writing usually has artistic swerves and curls in it...


which makes sense
salam
Meriem