A Beginner’s Guide to Henna

It occured to me that I haven’t addressed the most essential/beginner level questions. The epiphany came to me as I was writing a booklet for beginners to go into henna kits I’m in the processing of making (I’ll be posting them up in etsy in two weeks, optimistically). Here’s what I’ve written:

About Henna

What is Henna?

Henna is a plant, but it is also a term that refers to a specific type of body art. The henna plant and the art originated in the Middle East, specifically in arid environments where the soil and atmospheric conditions are suitable for the plant to flourish. This is why it’s often difficult to grow the plant in any other geographical local, and why most henna distributors must import the plant based powder from Pakistan, India, Rajasthan, or other Middle Eastern countries.

The plant is harvested, dried, and then ground into a fine powder. This powder is then sifted (usually twice) to create body art quality henna powder. Henna artist use henna powder, lemon juice, sugar, and essential oils to produce the henna paste they apply onto the skin in intricate patterns.

Henna has been used for cosmetic purposes for centuries, dating as far back as ancient Egypt. The hair and nails of Egyptian Monarchs exhumed from tomes have traces of henna in them, and artistic depictions from India show individuals having henna done on their bodies. Today, henna has evolved into a marvelous and expressive art form. Patterns have traditional, fusion, and modern elements in them. The expression of henna art and design is only limited by your imagination.

How to Mix Henna

How to Mix Henna Paste

Items you’ll need: ¼ cup of water and/or pure lemon juice, 1.5 teaspoons sugar (cellophane bag of sugar in henna kit), 20 grams of henna powder (cellophane bag of henna powder in kit), and vial of essential oil (in henna kit).

1. Open pouch of henna powder and pour the powder into a nonporous bowl, preferably one you can see through.
2. Open pouch of sugar and pour into the bowl. Mix the sugar and henna together.
3. Pour in ¼ cup of water and/or lemon juice. Stir thoroughly until there are little to no lumps in the henna paste. The henna paste should be the consistency of pancake batter.
4. Open and pour the vial of essential oil (1 1/2 teaspoons of EO) into the paste. Stir thoroughly.
5. Cover the entire bowl with plastic wrap, carefully tucking the plastic wrap around henna to prevent air from reaching the paste. Leave henna in a warm area of your home for 24 hours.
6. After 24 hours the henna will have “dye released,” meaning it’s ready to use. Stir henna paste again. You may want to add more water and/or lemon juice to make the henna the consistency of pancake batter.

How to Fill Henna Applicators (Henna Cones)

How to Fill Henna Applicators (Henna Cones)

Items you’ll need: (1) Carrot bag, (4) henna cones

1. Get a cup large enough for a majority of the carrot bag to fit into length wise. Then, place the carrot bag into the cup, folding the edges of the carrot bag over the rim of the cup.
2. Spoon the henna paste you’ve prepared and allowed to sit for 24 hours into the carrot bag.
3. Remove the carrot bag from the cup.
4. Tie off the top of the carrot bag.
5. Next, place the four henna cones into a cup tip down.
6. Cut the tip of the carrot bag off. Insert the tip of the carrot bag into a henna cone, and squeeze the carrot bag until you’ve filled the cone half way. Proceed to fill the remaining three henna cones the same way.
7. Once you have filled all of the henna cones, roll the top of the cone (the wider portion of the cone) down firmly. Tape the rolled portion of the cone to the henna-filled portion of the cone.
8. Cut the tip of the cone and apply onto the skin in the pattern of your choosing.
9. Always freeze henna cones if you aren’t using them. The dye will demise if left out since all of the ingredients are natural/organic.

Henna Aftercare

Henna Aftercare

1. Once henna has been placed onto the skin, the henna will take approximately 20 minutes to dry.
2. Leave the henna paste on for 2 or more hours after it has dried for optimal results. The henna will flake off naturally.
3. The henna will appear orange in color for the first 6 hours, and will gradually darken to a deep mahogany hue (usually within 12 – 36 hours). The richness of the color will depend largely on the length of time you leave the henna on after it has dried.
4. Keep hennaed area away from water and well moisturized for optimal longevity. You may apply Vaseline over the henna design before showering to prevent water from penetrating the skin, thereby making the design last longer.

I hope that, for the beginners out there, this helps to explain some of the basic questions. The “24 hour rule” for henna dye release isn’t hard and fast, but it’s a good estimate. Generally speaking, leaving henna to dye release for 24 hours won’t harm the henna, so long as it’s dye releasing at room temperature (70F – 75F). Temperatures exceeding this may make the henna dye release more quickly.

Mixing Henna

Here is a fantastic video by Victoria Welch, one of my besties, mixing henna, then coning it:

You’ll notice that her recipe is different than mine. All henna artists end up tweaking recipes to suit their needs. Henna is like any other art medium in this way.