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What is henna? Henna is a small shrub with small, dark green scented leaves. The leaves are dried and ground down into a powder which is finely sieved two or more times through a fine nylon cloth. Henna is an organic dye which is extracted by drying and grinding the leaves and stems. The greenish powder, when mixed with an acidic liquid, makes a temporary red, brown, or orange design on a porous surface. People use henna in ritual skin painting, called Mehndi, for birth and marriage celebrations. Western cultures have adopted henna to make temporary tattoos and organic hair dye.
The Henna plant • The henna plant, Lawsonia inermis, grows in hot, arid regions like North Africa and India. For centuries, people ground the foliage of the plant into a powder to dye cloth and skin. The strong pigment, lawsone, actually temporarily stains the skin. Lawsone is a tannin, tannins are also found in wine and tea. They infuse porous surfaces with a darker pigment, but do not chemically alter the surface permanently.
When and why is henna used? • Traditionally in India Mehndi (henna), is applied to a woman's hands and feet. But on very auspicious occasions men apply henna as well. During an Indian wedding both the bride and bridegroom apply henna. Henna symbolizes fertility. It is also a symbol of love between husband and wife. The bride's intricate Mehndi pattern normally has the name of the groom interwoven into it. The groom is expected to find his name in the pattern. If he cannot do so, it is said that, the bride will control the marriage. Its use became popular in India because of its cooling effect in the hot Indian summers.
History and Mythology of Henna • In India, the use of henna in the 4th and 5th centuries is illustrated on Bodhisattvas and deities of cave wall murals. The use of henna as a decoration in India took off with the advent of Muslim rule and became common after the 12th century. It further developed under the rule of the Mughals and by the 17th century, various designs had evolved. Traditionally a woman's art, Indian and Pakistani henna designs are intricate. Intricate patterns are made to decorate a bride, in a ritual a day before the wedding called the mehndi ceremony. • There are many myths surrounding the art of mehndi in Pakistan and India. Legend states that the goddess Parvati, wife of the great god Shiva, used it as a decoration in order to charm her husband away from his usual stance of brooding meditation
Making the henna paste. • What do you need to mix a simple henna paste? Not much! You'll need a container, a spoon, henna and lemon juice. Mix the henna powder with lemon juice in a ceramic bowl with a plastic spoon into a paste. Next cover the ceramic bowl and leave overnight for the mixture to release the henna dye. • Henna paste has to stay on the skin for a while to make a stain. The longer the henna is on your skin, the better the stain. Henna paste often cracks and falls off the skin before it gets a chance to stain. • To keep henna on your skin, add some sugar to the the henna. This makes it stick better, and makes the henna paste smoother and silkier to work with.
How to apply henna • Henna is normally applied witha mylar or cellophane wrap cone .Florist wrap does just fine, and cellophane wrap is ok as long as it's not too thin. Mylar tissue is thinner, more difficult to work with.
Applying henna Slowly apply even lines of paste by gently squeezing the cone. Rest the weight of your hand on your little finger to help maintain a steady line. Your line of henna should be smooth and have a consistent width for the most attractive results. The applicator tip should not touch the skin but should be held just above the skin so the line of paste lays down in a nice round line like a rope.
How to make a mylar or cellophane wrap cone Lick your finger and put it in the centre of the diagonal. Start twirling the cone against your fingertip.
1 Keep pivoting the twirl against your fingertip, and keep twirling to make the cone.
2 Keep going until you have twirled the triangle into a cone with a tight tip.
3 Tape the seam on your cone. Firm up the tip with tape if you like. Some people use lots of tape, some use a little. The next step is to apply the henna.
