A Little Bit of History about Henna (Mehndi)...​

​

Henna (Lawsonia inermis) is a plant that is native to western and southern Asia, northern Africa, and northern Australia. Historically, it was used for cosmetic purposes by crushing up the henna plant, which produces a natural red dye (hennotannic acid in the henna plant binds to the collagen in the skin cells and keratin in the fingernails/hair). Today, henna is still widely used at weddings, bridal showers, and festivals.

 

Mehndi is the Hindi word for the process of painting patterns on the body with henna paste. Intricate patterns are traditionally drawn onto the skin of the hands and feet.

 

The henna plant is one of the oldest cosmetics around and is extremely safe! Natural henna rarely causes adverse reactions, and it is absolutely safe to use on children and pregnant women as it contains no dangerous chemical dyes or harsh additives.

 

***DISCLAIMER: There is no such thing as black henna! To produce a "black" color, added chemicals called p-phenylenediamine aka PPD (not authorized to be used on skin by the FDA) have to be added to the henna paste, so if you get henna from anywhere that offers this color, AVOID IT at all costs. It can cause liver and kidney damage along with scarring of the skin.

​Henna Aftercare

​

• Generally lasts 1-3 weeks

  • Lasts longer on thick, dry skin like the hands & feet

  • Usually lasts 3-10 days on thin, oily skin like back, chest, arms, legs

• Leave the paste on the skin for as long as possible for the best, longer-lasting, and darker results (usually at least 6-8 hours is recommended)

• Avoid getting the henna tattoo wet for up to 24 hours after application (if possible)

• After paste is removed, the design will look yellow-orange. It will take 1-2 days for the full color (dark orange/brown) to show up as the stain is exposed to oxygen.

• The color varies depending on individual skin tone and body chemistry.