"Art and love are the same thing: It's a process of seeing yourself in things that are not you"
Chuck Klosterman
What is henna?
Henna is a dye prepared from the plant Lawsonia inermis, also known as the henna tree. It grows predominantly in India, Pakistan, parts of Africa and the Middle East. The henna plant contains lawsone which is a reddish-orange dye that binds to the keratin (a protein) in our skin and safely stains the skin.
What ingredients are in a henna paste?
Many artists will use a variety of recipes that work for them. Most pastes will contain some or one of the following dry and wet ingredients in addition to the henna powder itself: Sugar, sucrose, fructose, tea leaves, cloves lemon juice, apple juice, water and essential oils such as eucalyptus, cajeput and/or lavender. My paste contains the following ingredients: Henna powder, water, lemon juice, eucalyptus and cajeput essential oils.
How do I care for my henna?
The first step is to allow your henna design to dry between 20-30 minutes. Your henna should be 'sealed' with a sugar based syrup. The sticky consistency of the syrup acts as a glue for your paste and allows it to adhere to your skin for longer. Leave the henna paste on your skin for 4-8 hours- if you sleep with your henna paste, you may wrap it in toilet paper (NO PLASTIC BAGS!). Finally, remove your henna paste with any body safe oil (coconut, olive, vegetable etc). Allow your henna 2-3 days to darken and enjoy the stain for 7-14 days.
