The Art of Henna
By Julie Crowder and Andrea Rucker
Henna Recipes and Techniques
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Recently, henna has begun a rise in popularity. In the entertainment industry, celebrities have been seen wearing henna of their hands and feet. However, this form of body art has been around for centuries. Henna is used mainly in Africa and the Middle East Variations in styles differ between cultures. Generally Arabic henna features large, floral patterns on hands and feet, while Indian Mehndi uses fine and lacy-like floral and paisley patterns entirely covering the hands, forearms and feet. Cultural Background Henna has been traced back as far as 5000 years. Others believe that the use of henna may have originated around 1600 BCE or earlier. It is known that henna was used to color the hair and nails of Mummies. In the 12th century, henna was introduced to the country of India. It was popular among the Rajputs of Mewar. Primarily, women of India used it as body décor. Women often put henna on their hands and feet to symbolize and create beauty. This was a common practice within their culture. Eventually the practice of applying henna to their bodies became tradition. Weddings seem to be a popular occasion for henna. Henna is a natural product derived from a small plant ranging between 3.5 to 5 feet tall. The henna plant is green and has leaves that are very fragrant. This plant is very rare and mostly produced in India (the leader in production of best quality henna). When applied to the skin, henna turns to a brownish-reddish color. Henna provides a cooling effect to the human body. When the plant was first discovered, people applied henna to the palms of their hands to keep them cool during the warm summers. Originally, they only applied a small dot to their palms. These dots eventually became intricate designs. Other uses of henna include hair care and finding new cures for diseases. It is being said that henna is a natural conditioner that gives hair strength and shine. 1 cup boiling water 2 tablespoons black tea or coffee 3 teaspoons sifted henna powder 1 teaspoon eucalyptus oil Lemon-Sugar Glaze strained juice of 1/2 lemon 1 teaspoon sugar
Boil the cup of water and make your tea or coffee. Let it steep for a few hours. Strain to remove any particles or tea material. Put henna powder into a plastic or glass bowl and add eucalyptus oil, BUT DO NOT BLEND! Slowly add the tea/coffee about 3 teaspoons at a time to the powder and stir with a small spoon. Use the spoon to press the powder and water together. Do not worry about lumps. Allow to sit for anywhere between 6 and 12 hours. Really. The longer you let it sit, the smoother the mixture will become as all henna particles become absorbed. If you are impatient, after six hours you can smooth out any remaining lumps with a spoon.
After you paint your design, you want to wait until the henna is dry enough to not be runny (it will look kind of flat), but not cracking. You want to dab the barest amount of lemon-sugar glaze on the henna to keep it moist. Using a cotton swab or ball is a good way to apply just a bit. Then you want to leave it on as long as you can humanly stand it
Helpful Hints: After scraping off the mud, try not to get the skin wet for several hours to help the color set better, about 4 or 5 hours. The less you wash the painted area, the longer the design will last. Swimming, hot tubs, dishwashing, etc. will all cause designs to fade more quickly. Applying lotions or creams to the skin can also result in less color retention.
Sift out enough henna to make about 1-1 and 1/4 cups dry, sifted henna powder. Take 2 packets of instant coffee singles (the ones that look like tea bags) and boil hard in about 1 and 1/2 cups of water until it boils down to about 3/4 of a cup of dark liquid.
Mix just enough coffee into the powder to create a thick paste. The hot liquid will make the powder ball up a little, so be sure to mix it until it is well blended and smooth.
Add about 2 tablespoons lemon juice; fresh is best. Add about 5 drops of Eucalyptus Oil. Add about 5 drops of Clove Oil.
This should make a thin paste, but you don't want it runny. If it is too runny, add a little more sifted henna powder. If its too thick, add a little more coffee, or plain water.
Allow to settle and cool for about 2 hours.
INGREDIENTS : 2 tablespoons Henna Powder Dried Lime Juice 1 tsp Sugar 1/2 tsp Geranium Essential Oil 1 tsp Cajeput Essential Oil
Boil about 4 to 5 slices of dried limes with 1 tsp sugar and a little water. When the water has turned a reddish color it is done. Mix your Henna Powder with some of the Lime/sugar water. Keep mixing till all the lumps are gone. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and sit in a warm spot overnight. In the morning, add the geranium and cajeput oils and stir until you have the consistency of toothpaste. Let this mixture sit for the day. Stir again - if the mixture seems too thick add a little warm water until you have the consistency you want. The paste is now ready to use.
30 gms Dry mehndi 1/2 tea spoon Lime juice 1/2 tea spoon Oil 60 ml Tea or plain water
METHOD To make the Mehndi paste take dry Mehndi powder. Mix half tea spoon of mustard oil and half tea spoon of lemon. Now make the paste of it by mixing water in it slowly(water should not be hot). Put it in the cone. Make a tiny hole in the tip of it with the help of a pin. Give your favorite design on your body. You will be able to design 4-6 hands with it.
oz. henna powder (presifted) Black tea Lemon Juice (concentrate is fine, but if fresh, strain FIRST!) Clove Powder Honey Clove Oil (optional) Whole Cloves (optional) Sugar (for Lemon/sugar step)
ALWAYS sift henna beforehand!! The BEST sifter I've yet used is the gold non-destructable coffee filter.
There are several varieties available, but they all get the henna SUPERFINE!
Try to use plastic bowls and spoons, as ceramic can stain, and metal may rust from the acidity!
Make a cup of Lipton tea (you can add the whole cloves here, but strain before using). Let cool til only slightly warm. Mix about a tablespoon of lemon juice into the henna powder, keep adding more a little at a time until about thick spackle consistancy, stir until large lumps are gone. Add warm tea by the 1/4 teaspoon fulls until paste has a texture like thick yogurt. Add 1/4 teaspoonful clove powder. Add warm tea by the 1/4 teaspoonfuls until henna paste has the consistency of thick yogurt. It should slowly drip off your spoon.
Add a few drops of clove oil, if desired. Let henna sit, covered, for 8 hours room temperature before using.
Just before using paste, stir in 1/4 teaspoon honey. This will help the paste stick to your skin. If you have trouble getting the henna to flow through your applicator, add more lemon juice.
Unused henna can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for months. Thaw to room temperature before using.
LEMON/SUGAR: Mix 1/2 part lemon, 1/2 part sugar together until sugar dissolves. Use a cotton ball or facial puff to apply to the henna design once it has started to dry. Keep applying until henna paste cannot soak up any more! (Wet paste is shiny and brownish-green. Dry paste is dull and black) Be careful not to let the paste get TOO dry, or you could lift it off with the cotton ball!
WRAPPING: After lemon/sugar step, you can wrap your design. Take some toilet paper and wrap the areas securely. If wrapping your hand, make it look like a glove. The next layer (Saran or Cling wrap) should look like a mitten. Feet are a little more difficult, but can be held in place easily with a tube sock. Tape down securely, and leave on overnight, if possible. |
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