About Henna:

The Henna Lady uses natural henna is applied free‑hand to make a temporary tattoo that lasts anywhere between a week or two or even more!  The henna designs can last longer depending on frequency of handwashing and the types of cleaning solutions and chemicals that the natural tatoo comes into contact with.  For centuries, henna has been used to decorate the body for celebrations with designs full of scrolls, swirls, paisley outlines and dots.

Henna is the oldest cosmetic on earth!  We use the same traditional mix that has had no allergic reactions ever!!

When the henna is squeezed (gently!) out of its cone, it appears like icing on a cake!  When it is moist, the henna looks like a very dark greenish/brown colour and it takes a few minutes to dry (and as it dries, artists may apply offer glitter to make the design attractive – the glitter is not permanent and will wash off).  The sprinkled glitter is just for fun and will come off when it is washed or brushed away.

As soon as the henna starts to dry, artists may apply a mist of lemon juice and sugar, that work like a natural glue to try and keep the henna on longer because the henna will naturally start to flake off once it dries, so the mixture of lemon juice (or orange juice!) is added to prevent some of the natural flaking off.

When the henna is washed or flaked off, the colour that will remain will be anything from a light orange to an auburn-reddish or dark brown colour.  People who may want a very dark colour with their henna, like brides, for example, will leave henna on all night so when they wash the henna the next morning then the colour will be very bright and dark.

You will notice also that after you have washed off the henna (warm water is recommended), that the colour actually becomes progressively darker for the next 2 days and then it starts to fade away naturally after about a week (or more).

The intensity of the colour of henna depends on:

1. how long it was kept on the skin,
2. if lemon juice or orange juice was applied (as this helps to intensify colour),
3. your body heat, and
4. external heat (for example, sunshine is great for intensifying the colour of henna if you sit in the sun while it is drying… some people use hair dryers (not too close to the skin, of course) to warm it up too.

The henna tree, Lawsonia inermis, grows in hot, arid regions like North Africa and India. The pigment, lawsone, temporarily stains the skin. Lawsone is a tannin; tannins are also found in wine and tea and infuse porous surfaces with a darker pigment, and do not chemically alter the surface permanently.