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I buy freshly imported Indian, Pakistani or Moroccan henna. I pick & chose the best available, according to the countries own climate & harvesting seasons throughout the year. My sources are the actual henna farmers & suppliers themselves.
I would never use grocery store shelved henna powder that come in those little square boxes. Henna is perishable, and if it's sitting on the shelf for a half a year or more, it's lost its dye strength & that's not a good source for me. I would also never use pre made commercial packaged henna cones, which are sold in some Indian grocery stores or on the Internet. Just as choosing between eating fresh or canned vegetables, fresh is always best. Henna stains your skin & seeps into your system through your skins pores. Know your henna & where it comes from, if you intend to have it in & on your body.
On a side note, there is no bad henna. There is just very good & less quality henna. The harmful henna that you may hear about is actually not henna at all. It's referred to as "black henna", which is basically black hair dye, used for giving off black ink looking tattoo. This is not safe, the dyes & chemicals can burn your skin leaving you with a permanent scar. No black henna is ever used here. Unfortunately, you will find most black henna used in heavy populated touristy areas. The true color of a henna stain starts off as a bright orange & then turns into a red auburn or a deep golden brown within 24-48 hours. Stains will vary according to the type of henna, where it's placed on your body, how long the stain remains on your skin, & how you care for your henna stain. And on a further side note; we have never experience any one case, of any unwanted side effects, nor have heard of any, as a result of using fresh natural henna. |
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Mixing the henna- If you ask 10 henna artists, (the ones that make their own henna paste) what ingredients they mix inside their batch, you will often find 10 different responses. Some of them based on tradition, culture, or plain oldwife's tale, as to which recipe works best. It's often referred to as the "witches brew" in the henna world. Here are some examples of what might go into some:
Coffee, Tea, Cardamom, Cloves, Citric Acid, Herb Tea, Tamarind, Dried Lemons, Dried Limes, Hard Candy, Honey, Angostura Butters, Okra, Egg Whites, Black Pepper, Garlic, Wine, Vinegar, Sugar, Molasses, Jaggery, Citric Acid, Walnut Husks, Walnut Leaves, Walnut Root, Rose Petals, Lemon Peel, Orange Flower Water, Fenugreek.
I use fresh squeezed lemon juice with equal parts of brewed fresh mint leaves (from my garden), along with brewed organic green tea, or black tea for the aroma & color. I always use pure Eucalyptus oil. My artist Nick likes to mix in pure Lavender & Tea-tree oil in his henna. I add in America's favorite ingredient, sugar... just a pinch though. (Actually, I use the sugar to make the henna consistency stringy & sticky - so when applied to your skin, it sticks - staying on longer, bringing out a darker stain). Some of these ingredients, especially our essential oils, along with the henna, have been know to act as medicinal remedies; from soothing away a headache to relieving a common cold. And I guess it does kind of sound like a "witches brew"...
I mix each ingredient in with the henna powder at precisely the right moment, over a two-day waiting period. Time, temperature, & texture is watched for & carefully controlled in this process, as each step is vital to the overall outcome of the henna's dye release. Mixing only by hand to smooth the henna is done 2-3 times a day. Nick finds that by squeezing his henna through a woman's pantyhose stocking helps to weed out any unwanted clumps in his batch! I just beat it like crazy for the final 20 minutes by hand, ending with a silky smooth consistency. This quite simple process actually took me a long time to get down. I started out with many unsuccessful henna batches (it looked like henna, but just didn't stain). Finally, after some research & basic trial & error, I am able to create a perfect batch. And each time with less mess!
I make my batches very small, enough for just 2 - 3 parties / events. I use a clean wooden spoon to mix with & throw- away plastic bowls. The henna then goes from the plastic bowl into a zip lock baggie where I cut the corner to form my "spout", & then I squeeze the henna into washed plastic tubes. And finally, I squeeze the henna from the tubes into my tiny applicator bottles that I use to apply to the skin. I then test the henna batch on myself, (or on my husbands, my kids, my neighbors hand) to make sure the henna does what I intended. Most often a 30 second skin test is enough for me to see a rich vibrant bright staining color.
Henna making is indeed an art in itself. Crafty & artsy as you may be, making henna takes time, skill, patience & practice in the kitchen. Most of all, I would like us not to forget all the people involved in the lengthy process; the rural farmers picking the plants, the hard working laborers crushing the henna leaves by hand, the suppliers shipping the henna for our use, the henna makers mixing up their special recipes, & the henna artists adorning your skin. Take your time & enjoy your henna, even if it means just appreciating your newly painted design!
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