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Using Henna at Home
BY J.A. BEYDLER
Photos by Eva Janey Bramwell
PAGE 2
Copyright
1999 by Parents' Press
Henna comes pre-mixed in a tube, or as a dry powder to mix with
water. Pre-mixed tubes have a plastic tip that tends to clog
up, and the quality of the paste varies a lot. Mix henna powder
with water 24 hours in advance and transfer to a mehndi cone.
Did you do your allergy test yet? Now is a good time, as you
should wait a full day to judge any reaction. Like any substance
left to soak into your skin, henna (or eucalyptus oil) could
cause an allergic reaction. Dab a small amount of henna and oil
on your wrist; check 24 hours later for redness, itching, or
irritation. If you are going to apply henna for a friend, you
both should do an allergy check.
No reaction to the allergy test? You go girl! Prepare the
skin by washing, drying, and rubbing with oil. Seat your friend
in a comfortable position that she can hold without wiggling
too much.
Squeeze the tube or cone to apply a line of paste. Practice
on a paper towel first, to get a feel for how quickly the paste
comes out. Use your pinky finger to steady your hand, and take
care not to smear the henna as you apply it. Take a short break
every few minutes to rest your hand, and to give your friend
a break.
Help! If you make a mistake, just lift the paste off with
a toothpick and do it over. If the pre-mixed tube applicator
tip gets clogged (and it will), poke a needle into the tip and
wiggle it around. Artist Sarah Laight recommends transferring
the contents of a pre-mixed tube into a real mehndi cone, rather
than trying to work around the clogging.
When the design is finished, mix 1 tsp. of sugar, and the
juice of half a lemon to make a thick syrup. Use a paintbrush
to drip the sugar syrup onto the design. The acid in the lemon
juice helps your skin absorb the henna paste, and the syrup keeps
the henna stable while it dries.
Be patient. Henna dries in about an hour, but plan on at least 12 hours for it to soak in. The longer you leave henna on, the darker the design will be, and the longer it will last. Remove the sugar and henna by washing in warm water. Henna takes about two days to darken up (after you remove the paste). So if you want your mehndi to look its best on Saturday, apply the henna by Wednesday.
With intricate designs like these, it's important to stay still until the paste and sugar syrup dry completely.
MORE ABOUT HENNA
Page 3
Where
to Find Henna Supplies & Traditional Designs
"I got my whole back done at the
Lilith Faire last year. Even though it took, like, hours, it
was really relaxing. She did this whole peacock with flowers;
that's a symbol for wisdom. It lasted a lot longer than when
I tried henna at home."
- Crystal, 16
