What is Henna?
Henna is a common name for the shrub Lawsonia inermis. Henna is also known as mehandi or mehndi. Henna leaves are harvested, dried and crushed, then mixed in to a paste to be used for temporary body adornment or to colour hair. It is the one of the oldest cosmetics, and the henna application results in red to red/brown marks left on the skin.
Henna (other names are mehendi, mehndim hina) used in hair coloring and skin staining products is made from the leaves of the henna plant, lawsonia enermis which are ground into a fine powder. The main ingredients in henna pastes are the henna powder, strained lemon juice, coffee or tea and eucalyptus oil. This paste when applied to the skin and left for a short period of time produces a temporary reddish brown stain that fades from the skin over days to weeks just as a tan would.
Henna is the Arabic name of the bush lawsonia inermis. Its leaves are dried and powdered, then made into a paste. The paste releases dye onto the skin as it sits. After the paste is removed, the dye darkens over the course of 12-48 hours. The plant, powder, paste and pattern on the skin are all called henna. Throughout the henna culture, there are several words for the plant and the art due to the diverse languages. Mehndi and mehandi are two common words for henna.
Henna is one of the most popular common names for the dried and ground leaves of the plant Lawsonia Inermis. It is the traditional name used throughout North Africa & The Middle East and in recent years it has also become the most popular name used across Europe and throughout the USA. Henna releases a safe & natural brown dye that stains the skin amongst other things!
Henna is a plant best known to us as a natural product used to color and condition the hair. Henna painting is an ancient cosmetic and healing art whereby the dried leaves of the henna plant are crushed into a powder, then made into a paste that is applied to the body to safely dye the skin. This is done in elaborate patterns and designs, traditionally on the hands and feet. The result is a kind of temporary tattoo, often reddish in color, which will last anywhere from several days to several weeks.
