Mehndi

Mehndi is the art of creating designs on the skin using henna paste. These designs can be applied in different parts of the body. Traditionally mehndi is applied on the hands and feet. Today as mehndi has become popular in the West mehndi is applied on the upper arms, back, around the belly button and on the hands and feet.

Henna paste is usually applied on the skin using a plastic cone or a paint brush, but sometimes a small metal-tipped jacquard bottle used for silk painting (a jac bottle) is used. Henna is available at stores. The painted area is then wrapped with tissue, plastic, or medical tape to lock in body heat, creating a more intense color on the skin. The wrap is worn overnight and then removed. The final color is reddish brown and can last anywhere from two weeks to several months depending on the type of the paste.

Henna is a dye procured from a tree Lawsonia inermis whose leaves when dried and mixed with boiling water stain the skin with a mahogany colour. The leaves of the tree are gathered green and are placed in the shade to dry gradually. The leaves are then pounded and sifted to obtain a very fine powder. The compound is kneaded to make a paste that is neither fluid nor thick. The henna is then covered and left to rest overnight.

The henna paste should be left on the skin for as long as possible. The longer the paste remains on the skin, the darker the design will be. The henna paste will begin to dry, harden and flake off. To prolong this process, apply a mixture of lemon juice/sugar solution with a cotton swab to the hennaed area. You can apply this solution as often as
you like or whenever the paste appears dry. This will help moisten the paste so that it can continue staining the skin. Do not use water to remove. When adequate time has elapsed remove the henna paste with the side of a butter knife by gently scraping the area. After removal of the paste, you can shower / bathe as usual. The color will change from orange to a deeper reddish-brown over the next 24 - 48 hrs.

How is it made?

Henna is a small shrub called Hawsonia inermis, and is found in Iran,India,Pakistan, Egypt, and North Africa. The young leaves and twigs are ground into fine powder, then mixed with water and applied on the hands, feet and hair to give them a reddish-orange color. The henna mud mixture can be applied in beautiful patterns via a small plastic bag with a small hole pricked into one corner. This bag acts as a mini pastry-decorating tube.

Chemical Composition: Chemically henna can be isolated in 12 different compounds. Only one of which is responsible for the colour (Lawson) which is yellow in colour and is present in henna at a level of 1%only. It dyes the skin and hair very rapidly.

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