How does Henna stain

Henna contains an orange-red dye molecule called lawsone. In order for henna to stain the skin, the lawsone molecule has to be released; hence the finely powdered henna is mixed with an acidic medium like lemon juice or tea. Sometimes “terps”, monoterpene alcohols like lavender oil, cajeput oil, tea-tree oil or combination of these oils are added to enhance the staining properties of the henna. 

Henna paste is applied on your skin and over several hours the natural pigments are absorbed into the upper layers of your epidermis.  it doesn't spread out,  it goes straight down into the skin. That is why the pattern stays clear and in place till the last day of exfoliation. henna application is pain free. Henna can last up to a fortnight on thicker skin like hand & feet, and tends to fade more quickly in arms, chest and thinner skin areas. 

Catherine Jones

References:

1. Cartwright-Jones, C. (2003). henna encyclopedia. Retrieved April 2011, from henna page: http://www.hennapage.com/henna/encyclopedia/skin/stratum/sc2.html
2. Parthasarathy, R. (2007). Henna for you. Retrieved April 2011, from http://www.hennaforyou.com.au/hfyartofhenna.htm#hennastain

Pregnant Belly Henna

Photographed by  Darcy Vasudev

Henna during pregnancy is an ancient practice and is soothing as well as calming. It is believed to help bring about an easy birth and healthy child.it is believed that during the 8th month of pregnancy, when a women henna's her belly, it brings good luck.  

The red coloring of the dye and protective images used in the patterns guard against the evil eye and are thought to protect the pair during the child's difficult passage into this world. 

Photograhed by Darcy Vasudev

NEVER EVER use henna that has been mixed with other chemicals. use only natural henna, lemon juice, sugar and lavender oil in our mixes for pregnant women. It is important to keep the ingredients simple during pregnancy so you don’t stress the body, baby, or cause an allergic reaction. Henna should be avoided or used sparingly if you are extremely anemic or the baby has G6PD deficiency. 

Photographed by Darcy Vasudev

Photographed by Darcy Vasudev

Photographed by Sarah Kate

Henna a pregnant belly

References: 

1. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2011, from caravan henna: www.hennacaravan.com/pregnancy.html

2. Vasudev, D. (2005). Retrieved April 2011, from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hennalounge/1287522705/in/photostream/

Making your own henna paste

photographer unknown

Here we go, to make your henna paste, you first need to get your ingredients right. There are a number of things that can be added to the henna powder to make a paste that will stain your skin. Most people follow a trial and error method and finally come up with a recipe that suits their needs. Given below is a basic henna paste recipe, you can try it out and add to it to suit your needs. To make henna paste or mehendi you will need:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons black tea or coffee
• 3 tablespoons of sifted henna powder (make sure you sift the powder before making a paste)
• 1 teaspoon eucalyptus oil

Lemon-Sugar Glaze

• Strained juice of ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon sugar

1. Boil a cup of water and make tea or coffee.
2. Let it steep for a few hours. 
3. Strain to remove any particles or tea material. 
4. Put henna powder into a plastic or glass bowl and add eucalyptus oil, BUT DO NOT STIR IT YET! Slowly add the tea/coffee about 3 teaspoons at a time to the powder and stir with a small spoon.
5. Use the spoon to press the powder and water together. 
6. Do not worry about lumps. 
7. Allow the mixture to sit for  6 and 12 hours.The longer you let it sit, the smoother the mixture will be.
8. If you are impatient, after six hours you can smooth out any remaining lumps with a spoon.

what some people prefer to do is to buy the ready made henna in the cone. it saves time and all the hassle of making the paste.

References:

1. Schwarz, R. (n.d.). Making your own henna paste. Retrieved March 2011, from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4639.asp
2. Beauty. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2011, from Henna Paste:       http://beauty.iloveindia.com/henna/making-paste.html

Difference between Arabic mehndi and Indian Mehndi

Arabic mehndi , this style tends to be less detailed and complicated. It does not cover your complete hand or feet. Arabic pattern leave more skin showing than Indian patterns. Arabic mehndi consists mostly of floral designs on the palm of the hand and usually are big compared to the Indian mehndi, which comprises of thin designs consisting of paisley, floral and lacy patterns. 

Comparisons: 

•  Indian mehndi designs are intricate, with fill-in designs between the larger pictures. Indian mehndi leaves little skin showing. Indian mehndi also uses motifs like peacocks and human figures.

•   Arabic designs are spaced further apart and do not cover as much skin as the Indian mehndi. Arabic patterns leave more skin showing than Indian patterns. Arabic mehndi consists mostly of floral designs

•  Indian designs consist of many small shapes, while Arabic designs consist of several large shapes with large areas that are completely filled in with henna. Large shapes in Indian mehndi often have patterns inside them rather than a solid color.

Arabic Mehndi

unknown photographer.

 

picture obtained from cool msn

 photographed by arif, a mehndi style

Photographer unknown

 

application of Arabic henna

Indian Mehndi

copy right of Indian Beautiful Mehndi Design

Photographed by nsmukundan 

Photographed by cary wollinsky

R

 

application of indian henna

references:

1.shoop, M. (n.d.). eHow. Retrieved March 2011, from How to Learn Arabic Mehndi: http://www.ehow.com/how_5445792_learn-arabic-mehndi.html

2.Vasudeo, J. (2010, August 13th). why is arabic mehndi so popular? Retrieved March 2011, from ezine articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-Arabic-Mehndi-So-Popular?&id=4821994

 

African type of Henna

(Photographed by Ron Jaffe)

Firstly, a sharp object is pressed and dragged into the skin in a pattern or design, carrying some sort of meaning, leaving behind cuts that become decorative scars when healed. most of the time, the patterns are geometric and they follow the shape of the palm. the african type of henna usually starts with an "x" shape in the middle.

(Photographed by Ron Jaffe)

Women of certain tribes in northern Africa tattoo small dots on their faces after giving birth to a son. some of them henna or tattoo their faces to represent their ethnic identity. Some bear facial tattoos that ward off evil spirits. Some women in Africa tattoo the areas on the face where they are mostly likely to get wrinkles, thinking the design will keep them young. Some of them use henna for healing. Other reasons of using henna are for marriage and initiation to adulthood. 

(Photographed by Ron Jaffe)

(copy right of Catherine Cartwright Jones)

(Photographed by Melinda Cole) 

click on this. there is a link to extra information on African henna.

References:

1.Obrien, J. (2010, April 1st). eHow. Retrieved March 2011, from history of african tattoos: http://www.ehow.com/about_6171703_history-african-tattoos.html

2.Youba. (2009, April 26th). African henna patterns are bold, large geometric designs. . Retrieved March 2011, from http://www.teleref.fr/african-henna-pattern.html

Mehndi Ceremony

Mehendi is an Indian tradition, a pre wedding ceremony. In India, a lot of emphasis is given on customs and rituals. Indian people are  lovers of beauty and elegance. Mehendi ceremony has been prevalent since ages and a wedding without a mehendi ceremony cannot be imagined without it. Furthermore, Mehandi is one of the sixteen adornments of the bride and her beauty is incomplete without it. Mehendi ceremony is organized by the family of the bride and usually takes place in the presence of friends, relatives and family members. Sometimes, the Mehendi ceremony resembles another sangeet ceremony.

 

a bride to be showing off her mehendi  photo- photographed by

Armughan Javaid

during the ceremony, turmeric paste is applied on bride's face, feet and hands. After that, the Mehendi application begins. According to a belief, the darker the color of the Mehendi, the more her husband will love her. As a tradition, the bride is not allowed to do work in her marital house till her Mehendi does not fade away.

video link: sangeet & mehendi night


reference:

1. Brahma, A. (2009, November 26th). The Great Indian Wedding Series - Designer Hands. Retrieved March 2011, from flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anirbanbrahma/4841176454/in/photostream/#/

2. culturalindia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2011, from http://www.culturalindia.net/weddings/wedding-rituals/mehndi-ceremony.html

3. Indian Wedding Planner. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2011, from http://www.indiaweddingplanner.com/indian-wedding-ceremonies/pre-wedding/sangeet.html

History of Mehendi

the art of applying Henna on the hands and feet is known as Mehnedi. The Mughals brought Mehendi to India  in the 12th century. During that period the royal and rich use to decorate themselves with it. The designs were intricately made by artists or beauticians. Indian weddings are incomplete without the mehendi ceremony .The ritual of mehendi ceremony is followed in every part of the country where the hands of the bride are adorned with the lovely red color of the mehendi. On these festive or wedding occasions mostly traditional Indian designs are made on the hands of the bride.  

According to professional henna artist and researcher Catherine C Jones, the beautiful patterning prevalent in India today has emerged only in the 20th century. In 17th century India, the barber's wife was usually employed for applying henna on women. Most women from that time in India are depicted with their hands and feet hennaed, regardless of social class or marital status.The art of Mehendi has existed for centuries. The exact place of its origin is difficult to track because of centuries of people in different cultures moving through the continents and taking their art forms with them and therefore sharing their art with everyone along the way. 

Henna designs have traditionally fallen into four different styles. The Middle Eastern style is mostly made up of floral patterns similar to the Arabic textiles, paintings and carvings and do not usually follow a distinctive pattern. The North African style generally follows the shape of the hands and feet using geometrical floral patterns. The Indian and Pakistani designs encompass more than just the feet and hands and generally extend further up the appendages to give the illusion of gloves and stockings which are made up of lines, paisley patterns and teardrops. Lastly, the Indonesian and Southern Asian styles were a mix of Middle Eastern and Indian designs using blocks of color on the very tips of their toes and fingers. All of these styles remain popular today but have also been joined in popularity by Celtic designs and Chinese symbols.

here's a link of A-Z about henna.

the royal and rich decorating themselves with mehendi/henna

Th ladies with henna on their hand, performing a ritual

Reference:

1. Digital Library. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2011, from http://archnet.org/library/dictionary/entry.jsp?entry_id=DIA0481