How to Mix Henna Paste |
Natural Henna
The henna plant is one of the oldest cosmetics ever used and is extremely safe.
Natural henna, when applied to the skin rarely causes any adverse reactions, if
you are concerned you should do a small patch test first and consult your physician. Natural henna is generally safe
even for use on children as it contains no dangerous chemical dyes or harsh additives.
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Black Henna
There is no such thing as black henna. In order for henna to produce a black color
chemicals that are unsafe for your skin must be added. Black henna should be avoided!
A chemical dye known as PPD, which is prohibited for use on the skin by the
FDA is often added to the natural henna to produce a black color. It can cause
liver and kidney damage, as well as scarring of the skin. For more information
check out http://www.hennapage.com/henna/ppd/index.html. |
How to tell if it's Natural Henna Powder?
Fresh henna powder smells like fresh cut hay or spinach and is an earthy green
or khaki color. If the powder is bright green in color a chemical dye has been
added, this is often just a food coloring and can be safe. Sometimes though, a green coloring may be added to disguise an old crop of powder. If the powder is brown and has little or no scent, it is likely the product
is stale and too old to yield a good color for mehndi or henna body painting.
Henna powder is light and heat sensitive as it is an organic product with no preservatives
added. Store henna powder sealed tightly and protected from light, air, and moisture
in the freezer. |
PART 1 - Begin 24 hours before you plan to use the henna |
Begin mixing henna and lemon juice
Begin mixing paste the
day before you would like to apply the henna. It takes about 24 hours to prepare
the henna paste for application.
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1. Gather your Supplies
- Fresh Henna Powder, 20 grams or 1/4 Cup
- Bottled or Fresh Lemon
Juice, strained
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Small Plastic or Glass
Bowl
- Measuring Spoons
- Sugar
- Essential Oils, 1.5 teaspoons
- Plastic Sandwich Bag
- Applicator Bottle or
Cone
This recipe is for 20 grams
of fresh henna powder and will produce approximately 3 ounces of paste, enough
for 75 small patterns. |
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3. Add 1/4 cup of strained fresh or bottled lemon juice.
When using any type of dye a second ingredient is needed to create the chemical
reaction to release the dye molecule. Henna requires an acid to bring out the
dye molecule contained within its leaves. Lemon juice is the perfect companion
as it is very acidic, readily available, and very safe. It is not recommended
to use water to mix your paste. Some recipes call for many ingredients in the
mixture such as coffee, tea, water, tamarind, dried limes, cloves, and spices. None of these extra ingredients
will make much of a difference in the staining power of your paste. You'll get
a fabulous stain with just lemon juice and a great henna powder and high quality essential oils. |
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4. Stir the henna and lemon juice until they are completely mixed together and
no lumps of dry powder remain. |
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Stir |
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Stir |
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The paste will be thick, similar
to mashed potatoes. |
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5. Cover the paste with a piece of plastic wrap. Push the plastic wrap against the surface of the paste expelling any air pockets. |
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6. Let the paste sit in a warm place, around 75° to 85°
Fahrenheit for 12 hours.
The heat and time allow the dye to be drawn out of the henna
leaves so it will stain your skin deeply and as strong as possible.
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Part 2
Add Sugar and Essential Oil
1. Unwrap the henna paste and add 1.5 teaspoons sugar. (If you are using Henna Caravan 20 grams henna powder with sucrose the sugar has been added to your henna for you)
Sugar helps the paste
stick to the skin by drawing moisture into the paste and prevents cracking and drying out of the paste. It also changes the consistency to silky smooth and creamy.
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2. Add the vial of Henna Caravan Essential Oils or 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of your own
oils.
Cajeput, tea tree, revensara, or lavender are all good choices. Mix
the ingredients thoroughly. The essential oils
will help to produce the deepest and darkest stain possible.
Never use Clove, Mustard or Mehendi Oil as they can be harmful
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3. Stir. Iit will be lumpy and chunky at first. |
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Keep stirring. It will smooth out and become silky. |
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4. Cover the paste with a piece of plastic wrap. Push the plastic wrap against the surface of the paste expelling any air pockets. |
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5. Let the paste sit in a warm place, around 75 ° - 85°
Fahrenheit, for another 12 hours to allow the dye to be drawn out of the henna
leaves so it will stain your skin deeply and as strong as possible. |
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You are waiting for the dye to be released from the henna leaves. If you mix henna in a clear container it's easy to see if the dye is releasing. This is an easy way to insure your henna is fresh and has good dye content.
The dark band at the top shows where the dye has released. |
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6. After letting the henna mature for the day it is now ready to be used. Check and adjust your consistency.
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Determining exact amounts of lemon juice required for henna paste is very difficult
since the henna plants are grown in many different regions of the world. Depending
on the location, weather, and time of year that the leaves are harvested the
recipe will need varying amounts of lemon juice. The paste should be smooth
and creamy, similar to yogurt. If too much lemon juice is added the paste will
be runny and your designs will bleed together. If the paste is too thick it
will be difficult to squeeze the paste out of the applicator.
Add lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon at a time, mixing completely between each addition,
until you reach the desired creamy consistency.
When your paste is the perfect consistency fill your applicators. |
