Henna is a plant that grows in hot, arid regions of the world, such as the Middle East and Northern Africa. The henna leaves are harvested and ground into a powder, which is mixed into a paste with lemon juice, sugar, and tea tree oil or lavender oil or other essential oils. This paste is then applied to the skin in an intricate design. The henna plant has a very small dye molecule that stains the top layers of skin, while the paste sits on the skin the dye sinks into it and leaves the exact same design as was applied on top.
Where Should I have my Henna?
Henna stains the top layers of skin, so the areas on the body where there are the most layers is where henna is the darkest. The hands and feet stain the darkest because they have the thickest skin, they are the BEST places for your henna design. As you move in towards the center of the body, the skin is thinner, so that will result in a lighter stain. So the torso will not have as dark of a stain.
What Color will my henna design be?
Reddish-Brown. Henna only comes in one color, a beautiful natural reddish-brown. If anyone tries to tell you that their henna is natural henna and that it stains black, then it is NOT natural henna, it has chemical additives or is not henna at all. Please see the information about The Dangers of Black Henna for more information. There are several pictures on this site where the henna paste is on, and it looks black, but that is just the very dark greenish-brown of the dried paste. When the paste first comes off, the design is a shockingly bright orange, but as it oxidizes over the next 24-48 hours it darkens into a rich and beautiful reddish brown.
The following pictures are an example of the henna process; in the first picture the paste is on the skin, the middle picture shows the stain right after the paste has been scraped off of the skin, and the last picture is of the design after it has matured for 36 hours.