For
many years I wrote the informational pamphlets at Community
Pharmacy.
I loved creating these tiny tri-fold tracts about self-care
strategies and accessible herbalism. This text is modified from two
of those pamphlets, originally self-published for CP's shelves in
2003 and 2011.
THE NATURE OF HENNA
Henna (Lawsonia inermis) is a flowering
shrub originally found in Northern Africa, Asia, and Australia, where
it is traditionally used for its anti-inflammatory and dye
properties. Fresh henna leaves have cooling antiseptic qualities and
are used in poultices to treat injury and inflammation. Henna leaves
are also valued for their lawsone pigment content. Dried leaves are
powdered and mixed into a paste which is applied to hair, or skin in
intricate patterns on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet
for cosmetic and ceremonial decoration (known as mehndi.)
Henna’s lawsone pigment binds to the
keratin in hair and skin cells, leaving a red-brown stain. On your
skin, mehndi designs last 3-6 weeks. On your hair, henna permanently
dyes the keratin in hair strands, but may lose intensity and the
protein shine after 3-12 weeks. Henna is a very forgiving dye, adding
color and shine to your hair (it cannot lighten hair color) without
damage. Henna is nontoxic and unlikely to cause allergic reactions.
Since the pigments in the henna plant can only leave a red-brown
stain, other ingredients are often added to henna hair dyes (even
truly natural ones) to achieve lighter or darker tones. In dried
henna products, henna powder is often mixed with other herbs (for
example indigo for darker colors, cassia for lighter) to create a
range of natural hair dyes. These blended herb powder dyes are also
non-toxic and applied in the same manner as henna.
HOW TO APPLY HENNA TO HAIR
Begin with damp hair (no need to wash).
Apply petroleum jelly or a similarly protective salve around your
hairline and ears to avoid unintentional dyeing. Since henna can
easily dye cloth, floors, and skin, wear latex/vinyl gloves to
prevent extra staining. Work in small sections, spreading the henna
paste evenly from the roots to the ends. Work the paste onto your
hair thoroughly, pile or twist atop your head, and cover with any
leftover henna at the end. Cover your hair with plastic wrap or a
plastic bag, and wrap in a towel or cover with a knit cap to keep the
henna warm. (Keep your head warm extra warm with a heating pad to
intensify the dye.) Leave the henna paste on for 30 minutes (for gray
or light hair) to 2 hours (for dark hair) to 8 hours or overnight
(for very strong color). Rinse your head thoroughly with warm water,
and let air dry. For best results, do not shampoo for 24 hours.
HOW MUCH HENNA TO USE
- EAR-LENGTH HAIR: 2-3 oz. henna
- SHOULDER-LENGTH HAIR: 4-5 oz. henna
- LONGER: Add 2 oz. henna for every 4 inches of hair
TIPS: The color of hennaed hair will
change and mellow during the first few days, don’t worry if at
first it seems brassy! It is always wise to do a patch test on a few
strands of hair (especially if you have fair or gray hair) or on a
small patch of skin for mehndi. If you have a commercial chemical dye
or a perm in your hair, consider waiting at least three months
before using henna; the henna may react unpredictably and cause
inconsistent or unexpected coloring.
WATER AND HEAT METHOD (from RosemaryGladstar)
In a glass or ceramic bowl, using
nonmetal utensils, mix henna powder with boiling water to make a
paste the consistency of pancake batter. Let cool for ~20 minutes
while the paste sets up and thickens to the consistency of thick
yogurt. Apply the henna paste while it is still very warn. For extra
conditioning use herbal infusions instead of water to mix your henna:
- BLONDE: calendula, chamomile, lemon peel
- RED: hibiscus, calendula, cinnamon
- BRUNETTE: clove, lavender, rosemary, sage
ACIDIC LIQUID METHOD (from CatherineCartwright-Jones)
The day before you want to dye your
hair, mix the henna with enough lemon juice (bottled works as well as
fresh) or red wine to make a paste the consistency of oatmeal. Cover
with plastic and let sit in a warm room (70’) overnight. In the
morning, stir in more lemon juice or wine to make the paste the
consistency of thick yogurt. Apply the paste while cool.
TIPS: For bolder color, add essential
oils (2-5 drops per ounce of henna, mixed into the paste before
applying) that will act as a mordant (dye-absorption aid) and nourish
your hair and scalp: rosemary, cedar, cypress, eucalyptus, or tea
tree.
HOW TO DYE SKIN WITH HENNA
MEHNDI PASTE RECIPE:
- 1 oz. mehndi-quality henna
- 2 cups strong DYE TEA (see below)
- 1 teaspoon tea tree essential oil
GLAZE RECIPE (PER HAND/FOOT):
- 1 lemon’s fresh juice
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 garlic cloves (pressed)
ALSO NEEDED:
- 100% cotton balls (unrolled) or gauze
- jacquard bottles or cake decorating tube with a tiny aperture tip
- olive oil
Begin with high-quality (“body
quality”) all-henna powder (in most commercially available henna
brands, all-henna powders will be the most basic “red” shade.) Most henna sold
in stores is “hair quality” and will need to be thoroughly sifted
(through a gold mesh coffee filter or yogurt strainer) before using
to make a finely textured mehndi paste.
A day in advance, brew your DYE TEA.
Into 4 cups of water, add 2 tablespoons loose black tea. Boil down
this mixture until 2 cups remain. Let steep overnight. In the
morning, add the juice of one lemon, strain thoroughly and reheat but
do not boil.
Make the MEHNDI PASTE by adding 1
teaspoon tea tree essential oil to the sifted henna powder. Mix in
enough hot DYE TEA to make a paste the consistency of cake icing.
Make the MEHNDI PASTE and GLAZE fresh the day they are used. MEHNDI
PASTE can be applied by squeezing from plastic cones or jacquard
bottles fitted with fine metal tips. As your mehndi progresses, keep
it moist by sponging the GLAZE onto the completed portions with a
cotton ball. When your design is complete, wrap it carefully in
unrolled cotton balls or gauze, then in plastic wrap and a warm sock
or mitten, and leave on overnight. In the morning, scrape off the dried
paste with a butter knife. Moisturize your skin with olive oil. For
best results, do not wash your hands with soap for 12 hours.
TIPS: A full hand or foot mehndi
design may take over an hour to complete, so make sure you are in a
comfortable place and position! Heat activates the henna dye as well
as acidity, so apply your mehndi in a warm room for the deepest
stain.
A NOTE ABOUT “BLACK HENNA” &
SYNTHETIC DYES
Henna and mehndi go through waves of
popularity in American consumer culture. Conventional hair dye
manufacturers have started including henna in their liquid dye lines,
and “henna tattoo” booths have been springing up street fairs,
and tourist sites which sport body dyes in black, blue, green, and
purple. If you are looking for a truly natural hair dye skin
decoration, be sure to read the ingredients label carefully for
synthetic ingredients before buying a pre-made “henna” dye. The
two issues to consider critically are the specific colors of lawsone
pigment, and the impermanence of plant dyes.
In commercial pre-made hair and skin
dyes, even if the product packaging references henna, the colorant is
almost always a synthetic dye ingredient. One particularly worrisome
common synthetic dye is p-Phenylenediamine (PPD), a petrochemical
that leaves a deep black stain on skin and hair. PPD is readily
absorbed into the bloodstream, and can damage the liver and kidneys.
Exposure to PPD can lead to cancer of these organs. PPD can also
cause severe skin irritation and allergic reaction, resulting in
chemical burns and scarring.
Like all truly natural body and hair
care treatments, henna is meant to be used fresh, not kept on a shelf
for months. Once activated by liquid, henna lawsone maintains its dye
potency for only a few days, guaranteeing that liquid products rely
on other/synthetic colorants. Beware buying pre-mixed henna paste
unless you know it is freshly made; imported and sealed paste tubes
are sure to contain chemical dyes. (Freshly mixed henna paste for
hair dye and mehndi can be frozen, however, and will still give a
good stain if used within 6 months.)
Most salons or fair booths offering
henna hair dye or mehndi are staffed by skilled henna artists. But
keep yourself safe: If the decoration or dye promised is any other
color than red-brown, if it takes just an hour to stain or lasts only
a week; the main dye ingredient is NOT henna! Before receiving a
mehndi design or henna treatment, ask artists about the henna they
use. Good henna artists will likely be very willing to talk about
their ingredients, their designs and techniques, and how they learned
the art of henna!
