
Pure herbal Henna skin and hair dye:
We do sell 100% Henna and give detailed instructions how to dye skin and/or hair with it.
Henna powder herbal dye is made from green leaves of henna plant (Lawsonia inermis) which is tall shrub or small tree, 2–6 m high used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails.
The henna plant is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Southern Asia, and northern Australasia in semi-arid zones. Henna leaves are grained into fine green powder with a very particular “herbal” aroma. Pure henna is usually to be mixed with very warm water and few drops of eucalyptus oil to make herbal dye paste at a consistency as “baby food”. Some other herbal dyes, coffee, tea or red vine can be used to change the tune of wanted color. It is unheard of heart anyone being allergic for henna, it is very safe herb to use. When henna is mixed with other ingredients, each ingredient need to be considered for it’s safe use on skin.
For skin dyeing, a paste of ground henna (either prepared from a dried powder or from fresh ground leaves) is placed in contact with the skin from a few hours to overnight. Henna stains can last a few days to a month depending on the quality of the paste, individual skin type, and how long the paste is allowed to stay on the skin.
Henna's coloring properties are due to lawsone, a burgundy organic compound that has an affinity for bonding with protein. The lawsone will gradually migrate from the henna paste into the outer layer of the skin and bind to the proteins in it, creating a fast stain. A bit of color may be achieved within minutes, but the longer the paste is left on the skin, the stronger the color will be. For best results it should be left for several hours. To prevent henna paste from drying or falling off the skin, the paste works best when sealed down by dabbing a sugar/lemon juice mix over the dried paste. This also increases the intensity of color of the end result.
At the end of the procedure, the dry paste is scraped away preferably with few drops of eucalyptus oil (also available in Witchy Bitchy). Color depends on personal skin types, timing and variations in plants. Either way, the henna dye always ends up in tunes of: red / orange / brown. Most usually newly died skin has quite orange color and it will darken on it’s own to more red-burgundy-brown within coming 48 hours. Real henna will never turn into anything like “black” or “colorless neutral”.
Henna is not to be confused with the art of tattoo. Tattoo is: mark by inserting pigment into punctures in the dermis layer of the skin. Henna is herbal dye, and an art form called “Mehandi” in India. Henna dyes the outer layers of skin, until the skin cells peel off within few weeks or days.
Henna works best to dye hand & feet. It can be used on skin where ever in body, but it will usually wash of in a short week from other body parts than hand & feet. Many Middle Eastern & North African countries have age-old tradition to artistically decorate skin with henna designs, especially for wedding celebrations & for other rituals or just for beauty and fun.
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