![]() Natural henna pastes containing only henna powder, a liquid (water, lemon juice, etc.) and an essential oil (lavender, cajuput, tea tree etc.) are not "shelf stable," meaning they expire quickly, and cannot be left out on a shelf for over one week without losing their ability to stain the skin. After the stain reaches its peak color, it holds for a few days, then gradually wears off by way of exfoliation, typically within one to three weeks. It is debatable whether this adds to the color of the result as well. Some also believe that steaming or warming the henna pattern will darken the stain, either during the time the paste is still on the skin, or after the paste has been removed. Soles and palms have the thickest layer of skin and so take up the most lawsone, and take it to the greatest depth, so that hands and feet will have the darkest and most long-lasting stains. Henna stains are orange when the paste is first removed, but darken over the following three days to a deep reddish brown due to oxidation. Cooking oil may be used to loosen dry paste. Removal should not be done with water, as water interferes with the oxidation process of stain development. The paste should be kept on the skin for a minimum of four to six hours, but longer times and even wearing the paste overnight is a common practice. After some time the dry paste is simply brushed or scraped away. To prevent it from drying or falling off the skin, the paste is often sealed down by dabbing a sugar/lemon mix over the dried paste or adding some form of sugar to the paste. A light stain may be achieved within minutes, but the longer the paste is left on the skin, the darker and longer lasting the stain will be, so it needs to be left on as long as possible. A plastic cone similar to those used to pipe icing onto cakes is used in India. The paste can be applied with many traditional and innovative tools, starting with a basic stick or twig. Other essential oils, such as eucalyptus and clove, are not used because they are too irritating to the skin. Essential oils with high levels of monoterpene alcohols, such as tea tree, cajuput, or lavender, will improve skin stain characteristics. The timing depends on the crop of henna being used. The henna mix must rest between one and 48 hours before use in order to release the lawsone from the leaf matter. Many artists use sugar or molasses in the paste to improve consistency to keep it stuck to the skin better. The dry powder is mixed with one of a number of liquids, including water, lemon juice, strong tea, and other ingredients, depending on the tradition. Since it is difficult to form intricate patterns from coarsely crushed leaves, henna is commonly traded as a powder made by drying, milling and sifting the leaves. 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 stain. However, dried henna leaves will stain the skin if they are mashed into a paste. Whole, unbroken henna leaves will not stain the skin because the active chemical agent, lawsone, is bound within the plant. The word henna comes from the Arabic حِنَّاء ( ALA-LC: ḥinnāʾ pronounced ). An elderly Bengali Muslim man in Dhaka with a beard dyed in henna Etymology The name henna is used in other skin and hair dyes, such as black henna and neutral henna, neither of which is derived from the henna plant. Historically, henna was used in West Asia including the Arabian Peninsula and in Carthage, other parts of North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Henna has been used since antiquity in ancient Egypt, ancient Near East and then the Indian subcontinent to dye skin, hair and fingernails, as well as fabrics including silk, wool, and leather. After henna stains reach their peak color, they hold for a few days, then gradually wear off by way of exfoliation, typically within one to three weeks. ![]() ![]() Henna can also refer to the temporary body art resulting from the staining of the skin using dyes from the henna plant. ![]() Henna ( Arabic: حِنّاء) is a dye prepared from the plant Lawsonia inermis, also known as the henna tree, the mignonette tree, and the Egyptian privet, and one of the only two species of the genus Lawsonia, with the other being Lawsonia odorata. For other uses, see Henna (disambiguation). This article is about the plant-based dye. ![]()
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