What is Henna Tattoo?
Henna is the Persian name for a tall, shrub-like plant known as Lawsonia inermis and is native to Asia and the Mediterranean coast of Africa. Due to Henna’s global popularity, it is now cultivated in warm and dry climates all over the world.
To make the paste used for temporary Henna tattoos, its leaves are ground into a fine paste. It is this paste that serves as the primary medium in the art of Mehndi, the non-invasive, non-permanent staining of skin in tones ranging from light orange to dark brown.
Mehndi has long been practiced for centuries in regions such as India, North Africa and the Middle East as a form of ritual and celebration but recently, it has also gained popularity in Europe and the United States as a form of art and expression. Henna contains hennotannic acid, a dye that bonds with the collagen in skin cells and keratin of fingernails and hair, leaving behind a red coloring. Because only the top layer of the skin is affected by the paste, the resulting henna tattoo designs will gradually fade with time, typically lasting anywhere from a week to even up to four weeks.
Henna Aftercare Instructions:
Now that you have gotten yourself a henna tattoo, it is time for you to know how to take care of the application so that the tattoo’s color intensifies and lasts as long as it possibly can. So here are a few pointers on henna:
- First allow the henna paste to dry for a minimumof 20 minutes. WARNING: Henna stains clothes permanently. So after application, make sure that the moist henna does not come into direct contact with clothes.
- Once the henna paste has dried, leave it on for as long as possible (at least 5 – 6 hours). The paste, once dried, will start to flake off on its own. The longer the paste stays on the skin, the darker the stain.
- For best results dab some sugar and lemon juice solution onto the dried henna. This will intensify the henna’s color.
- The henna design will appear as a bright orange stain and will darken to a beautiful brownish red color over the next 24 – 48 hours. (The intensity of the henna’s stain will vary for different skin types. It is not an exact science.)
- When removing the henna NEVER USE WATER. Scrape off as much as you can with your bare hand(s), then use either lemon juice or olive oil to remove the little bits that are left on your skin. Try not to wash the henna applied area for the first 12 – 24 hours. AVOID: Scrubbing the area or using any type of exfoliation, the hot tub (long soaks) and lotions with hydroxy acids.
- Try to keep your skin moisturized by using natural products such as olive oil or cocoa butter. Avoid moisturizers that contain fruit acids (Alpha-Hydroxy Acid) or bleaching agents; this may lighten the henna stain.
At Raanya, our henna artist, Selina, was personally trained by Mr. Ash Kumar, the world’s foremost henna artist.
Raanya, is the only Southern California retailer of Ash Kumar brand henna products. Our henna tattoo designs come out in the most beautiful deep chestnut brown / red color and last anywhere between 1-3 weeks, depending on which part of the body the tattoo is applied.
Our Guarantee: We will only use the finest quality, 100% natural henna. We will never use henna that contains PPD (Para-Phenylenediamine) which is usually found in “black Henna.” PPD is toxic and can cause blistering, open sores, scarring, and some lifelong health problems.
