Henna is a plant that has been cultivated since the bronze age, it is mentioned in the Song of Solomon and is reputed to be Prophet Mohammed's favorite scent. It grows in arid climates of Africa and Asia.

The dying of hair and skin with henna has been an intrigal part of many religous and seculour ceromonies and celebrations in Africa and Asia for thousands of years.

Henna (or Mehandi) is also the name for the skin and hair dye, which is the plant's most well known use. To dye with henna, the plant is dried and mixed with water, a weak acid is added(like lemons or black tea) to form a paste. This paste is applied to the skin in intricate pattern and allowed to dry. When the dried paste is removed the skin has been dyed a pattern that will remain 1-3 weeks.

Henna works by staining the stratum corneum or dead layers of skin, with the tannin dye molecule lawsone. When staining with henna,the pattern tends to last longest where there are the most layers of dead skin cells.



The colors exhibited in this chart are the range of colors that henna could dye the skin. The color acheived by the hennaing is not exact, there are many factors the affect the darkness of the stain. Diet, henna mix, henna type, lenght of time left on, location and skin pH balance all effect the resulting stain color.

Completely natural henna (like the kind I use) is very safe. There have been only a few reports of Type I, IgE-mediated allergic reactions to pure henna. This allergic reaction includes a tight feeling in the chest, sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose, and a dry cough. The onset is soon after the person is exposed to henna powder or paste.


Thanks to the The Henna Page for the majority of the historical information about henna.