Henna
Do it yourself Henna: Received instruction from Henna person via email, on how to do it yourself.
First you need to make the Henna paste. You can buy the powdered henna from some health food shops, or you can buy the paste already mixed. I find that I get a better result with the powdered henna that you make yourself. If you are buying the powder, make sure you buy plain powdered henna, NOT the henna that is used for hair dye, as they put extra stuff in there to make it different colours.
To make henna paste:
This is one recipe I have seen for henna paste. Mix about 2 teaspoons of henna powder (depending on the amount of paste you want), add to it enough VERY strong tea to make a paste (about the consistancy of toothpaste). Add to that a few drops of eucalyptus oil and a few drops of clove oil. (the clove oil will darken the dye) I have also seen a recipe that says to put a few drops of lemon juice in the paste. Mix , and leave sit for 8 hours.
To apply the henna paste:
You can use an icing bag (with a tiny nozzle), or you can make one from a plastic freezer bag. I actually use a syringe that I bought with a refill kit for my printer cartridge it works well because the needle part is big enough to let the henna through, but small enough to give a fairly fine line. You can also use a paintbrush or a bamboo stick to apply the paste with. Cover the area with mehendi oil (available where you buy henna paste in a tube) or make an oil out of vegeatble oil mixed with a few drops of eucalyptus oil and 1 drop of clove oil. They say to start at the middle of the design, and work your way out. You can also buy stencils that can be re-used from some places.
Let the paste come out in a fairly thick line , the henna will disappear as it dries, so make sure there is enough paste on your skin. Once the henna has dried (about 10 mins) gently dab it with a cotton ball with a solution of equal parts sugar. water and lemon juice. This helps stop the paste falling off, and helps to darken it.
How long to leave the paste on:
Leave this paste on for at least 4 hours...8 is best. I like to do mine at night, and then when it has dried, I bandage the area and go to bed. The longer you leave the paste on, the darker the design will be. Do not wash the paste off, instead pick it off, or let it fall off naturally. Once the henna has come off, apply some more of the vegetable/eucalyptus oil mixture, and try not to get the tattoo wet for 12 hours. (Try not to get it wet as much as possible, you can cover it in vaseline or if it is on your hands try to wear rubber gloves when your hands are going to get wet). As this is only staining the top layers of skin, the more gentle you are with the skin (no digging in sand etc.) the longer it will last.
When you first take the paste off, the colour will probably be a yellow/orange brown colour. This should deepen in about a day. The fresher the henna, and the longer you leave it on will give a darker red/brown, and older henna, or henna not left on long enough will give an orange/brown colour.
If you make a mistake:
SPEED is important, as soon as the paste touches your skin it will start to dye it, so as soon as you make a mistake wash or scrape off the henna. If you get sick of the design, wash it more frequently, with a body scrub, and that will make it wash off faster.
How long will it last:
This depends on where you put it. The palms of the hands and soles of the feet last the longest and give a darker colour... this should last about 3-4 weeks if you care for the tattoo. Other areas last between 1-2 weeks, again depending on how careful you are with them. Avoid scratching the tattoo, or getting it wet, and try not to actually wash the area with soaps and it will last longer.
