New to Henna? Find the henna that is right for you.

What Kind of Henna is Best for Me?

New to henna? Overwhelmed with the choices? Don鈥檛 know the differences between different kinds of henna? This guide will answer your questions!

Henna is a bush (lawsonia inemis) that when ground very fine then made into a paste, stains your skin leaving a temporary tattoo. Henna used in this artistic form is called mehndi, though most people still refer to the art of mehndi as simply henna. Henna is also used to color the hair, but this guide is about henna as a skin stain, not henna as hair color.

Wet henna paste Henna tattoo 12 hours after removal Henna tattoo 36 hours after removal

Henna is available in pre-mixed paste and powder form. There is also both standard henna and colored henna.

First, some basic henna safety. You should NEVER use henna without listed ingredients or henna that contains any chemicals. Henna is sometimes mixed with a toxin called para-phenylenediamine, also known as PPD or coal tar, which will seep into your bloodsteam. The allergic reaction that PPD can cause, is similar that of an allergy to bee stings. You may know someone who has to carry around a life-saving syringe in case they are stung by a bee? A PPD allergy can develop at any time once you are sensitized to para-phenylenediamine, but may not show up for weeks or even years. Every time you come into contact with PPD, the allergy will worsen. You will be sensitized to PPD for the rest of your life.

All Beachcombers! (that's me!) henna is chemical-free and has all natural ingredients listed on the container. For most of my guides I give plenty of links to a variety of sellers, but henna ingedients are such an important matter, I will only link to our Beachcombers! henna products, as they are the only products that I can guarantee are chemical free and safe.

Regular Henna vs. Color Henna

Regular henna is the traditional form of henna, leaving a standard henna colored stain and lasting 1-3 weeks. Colored henna is a temporary surface stain designed for accenting henna designs and lasts 1-3 days.

Standard natural henna can leave a henna tattoo stain in a range of colors including orange brown, coffee brown, or deep red brown depending on your body chemistry, the henna mix, where you put it on your body, and how long the moist henna stays in contact with your skin. A standard henna design will last from 1-3 weeks.

Colored henna is very different from regular henna. Color henna contains a small amount of henna along with plant extracts to produce color without any harmful chemicals. Color henna is a surface stain and does not penetrate deeply into the skin like standard henna (similar to the stain blueberries might leave on your fingers). Color henna lasts from 1-3 days and can be scrubbed off if needed using soap and water (some colors wash off easier than others).

Colored henna is perfect for accenting a standard henna tattoo design or for a short term tattoo or to 鈥渢ry out鈥?a tattoo before committing to the real thing. If you have taken the time to do an intricate long lasting henna design, adding colored henna to the design is a great way to keep the design fresh. You can change the colors to match an outfit or theme. If you are still not sure, try both colored henna and natural standard henna.

Colored henna is avaiable in a range of colors, such as royal blue, purple, turquoise, orange, blood red, maroon, green, fuchsia, and black. See the below pictures for samples of how colored henna appears in the skin.



Pre-mixed Henna Paste vs. Henna Powder

Is premixed henna paste or henna powder right for you? Well, that depends on what you are looking for from your henna tattoo and how much work you want to do to achieve those results. Pre-mixed henna paste is super easy and ready to use, giving adequate results. Powder henna needs to be mixed and takes a bit of time, but can yield exceptional results. Try a little bit of everything to find out what you like best with a Beachcombers! specially designed starter henna kit. Read on for more details鈥?/P>

Looking for fun, easy, short term results from your henna tattoo?

Pre-mixed paste henna is for you. If you don鈥檛 want to be stuck with a henna design that will last for 3 weeks or more (especially if you are new and want to practice often or change your henna design often), pre-mixed paste does not stain the skin as deeply as freshly mixed powder. Pre-mixed henna designs typically last 5-15 days and are not as dark as freshly mixed henna powder. This gives you a bit more flexibility and is more forgiving when you are a henna beginner. Pre-mixed henna paste is super easy to use. Just knead the cone or tube and apply your design.

As you grow as a henna artist or if you want darker longer lasting results, you can help your pre-mixed paste by mixing in some natural additives and/or using a sealer to keep the moist henna in contact with your skin longer.

Optional tips for helping pre-mixed paste (Extra applicator required: empty cones, applicator bottles鈥?

Squeeze your pre-mixed henna paste into a small bowl. Add sugar in a ratio of approximately 3 or 4 parts henna to 1 part table sugar. Add some lemon juice, but not enough to make the paste too thin. Mix WELL. Mix REALLY WELL. Allow the henna sit for 1-3 hours in a warm location away from sunlight.

After letting your henna paste sit, add a few drops of henna oil, lavender oil, or tea tree oil and mix it well. Add more lemon juice if your henna is too thick. Let your henna sit for approximately one more hour. Transfer the henna paste to your chosen applicator and you are ready to go.

Serious about henna? Looking for extra-dark long-lasting henna tattoos?

Beachcombers! fresh henna powder is the henna for you. Mixing your own henna paste from powder is more time consuming but can yield astonishingly good results. Be ready to commit to your henna design, as results typically last 2-3 weeks with some designs lasting up to 5 weeks with exceptionally good care. One of the best things about mixing your own henna is you get to create your own personal henna recipe. The Beachcombers! Favorite Henna Recipe is a very easy henna mix to start with and will give great results.

This henna design used Beachcombers! Powder Hennawith the Beachcombers! Favorite Henna Recipe.



This should give you the basics! For plenty of extra henna information including a great troubleshooting guide, see our Henna FAQ page.

I hope this guide was helpful. If you have any suggestions for how I can improve this henna guide, please contact me.

Jody Beachcombers! BazaarBeachcombers! ME Page



All information in this guide is copyright Beachcombers! 2006. All rights reserved.

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Orignal From: New to Henna? Find the henna that is right for you.