Henna body art is an ancient tradition of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Traditionally done on the hands and feet, it involves painting beautiful and elaborate patterns with a dye made from crushed leaves of the henna plant. The designs are then left to set overnight, and the end result is a beautiful deep reddish brown pattern on the skin, which will last up to four weeks, fading naturally.

Henna & Ingredients
The henna must be fresh, green, and aromatic. A henna that is stale and has no smell will not work for dying the skin. The henna must also be fairly fine, so that it does not clog the tip of the applicator. The second most important thing needed to make henna is a slight acid. The most basic recipe is just to add henna and lemon juice, but some prefer to use other ingredients. The most common, and most effective of these is clove. Other ingredients which are often used are a variety of essential oils. The most commonly used is eucalyptus, but clove, camphor, lavender, lemon, and other oils are also used.

Making Henna Paste