Tag: BAQ henna

Henna for Body Art 101: How to Sift and Strain Henna for Smooth, Clog-free Paste

 

Chunky henna paste easily puts a damper on a good henna session. It stops an artist from getting into their rhythm, and can ruin a pattern with broken lines or unexpected paste eruptions. An artist may try to clip a larger opening at the tip of their cone, sacrificing lovely thin lines and minute details. Smooth, clog-free paste makes all the difference. To avoid henna mishaps, it is best to be proactive by sifting henna powder and/or straining paste before it goes into your cones. Luckily, both are quite easy and quick to do, if only a little bit messy.

 

Why does henna need to be sifted or strained?

Henna powder varies greatly in quality. Depending on the manufacturer, it will be ground and sifted to one degree or another. Henna that is sold for hair sometimes contains larger plant particles. Low quality henna may also contain sand and other debris. Cheap henna powder may seem like a good way to save money, but it will cause more headaches in the long run. After sifting and straining, you’ll find that you have lost a good fraction of your product.

 It is best to start with a high-quality body art henna powder which has been finely ground and already sifted to a high degree. You can choose to sift it again if you wish, but will find that there is very little that is left behind, in comparison to a lower quality powder. High quality powder will not contain sand, stems, and leaves. Sifting may be helpful to prevent clumps when mixing, but clumps tend to smooth out after dye-release, anyways.

 

 

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I rarely ever sift my henna, but I do strain the paste after it has been mixed and dye-released. Straining henna paste alters its consistency by breaking apart and/or removing larger plant particulates. This leaves the paste with a smoother consistency. Straining is also helpful if you used fresh-squeezed juice, and some pulp made its way into the paste. If you prefer to use very thin lines and intricate details in your henna patterns, you will need paste that can squeeze through a very fine tip without interruption.

 If you find yourself in possession of chunky powder, or if you simply want to be 100% positive that your paste will flow smoothly, sifting and/or straining can make a huge difference.

 

How To Sift Dry Henna Powder

To sift dry henna powder, you’ll need a tall, plastic container with a lid, a pair of nylon stockings, and a handful of coins (or other small, heavy objects).

Layer one stocking inside of the other.

Put the toe in the container and stretch the stockings over the opening, like lining a trash can.

Put your henna powder in the stockings, and drop your coins in.

Make sure your lid fits tightly. If not, henna powder will get all over the place.

Shake your sifter while holding the lid on firmly. The finely sifted powder will end up in the container, and the remaining chunks and debris will stay in the stockings.

 

 

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To see a step-by-step with images, click here.

 

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How To Strain Henna Paste

You can also use a nylon stocking to strain your henna paste once it is made. A second option is to use a fine mesh strainer or sieve. I prefer the latter, as using a stocking can be difficult, depending on the elasticity and thickness of a stocking. If a stocking is made with a lot of spandex, you will be pulling forever. If it is a thicker weave, too much of the plant matter will remain inside the stocking, and the resulting paste will be too thin. Both methods will work well, and are a matter of personal preference.

 

How to strain henna paste with a stocking, directly into a carrot bag.

Make sure to wear gloves while doing this, as it will be messy.

Use a sheer, nylon stocking (but not “tights”! Tights are too thick). Dollar stores often sell multi-packs for cheap. If you are not using a knee-high or thigh-high, simply cut one of the legs off of a pair. You will also need a cup, carrot bag/plastic icing bag, and a rubber band, if you prefer.

Put the toe of your stocking into the cup, and stretch the remainder of the stocking over the edge of the cup, like lining a trash bag.

Scoop your henna paste into the toe of the stocking.

Pull the stocking off the cup, and transfer it into the carrot bag, so the henna is inside the bag, and the remainder of the stocking hangs outside.

Hold the opening of the carrot bag tight with one hand (use a rubber band if it helps) and pull hard on the stocking with your other hand, until the paste is extruded through the stocking and into the carrot bag.

The strained henna will be left in the carrot bag. From here, you can go straight to filling cones.

 

 

To see a step-by-step with images, click here.

 

How to strain henna paste with a fine mesh strainer or sieve

I personally find this method to be easier on the hands, less messy, and just as effective. It does take a little longer, especially if you are straining a lot of paste. Because the strained henna goes into a bowl rather than into a carrot bag, you can still adjust the consistency as needed after it is strained. I like to add my sugars and essential oils after straining, rather than before, so I can control the consistency better.

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You will need a sieve or fine-mesh strainer, a bowl, and a spoon or silicone spatula.

Place the strainer over the bowl, and spoon your dye-released henna paste into the strainer.

Press and stir until the paste moves through the strainer and into the bowl.

 

 

 

I prefer to do a few spoonfuls at a time, adding more into the strainer as it empties.

The chunky bits will remain in the strainer. If they begin to block the paste’s passage, just rinse the strainer and continue until all of your paste has been strained.

 

 

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Once you have a bowl full of silky smooth paste, you can test it for consistency. If you find it is too thin, add a little more henna powder. Strain again, if desired. If it is too thick, add a few teaspoons of liquid until it is at the right consistency.

From here, you can bag, cone, or freeze as you’d like.

 

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Here you can see the larger debris left in the strainer after it has been rinsed. There is relatively little, as the paste was made with high-quality henna powder, but these few small pieces would have caused the occasional clog.

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If you have additional questions about sifting or straining henna paste for body art, feel free to leave a comment, and/or visit www.hennapage.com.

Henna for Body Art 101: How to Achieve a Dark, Long-Lasting Stain

 

 

Henna for body art is a beautiful and safe way to adorn the skin. One of the qualities that makes henna so well-loved is its ability to stain the skin for as long as two or three weeks. This makes henna one of the few cosmetics that does not need to be reapplied daily. Henna can last through long celebrations, vacations, and special events.

 Elaborate designs, such as those applied for weddings, take several hours to apply. Naturally, one would like to achieve a dark stain, and to have the design stay on the skin for as long as possible. It can be quite disappointing or frustrating to see a beautiful pattern turn out too light, and then fade in a couple of days. Ensuring a dark, long-lasting stain begins with the placement of the design, and ends with proper aftercare. Keep reading to learn how to get the best results out of your henna.

 

 

Location Matters

Henna works best on areas of the body where there are several layers of stratum corneum, and where skin is thicker and rougher, such as on the hands and feet. The dye molecule can penetrate and bind more fully to these layers. The stain will fade slowly, as the skin is exfoliated away naturally over time.

 Areas of the body where the skin is thinner and smoother will not work as well with henna. Upper arms and legs, and the torso will see lighter stains that will fade faster. These stains will never reach the deep, espresso-brown shade one might achieve on fingertips, no matter what you do. The skin simply isn’t thick enough.

 

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Start with Dry, Clean Skin with No Oils

The skin is naturally hydrophobic, and does well to prevent many substances from entering across its barrier. The skin naturally produced sebum to protect and moisturize the skin. Oils from sebum, or from moisturizing products will prevent henna from successfully binding to the keratin in the skin.

 The day that you plan to apply henna, avoid applying lotion or other moisturizing products where you plan to have henna. Immediately before application, thoroughly wash the area with soap and water, or wipe with rubbing alcohol to create a clean, oil-free surface.

 

Use Quality Henna Paste with Terps

A good henna stain cannot happen without good henna. Mass-produced pre-made pastes contain low quality henna (or none at all), cheap solvents in place of essential oil based terps, and an assortment of concentrated food dyes. If you’ve ever gotten food coloring on your skin, you’ll see that it stains immediately, but washes away within a couple of days. This is because such dyes do not bind to keratin on a molecular level the way lawsone does.

 Pre-made pastes may also contain PPD, which can create a dark, long-lasting stain, but at great cost. (To learn more about PPD reactions, click here)

 Insist on using only hand made natural henna paste. Quality paste made from high dye-content henna and aromatherapy grade essential oils is not only safer, but more effective. However, not all essential oils are effective for darkening henna. “Terps” are essential oils nicknamed for their monoterpene alcohol content. The monoterpene alcohols are what allow for stronger dye release and a darker result on the skin. To learn more about Terps, click here.

 

Leave The Paste On As Long As Possible

With henna, patience makes all the difference. Manufacturers of mass-produced henna paste have tried to create a faster, darker product to serve customers who want immediate results. Same goes for commercial hair dyes which promise coverage in 30 minutes. In the long run, “fast and dark” often translates into “cheap,” “unsafe,” and “quick to fade.”

 If you want a beautiful, dark henna stain, go into it with the awareness that you may be spending the better part of a day with limited use of your hands, or other parts of your body. Henna has been used on brides and on women about to give birth, with the benefit of forcing the woman to sit or lie still for several hours. Elaborate, intricate henna designs were a sign of social status, because they indicated that the people who wore them could afford to not work for several hours as the paste was applied and left on.

 If you are unable to afford a day of idleness, plan to have your henna done in the evening. Wrap the design, and leave it on overnight. Henna needs to be left on the skin at least three or four hours for a good result, but some choose to leave it on as long as twelve hours or more.

 

The toes and outline of this beautiful slipper design are a dark, oxidized stain, while the light orange fill is from henna paste that was applied and then removed quickly.

 

 

Seal It

Henna doesn’t always like to stay on the skin. Sometimes, henna will dry and flake off within a couple of hours despite your best efforts not to mess with it. This will depend on the level of humidity in your area, and the henna paste formulation. If the paste is drying and flaking off too quickly, this means it will have less time to transfer dye onto the skin. There are a number of methods for sealing henna so it stays moist and in contact with the skin for as long as possible.

 Many artists use some sort of lemon-and-sugar mixture which they apply over the design once the paste is dry enough to touch. This method seems to work fairly well in keeping the design sticky and flexible. However, it may not be the best for summer days, as citrus can cause photo-sensitivity, and the mixture may be quite appealing to bees and other little winged friends.

 Strong setting hair spray is also a good trick. Get the kind that is meant to keep your hair locked in shape through hurricanes. Spritz it over the design and allow it to dry. Sprinkle glitter over top of it if you wish.

 Other options involve applying medical tape over the design, or wrapping it with a soft paper or cotton. Wrapping a design is especially handy if you need to leave it on overnight without worrying about waking up to a bed full of henna crumbs. The following section will discuss wrapping.

 

 

Heat and Moisture Help

One reason why wrapping is effective is because it keeps the design moist and warm while it is on the skin. Henna’s dye will continue to migrate into the stratum corneum as long as the paste stays mildly damp. A warm environment causes the skin to be more receptive to the dye. Be aware that the paste should stay dry enough that it is not at risk of smearing or bleeding.

 Carefully apply a good layer of toilet paper or pulled-apart cotton balls directly over the design, then wrap the whole thing with a layer of plastic, and keep it in place with tape. If the design is on the torso, lay the paper or cotton flat over the design, cover with plastic, and seal the edges down with tape. Wearing a tight-fitting shirt can help to keep the covering flat over a belly, back, or chest design.

 

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To learn more about how to wrap a henna design, click here.

 

 Medical tape works well for smaller designs. Simply apply the tape directly over the design until it is completely covered.

 If you are not able to leave the paste on for several hours, heat can help speed up the staining process. Put a heating pad on the area, or use a hair dryer on the low setting

 Once the paste is removed, heat will also help to facilitate oxidation. When henna is used on fabric, ironing the stain causes it to go dark very quickly. Hair that is dyed with henna will become darker if the person uses heated styling tools. Obviously, it would not be a good idea to press an iron to one’s skin, but exposing the skin to warm steam, a heating pad, or a nice summer day will help the stain darken.

 

 

Be Patient; The Stain Takes 24-48 Hours to Darken Fully

After the paste is removed, the henna stain continues to darken by way of oxidation. It won’t achieve its darkest state until a day or two later. The initial stain may be light orange, or even a deep red. Over time, the stain oxidizes to burgundy and coffee brown shades and darker, depending on the area of the body. Do not be disappointed if the stain you see at first is too light. In fact, you should be more concerned if a henna stain is fast and dark, as that is a strong indicator of harmful additives.

 If you are getting henna for a special event, it is best to have it done a couple of days beforehand, or at least the night before. Otherwise, the stain may still be too light during the event.

 As explained above, heat can expedite the oxidation process. Take care to only use gentle heat for short periods of time, to prevent skin damage.

 

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A henna stain just after paste removal, and the same stain after oxidation.

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Avoid Water, Chlorine, Alcohol, and Scrubbing

 It is often recommended that a person avoids having their hennaed skin make contact with water for 24 hours after the paste is removed. This prevents the dye from loosening from the skin while it is still in the process of binding. Use a wooden tongue depressor, or the blunt side of a butter knife to scrape away the paste rather than rinsing with water.

 When a henna design fades, it is due to the outer layers of the skin naturally shedding. Therefore, avoid over-washing the skin and using products that contain a high level of alcohol, like hand sanitizer. Try not to scrub or use exfoliating products in that area. Spending a lot of time in a pool or hot tub may also cause a design to fade more quickly.

 If you ever end up with a henna design that you don’t like, or must fade as quickly as possible for whatever reason, simply do the opposite: go swimming, wash your skin frequently, scrub, and cover yourself in hand sanitizer.

 Henna actually helps the exfoliation of rough, calloused skin. If you have feet that are in need of some love, cover your soles and toes in a solid slipper of henna. You will see the thickest skin acquire a dark, nearly-black stain. Every few days, soak your feet in warm water and scrub with a pumice stone. You’ll see those dark patches slough off, little by little, until your skin is much smoother.

  Bonus: Henna is antifungal. Learn more about henna’s beneficial properties, and how to use henna on the feet here.

 

 

Keep Skin Moisturized

Again, the best way to maintain a long henna stain on the skin is to slow down the natural exfoliation process. Especially if you tend to have dry, flaky skin, it is a good idea to keep the hennaed area moisturized. Some henna artists provide a kind of after-care balm that is meant to prolong the stain. They are usually a homemade mixture of oils, essential oils, and beeswax. If you don’t have this special balm, no worries; a regular lotion or oil made for the skin should do just fine. Not only does a moisturizer keep the skin from drying and shedding, but provides an additional hydrophobic barrier to keep water out. You may want to reapply throughout the day, especially if the design is on your hands and you are washing your hands frequently.

 If you want to treat yourself to some wonderful smelling, all-natural lotions, body butters, and oils, Mehandi has you covered.

 

 

These body butters are hand-made in small batches, and they smell delicious.

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Reapply If Possible

If you got your henna done on a trip, or hired a professional, it may not be possible to have the design reapplied once it starts fading. If you have a steady hand and access to some good henna paste (for best results and safety, mix it yourself), you may try tracing over the pattern yourself.

 If you applied your henna yourself, and are very happy with the design, simply retrace the design once it starts fading to keep it fresh. Henna stains build on each other, causing increasingly darker results. I tend to maintain a henna slipper on my feet during the summer months, and after the second or third application, my soles are nearly black. They stay that way as long as I reapply about once a week.

 

If you have additional questions about henna after-care, feel free to comment below or visit www.hennapage.com for all things henna!

Henna For Body Art 101: How to Make a Basic Henna Paste

 

Creating a great henna paste for body art is relatively simple. It requires only a few ingredients, and the right combination of temperature and time. Many people avoid making their own henna paste because they believe that it is too complicated, choosing instead to purchase pre-made paste from other body art suppliers, or worse, the dreaded “chemical cone.” Making homemade BAQ henna paste is much cheaper than buying it from a henna supplier, and definitely much safer than purchasing manufactured henna paste cones. This article will describe how to make a basic henna paste for body art use, and dip into the science behind it.

 

The Ingredients

Paste recipes will vary depending on the type of henna powder used, the humidity of the environment, and the personal preferences of the artist. Any basic henna paste will likely have the following ingredients, each with their own purpose:

  • Body art quality (BAQ) henna powder

  • An acidic liquid (for effective dye-release)

  • Essential oils (for a dark stain)

  • Some kind of sugar (for a smooth consistency and better adherence to skin)

 

BAQ Henna Powder

Not all henna powder is made equal. Cheaper powders can contain a variety of additives, such as dyes, sand, metallic salts, and chemical adulterants. They can be poorly sifted, and contain stale powder that releases little dye. Henna that is sold for hair is sometimes a premixed blend of henna and other plant powders. You need to look for a henna that is finely-sifted, and tested to be 100% pure henna, free of adulterants. The product may be labeled BAQ, but be aware that companies often use that term as a method of advertising, regardless of the henna’s quality.

 It is unlikely that you will find a quality henna powder in a brick-and-mortar store. Don’t be fooled by packaging. “Made in India” means very little when it comes to the product’s safety, as does “100% safe” or an ingredients list that only reports henna as the ingredient.

 If you are interested in seeing an experiment on pre-made henna pastes that claimed to be safe and pure, read this.

 Your safest bet is to order directly from a reputable company dealing in henna body art products, and/or pure bulk henna powder. Check to see if they have lab-test documents on their powders.

 BAQ henna powders will differ from one another. Henna is grown in a number of regions, and the crops themselves will vary season by season. Some hennas will create a creamier texture, like smooth mashed potatoes, while others will be stringy and stretchy like melted caramel. Each artist has their preference. The consistency can also be manipulated with the amount of liquid and sugar used.

 

Acidic Liquid

 The henna powder provides the dye molecule responsible for leaving beautiful, deep red stains on the skin. The molecule is called Lawsone. When henna powder is mixed with a liquid, the intermediary molecule, called an aglycone, is released. This is often referred to as dye release.

 The aglycones quickly bond with oxygen molecules to form its final state. Once oxidized, the dye is no longer able to attach to the skin. This process is called demise.

 The goal is to keep the aglycones available for a longer period of time, allowing as much dye as possible to stain the surface layers of the skin before oxidizing. An acidic liquid provides a low pH, hydrogen-rich environment, which allows for a longer period of time before demise.

 Therefore, lemon juice is one of the most popular liquids to mix with henna. Henna pastes which are made with an acidic liquid, like lemon juice, need to rest for a longer dye release time before it is ready to use. Pastes mixed with water release very quickly, but also demise much faster.

 

Essential Oils

EOs make henna paste smell great, but they have a more important function than that. Certain types of essential oils contain monoterpene alcohols, which act as solvents. Often referred to as terps, these essential oils help create a much darker stain on the skin. Without terps, a henna design may remain a lighter, orange color rather than oxidizing to a deep brown. The dye molecule in henna is hydrophobic, rather than hydrophilic (it is not friends with water). The terp acts as a solvent to release the dye more effectively within the acidic liquid.

 Not all essential oils contain monoterpene alcohols. Some essential oils which contain monoterpene alcohols are not safe to use on the skin. Tea Tree, Cajeput, and Ravensara essential oils contain a high amount of monoterpene alcohols, and are safe to use. Lavender, Cardamom, Geranium, Cypress, and Cypress Tips oils are good, as well. Neroli, Pine, Juniper, Thyme, Rosemary, and Marjoram essential oils have lower levels of monoterpene alcohols, but will still darken henna somewhat.

 Oils to avoid: Citrus oils are phototoxic. Cinnamon and Clove are irritating to the skin. Camphor is a transdermal intoxicant, and can make a person ill.

 

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 The oils you choose to use will be dependent on your preference and needs. Lavender is popular because it is the best for sensitive skin. Whatever your choice, make sure to use high quality, aromatherapy-grade oils. You will need about 10ml of essential oil for every 100g henna.

 Learn more about terps here.

 

Sugar

This last ingredient is not absolutely necessary, but it is helpful. Many henna artists add some type of sugar into their paste. It gives the paste a smooth, silky consistency that is easier to work with. The sugar also helps the paste stick onto the skin and stay moist longer. For a dark, long-lasting stain, the pattern needs to stay on the skin as long as possible.

 Regular white sugar works fine enough. Dextrose is great, too. Some henna artists report using molasses, honey, or corn syrup. The amount of sugar needed is dependent on the humidity of your current climate. In dry areas, more sugar may be necessary. In warm, humid areas, a paste with too much sugar will remain very wet, and “melt,” meaning the design on the skin turns to blobs.

 Some artists prefer more sugar in their paste, as it allows them to “stretch” the paste and drape long, fine lines. Some prefer their paste to be creamier, akin to the texture of icing. If you are just starting to mix your own henna, it is best to add just a little sugar at a time, testing the paste until you find a consistency that you like. Henna paste can still be effective with no sugar at all.

 Learn more about henna and sugar here.

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This henna has been mixed with dextrose. The paste is smoother and stretchier.

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Temperature and Time

While there is some variation between henna powders, henna normally dye-releases in an acidic mixture within 8-12 hours at room temperature. Some powders may need as long as 24 hours. A warmer environment will speed dye-release, while a cooler environment will slow it. A long dye-release creates a better paste than a fast one. Do not mix henna with hot liquid. This will cause a very fast dye-release, and a very weak stain.

 

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To learn more about dye-release, read this Ancient Sunrise® Blog article. It is about henna for hair, but the science is still the same, no matter where you plan to put your henna.

 

Putting It All Together

I am not going to provide a “recipe” because, as you can see, there are many variables to take into account, as well as personal preference. One recipe may work well for me, with the crop of henna I use, the humidity of my environment, and my personal preference, but may be completely off for you.

 I would prefer to provide a guide for discovering a henna mix that works best for you and your needs. Experiment a little, and take notes. That way, once you have mixed your perfect batch, you will be able to recreate it.

 

However, you will generally need about equal parts henna powder and liquid (when measured by volume), and a much smaller amount of sugar. Essential oils will be the most scant ingredient in your mix, as they are very strong. Again, 10ml (about 2tsp) terps is plenty for 100g (roughly 1 cup) dry henna powder. EOs with high levels of monoterpene alcohols can be used even more sparingly.

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 Begin with a small amount of henna powder, perhaps a few tablespoons. You can always make a bigger batch of paste once you’ve perfected your mix. 20 grams of henna powder will still create enough paste to fill several cones, and there’s no point making mistakes on an entire packet of henna powder.

 Add lemon juice little by little, stirring until the powder is completely wet, and has the consistency of thick mashed potatoes, and any large lumps are gone. A whisk is handy to use.

 Add the essential oils, and stir until fully combined.

 Cover the paste with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic down so it is against the paste. Check the temperature of where you plan to leave it, and check the chart above to know how long to leave it. Set an alarm on your phone, or write a reminder to yourself. Mixing the paste in the evening and leaving it overnight is an effective method.

 Leave it alone. Poking and stirring every few hours won’t do anything to speed it up. Once you believe the paste is ready, check for dye release. There are a few indicators you can use.

 First, the surface of the paste may be several shades darker than the paste underneath. If you mixed in a glass bowl, you can see the layers quite clearly. Or, you can use a spoon to scoop away the top, and compare it to the paste that you reveal underneath.

 Second, there may be a deep orange-red liquid that collects around the surface of your paste.

 Finally, you can test some of the paste on your skin by applying a drop to the palm of your hand, and leaving it there for a few minutes. When you wipe it away, you should see a bright orange stain. If the stain is very light, leave the paste for another hour, and check again.

 

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You can see that the surface is darker, and there are puddles of a deep red liquid collecting on the surface.

 

 

Consistency

Once your paste has dye-released, add liquid and sugar as needed until it is the right consistency. You can use water, or more lemon juice. Add the sugar in a fraction of a teaspoon at a time. Liquid sugars, like molasses, require very little to get the job done. Many artists prefer a paste that “ribbons” off of the spoon. Some may prefer a slightly thicker paste.

 Test the paste by coning a small amount, and squeezing a simple design on your skin. You want the paste to come out of the cone in thin lines without using too much pressure. You may want to see how far you can drape a line before it breaks. Try a few swirls and varying the thickness of your lines. Wait for about fifteen minutes.

 If your design dries and cracks quickly, or doesn’t drape well enough, add a little more sugar. If the paste was too thick, add a little more liquid. If the paste is too thin or wet, add a little more powder. Keep adjusting and testing until you get the paste to your preference.

 

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“Stringy” paste makes fine lines easier to drape.

 

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Storage

If you want to use your henna paste right away, cone it up and get doodling! If you plan to use your henna paste in the next day or two, you can keep it in the refrigerator. If you are not sure when you will be using it, or would like to keep it for a long time, keep it in the freezer. You can either put your henna into cones before storing it, or defrost and cone when you choose. An easy way to keep frozen henna is to wrap it in plastic, like in the article here.

 However you store it, I find it helpful to write a note that includes the date and the ingredients. I use a permanent marker and write it on the plastic bag holding my cones. This way, you can differentiate between batches. For example, I have cones that are citrus-free and contain only lavender oil, for use on those with sensitivities. I wouldn’t want to get my batches confused and accidentally apply my regular mix on someone with a citrus allergy.

 If you need help learning how to roll cones, watch this video here.

 

Learn more about mixing henna at the Henna Page. If you have questions, feel free to comment below.

A Comparison of Body Art Quality Henna Paste, Pre-Made Pastes, and “Black Henna”

 

 

 

A little while ago, I read a post by a henna artist on a social media site bemoaning that yet another person contacted her to say that henna was dangerous and that it would cause allergic reactions. This is not uncommon in the henna body art community. Henna paste for body art made from body art quality ​​ (BAQ) henna and other natural ingredients is completely safe. This person had most likely heard of the dangers of “black henna.” Then, there are those people on the opposite side of misinformation who believe that if a product is called “henna,” it must therefore be natural and safe 100% of the time. ​​ Also not true.

 The sad truth is that there are innumerable mass-produced products easily accessible online and on international store shelves which claim to be “henna” but are a mixture of food dyes, solvents, preservatives, para-phenelyendiamine (PPD), and other additives. These products are labeled as “henna,” but may not contain any material from the lawsonia inermis plant.

 These products are designed to be a fast, cheap, and easy alternative to mixing true henna paste from scratch. True henna paste must be mixed, dye-released, and coned. It degrades at room temperature. True henna must be left on the skin for several hours for a deep stain; after paste removal, the stain is light at first, then oxidizes to a deeper color over the subsequent 48 hours. Stains from true henna paste vary depending on skin thickness and texture. Pre-made pastes are designed to have long shelf-lives, and quick, dark stains, but at potential risk to the consumer.

 As the word “henna” is not regulated, it can be used simply to describe a form of body art which involves temporarily staining the skin, rather than the product of the henna plant. To learn more about the differences between pure, BAQ henna, mass-produced henna cones, and “black henna,” click here. To learn more about the dangers of PPD and “black henna,” click here.

 The population is very diverse in my neighborhood of Montreal, Quebec, and as a result, there are several international grocery stores within just a few blocks of my home. I went out to the nearest two and purchased all of the pre-made “henna” cones I found on the shelves. I also purchased two types of powdered black hair dyes popularly used to create “black henna” paste. I compared each of these products to my own BAQ paste in terms of texture, odor, and color. I also recorded notes on the packaging and instructions, and conducted a paper chromatography test to observe dye separation. Here are my findings.

 

Comparing BAQ Henna Paste, Pre-made Pastes, and Paste Made From Powdered Hair Dye

The purpose of this study is to note physical and chemical differences between true, BAQ henna paste, and products which are used as alternatives. As I sampled only the products available within a short distance from my home, future studies may be done on a wider range of products such as those most popular on online shopping sites.

 Without more advanced methods at my disposal, it is impossible to determine the exact ingredients in the products, and therefore their level of safety. To err on the side of caution, I assumed that all of the store-bought products were potentially harmful, taking the safety measures described in the section below. The powdered hair dyes clearly indicated their ingredients, which included para-phenylenediamine, known to be highly sensitizing when in contact with the skin.

 The purpose of this study is not to comment on the quality, popularity, or reputation of any of the products involved, but rather to report on the attributes which can be noted through basic observation.

 

Safety Measures

 Please note that I do not, under any circumstance, recommend replicating this experiment. There was no way to determine what the products contained and whether they were dangerous. The powdered hair dyes contained a concentrated amount of PPD, which is known to be highly sensitizing, as well as toxic if ingested. Many of the pre-made pastes possessed no ingredients label; those that did were likely to have excluded ingredients from their list due to lax regulation. I wore protective gloves and worked in a well-ventilated space to prevent skin contact and inhalation of fumes. Afterward, I thoroughly cleaned all surfaces to prevent future exposure or contamination.

 

Product Selection

For this experiment, a product qualified if it met one or more of the following: 1) It was labeled “henna” and came in a cone or tube; 2) it did not have the word “henna” but packaging showed images of decorated skin; 3) it was packaged and marketed as a black hair dye, but is known for use on skin.

 I purchased every product available in two local international stores, without purchasing duplicates, or more than one product from each brand. In the case of two products from the same brand, I chose that which advertised a darker color.

 In total, I purchased six pre-made pastes and two powdered black hair dyes. All products except Cone 4 (Kanza) are shown in the image below.

 

 

 

 

 

Procedure

Using written notes as well as visual and audio recording, I commented on each product’s packaging, including the presence of ingredients lists, instructions, warnings, promised results, and country or manufacture.

 After opening the packaging, I noted physical qualities of the paste: consistency, color, and odor. I tested each paste by drawing lines and dots. In the case of the two hair dye powders, I mixed each with water to a consistency similar to the pre-made pastes.

 I then conducted two additional tests: one for flammability, and the second a chromatography test to compare dye separation between products. The procedures and results for these two tests will be discussed in detail later in this article.

 All products’ results were compared to a cone of BAQ henna paste which I created using henna powder, lemon juice, water, sugar, and essential oils.

 

Packaging

The pre-made pastes were relatively similar in packaging. They were either in a plastic tube with a small twist cap, similar to the type of packaging for an ointment; or, they were in a rolled foil cone which was taped at the top and sealed with a pin at the tip.

 Nearly all of the products came from Pakistan, with the exception of Cone 4, which was from Dubai. Only two products featured ingredients lists, and only one recommended a patch test. Very few instructions were present. Cone 5 read, “Wash hands after 15 minutes” which could be interpreted either as instructions, a warning, or an advertisement of the speed of the product’s staining ability.

 Four of the six pastes had “Export Quality” printed somewhere on the packaging. I could not find clear information about the countries’ standards for determining this. More likely than not, they are just words put on there to sound fancy.

 The two powdered hair dyes had complete instructions, warnings, and ingredients lists. Warnings and ingredients were printed on the box; the pamphlets inside repeated the warnings, and provided instructions for conducting a patch test as well as mixing and application.

 The boxes of hair dye each contained a small glass bottle with a twist cap, underneath which was a rubber stopper. Each supplied a small measuring cup, and one supplied disposable gloves.

 Both hair dyes were marketed toward Eastern Asian customers, and/or included Eastern Asian elements on the packaging. One was from a Japanese company which outsourced its manufacturing to India; the other was produced in Pakistan. Both boxes included promises of no ammonia or peroxide, adding to the sense that the product was safe or healthy. (Side note: the woman who rung me up commented that these dyes were “natural,” and “much safer than what you’d get at a drug store.” I just smiled and nodded.)

 

Below are details for each product’s packaging.

 

Cone 1

Name of Product

On Box: “Almas / Cone Henna Paste / Henna Body Decoration Paste”

On Tube: “Special Cone Henna Paste”

Type of Packaging

Plastic tube with thin tip twist cap, within a paper box

Country of Manufacture

Pakistan

Ingredients Listed

None listed

Instructions

Warning

“External Use Only”

Additional Details

On Box:

“Black”

“One of the finest quality and largest selling Henna in the world”

On Tube:

“100% Color”

“No side effect.”

“We feel proud that your trust is on our product...”

“Export Quality From Pakistan”

An email address provided

 

Cone 2

Name of Product

“Shama / Cone Henna / Henna Body Decoration Paste”

Type of Packaging

Plastic tube with thin tip twist cap, within a paper box

Country of Manufacture

Pakistan

Ingredients Listed

“Natural Hinna, Hinna Oil, Citric Acid & Water” (sic)

Instructions

See Image Below

Warning

“Warning: Not to be used on lips and aroun the eyes area” (sic)

Additional Details

“Extra Dark Color”

“Finest Quality Henna in The World”

“Halal”

 

​​ 

Shama Instructions and Warnings

 

​​ 

Cone 3

Name of Product

“Special / Najma / Gel Cone / Mehndi”

Type of Packaging

Foil cone with pin tip, within paper box

Country of Manufacture

Pakistan

Ingredients Listed

None

Instructions

None

Warning

None

Additional Details

“Export Quality”

 

Cone 4

Name of Product

“Kanza / Henna Cone”

Type of Packaging

Foil cone with pin tip

Country of Manufacture

Dubai, UAE

Ingredients Listed

None

Instructions

None

Warning

None

Additional Details

“The Supreme Quality Henna Selling in the World”

“Trademark 383381”

“Emergency Cone Henna”

“Export Quality”

“A Product of Noorani & Company”

A website provided

 

Cone 5

Name of Product

“Anarkali / Brown Out Liner”

Type of Packaging

Foil cone with with pin tip

Country of Manufacture

Pakistan

Ingredients Listed

None

Instructions

“Wash Hands Within 15 Minutes”

Warning

None

Additional Details

“Registered 152393”

An email address provided

 

Cone 6

Name of Product

“Al Qamar / Nail Henna”

Type of Packaging

Small foil tube with twist cap, within paper box

Country of Manufacture

Pakistan

Ingredients Listed

Instructions

None

Warning

None

Additional Details

“Export Quality”

“Approved by PCSIR”

Company address and phone numbers provided

 

Powder 1

Name of Product

“Bigen / Permanent Powder Hair Color / 59 Oriental Black”

Type of Packaging

Paper box containing glass bottle of powder sealed with rubber stopper and twist cap. Box also contained a small plastic measuring cup and pamphlet of instructions.

Country of Manufacture

Pakistan

Ingredients Listed

Instructions

See Image Below

Warning

See Image Below

Additional Details

“Contains No Ammonia”

“Requires No Hydrogen Peroxide”

 

 

Instructions for Bigen Hair Dye

 

 

Warnings and patch test for Bigen Hair Dye

 

 

Powder 2

Name of Product

“ShoHan / Japanese / Instant Powder Hair Color”

Type of Packaging

Paper box containing glass bottle of powder sealed with rubber stopper and twist cap. Box also contained a small plastic measuring cup and pamphlet of instructions.

Country of Manufacture

India

Ingredients Listed

Instructions

See Image Below

Warning

See Image Below

Additional Details

“Contains No Ammonia Peroxide”

“100% Gray Coverage”

 

​​ 

ShoHan Hair Dye instructions and warnings

 

 ​​​​ 

ShoHan Hair Dye Special Features and Patch Test Instructions

​​ 

 

Physical Qualities

Notes were made on the texture, color, and odor of each paste. It is important to first note the qualities of a true henna paste, to use as comparison.

 BAQ henna paste is green-brown in color when it is first applied. The paste is smooth and opaque, but with a very fine natural grit, as it is mixed from a plant powder. It dries to a matte deep brown. The stain that is left begins as a bright orange, then oxidizes to deep reds and browns. The odor is that of wet grass, citrus, and essential oils. It is a pleasant odor. The pre-made pastes were all relatively similar in their textures, colors, and odors, but completely different from the BAQ paste.

 

Texture

As indicated on many of the labels, the pre-made pastes were “gels.” They were extremely smooth and glossy. Some pastes were thicker, while others were runny. Cone 1 (Almas), was the most liquid-like; lines did not hold, and the product formed runny puddles. Nearly all of the pre-made pastes had a sticky or stringy consistency. If I dipped a toothpick in a sample of product and pulled it out, the product would stretch in thin strings. There was clearly some sort of binding or thickening agent added into the products to give them such a consistency. This is different from the stringy consistency one might find with BAQ henna paste, which allows the paste to be draped in thin, even lines. While BAQ henna drapes the way a smooth icing might, the gel pastes were more comparable to sticky paint.

 The pastes I mixed from the hair dye powders were denser and grittier. The pastes turned smoother with stirring, but retained some grit. While evidence of some sort of thickening agent was present, these pastes were not as sticky and glossy as the pre-made pastes.

 

 

Texture tests for BAQ paste and pre-made pastes

 

 

 

Color

With the exception of Cone 1 (Almas), which was blue-black in color, the pre-made pastes showed variations of deep reddish brown to coffee brown when first squeezed out of the tube or cone. When smeared across a surface to form a fine layer, one could see that the gels were all translucent, and orange-red to brown-red in color.

 The hair powders were gray before mixing with water. Once water was added, the pastes deepened from gray-brown with hints of blue or purple, to deep brown, to off-black.

 

Odor

All of the pre-made pastes had an overwhelmingly solvent-like odor that was noticeable within seconds of squeezing out a sample. The smell was similar to turpentine or gasoline. Even in a well-ventilated area, the odor took hours to dissipate after completing the tests. While I would describe BAQ henna as having a strong scent, the pre-made pastes emitted fumes, in the same way that an open bottle of nail polish remover quickly fills a space with the smell of something flammable. Cone 6 (Al Qamar) had a faint menthol or eucalyptus odor in addition to the solvent. The hair dye powders did not give off any notable odor, in neither powder nor paste form.

 It is interesting to note that Cone 2 (Shama) had an ingredients list that is very similar to a true henna paste—henna, oil, citric acid, and water—but basic observation showed that this was far from the truth. Like the other products, this paste was a glossy gel with a deep red-brown color and strong odor. This goes to show that looking at an ingredients label is not enough when shopping for henna products.

 

Flammability

The flammability of the pre-mixed pastes was tested by saturating pieces of cotton with one of each of the products. Each piece of cotton was then held with tweezers over a flame for a few seconds. The BAQ henna paste was also tested using the same method. This test was not done with the hair dye pastes.

 None of the samples ignited. A few sizzled and emitted dark wisps of smoke, but otherwise showed no difference in reaction when compared to the BAQ paste. The BAQ paste became dark and dry. An absence of combustion does not exclude the possibility of the pastes containing flammable ingredients; there may not have been high enough concentrations to cause combustion, or the additional moisture may have acted to prevent a flame.

 

Paper Chromatography

Chromatography tests are used to separate dyes. The paper chromatography test involves allowing a strip of absorbent paper holding a sample to wick a solvent such as isopropyl alcohol. As the solvent travels up the paper, it brings any dye contained in the sample along with it. Dyes will travel varying distances, resulting in unique bands of color to appear. This test alone cannot determine the exact dye ingredients, but comparing results can provide an idea of what types of dyes were involved. Below is a sample conducted on standard food coloring one can buy from the grocery store. One can see that the green dye contained both the blue and yellow dyes.

 

 

 

 

 Using gloves to prevent my skin’s oils from contaminating the test, I cut 2 x 16cm strips from coffee filters. I measured and marked a line 2cm from the bottom of each strip. I applied a sample of each product along that line. All the strips were clipped to a rod and hung above a flat glass dish containing isopropyl alcohol (99% USP) so that the bottoms of the strips were in the alcohol, but the sample lines remained above. The samples were left for 60 minutes, and observed during that time.

 

Below are images of the process. The timer indicates remaining time.

 

 

Within seconds, the solvent began moving up the paper. Cone 1 (Almas) bled down into the solution. Luckily, this caused no noticeable contamination of results.

 

 

 

 

After five minutes. Cone 3 (Najma) begins bleeding into the solvent as well. Both cones 1 & 3 had been noted to be thinner and more liquid when tested for texture earlier.

 

 

With just over 20 minutes remaining, dye separation is quite apparent. Notice that the BAQ sample on the far left is very pale in comparison to all other samples.

 

 

 

 

 

Analysis of Pre-made Paste Chromatography

It is important to know that BAQ henna paste contains only one dye molecule, which is lawsone. Lawsone stains the skin by binding to the keratin. Initially, the stain on the skin is light, and then it oxidizes to deeper shades. BAQ henna usually contains 1-3% lawsone concentration. The dye is kept stable in an intermediary state by the low pH liquid used to mix the paste-- in this case, diluted lemon juice.

 Cone 1 (Almas) was the only pre-made product I found which claimed to give a black result. Initially I assumed that it must have contained PPD. The results of this chromatography test showed that to be untrue; the dye is a deep blue color and most likely a concentrated food dye, or something similar. Below I will show the chromatography results for PPD hair dye. Strangely enough, a small amount of red-orange dye also separated from Cone 1’s sample, but it is clearly not lawsone.

 Cones 2-6 showed similarities in the presence of highly concentrated brown-red dyes. Cone 2 (Shama) also exhibited an additional lighter dye strip at the top. It appears similar to that of Cone 1, but is present at a different height. Also interesting to note in Cone 2 is how the solvent turned the initial sample stripe a bright yellow color. This could be because all of the other dye was dissolved and wicked upward. The BAQ henna shows a similar result, as the initial line turned dull gray.

 

Powdered Hair Dye, and Additional BAQ Chromatography Samples

I conducted another chromatography test on the two powdered hair dyes, and to re-sample the BAQ henna which I felt may have been contaminated when Cone 1 bled beside the first BAQ sample.

 

Three identical BAQ samples on the left. On the right, Powder 1 (Bigen) and Powder B (ShoHan) respectively.

 

 While both powdered hair dyes were labeled “black,” the pastes appeared to be very deep brown at the beginning of the test. These dyes are oxidative, meaning they darken as they process within the hair shaft (or in the case of “black henna,” while on the skin). Both PPD hair dye samples bled into the solvent, which made sense given that they were created by mixing the powders with water.

 

This photo was taken forty minutes in. I noted that both hair dyes samples showed a violet tinge as time went on.

 

 

 

 

The hair dyes appeared nearly identical in their chromatography results. The initial brown color darkened through a deep, muddy violet color, to a cool, charcoal black. As both products included full ingredients lists, there was no need to guess the presence of PPD.

 These products were not marketed as henna, or for use on skin. They do not claim to be or contain henna. However, powdered black hair dyes such as these are very often used to create “black henna” which is applied in stalls and kiosks in tourist areas. They are simply highly concentrated PPD mixtures.

 

 

 

 

The additional BAQ samples were relatively similar to the initial sample. Here, the lawsone lines are more visible. A faint, green-brown line present beneath the orange dye lines was most likely due to plant reside which was wicked up along with the solvent. While the sample on the left appears as if there are four distinct dyes, one can see that the shape of the lines is uneven; rather than going straight across, indicating a clear separation of dyes, this separation is more likely due to inconsistencies in sample application, and solvent absorption/evaporation. Below are the results from the pre-made pastes, once again, for comparison.

 

 

 

Conclusions and Limitations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and report observable differences in texture, color, odor, flammability, and dye qualities of six pre-made “henna” pastes, and two “black henna” pastes. These products showed little to no similarities with BAQ henna paste, but were very similar to one another. Unlike BAQ paste, pre-made pastes were glossy, translucent gels. These pastes emitted a very strong solvent-like odor and contained highly concentrated dyes. Despite a possible presence of flammable ingredients, none of the pre-made pastes ignited when exposed to flame. Pastes mixed from powdered hair dye were dark brown to black and had no odor. Hair dye pastes were not tested for flammability.

 Access to advanced laboratory equipment and methods would help to shed light on the chemical qualities of the products, and even determine the ingredients within them. Equipment such as a mass-spectrometer can do just this, but is very expensive and difficult to access without an established relationship with a lab.

 However, the simple methods used in this study are more than enough to determine that pre-made pastes are far from true BAQ henna. True henna is made in small batches, and must be kept cold to prevent demise. The paste is opaque, green/brown, and smells pleasant. If you come across a product and are unsure of its ingredients or safety, err on the side of caution and do not use it. If you are very curious, squeeze a small amount onto a napkin and note its texture, color, and odor.

 True henna is wonderful. It has been used for centuries in numerous countries. It has been observed to provide benefits to skin and hair. Commercialization has tainted the term, “henna” with innumerable products which are far from the real thing. For quality and safety, it is best to skip the cheap, fast stuff, and mix your own henna paste using BAQ henna from a reputable supplier.