Henna has been used for centuries by people for body art and/or hair. Using a 100% natural product is the best way to go, and always brings memorable times with its use. This recipe is best used for body art. For use in hair, please read our article on How to Use Henna and Indigo to Dye Your Hair.
Essential ingredients:
- Fresh body art quality henna powder that is finely sifted (please read our article on the times needed for dye release).
- Bottled lemon juice, warm water or tea brew.
- 100% pure essential oils, such as eucalyptus globulus, cajeput, or tea tree or lavender (also known as terps).
- Sugar, preferably dextrose or fructose.
- Measuring the henna powder. Take 2 tbsp of henna powder (about 25 grams of henna), and put it into a bowl. Add 1 tsp of sugar of your choice, and mix well.
- Adding the lemon juice/water/tea brew. Heat your liquid (about 1/4 cup) on the stove or in your microwave, and add it slowly to your henna powder. Mix well until it is the consistency of play dough/ mashed potatoes. Cover your bowl and let it sit for 2-12 hours (depending on henna powder chosen).
- Adding essential oil. Then add 1-1.5 tsp of “terps” (essential oil). Cover again and let it sit for another 6-12 hours. Please make sure to read the article on how to choose the right henna powder for body art as it explains how different henna powders have different sitting periods to achieve proper dye release.
- Testing the paste. Test your henna paste periodically by placing a bit of paste onto your palm and let it sit for 1 minute. Remove the paste by washing off, and see if you have a bright pumpkin orange stain indicating that it is ready to use.
- Second round of lemon juice/water. Add more lemon juice/water (not warmed up) a little at a time and mix well. Do this until you have it to the consistency of toothpaste.
Additional Tips:
- Straining your henna paste makes it extra smooth. You can do this by taking a large cup and placing a carrot bag inside, and then putting a cheap nylon stocking inside that. You then pour the henna paste into the stocking’s opening and pull the stocking through the carrot bag. That way, the henna paste is forced to come through the nylon stocking into the carrot bag. It will be extremely smooth and you won’t have any clogs in your fine tips or cones. What is also good about this method is that, once the henna paste is in the carrot bag, you can easily use that to fill all your applicators up.
- Test your henna paste for dye release as well. Read our article: How to Test your Henna Paste for Dye Release.
- Please do read our aftercare article on taking care of your henna design, to ensure best results.
36 Comments
Hi
I recently went to Tunisia and had a henna tattoo done. However the henna used is very different to the kind made in your recipe.
I was more like a thick liquid that the artist put on with a thin nib, and it didn’t have a thick paste on top of the skin. I was wondering if you knew anything about this kind of henna that you could tell me – as i prefer this kind of henna.
Thankyou
Heather Owston
Hi Heather,
Thanks for your comment. hhhmm the henna you are describing sounds like black henna…what color was the henna design? Was it natural henna like reddish -brown or just plain black?
Black henna is illegal in Canada, and it is dangerous to use as it can cause scarring or blistering. I am going to be putting up our black henna warning soon.
Khadija
the “henna you have had done in tunisia wasn#t henna but harkou. This is an Gall ink and is usually used to add some little designs to the henna. but with the many (mainly) European tourist coming to Tunisia nowadays and wishing a Henna-Tattoo it is now applied on them without henna.
if you want to have more information you may have a look on the following pages of my website:
http://www.henna-und-mehr.de/de/harkus.html (in German(
or
http://www.henna-und-mehr.de/franz/harkus.html (in French)
Thank you Olga for the great information on my blog!! I hope you are well
Hi,
Luv all this info on your website. Wondering if u could help.. i am a new henna artist and have my henna from india. I add essential oils like tea tree- but my stain is ok– not the darkest. How do i get my henna to become darker color?? I notice when i apply- the color is greenish and other artists henna is more black. why the difference? Please help as i enjoy doing the henna and want to stay doing henna for a long time. Any info you have would be helpful.
thanks in advance, Ruby
Hi Ruby, thanks for posting!
Make sure your henna from India is very fresh, like the current year’s crop and get them to make it finely sifted too, so it is smooth and easy to use.
I’d recommend you read this too when making your henna paste:
http://hennablogspot.com/fool-proof-testing-of-your-henna-paste/
This will make sure you have a good color. Indian henna can sit out for 12 hours, don’t let it sit for dye release longer then that is you can, unless it’s mixed with Jamila henna it is okay for up to 24 hours.
If the henna is black then it must have chemicals in it, and not be natural henna. When a henna stains too dark, almost black, or green (must be because of fading though in thick areas), then it might have some sodium picramate in it perhaps. They use that additive to make henna look fresher when it is old.
So my advice is use the best henna powder around such as rajasthani indian henna or jamila henna for best results and follow our recipe. You are sure to get amazing results!!
I hope this helps. Keep in touch
the stuff is realy cool and i am thinking of doing more art on me but i dont have eney my friend toled me were to get i and it is realy nice when it comes ot thank you for showing me that body art is nice
Thanks Sara.
Let me know if you ever have any questions or need some help with henna body art.
Looking for henna cones online? My search ended when I found this seller on amazon and ebay. This seller has great quality cones and for reasonable price. (ADMIN: edited to remove advertisement)
Mansee, we kindly asked you to not post up advertisements on our blog. If we see the advertising posted a third time, you will be banned from posting.
Hi,i want jamila henna but i dot no the place that there selling it.
Jamila henna is an excellent henna powder especially the summer crops that are dated on the boxes. We sell it at http://wwww.hennasooq.com/usa-store
Hi!
I made my henna paste with your rajasthani henna (crop 2009), followed your paste recipe with tea tree oil and did the full proof dye release, used my paste right away… the stain turned a bright orange on my ankles and after 24 hours, it’s brownish. How can I have the henna turn deep red? I tried different henna powder and ready mix cones and it always turn to be brownish. Is my skin the problem? Should I prepare it with some essential oil before?
Thanks!
Hi Marianne!
It may be that your body chemistry yields you browner results. Did you try it on your hand area, like palm as yet to see if it differes? or even lavender essential oil may get it to push more reddish. Usually rajasthani indian henna yields pretty nice red-brown results. What do you mean exactly by preparing essential oils beforehand?
Thanks for the answer! I’m trying right now a little flower on my finger tip and I’ll let you know the result. I will also try to terp with lavander oil. About preparing the skin, I read somewhere that some people put oil of cloves on the skin before applying the henna paste to get the skin more hot. I think cloves can be irritating for the skin so I’m not sure it worths trying it (excuse me for my bad english
)
Welcome Marianne
Let me know how it turns out. cloves can be irritating directly on the skin, but I use them in my brew. I make a tea brew with a bit of lemon and cloved for my henna recipe. The one you receive is a general recipe and everyone adjusts it to their own liking.
I’d say just make sure the area is clean, and you can use hypafix to keep it on longer so that the color is as dark as possible. I let mine stay on overnight.
Hypafix can be boughten at Pharmaprix if you are located in Montreal/Quebec.
One more tips form me while making henna paste please be sure that you make a paste in a steel utencil so that mehndi properties should not change .
That is a very good point Mirza. I personally use stainless steel and it works out perfectly!
It’s coming up to festival, summer time again i have one message…
STAY AWAY FROM EVIL BLACK HENNA,
I love henna and just can’t stand Black henna it gives a beautiful artform a bad name and i have personally seen it’s harmfull effects. I really hate people who are aware of the dangers but still use it on there customers. I had a friend a few years back who came back from holiday with one it looked great for a while then it started itching, thankfully it left her no permanent damage.
Recently i have discovered Jagua at a jagua website, it too is black in colour and lasted about 10 days it looked like a real tattoo which gave my partner a bit of a fright, with thankfully no health dangers associated to black henna(PPD).
I actively try to prevent the usage of black henna by blogging to spread awareness and wherever i see it being used confront the artist generally recieving abuse and contempt but i think its worth it if it stops an innocent person from being scarred.
Thanks Grant for your post! I have a few fellow artists who sell jagua as well. Be careful though people can still be allergic to that as well. We had a few using it and got reactions. Anything is possible even with natural herbs/fruits etc…
First off, great article!
I suspect that the Henna I bought is far too old, but tomorrow I am using it at an event and cant order fresher henna. I made a batch and the resulting stain is far too light. Is there anything I can do to make the stain darker with the next batch that will not harm my customers skin like black henna?
Thanks Beccah!
With the henna powder you have to can do a test patch to see if maybe the mixng part is just not right. How long do you let it sit out for? Which henna brand is it?
The only way to ensure best stains with a good henna recipe, is with fresh henna powder that is body art quality, and a good essential oil like tea tree, cajeput, eucalyptus, or lavender.
Hi,
thanks for your great advice on henna. do u have a recommended supplier of henna in india?? Is it better to use Rajasthani henna and if so- where can i buy this from? have you heard of “Katha” – what is it? are there other oils to use to darken color?? i heard from people doing henna that all they add is water to henna but their henna color is really great and dark– could this be true??
thanks for your help.
Welcome Ruby. Are you in India?
We do sell supplies and henna powder as well at http://www.hennasooq.com. We ship worldwide.
The best oils for darker stain results is eucalyptus, tea tree, cajeput and lavender pure essential oils. Yes water is good, but it has to be warm. Most use a tea brew, and also with some lemon juice. I use a little bit of all of those liquids in my personal recipe.
The best advice I have is to make sure you get fresh, finely sifted henna powder, like from Rajasthan, and it’ll will be amazing!
I’ve never heard of katha
hi,
thanks so much for your help with this!! much appreciated. I live in Canada- not India.. any suggestions on where to get good mehndi?
Hi Ruby,
Henna Sooq is based in North America. You can purchase all of your henna and supplies from the online store. The henna is imported every year to ensure the freshest product. Henna Sooq also supplies the essential oils you can use for getting darker colour. If you’re in Toronto/The GTA, you can choose to pick up your order locally from 1 of the 2 locations available here.
Hope this helps!
Hi Ruby
Yes you can shop with us at http://www.hennasooq.ca
Hope you enjoy our products!
Hi there, I just wanted to let you all know that Henna Garden website isn’t legitimate. I’ve paid them for goods that never reach me and they don’t respond to my calls or e-mails. Beware!!!!!!!!
Hi I wanted to ask you about mixing henna to get a dark red or even close to black stain. I have lavender, tee tree, and eucalyptus iol at the moment. What if I brew tea, coffee, with lemon juice instead of water then let it cool (as I heard that warm brew will make dye release fast but fade fast too – is that right?) Them mist it to my henna with sugar, leave for up to 12 hrs, then add the 3 terps that I have. Would that give me the best stain? what do you say?
Thank you for the warning Rehana. I didn’t even know about them. You could report them to their hosting company to disable them or report them to paypal if you have issues. These issues usually work very well for the client.
The first key is fresh, amazing henna powder as part of your recipe. You can use all those oils, but at least make sure to use 1 of them at a minimum. I like lavender essential oil personally. You can make a brew but keep in mind, that some clients are sensitive to the caffeine in tea and coffee, so use a small amount or de-caf. I make a brew too. I use a bit of lemon juice, water, and tea in mine. Then let it cool, to warm and use it. A HOT brew would push it too quick. A warm brew is fine, as your liquid to start MUST be warm. Henna loves warmth.
Yes mix it in, and then depending on WHICH henna powder you are using, then you leave it for that time that particular henna powder needs.
Yes midway through the recipe, add the terps and then allow to sit and then check for dye release.
Did you read our articles on dye release tmings, and how to test your henna paste for readiness?
Hi there, thanks for you feedback. I wanted to ask if Ragisthani henna comes in a box or not as I have got some Rajisthani henna in a foil pack with no name or crop date but the seller said it is Rajisthani. Is this how it normally comes? Also I will be using for my mix a bit of Rajisthani and Jamila and the 3 terps that I mentioned in the previous comment plus cajeput and bengal blend. Is it ok to use all of these and also you said to use a them at a minimum – what do you mean by this, please clarify?
Can you also tell me how much tea is required for the brew and also how to sift henna.
Rehana the amount you use it really up to your judgement as I don’t really measure everything. maybe 2-3 bags in your brew. Depends on the quantities you are making. You can strain any henna paste through a nylon stocking if you needed to. Jamila henna powder doesn’t really need to be strained as it’s so creamy and fine. It’s amazing!
Rehana, the rajasthani comes packaged in 100 gram packs. The descriptions are on our website with detail. you can read it there too under each product. It does usually come in foil packages but we get ours marked with the dates and USDA approval label as well.
You don’t have to use ALL of those oils but you can choose 1 as your terp and the other just for scent. Don’t over do it, in case anyone is allergic or sensitive to your blend. Plus it’ll just cost you more. It’s up to you
Thanks very much as your feedback is much appreciated. I have already made a brew today with 1 tea bag, 1 tea spoon coffee, 1 1/2 cup of lemon juice and made a brew – don’t know how this will turn out to be tomorrow! I mixed this brew after cooling to 8 teaspoons of Rajisthani henna (without sifting) and 4 teaspoons of sugar. What do you thing – a disaster or not?
Welcome Rehana, too much sugar. it’s going to be very runny. you only add 1 tsp per 25 grams of henna powder of sugar. So basically 1 tsp for every 2 tbsp. I don’t even add sugar all that much anymore personally but if you live in a dry climate it might crack a little.
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