Henna Recipe

There are many recipes used to make henna paste.

Here we will explore recipes for henna tattoos and for henna hair dye. The main consituents for an effective henna mixture are high-quality fresh henna powder (lawsonia inermis) and 100% pure essential oil. Fresh body art quality henna is sold according to the date of harvest. Ideally the henna you purchase should be less than 12 months old. Essential oils contain terpineol alcohols, also known as "terps", which are a naturally occuring compound that enables a darker henna stain. Not all essential oils contain these terps, so you should select one or more of those listed below. Additional ingredients are liquid for mixing such as water or tea, and something sugary to help the henna stick to the skin. 

• Fresh Henna powder such as Rajasthani Henna 
• Distilled water, Black tea, or coffee (strained)
• Sugar, honey, or molasses
• Pure essential oil such as Cajeput, Tea Tree, Lavender, Clovebud, Cardamom or Frankincense

• Heat water, coffee, or tea to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Strain tea or coffee so there are no particles.
• Add liquid slowly to 100 grams of henna powder, stir thoroughly, until a pudding-like consistency is achieved.
• Add a tablespoon or so of your desired sweetener (more in dry climates, less in humid climates)
• Cover the henna mix and let sit until cooled.
• Add 10-30ml of essential oil and mix until there are no lumps left. Adding more essential oil can "push" the paste and it may be ready to use sooner.
• Re-cover the mixture and let sit for several more hours . A warm room may lead to quicker dye release (as little as an hour), while a cold room can take much longer (overnight). You should test the henna every hour or so if possible.
• Apply a dot of the henna to your palm. If it turns bright orange within a few minutes, it is ready to use.
• Put henna in your cone or bottle and apply to clean, dry skin.
• Allow henna to dry to the touch
• You may wish to seal it with a tea and sugar solution or wrap it with Hypafix
• Leave henna on skin for 4-8 hours
• Do not wash off! Scrape off gently
• Allow stain to develop further over the next 24 hours, preferably avoiding water during this time

Hints

• Store your remaining paste in the freezer for up to 6 months to keep it fresh
• Bottle users may wish to strain paste through the toe of a stocking to remove any particles.
• Hands and feet stain best, while other body areas may yield a fainter stain
• If you are using this mixture for your hair, Tea Tree oil is great for scalp problems such as dandruff.

1. Follow the above recipe to make your henna mixture. The essential oils are optional, however they enable a deeper stain, and if you are covering gray hair, you want all the help you can get!
2. Fill a squeeze bottle with the henna mixture.
3. Lube up - apply something oily to your hairline and ears to prevent staining the skin.
4. Put on your gloves. The doctor is IN!
5. Work from left to right, and front to back, squeezing henna into small sections of hair at a time. Spackle it on baby!
6. Once all of your hair is thoroughly coated, cover your hair with a plastic shower cap or bag.
7. Let it sit for 1-2 hours while you dance around the house in your slippers, vacuum, eat a pint of ice cream, or watch Mad Men.
8. Run a bath. Soak in the bath, making sure to soak the henna well. This helps prevent breakage of hair.
9. Once you've gotten most of the henna out, you can shower to get the remaining bits out. 
10. Skipping shampoo for a day or so after hennaing can also help the color be richer. Henna acts as a cleanser anyway, and your scalp will feel awesome, so you won't even miss it.

Indigo, sometime erroneously referred to as black henna, is actually a traditional herb used to color the hair. Used alone, it is great for combatting the brassiness that sometimes affects black hair. Mixed with henna, it makes a great brown dye. If you have lighter hair, you can do consecutive treatments (first henna, then indigo) to achieve truly black hair, naturally. Yay! 

1. If you have lighter hair, you need to apply henna as described above first, followed by the Indigo.
2. Mixing indigo is done by simply adding hot water, letting it sit for 5 minutes, then applying it to your hair.
3. Adding an egg to the mixture can help the mixture stick better, and is very conditioning. 
4. Apply indigo to the hair in the same manner as described above. 
5. If you are aiming for brown tones, mix your henna in advance, and indigo 5 minutes before you're ready to color. Mix the two halves together and apply. You can experiment with less or more indigo depending on how dark you want to go.

Tips - You may need to apply henna and/or indigo twice if you've never colored your hair before or are covering a lot of grays. After the first time though, usually monthly touch-ups at the roots are sufficient.