Henna - Uses, Mehndi Designs, Tattoos

The scientific name for this plant is Lawsonia Inermis. It is a large shrub which can grow up to six meters high. The plant has small flowers and small fruits, but it is the leaves which have the most use. The young leaves of henna have high concentrations of very colorful and natural dye which is bright orange or red in color. The older leaves give a faded yellow colored dye. Due to the presence of this natural color, henna leaves are especially useful in dyeing grey hair and also creating beautiful mehndi designs. Cold climates are not suitable for the growth of this plant, so if you want to grow henna you may need to consider growing them in pots and moving inside your home during cold climates. They do well in hot temperatures.

Mehndi is a natural tattoo commonly used by little girls and also brides in many Asian countries. It is usually put in palms and feet. You can easily make this if you have henna leaves in your home. Grind the leaves in your blender with very little water. You have to just sprinkle water while grinding the leaves. Make it a thick paste and fill it in a Ziploc bag and make a cone out of the bag with a small opening at one corner. Make beautiful designs in your palm with the paste by squeezing the Ziploc bag gently. Instead of Ziploc bags, you can use henna applicator bottles for convenience. The consistency of the paste is important, it should be thick enough. Be patient and allow your designs to dry for at least 30 to 45 minutes. You can get bright orange red designs if you wait patiently for at least 2 hours. For best results, consider not washing it out before going to sleep. When you wake up in the morning, wash your hands and see the beautiful and colorful designs in your palms which will last for many days! However be careful, henna can stain your clothes and bed sheets.

The Henna tattoo book provides readers with a variety of tattoo patterns with instructions on mixing henna and also teaching the basic shapes used to make the patterns.

The Henna Body Art Kit has Henna powder with bottle and the applicator.

Henna is very widely used as a natural dye for greying hair as it gives a beautiful brown color with out any side effects. This can be applied very easily and it usually lasts for about 1 month. It is a good option to those who are allergic to the artificial hair dyes.

Henna is also an excellent natural conditioner for hair.They make the hair soft and easy to handle without much effort and I love the beautiful orange brown tint they give to the hair. It is especially beneficial for dry and brittle hair. Henna conditioner can be easily prepared at home by mixing henna powder or fresh henna paste in water, along with little yogurt or coffee powder if you like. Yogurt and coffee powder are optional ingredients, and can be either used or omitted. Once the conditioner is applied in the hair, leave it for about 30 minutes and wash off.

Henna conditioners are excellent for the health of hair strands as well as the scalp.  They also help in cleansing the hair and reducing the dandruff. Applying henna can give a cooling effect and may help to prevent the damage to hair strands and cuticles.

The henna tinted tattoos are temporary tattoos which are very easy to use and will be great to wear for parties and celebrations.

The Henna Hearts tattoos  come with instructions for safe application and removal of the tattoos.

Don't get confused with the name, they actually don't have any henna in it. These are cute tattoo designs just for fun.