Henna Muse

Category: henna

  • Does Sugar Lessen Henna Stains?

    I saw some conversations on the Henna Hub indicating that people found that adding sugar to their paste was making their stains lighter. Mark Samwella from Jamaica even did some carefully documented testing and showed side by side stains where the sugar mixes were visibly less than those without. I was stunned! I know with certainty that if I don’t add sugar here in the US Midwest that the henna will crumble and fall off before much dye can be absorbed. So what’s going on here? So I decided to do some of my own testing on how sugar impacts henna stain.

    Procedure:

    I put one tablespoon of Organic Rajasthani Henna powder in each of 8 small cups. To that I added enough lemon juice to moisten and 1 ml cajeput essential oil.

    I covered 4 of the cups with plastic wrap to let them dye release.

    To the other four I added the following: no sugar, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoon sugar. Then I thinned to a working consistency with lemon juice, and covered with plastic wrap.

    After 12 hours at room temperature I added sugar to the 4 cups in the following way. The first one I added as much sugar as it would take to thin the paste to working consistency. To the rest 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons sugar.

    I applied all 8 mixes in generous dabs on my left calf, and again on my right calf, taping them after they dried.

    Results:

    The non sugared batch fell off within 40 minutes, as I expected. I was very surprised to find that after the color developed that patch still caught up to the others even with such little exposure! The tapped tests look pretty much the same except for the batches that are way over sugared, which are significantly lighter. I was surprised to see that my standard method of adding sugar to consistency was a little bit lighter, but in my dry, climate controlled kitchen, it did take nearly 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, which is a LOT and nearly as much as the purposely over sugared 2 teaspoon batches. I saw virtually no difference between adding sugar at the initial mix vs. after dye release. I didn’t manage to get photo of the fade, but after days of wear and scrubbing the 2 teaspoon dots faded first, followed by the no sugar dots, then the rest. So even though the sugarless sample got as dark with less exposure it it did not last as long.

    henna batches ready for testing
    This image showing the no sugar batch falling off right away.
    Day two: Diagram of my non-taped leg stains
    Day two: (The taped leg is the inverse of the non-taped leg so the over-sugared batches are on the left here.) The taped leg shows very little difference in stain. The over sugared batches or slightly lighter.
    Day four: To my eye the darkest batches here are the 1/2 and 1 tablespoon, added after dye release batches.

    Conclusion:

    Yes I was surprised! But I will also keep using sugar. It does seem that TOO MUCH sugar impacts henna stain in a negative way. It makes sense though really. At that point your actually diluting the the amount of dye in the paste. I will probably reduce my maximum sugar addition from 6 tablespoons of sugar per 100 grams of paste to 4 before thinning with water, but on the whole I won’t change my method, or leave the sugar out all together.

    I was very surprised that the short exposure time of the non-sugar batch impacted the color so little! However it did greatly reduce longevity. This gives me confidence that most people will experience good stain even when they don’t have good after care. Duration of paste exposure is bound to be my next test!

    While Marc in Jamaica may have a very different environment from mine, his best practices are bound to be different. Its clear that his testing showed his method works for him. My testing showed my method works for me. I do believe that OVER sugaring to the degree of being non-workable anyway is probably the culprit where sugar causes an obviously poor stain. In my test they were clearly the only obvious outliers. My typical philosophy on henna methods is that within the margins of safe practice, every artists should do what works for them. And I stand by that.

  • About Mixing Henna

    As I try to brainstorm new content for this website, I’ve started thinking about getting back to basics. The most basic thing I can think of is mixing henna paste, and looking back at my previous posts I’ve spend some time going into great detail about henna chemistry, and special techniques in mixing henna, but what I haven’t done is post a very simple basic recipe.  So here it is! This is the simple beginner’s recipe that I include in my henna kits.

    Mixing Henna Paste

    This is the most basic recipe for mixing paste. You may want to make changes based on your preferences or your local climate, but this is a great place to start.

    Instructions

    Mixing

    1. Mix lemon juice into henna powder and sugar until it is the consistency of stiff mashed potatoes.
    2. Add essential oil and adjust the consistency of the paste to about that of pancake batter by adding more lemon juice.
    3. Recover and let stand 5 – 24 hours until it’s ready. The cooler the temperature, the longer it will need to stand. You can tell when it’s ready by putting a dot of paste on the heal of your palm. Let the paste dry, and rinse it off. If there is a bright orange stain, your paste is ready. This is called dye release.

    Filling applicators

    Spoon the paste into the included pastry bag. Snip the pointy end with scissors. Gently squeeze paste into the applicators. Only fill them about 2/3 of the way and use the remaining plastic to fold into a triangle and roll down. Use a tab of tape to hold it closed.

    Application

    Apply to clean skin. Allow the paste to dry for 30 minutes before touching it or covering with clothing. Leave dry paste on for an additional 4-8 hours.

    After care

    When the paste is removed the design will be pale orange. Allow 1-3 days for the color to deepen. Avoid water as much as possible in these first days. Use lotion or lip balm to keep skin moisturized and to seal it away from exposure to water before bathing.

    Next Steps

    After you’ve tried mixing henna paste with this recipe you’re ready to study advanced henna chemistry and my trademark sugaring method.

     

  • 2018 Henna Practice Challenge -Day 2

    Day 2

    Daily henna practice doesn’t have to be horribly time consuming every day! On Wednesdays I coach 5-9 year olds roller derby. I also watch my grandson every weekday evening. Today I didn’t exactly have a lot of spare time. I thought that if I built from yesterday’s practice I would make the most of the little time I had.

    For today’s practice I took one of the brainstormed ideas from yesterday, developed it further, executed it better, and tried out some complimentary finger tips ideas.

     

  • 2018 Henna Practice Challenge -Day 1

    Happy New Year!

    Practice is important in every field. I think its especially important for me in winter when I don’t get nearly as much paid work. I really don’t take special time out for daily henna practice nearly enough, and I find that when I do, I practice the same sort of designs and elements that I already use a lot. I’ve decided to challenge myself to practice something new and useful every business day at least until spring. My challenges will be posted here every day for anyone who wants to follow along. I’d love to see your work if you do!

    January 2, Day 1

    Practice isn’t all drills and repetition. Sometimes practice is about tackling a problem from a new angle. Brainstorm some simple strips that do NOT contain paisleys or flowers.

    Here are my strips. They are not perfectly executed. They are not groundbreaking. They are not really special at all. But doodling them did stretch my brain a bit!

  • The reality of the FDA for henna artists

    You may have heard that using henna in the United States is illegal. This is absolutely NOT true. You may have heard that the FDA does not approve of the use of henna on skin. That IS absolutely TRUE. How can that make sense? Let me try to explain.

    Let’s start with what the FDA actually says about henna. Here is the regulation pertaining to henna quoted verbatim. The most important bit is emphasized with blue text.

    [Code of Federal Regulations]
    [Title 21, Volume 1]
    [Revised as of April 1, 2013]
    [CITE: 21CFR73.2190]
    PART 73 — LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM CERTIFICATION
    Subpart C–Cosmetics
    Sec. 73.2190 Henna.
    (a)Identity. The color additive henna is the dried leaf and petiole of Lawsonia alba Lam. (Lawsonia inermis L.). It may be identified by its characteristic odor and by characteristic plant histology.
    (b)Specifications. Henna shall conform to the following specifications:
    It shall not contain more than 10 percent of plant material fromLawsonia alba Lam. (Lawsonia inermis L.) other than the leaf and petiole, and shall be free from admixture with material from any other species of plant.
    Moisture, not more than 10 percent.
    Total ash, not more than 15 percent.
    Acid-insoluble ash, not more than 5 percent.
    Lead (as Pb), not more than 20 parts per million.
    Arsenic (as As), not more than 3 parts per million.
    (c)Uses and restrictions. The color additive henna may be safely used for coloring hair only. It may not be used for coloring the eyelashes or eyebrows, or generally in the area of the eye.
    (d)Labeling. The label for henna shall bear the information required by 70.25 of this chapter and the following statements or their equivalent:
    “Do not use in the area of the eye.”
    “Do not use on cut or abraded scalp.”
    (e)Exemption from certification. Certification of this color additive for the prescribed use is not necessary for the protection of the public health and therefore batches thereof are exempt from the certification requirements of section 721(c) of the act.

    There it is! The FDA said it! Henna on skin is against the law! Right? NOPE. There’s more. We also need to discuss the jurisdiction and limitations of FDA regulations. What is the FDA’s reach?

    • The FD&C Act prohibits the marketing of adulterated or misbranded cosmetics in interstate commerce.
    • Under the FD&C Act, color additives, except for coal tar hair dyes, are subject to FDA approval before they may be used in cosmetics.
    • A product is adulterated if: it contains an ingredient that is harmful, putrid, or
      decomposed; if it manufactured in insanitary conditions; or if it is not a hair dye and contains a non-permitted color additive.
    • A product is misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading, if it doesn’t bear the information required by the FPLA, or if the container is made or filled in a deceptive manor.

    As we learned above, henna is a color additive, and not approved for use on skin, which means it is, in fact, adulterated by FDA definition. How is applying henna to clients OK?

    • It is not INTERSTATE COMMERCE or manufacturing.
    • Also the FDA does not have authority over products applied by professionals, including henna vendors. (see more here)

    If you are not selling, labeling, manufacturing, or importing henna NONE of this applies to you. There are no actual local laws on the books in the US prohibiting the use of henna on skin. It is not a criminal action. These FDA regulations are all the law says about the use of natural henna paste.

    But how are we going to get our henna?!? That’s not really as big of a deal as it seems either. There has been a lot of inflammatory rhetoric lately, but in all actuality NOTHING has changed. About a year ago customs decided to tighten up on refusing or impounding henna shipments that do not comply with FDA regulation. The regulation did not change. Its just been an increase of enforcement at customs. When customs says “hey check out this non-compliant thing!” The FDA is obligated to follow through. Almost every henna importer I know has had this happen. Almost all of those have been able to jump through the prescribed hoops and get their shipment back. Almost of those have been able to receive later shipments with no problem. So yes, it is a pain, and a risk to get henna in the US, but knowledgable people have been able to navigate the land mines and they will continue to be able to even if they have losses from time to time. Fear mongering to the contrary serves only to increase sales with panic hoarding, or to attempt to push henna substitute products for henna art.

    The fact of the matter is that the FDA absolutely knows what is wrong with the current regulation. They are unable to make changes until some reliable academic research is compiled to petition the FDA regulation. (Private corporate research would be great too, but unfortunately the corporations prefer to keep using cheap dangerous chemicals and are uninterested in completing such research.) Meanwhile all that is happening! Slowly over the course of literal decades. And in the meantime the FDA puts out the outreach material below. If you click through the slide show you can see that they understand which “temporary tattoos” are dangerous, which are not, and which need more research. They even give people the tools they need to tell the difference between dangerous PPD paste and the real thing! They point out the regulation because they have to, but their understanding of the reality is clear.

    http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/UCM396649.pdf

    Please don’t worry. Everything is fine. Nothing has changed recently and very little has changed in the last year. There is nothing to fear for henna artists. Importers and suppliers are taking the risk for you and learning to navigate the bureaucratic waters.

    Relax and enjoy this instead of worrying.

    This 20 Kilo bundle of henna belongs Mardi the henna-cat.
    This 20 Kilo bundle of henna belongs Mardi the henna-cat.

  • Choosing Essential Oils for Henna Paste

    oildothand

    Essential oils function as a solvent in your paste and help the dye molecule to be more available to attach to keratin in skin. Most solvents that come to mind first are things like kerosene or turpentine. Obviously they are not skin friendly and we don’t want them in paste! (That doesn’t mean that they are not sometimes found in imported pre-mixes! BEWARE IMPORTED PRE-MIXES!) There are solutions for skin friendly solvents and we can find them in essential oils with high levels of monoterpene alcohols. This is where the term “terp” comes from.

    oildotback

    Terps certainly improve the color and duration of henna, some more than others. Here are a few photos that I took of my own experiments a good ten years ago. I couldn’t even tell you know things like where the oils were purchased or what kind of henna I used, but it does serve to show that there can be a significant difference!

    newoils


    Mono what
    now?

    Every essential oils is made up of many chemicals that plants use as communication systems. These chemicals do things for the plant like mimic the pheromones of insects that would help with pollination. It really is a very intricate and amazing arrangement! Most of those chemicals are monoterpenes. Its the monoterpene ALCOHOLS that help us out with our paste. Its also important to point out that some monoterpene alcohols or essential oils containing them can be irritating or even toxic! Its important to choose carefully!

    Which monoterpene alcohols?

    The most effective, nontoxic, non-iritating monoterpene alcohols are terpineol, geraniol, cineol, cedrol, linalool. Lavender essential oils have high levels of linolool. Tea tree has cineol. Cajeput and Niaouli both have high levels of cineol and terpineol. Geranium has geraniol and linalol. Clove has high levels of eugenol. You may be asking how one knows this stuff! Since these are natural constituents of the oils, its not like they’re written on the bottle right?! Well, if you want to experiment rather than relying on the wisdom of those that came before you, I absolutely respect that! There are a few things you’ll need to know first.

    You’ll need a great essential oil book that lists the most common chemical constituents of essential oils. This won’t be perfect because plants are effected by variables like the temperature and soil that will make them slightly different season to season and location to location. They will give you a good idea of the constituents that are most present in an essential oil, usually listing them from the largest percentage to the least. I use the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless. Between home remedies, soap making, and henna research I use this book every day. It was an excellent investment.

    Having a good essential oil guide will help, but there are a few other things to know that will help you shop for oils intelligently and even to experiment with different oils in your paste. First of all, just because an oil contains the good monoterpene alcohols, doesn’t make it a good oil for paste! Camphor, for example, is full of cineol and terpineol, BUT its also toxic because of other chemicals naturally present in the oil. Also, plants with similar names are NOT equal. Clove bud makes a perfectly fine terp (although can be irritating to some, so use it in small amounts) but clove leaf is a strong irritant! You should also know that sometimes essential oils are improperly labeled. Eucalyptus Globulus is a great terp and non-iritating, but other varieties are not, however I have often found essential oil labeled “globulus” that turned out to be a different variety all together. Quality can be a serious issue too. Depending on how the oils are distilled, toxins involved in the extraction can be left behind. To avoid this, make sure to get “food grade” or “aromatherapy grade” essential oils that are pure, not diluted. One last thought on oil choices: Even the same species of plant can be different from one source to the next. Lavender is a perfect example. Even though they are all True Lavender, lavender from France (or fine lavender) has much lower levels of monoterpene alcohols that that grown in Hungary or Bulgaria.

    There’s a lot more to discuss on this topic! I’ll write more about it later, but to sum it all up, you can use oils from a trusted henna supplier and feel confident that you’ll get good color safely. If you want to step it up a notch, you may want to experiment with other oils that aren’t used as commonly. Basil and Juniper berry might be good choices! But either way, it is vital that you do your own research when using oils to make sure that you are using them safely and always make sure your clients are aware of the oils you choose. Some folks may be allergic to some oils. They may interact with conditions or medications. Rosemary oil can induce early labor! Make sure you know your oils! Also don’t over do it. You should look at essential oils like medicines, that can be harmful when too much is used. I’d never recommend using more than 1 oz (2 tablespoons) per 100 g henna powder.

    Playing with essential oils can give you an opportunity to really customize your paste AND improve color. Just make sure to do it responsibly.

  • Kate and Mean Jean Take on Cancer

    Katie is one of my favorite clients. She’s perky. She loves animals and children. She speaks her mind. She’s so easy to love that shortly after she scheduled her first appointment, a friend of hers called and asked she could cover the cost for Kate in advance as a surprise. She comes to me fairly regularly lately to have me crown her lovely noggin with henna. Katie is fighting cancer and likes to have a new “tattoo” when she goes for treatment, and I get to help!

    tinkerbell 

    Kate doesn’t go in for traditional henna styles so much. I did one design for her with some flowers and paisleys, but most often she has challenging and unusual requests for me like Tinkerbell. Shortly before her most recent appointment she left me a message explaining what she’d like me to do for her this time. She wants Mean Jean, of the Fort Wayne Derby Girls with a big boxing glove shattering the word “cancer.” How brilliant is that!? My daughter skates with the Jr. derby team, the Fort Wayne Derby Brats, and so we spend time with FWDG skaters, as her coaches, at bouts, fund raising, and so on.

    IMG_0747As it turns out, Kate had participated in Bust A Move, a fun charity event. Derby skaters have a plaster cast made of their bust, and a local artist gives it her own unique touch. The casts are auctioned to support Cancer Services. Turns out, through that event, Kate knows “Kona Krusher,” Skater for the Fort Wayne Derby Girls and Coach to my daughter and the Fort Wayne Derby Brats. What a small world!

    So this is what we ended up with. I can’t wait to see what Kate throws at me next!

     

  • How much sugar?

    Let me teach you how to add the perfect amount of sugar to your paste EVERY time. Its pretty simple if you can just get past the idea that its a process, not a recipe. It will vary depending on the weather.

    Here’s how it works:

    Sugar will draw moisture from the air. This thins your paste. This is why some people in humid places think they can’t use sugar. They mix their paste to a working consistency, THEN add the sugar. It draws moisture from the air, and thins out some more. Now the paste is too sloppy, the lines spread, and it takes too long to dry! On a dry day, because there is very little moisture in the air for the sugar to pull into your paste, it will take more sugar to thin it to a working texture. On a humid day, each spoonful will thin your paste more because there’s lots of moisture in the air. It works out great because we need more sugar on dry days than damp days. Clear as mud? Don’t worry, you’ll get it when you see this:

     

    Tips:

    Don’t use more than 5 tablespoons of sugar. This will make sticky, nasty paste that will most likely never dry even in the driest climate. If you put 5 tablespoons of sugar into a 100 g batch and its still too thick, then thin it down with the rest of the way with water. In this case you may need some sort of seal.

    Add the sugar the same day, and in the same environment you’ll be working. If you’re going to work outside, mix outside. If you’re going to work in air-conditioning, add sugar in air-conditioning. This trick is environmentally dependent!

    You can mix with just liquid and oils, really thick (like plaster thick) and freeze that in advance. Pull out a bag of thick paste when you’re ready to use it, and sugar it that day.

    Even stringy hennas can benefit from sugar! The natural qualities will help with draping lovely, fine, lines, but it won’t make the dry paste flexible enough to move with skin. My method will help you add sugar to even stringy paste and maintain the integrity of your lines.

  • Using Henna Muse’s pre-rolled cones

    All pre-rolled henna cones are not created equal! As I’ve mentioned before, the supplies I sell are the same stuff I use myself. I don’t know what it is about me, but I CANNOT seem to cut a cone tip straight to save my life. No matter what I use to cut it (I’ve tried thread scissors, razor blades, and nail clippers) or how carefully I do it, I always get little curly-Q’s of paste when I try to use the cone. My solution: I roll them open. Yes, Henna Muse’s cones have an open tip.

    I must say, I’m pretty doggone good at cone rolling. They don’t blow out, as long as you don’t over-fill. The tips have an amazingly consistant size despite being hand rolled. And yes, I roll them all myself. I do have a few pointers for using and filling open tipped cones that I’d like to share:

    1. Fill the cones over a towel. There will probably be a little dribble of paste that escapes the tip, especially when you close the back end. Rolling over  a towel will save you a mess.

    2. Be careful when transporting open tipped cones! Make sure you keep them safe from being smooshed, because they will ooze if the end up under all the design books in your gig bag. I keep mine in a zipper sealed plastic bag, in a lunch box.

    3. Try a tap of tape! If you put tape over the tip after you fill the cone they will be less likely to ooze.

    4. This one is true of ALL cone, open tipped or otherwise: Don’t stack empty cones inside each other! Sometimes they get stuck together. Pulling them appart can shift the layers of the cone making it pretty much useless.

    Check out this cone filling video! Since I made this movie, I’ve stopped putting the tape around the edge of the back end. As long as you fill only 2/3 of the way, they don’t tend to leak. The tape is unnecessary.

    You can buy my cones here: https://hennamuse.com/shop/products/tools/

     

  • Advanced Henna Chemistry!

    Advanced Henna Chemistry

    When I was in college, I had a bad case of what I called Artist’s ADD. I was never able to focus on one medium long enough to really master it. I’d see a little glass work, and I HAD to know how that was done. I would see some polymer clay sculpture and have to try that, and so on, and so on. Then I found henna! I think the thing that keeps me focused on henna all the many facets of henna to learn. I just can’t ever get bored. If I tire of actually hennaing, I can go study the cultural aspect for awhile and learn about traditions and motifs of different regions. If I get tired of that I can study henna farming, or draw some new designs, or work on my recipe, or study henna chemistry. This may be true for any art that one feels passionate about, but if that’s the case, henna is the medium that finally captured my passion.

    I was never a fan of chemistry in high school, and in college I managed to dodge it all together. When it comes to henna though, I’m absolutely captivated! Considering my complete lack of education in chemistry, I’ve been moved to teach myself the things I should have learned when I was young in order to better understand just how henna works. I’ve been looking over this problem for 6 or 7 years with a great amount of frustration. I know that Lawsone is the name of the dye in henna, and that it is activated in a stable way by a mildly acidic solution. I know that it binds to keratin in skin. I know that exposure to air oxidizes the henna causing the color to get darker. I get kinda fuzzy on the details…

    Lawsone Molecule

    But here is one well written article about how it all works! The focus in on henna for hair, but chemistry is basically the same except for small differences in the proteins that make up the keratin in skin and hair. Check it out!

    http://cthuliz.com/blog/?p=2624

    Also check out a more recent, far more detailed article about henna chemistry here: The Chemistry of Henna for Body Art.