Colleen Heller
Henna Tattoo Artist
Henna Tattoo Artist
About Henna
Henna is the Persian name for a shrub known as Lawsonia inermis. The henna plant is native to Asia and the Mediterranean coast of Africa and now thrives in warmer climates all over the world. It has small, four-petaled flowers ranging from yellow to pink and its leaves produce a red dye. The leaves are harvested, dried, and ground into a fine powder. This powder is then used to dye hair red and for the ancient art of mehndi body painting. Henna contains hennotannic acid, a dye that bonds with the collagen in skin cells and keratin of fingernails and hair, leaving behind a red coloring.
The henna plant is one of the oldest cosmetics ever used and is extremely safe. Natural henna, when applied to the skin rarely causes any adverse reactions, if you are concerned you should do a small patch test first. Natural henna is safe even for use on children as it contains no dangerous chemical dyes or harsh additives. I make my paste fresh using lemon juice, sugar and organic essential oils such as tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus and clove.
I put the paste into cones made from cellophane wrapping paper and 'pipe' it onto the skin - in a way similar to decorating a cake with icing. The raised design flattens as it dries, then flakes off leaving a stain behind, which darkens over the next two days and lasts up to two weeks!
The henna plant is one of the oldest cosmetics ever used and is extremely safe. Natural henna, when applied to the skin rarely causes any adverse reactions, if you are concerned you should do a small patch test first. Natural henna is safe even for use on children as it contains no dangerous chemical dyes or harsh additives. I make my paste fresh using lemon juice, sugar and organic essential oils such as tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus and clove.
I put the paste into cones made from cellophane wrapping paper and 'pipe' it onto the skin - in a way similar to decorating a cake with icing. The raised design flattens as it dries, then flakes off leaving a stain behind, which darkens over the next two days and lasts up to two weeks!
