Crescent Moon Henna

Henna is made from a plant grown in the Middle East and India. (Lawsonia Enermis)The leaves of the plant are ground and sifted into a fine powder, and then mixed with lemon juice and sugar, and an essential oil to get the beautiful reddish brown stain.

Henna has been used in the Middle East, North Africa and India for thousands of years to decorate the body. Mostly this is done for Weddings, Celebrations, or traditional rituals.

It can last a few days up to a few weeks, depending on the placement of the henna. Hands naturally fade faster as we wash them more. Henna also stains darker on the feet and hands because the skin is thicker there. It will be a lighter color on other parts of the body. It stains darkest on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, but it will also fade the fastest from the palms, due to hand washing.

• Leave paste on for a minimum of 4 hours. Overnight makes for the best results.

• Design will progress from orange tones to reddish brown or dark brown depending on the person in about 48 hours. Color may continue to deepen even longer on some individuals.

• No exfoliates (chlorine, most hand lotions). No pools or hot tubs. No antioxidants such as found in many face lotions and hand lotions.

• To slow design from fading, protect during water contact by using natural oils, such as olive or corn. A latex glove with an elastic band at the wrist can protect henna when showering. Some wax based balms also help preserve henna.