Henna paste is derived from the leaves of a hardy plant whose botanical name is "Lawsonia Inermis".

The leaves of the henna plant are collected, dried and then crushed into a powder. The powder is then mixed with several different ingredients and is made into a paste which can be used to dye skin, hair and even fingernails.

Henna plants resemble a small tree or shrub and flourish in desert climates (hot and dry), especially northern Africa, the Middle East and southern Asia.

It has been used for thousands of years and is still in widespread use today. Its use has become more popular in the western world over the last decade, with many people embracing the beautiful, fun (and temporary!) body art.

When Henna paste is applied on top of your skin, the natural pigments in the paste are absorbed into the upper layers of your epidermis.

As new skin cells are created, the older skin cells shed at the top of the skin, taking the henna stain with it layer by layer. It will take between 1 and 3 weeks for the stain to completely fade away.

For more information, see How Henna Stains the Skin on the Henna Page.

Your skin will stain in any shade (light to dark) of orange, red, brown, burgandy and near-black. Even if you have darker skin, Henna will be a contrasting stain. There is a Color Chart at the Henna Page.

Note: natural (and safe) henna is NOT black. Black henna consists of a chemical called PPD. PPD on skin can create chemical burns, which could result in permanent scarring. It is not safe to use.

To get the darkest and longest lasting stain, have the Henna paste applied to the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. The skin is thickest there and exfoliates slower than other areas on your body. The tops of your hands and feet also produce darker colours. Your face & neck will have the lightest stains.

There is a picture that maps Henna stains on the body at the Henna Page.

To make the henna stain darker and last longer, use henna paste that is fresh or has been kept frozen, have the design done on thicker skin (hands and feet), and leave the paste on as long as possible (overnight is preferable).

Another thing you can do is moisten the paste with lemon and sugar while it's still on your skin.