ONLY NATURAL HENNA WILL DO!
Natural henna stains vary greatly depending on the skin thickness and location, body chemistry and other factors. Here, Audrey is wearing natural henna on her palms. The deep rich stain is typical on palms because of warmth & thicker skin layers. Henna paste was applied and remained on the palms overnight. This stain is 24 hours old, typical stain development takes between 24-48 hours. (Photo by Kimberly Teichrow Photography, Henna design & application by Allison Dickerson, Allura Henna).
All natural henna stains in a variant of this color. Henna does not come in colors such as black, white, pink, etc…
I use only natural henna, imported body art quality from a reliable source. I use the following ingredients in my paste:
Natural Body Art Quality (BAQ) Henna Powder (Jamila / Rajisthani)
Lemon Juice / Water
Organic Sifted Sugar
Essential Oils - Only essential oils deemed suitable for topical use. All oils are diluted in my paste and NEVER directly applied in pure form to the skin. Myths exist that tea tree or lavender oil applied before doing henna will enhance the stain. I primarily use Cajeput, Sweet Orange, (limited) Tea Tree, Lavender (Bulgarian), Eucalyptus, Cardamom
If you have any issue with Essential Oils or Citrus, I can offer my services without these ingredients. They may affect the outcome, but accommodations are always available.
BLACK HENNA WARNING — Black Henna is NOT Natural Henna! Read this article by Catherine Cartwright-Jones (2003) regarding the use of black henna.