Since
time immemorial, henna has been adorning the hands and feet of
brides and
holds a significant place in the traditional and cultural history of
India.
Henna is an open shrub with heavily scented, small cream flowers and
blue
black fruit. The word Henna has its origin in the Arabic word
Al-Hinna.
The earliest evidence of the cosmetic use of henna is from ancient
Egypt.
Botanists believe that the plant's origin is somewhere in Persia and
in
India has been in use since about 700 AD. Henna has been very
popular for
more than 5000 years now.
The leaves, flowers and the twigs of the plant are ground into fine
powder
containing natural dying properties called tannins; the powder is
then mixed
with hot water. As a healing plant, henna conditions, cleanses,
colours and
cools the skin. Henna designs are used to celebrate any special
occasion -
an initiation, a birth of baby, and remains a sacred practice
intended not
just to beautify the body but to invite grace and good fortune into
one's
home, one's marriage, and one's family. It is a kind of talisman, a
blessing
upon the skin. The usage of henna is not only restricted to body
painting,
it has various other features and applications.
Benefits of Henna:
Henna encompasses the majestic features of Mother Nature and boasts
of some
striking features and advantages. Henna acts as a purifying and
nourishing
agent for the skin. It is also renowned for its healing qualities.
According
to ancient beliefs, henna is said to bring good luck. During hot
weather,
henna acts as a cooling agent when applied to the palms of the hands
and the
bottoms of the feet.
Henna based colours:
Henna based colours and dyes are extremely popular and safe to use.
Various
shades are procured by mixing henna with the leaves and fruit of
other
plants, such as indigo, tea, coffee, cloves and lemon. The resulting
paste
is often used as a hair dye. It is proved that henna's application
on hair
softens the texture and also works as a dandruff lotion. It is also
believed
to condition and revitalise hair, kill lice and prevent hair loss.
Our henna
hair dyes are ideal for maintaining the acid balance of hair and
acts as
nature's best colorants and conditioners on any kind of hair.
It is very unusual for anyone to have an adverse reaction to
natural henna
as it is one of the safest cosmetics ever used, but if one is
concerned then
a patch test could be the answer.
