Steps To A Good Henna Paste

Step 1 to a good henna paste: you *must* have good henna powder to work with. The picture to the right exemplifies my original attitude toward quality henna powders, that old powder is dull in color and that new powder is brighter.

New henna powder generally appears green, while old henna is much more muted and may appear slightly brown. BUT . . Because of this tendency, many suppliers, particularly henna suppliers in India, have started to add green dyes to make henna powder look very green (see the "new henna powder" picture above), but the stain produced may not differ from duller powders. Additionally, according to street henna suppliers as well as Usha and Ekta Shah, mehndi artists in Mumbai, some companies add other leaf powders, colored sand, and twigs to henna, thus decreasing costs and, simultaneously, decreasing the quality of henna produced. Many commercially packaged powders may be labeled 100% natural henna, but in reality they may be only 20%-40% henna. Thus, remember: There is no way to tell the quality of a henna powder by its color. So here are my tips in selecting powders:

1. Get a small amount of henna powder (100 grams or so) before committing to a larger quantity from a supplier. Ask for samples if possible.

2. Avoid buying henna from grocers because you never know how long these powders have sat on the shelf. The $1 or so price tag may attract you, but you risk buying very low quality henna.

3. Avoid black hennas and "herbal" hennas. Do not use hennas that are intended for hair.

4. You will know good mehndi powder when you use it. First, it will have a very stringy texture when you mix it, even in plain water. As an earmark try lifting a spoon of paste; it should come off the spoon smoothly and in a thin string, like molasses or honey. Good henna also tends not to stick to the sides of your mixing container. It is viscous and smooth.

5. Good henna will stain your skin a light orange within minutes of application.

6. Good powder is also fresh powder; to maintain the freshness of your henna, store it in a sealed container in the frig or freezer, with minimal exposure to air. Henna works optimally for a uear after purchase, but will still stain adequately for a few years after as well.

Step 2 to good henna paste: Make sure that your henna is filtered well. It should not contain any twigs or fibers, which commonly appear in coarser grades of henna that are intended for the hair. henna powderf you click on the image to the left, you will see that this powder exemplifies the residual fibers you obtain after sifting out the larger grains. Sifting henna is a tedious process, so I recommend that you try to buy sifted varieties of henna. Nevertheless, even if you buy your powder pre-filtered (find the "triple-sifted variety), strain it just in case and see what twigs you find; you may be surprised to see how much smoother paste will be the more times you strain your henna. Above you can see pictures of my filtering devices, which can be nylon cloth fixed to a sewing hoop, an industrial-grade sieve, a tea strainer (I only recommend this for getting lumps out of henna, though), or a nylon stocking stretched over a mixing bowl. If you choose not to sift your powder before mixing, straining it through a nylon stocking will give you the same effects that sifting would, in addition to removing any lumps you attain in paste.

The quality of your henna, as I have said above, is paramount to the quality of your mehndi. You may notice that the color will be of the same quality and last the same duration that your specially mixed mehndi was. Nevertheless, adding ingredients like lemon, eucalyptus oil, a sugary substance, and tea, can improve the usability and staining ability of your mehndi, in addition to adding a host of wonderfully sweet nice smells to accompany your design.