Mehndi-colors of the Orient

Henna and other dyes of the Orient

What is it, where does it come from and how to use?

Henna – many know the term and most know that it can be used to dye hair an intensive orange-red, resp. it can be used for bodypaintings, so-called Mehndi.

But what is henna made from - where are its origines - what else can be done with henna? Is there any alternative to henna and are there other henna colors?

Henna - the plant

: Lawsonia-Inermis, source: Wikimedia.org

Henna is a plant growing in warm countries with dry soil. It's appearance is bushy to small-sized tree (1-2 m are the regular growth heights) and it belongs to the family of Lythraceae. The classification is Lawsonia inermis – named in 1735 after Mr. Isaac Lawson. Inermis means without arms, i.e. the plant has no thorns in general, but Lawsonia may have a few thorns at the short shoots.

The Henna-bush is blossoming throughout the year, but it's main bloom is from October to November. The blossoms are of varying colors, you can find a yellowish white just as well as pink or red. They are not really prominent, but their fragrances made them a much-sought item for the inner courtyards of the Near East countries. Folk lore has it, that the the prophet Mohammed's liked the Henna bushs fragrance best. The fruits of the Henna bush are about pea-size and when really ripe range from puprle to a bluish-black tint.

: Mehndi on hands and legs, source: Wikimedia.org Yann Forget

Many now will think „Okay, so the fruits are where the dye comes from.“ Nope, that's not the case here - the henna dye is being derived from the dried leaves. It's imperative they dry in the shade, else the red dye is being destroyed by the sun. Then the dried leaves are being ground and used as coloring agent for hair, but also for feet and hands, just as well as for painting various body parts. it's the Henna itself that's acting as a dye, but the addition of warm water starts a fermentation reaction.

Henna reacts only with keratin-containing materials like wook or silk, resp. protein-containing material like skin, hair or fingernails. Of course it's also possible to dye the tambourine skin-cover with henna.

It's a good thing that henna does not react with plastics or china like some other chemical dyes do. Why? Well, depending on the user's temperament when doing a hair dye, some Henna blob might make it to the sink or the cupboard next to it....

Health risks

The „natural“ dye after a henna application ranges from a light orange-red to a darker mahagoni shade - depending on the quality of the ground henna leaves. Henna by itself does not represent any risk to your health and neither causes itching nor allergies. But in Europe most Henna products had to be removed from the market- why? The industry was the cause once more: in order to steady the coloring results synthetic additives or mordants were added to the henna powder, e.g. Natrium Picramate. This substance can damage the genetic make-up! Black-dye Henna, which was was quite fashionable for some time even contains PPD (Phenylendiamin), which also causes severe skin damages and heavy allergic reactions.

So if you use regular henna powder and have no trouble with a varying dye-shade rest assured that your health is not at risk. Pure Henna can be bought again and in many European countries.

Other characteristics of Henna

Many don't know this about Henna:
a medical application is also possible. Clinic studies confirmed its' germ repressive action. Because of its tanning agents it represses the growth of dermatophytes and lichen.
Not yet confirmed in clinical studies is the folk lore that henna is goog against infection and sleeping sickness. In the Middle East henna has been used for centuries as treatment against leprosy, pox and chickenpox.

Because of its „healing“ action Henna was also used against the evil eye, in form of Mehndi (skin painting) with protective and auspicious symbols of the corresponding region and religious orientation - which means it's mainly used at big gatherings of people like weddings, baby-showers and death…

In Europe the henna root was known under the name of Genuine Alkanna, Al-Khanna being the old arab name for this plant which nowadays is called Khenna in Egypt. Mehandi is a name used in the Indian part of the world.

Hairdye using Henna

You'll need for one application:
approx. 250-300 ml hot water, respectively: hot black tea (congou/caj), hot red wine, or hot coffee. Black tea and coffee intensify the brown shades, hot red wine makes the reddish shade darker and more prominet. If using only hot water the result of the dye will be an orange-red.

How to do:
You need a bowl, a wooden spoon and a coffee mug (250 ml) full of hot liquid. Add the powder and stirr. The result should not be too thin (else the transfer to your hair will become a problem) but not too solid either; we found 250-300 ml to be ideal (approx. 0,52-0,63 liquid pt.). Apply either using a dye brush or your hands (in surgical gloves of course). After finishing application to your hair the head should be kept warm. We suggest covering the dyed hair with a plastic wrap and then a large towel. Now you need some leasure time.

Take a good book and a cup of tea/coffee and sit in front of the heater or in the sun... wait for at least 30 minutes for a minimum dye and approx. an hour or two for an intensive dye. Then rinse hair and apply shampoo as usual. Continuous use of Henna will make you notice that your hair becomes a little heavier because henna dyes wrap themselves around the hair and don't settle in the hair itself as the chemical dyes do. But if you want to stop dying with henna be warned that it's going to take long time to get rid of the last reddish shade in your hair...

Where to get Henna

Henna can be bought either in Turkish/Asian food stores or you can order it via internet shops. We've gathered a few addresses of interest at the end of this article for you to follow-up at your leasure.

: Harkous applied on a hand

Henna is not the only skin dye in the Middle East, many are not known in Europe. Tourists returning from Tunisia often show body-painting with Harkous.

In Tunisia people don't use the floral patterns typical for Egypt, but for Harkous they use triangles, crosses, fishes and diamonds. Especially at the coastal areas - all being sings of worship of the Punic sea goddess Tanit.

Harkous is being derived from a mixture of oak apples, carnation and an earth metall called auripigment (arsenic trisulfide As₂S₂). A drawn-out boiling processus is needed and in the end the substances are being dissolved by pyrolysis (dry destillation) in francinsence resins.

: Henna-Harkous painting on the hands of a married woman. Source: Wikimedia.org, Rais67

: Khidab-painting, Source: Mrs. Hanne Schoenig, www.zirs.uni-halle.de/zirs-hanne-schoenig.php

In the Yemen you'll find a skin painting with black gall ink, called Khidab. Basis for this substance is the burning of small oak gall balls. They are being derived from gall wesps that place their eggs in the bark of the gall oak. When the larvae hatch they use the resin emanating from the bite as nourishment. Using this burnt oak balls a constant black shade is guaranteed, but be careful: When processing the gall balls cupric oxide (Cu₂O) is being used instead of ferric oxide, thus creating the stron black shade - but many people react allergic to copper oxide. Some manufacturers also use the PPD which we described before. Also ammonium and sodium chloride in small amounts are part of the mix. So please read the ingredient list before buying khidab, and if not available refrain from purchase.

The liquid ink is being applied to the skin by means of a wooden splinter or a thorn of the acacia tree (first you can make a fluid ink more viscuous by adding starch, the result will be similar to a henna paste) – or if you want to use it like it is an eyeliner-brush is very helpful.