Re: Questions
Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on March 05, 1998 at 21:18:39:
In Reply to: Questions posted by Sue on March 05, 1998 at 02:25:37:
Hooo what a lotta questions!
Different brands of henna move along in the chemical reaction that
releases the dye at different rates. A very safe bet is to mix your
paste 12 hours before you meed to use it. Fridge is not especially
necessary in a temperate climate (US)
Your henna does not absolutely have to be sifted...sifting won't
affect the release of the dye...however, gritty lumpy henna will not
go through the tiny orofices of the squeezy bags used in Pakistani
henna technique. If you want teeny dainty patterns, ya gotta sift,
sift, sift. If you like bold, graphic African or Bedouin patterns,
don't bother...lay your henna on with a flat toothpick for those
designs, and the lumps won't make a difference.
I use a tea strainer to strain my henna, but for the very finest
lines, sift with a leftover bit of pantyhose to take the last bits
of crud out and you'll have less clogging on the tiny lines.
Mixing bowl..ceramic is fine, stainless is fine, enamel is
fine, plastic is fine,....you're mixing a paste that is sourer than
ph5 so copper is apt to react, so don't use copper or some ethnic
metal bowl of unknown alloy (I suspect the admonitions against metal
bowls is because household metals across the henna-using region have a
lot of copper...copper is cheap and easy to work over a primitive
forge)
Add lemon or lime juice to your henna powder until you can stir up a
paste the consistancy of cookie dough. There are some other things
you can use, all very sour, like tamarind water....the point is to get
your henna more sour than ph5. Thin it down further with hot strong
tea or coffee, (both of which have tannin) until your paste is a
little softer than toothpaste.
When your henna is drying on your hand, prevent it from flaking and
falling off by dabbing lemon or lime juice on with a brush or cotton
ball....the sugar may help crust it over, but does not affect the dye.
The sour juice will further draw dye out of the henna, and encourage
it to get through the fine layer of oil that covers your skin.
When you have done that 2 or 3 times, and the henna is dry enough not
to smear, wrap the hennaed skin in clink wrap, tape it secure and
leave it overnight...that will not only keep your henna in place and
your husband won't have a fit because you're exfoliating henna all
night into the sheets, but it will make your skin sweat like a
heatwave in Bombay..so your pores will open and accept more henna, and
your sweat will add more acid and ammonia to make the henna release
even more dye. This last trick is the difference between punky
tangerine henna and deep maroon and redwood henna on me!
Henna is not expensive, and is pelentiful...use up what you've got in
3 days or put the rest in your hair.
Dry henna will store indefinitely.
Rubbing with oil makes your skin glossy, and that creates an optical
illusion of deeper color (body builders grease up to look more
buff...same thing...) but it doesn't really change anything.
Does that help? I'll answer any questions you can think of at
www.mehandi.com , where we have lore, techniques and free patterns
every month!