Re: Eucalyptus and Camphor oil QUESTION

Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on December 19, 1999 at 16:49:53:

In Reply to: Eucalyptus and Camphor oil QUESTION posted by Cedric on December 19, 1999 at 06:27:50:

Once hennotannin molecules is bound inside a cell, it has a limited
opportunity to oxidize. The hennotannin molecule also seems to have a
time limit on reactivity. (It's a dimer.) When the hennotannins
oxidize, they darken. Camphor is an intense oxidant that will
penetrate cell walls, and oxidize the hennotannin within the cell.

You get your greatest darkening in the first 48 hours after you unwrap
your henna. When you first unwrap (fairly low on oxygen under the
sealer and all) your henna is orange. As it is in contact with the
air, your henna darkens rapidly. Deader, dryer cells allow more
oxidation. So, people with heavier callous layer get darker henna
stains. After about 48 hours, the oxidation reaction slows way down or
stops. Then you begin to exfoliate your skin, and after 2 weeks, the
henna stains from the underneath, unoxidized layers come to the top,
and they are orange again. However, if you camphored your skin, the
lower layers are brownish, instead of orange, because the camphor
oxidized the lower layers. Ammonia has the same effect, making the
henna black down to the last layer.

Did that make any sense?

I think that's what's going on. Remember, this is the art major
talking here.....

Follow-ups:

• Re: Eucalyptus and Camphor oil QUESTION sharky 17:00:47 1/26/01 (0)