Re: Henna safety

Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on May 16, 2000 at 14:00:43:

In Reply to: Henna safety posted by Alison on May 16, 2000 at 10:29:46:

Here's what needs to be done to be sure you're SAFE:

Make certain the henna artist is using nothing but plain traditional
natural henna powder with nothing but lemon juice added. The paste
should be green and smell like a hay bale. If their henna paste is
coming out of a tube that has no ingredient list, find someone else.
If the paste is not green and you smell anything other than a fresh
herb sort of smell, find someone else. If the henna paste is freshly
made of real henna, but smells strongly of eucalyptus or a medicinal
scent, it might be ok, but those oils added that would make that smell
may irritate your skin. Camphor in the mix would be a no-no for your
belly ....

If it's "black henna" ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RISK IT!

If for any reason you feel wierded out or uneasy, don't do it.
Pregnant ladies should be comfortable, happy and confident.

That having been said, it is not easy to get a dark stain with henna
on a pregnant belly, because the skin is very new, glassy, and
stretched thin! Steam, added heat, and some sort of a wrap (latex, if
you're not allergic) will help you get the best color that you can.

Actually, I'm considering trying to encourage my pregnant clients to
go for a slightly different pregnancy henna tradition: that of
hennaeing around the ankles. There are henna and tattoo patterns that
were put around a woman's ankles in the 7th to 9th month to avert the
demons that can slip up her legs and cause premature birth, or
stillbirth ..... and as I recall, my ankles really needed loving
attention when I was vast. (they kept trying to turn into dimples).
Ankle henna always stains better than belly ... and there is the
notion that hennaeing the ankles before delivery averts the demons
that are attracted to birth blood. (I found it interesting that there
is folklore that birth blood sanctifies a woman's ankles ....)

Follow Ups:

• Re: Henna safety Kenzi 20:29:37 5/16/00 (1)
  • Re: Henna safety Alison 04:37:38 5/17/00 (0)