Re: Heat or no Heat?
Posted by Willowhawk on July 10, 2001 at 19:05:59:
In reply to: Heat or no Heat? posted by MehndiGurL on July 10, 2001 at 16:43:05:
Back when I was first trying to figure out how to mix paste, Ifollowed the mis-advice of a friend who told me to use cold lemon
juice and cold tea. I never got a really dark stain, although I did
get a decent stain.
Finally I settled on a hot and cold mixture, which may not be
necessary but I like the process so I stick to it now.
When I brew up the lime/lemon/tea/clove juice, I pour it into ice
cube trays and freeze it. That way I have extra all the time.
I will mix fresh squeezed lemon juice and a bit of eucalyptus oil
into the paste to wet the powder. Then I pop a 'tea' cube (or two)
into the microwave and get it very hot. Then I slowly add the liquid
to the wet powder. If the 'tea' cools down too much I will nuke it a
few seconds to reheat it.
If a sunny day (which isn't too often here in Washington State) I
will put plastic cling film over the bowl and set it out in the
sunlight. If it's not sunny, I turn my oven on the lowest setting
and crack the door just a bit. Then I place the plastic cling film
covered bowl over the opening in the door and a thermometer on the
top of the bowl so I can somewhat monitor the temperature. I usually
leave it there a couple of hours.
Now occasionally in the past I have put some paste in the microwave,
to thaw it from the freezer. This is very tricky to do. I have to
do 10 or 15 second increments and make sure I am only thawing it, and
not cooking it.
I still think it's best to keep the skin warm rather than the henna
paste.
Just experiment and see what works best for you.
Good luck,
Justine Willowhawk
: in preparation of the henna mixture, some people advise to heat hte
: mixture using boiling liquids, while others say to use cold. Which
: method makes the henna stain darker? and also, will heating the
henna
: mixture rite before using aide in darkening the stain any? THANKS!
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