A henna puzzle?????

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Posted by Maureen on August 5, 2001 at 11:09:38:

I had some old henna paste (I use the term lightly) that had sat in
the refrigerator for two months and took it out near the beginning of
July (right before Sirius) to toss but decided to put some cajeput I
had just bought in it instead. I got a really decent stain with it
and was surprised because of how old the paste was. I put it away
again until about 8 days ago and added more cajeput. This time I got
really heavy handed forgetting that there was not much paste in the
bottle. What I got was really translucent henna that ran like pure
oil. I couldn't really control any designs I tried to make with it
so I wiped off the 15 small globs that the shapes had turned into and
about 3 hours later completed the design integrating the blobs with
another sturdier henna paste. Two days later the stains of the runny
mix were clear and darker than the stains of the paste I had put on
top of them. So I decided that there was something to this.

Tonight I decided to use the runny mix to make different sized dots
turned into circles and then use a toothpick to create line patterns
from the excess fluid in the circle/dots. In the middle of this I
had to hold the little bottle tilted between my knees because I was
drawing with one hand onto the back of the middle finger of my other
hand. I should have poured the mix into a small bowl because in the
middle of concentrating on the lines the bottle tilted over and
poured onto my thighs spreading and smearing. I wiped it off as
quickly as I could with tissue and then with water. However, as I
sit here I am watching my inner thighs turn brown...not
orange...brown in splotches. I have washed and washed but some of
the stain is remaining. Which means that I will have to cancel my
doctors appointment Monday for fear he schedule me for chemo or
radiation treatments. He tends to have a mind of his own about what
is ailing me regardless of what I say. So I have to be careful with
him. But, I digress...Wouldn't you think that really weak
henna...overly diluted with cajeput or any terp would provide a
weaker stain or none at all? This stuff is more like cajeput dyed
with a bit of henna than henna terped up with cajeput. Is it
possible that the henna will dye the oil and therefore have a longer
life span as dyed oil than as terped henna? I mean is it the henna
itself that breaks down over time but the dye remains potent when
released in the oil? It is making me wonder if the dye has been
released in the oil then if I mix this dyed oil with some henna
powder with less staining ability could I get a paste potent enough
to produce the same stain but have the consistency needed to be able
to design with it adequately. I could mix it with some of the same
henna powder it was initially made up with but that won't tell me
anything because it is the Gambian henna that gives the best stains I
have seen todate with the cajeput and this stuff is at least a year
old...and not kept in the refrigerator. So I think in order to see
if the oil itself actually has the dye in it or if the tiny particles
of the henna that has broken up in the oil is producing the stain, I
would have to separate the oil from the tiny particles and put the
oil in another weak henna.

What do you think? Has anyone made this error before and then used
the messed up mix and gotten anything similar or different? I would
be really interested in knowing what anyone thinks or suggests.

Maureen going to try to scrub these stains again with something not
very abrasive. I don't think AJAX on the inner thigh is a good thing.

Follow Ups

a tiny piece to add to the henna puzzle Alissa 22:22:31 8/5/2001 (4)
- Re: a tiny piece to add to the henna puzzle Maureen 23:01:50 8/5/2001 (3)
  - putting others pictures up yvonne 03:03:30 8/6/2001 (2)
    - Re: putting others pictures up Alissa 15:32:56 8/6/2001 (0)
    - Re: putting others pictures up Maureen 04:45:52 8/6/2001 (0)

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: I had some old henna paste (I use the term lightly) that had sat in : the refrigerator for two months and took it out near the beginning of : July (right before Sirius) to toss but decided to put some cajeput I : had just bought in it instead. I got a really decent stain with it : and was surprised because of how old the paste was. I put it away : again until about 8 days ago and added more cajeput. This time I got : really heavy handed forgetting that there was not much paste in the : bottle. What I got was really translucent henna that ran like pure : oil. I couldn't really control any designs I tried to make with it : so I wiped off the 15 small globs that the shapes had turned into and : about 3 hours later completed the design integrating the blobs with : another sturdier henna paste. Two days later the stains of the runny : mix were clear and darker than the stains of the paste I had put on : top of them. So I decided that there was something to this. : : Tonight I decided to use the runny mix to make different sized dots : turned into circles and then use a toothpick to create line patterns : from the excess fluid in the circle/dots. In the middle of this I : had to hold the little bottle tilted between my knees because I was : drawing with one hand onto the back of the middle finger of my other : hand. I should have poured the mix into a small bowl because in the : middle of concentrating on the lines the bottle tilted over and : poured onto my thighs spreading and smearing. I wiped it off as : quickly as I could with tissue and then with water. However, as I : sit here I am watching my inner thighs turn brown...not : orange...brown in splotches. I have washed and washed but some of : the stain is remaining. Which means that I will have to cancel my : doctors appointment Monday for fear he schedule me for chemo or : radiation treatments. He tends to have a mind of his own about what : is ailing me regardless of what I say. So I have to be careful with : him. But, I digress...Wouldn't you think that really weak : henna...overly diluted with cajeput or any terp would provide a : weaker stain or none at all? This stuff is more like cajeput dyed : with a bit of henna than henna terped up with cajeput. Is it : possible that the henna will dye the oil and therefore have a longer : life span as dyed oil than as terped henna? I mean is it the henna : itself that breaks down over time but the dye remains potent when : released in the oil? It is making me wonder if the dye has been : released in the oil then if I mix this dyed oil with some henna : powder with less staining ability could I get a paste potent enough : to produce the same stain but have the consistency needed to be able : to design with it adequately. I could mix it with some of the same : henna powder it was initially made up with but that won't tell me : anything because it is the Gambian henna that gives the best stains I : have seen todate with the cajeput and this stuff is at least a year : old...and not kept in the refrigerator. So I think in order to see : if the oil itself actually has the dye in it or if the tiny particles : of the henna that has broken up in the oil is producing the stain, I : would have to separate the oil from the tiny particles and put the : oil in another weak henna. : : What do you think? Has anyone made this error before and then used : the messed up mix and gotten anything similar or different? I would : be really interested in knowing what anyone thinks or suggests. : : Maureen going to try to scrub these stains again with something not : very abrasive. I don't think AJAX on the inner thigh is a good thing.
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