The Henna Page - How apply henna: Resist techniques

Resist techniques are ideal for dark skinned people, as the thick application of henna paste maximizes stain. Resist techniquess are also useful for chunky, poorly sifted henna powders that have great stain but poor texture. This resist paste is made from easily available materials and is safe for use on skin. You can apply the paste just as you do henna, with supercones!

Get starch paste, sugar and talcum powder. I used Nori brand paste, from an art supply store. This paste is very similar to "kindergarten paste", the thick, starch based white paste that children use to paste paper projects. "Kindergarten paste" should work well if you can't find Nori paste or Yes brand paste. I used 1 part talcum powder to 2 parts sugar, to 4 parts paste. Depending on your brand of paste, you may need to adjust these proportions. Talcum powder helps resist the henna. Sugar helps it stick to the skin.

First, stir the sugar and talcum powder together. When those two are completely mixed, stir in paste. If it seems thicker than your usual henna paste, add a little water. Put your mixed up paste into a carrot bag, and squeeze it into a supercone.

Apply the paste resist the same way as you apply henna paste! The dark marks visible here are my pencil marks to line up the pattern. Blow dry the paste until its no longer sticky.

When the paste is dry, start putting henna paste around the patterns, being careful to fill in ALL of the bare spots. Get the paste right up to the edge of the dry resist paste, and try to get a clean, clear henna line there. If you just smear henna paste on, it may not settle down into all the little spaces, or may be uneven.

It doesn't matter if you get henna on top of the paste. Fill in all the bare skin area where you want henna color. If you want to pile on extra, that's not a problem, as long as the resist paste doesn't reliquify.

When you remove the henna and paste, you'll have a beautiful reverse pattern. Paste resist maximizes potential for dark stains on difficult areas, because you can apply thick paste! If your henna is gritty, unsiftable, impossible to get through a jac tip ... use it for resist work!

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