Fresh Henna Powder

The Henna plant is one of the most fragrant flowers on earth. Widely cultivated in tropical countries but probably native to North Africa and Asia. It is widely naturalized in the West Indies and Mexico where it is known as "mignonette." Its leaves produce the henna or alhenna of the Arabs (cyprus of the ancients), a yellow/red die which is used in Egypt and elsewhere by women to color their nails, and by men to die their beards, and for other similar uses including horses manes and tails. It is known in the West Indies as "Egyptian privet", and sometimes as "reseda". It is the camphire of the authorized version of the Bible.

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Henna Flower

Ancient healers found the henna plant to be an excellent antiseptic as well. It protects against surface bacteria and fungi, and thus was applied to nails (especially after pregnancy), small cuts and burns. Additionally, various formulas of henna have been used to heal insect bites, dry sores, and toughen skin against abrasion and blistering. Henna reduces sweat, can soothe sore throats with a solution made to gargle, and has also been known to help fight mild infectious disease.

So many unique and practical uses of the henna plant logically lead to the cosmetic application we know today. It is only natural for a human to turn something so useful and abundant into a beautiful art form. Just like turning a functional container into an elegant crystal vase, so have humans transformed an herbal medication into beautiful body decoration. Though traditionally a woman's art, mehndi is not limited to the female. There are many rituals that do include men. And in the modern Western world, it is not unusual to see a man with intricate henna tattoos, or even a male mehndi artist.

Trade routes and religious missions took the henna plant from Greece to Egypt and North Africa, to Arabia and India, Tibet, Persia and Spain. Each culture embraced the plant in its own unique way; though recipes and designs vary from region to region, the basic purpose of mehndi remains the same; henna tattoos are a celebration and protection. They are always present during holidays and festivals, weddings, pregnancies and births, and especially during the hottest days of the summer. Henna provides a reason to get together, to slow down, enjoy life and to honor the things that make us special. The henna artist plays an important role in these festivals.