The art of applying henna to hands, feet, and other areas of the body is known as Mehndi. A very ancient custom of the Asian subcontinent, mehndi is practiced as well in the Mideast and Africa. Throughout these parts of the world, the henna plant is believed to bring love and good fortune, and to protect against evil. Traditionally, mehndi is practiced at weddings, during important rites of passage, and in times of joyous celebration. The leaves of the henna plant are crushed into a paste and then applied to the skin. When it is removed several hours later, what remains are beautiful markings on the skin that fade naturally over 1 to 3 weeks.

Indian weddings are incomplete without the mehndi ceremony. During such wedding rituals (or other festive occasions), the hands of the bride are intricately adorned with the lovely reddish color of the henna paste. It is believed that the deeper the color obtained on the skin, the longer the love between the couple will endure. Indeed, a proper application of mehndi is like uttering a prayer to the gods for everlasting love and a successful marriage.

A member of the Loosestrife family, the henna plant — or Lawsonia inermis — originally came from Egypt, a country that is still one of the main suppliers of the plant (it is also grown in India, Morocco, and the Sudan). Besides being the chief ingredient in mehndi, henna has also been used to dye the hooves and manes of horses; and to color silk, wool, animal skins, and even men's beards. There is evidence obtained from mummies dating as far back as 1200 BC that henna was once used on the hair and nails of the pharaohs!

In addition to its uses as a cosmetic agent, the henna plant also has reputed medicinal properties. Among other things, it is supposed to be able to help keep the body cool in hot climates. It has also been used as a coagulant for open wounds and as a treatment for soothing burns and eczema.

Until the art of mehndi became known outside the areas where it is traditionally practiced, henna was mostly used in the West as a hair dye. It is only recently that it has become widely recognized as an ideal way to dye the skin so as to achieve the look of a "real" tattoo, without all the drawbacks (e.g., painful needles, a permanent design that you might come to regret, etc.).

If you're interested in trying out the contemporary look of "body art," but without any of the hassles, our temporary henna tattoo kits are the perfect way to go!

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