F.A.Q.
1. What is henna?
Henna is a small flowering shrub/plant that grows in humid climates. The leaves of this plant contain a potent dye that, when dried, crushed, and mixed with other ingredient creates a smooth, silky paste. The paste is put into an applicator and used to 'draw' on the skin. When the paste dries and flakes off, a beautiful stain is left behind; the stain continues to darken over the course of 2 to 3 days and the mature stain can last up to 2 weeks with proper aftercare.
2. Does it hurt? Is it like a tattoo?
No, henna does not hurt as it sits on top of the skin. Henna is totally painless and a temporary body art. The henna stain will last from 10-14 days after application, depending on where your henna design is applied.
3. Where is henna from? Is it religious?
The henna plant grows in many places all over the world: Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East just to name a few. Many cultures and religions have traditions of henna, including but not limited to Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Zoroastrians, Buddhists and more. It is a form of body adornment that holds special significance in many cultures around the world. Most popularly it is used in: weddings (the bride, bridal party, and female guests), in celebration of holidays, to celebrate the birth of a baby (the mom to be gets her hands henna'd during pregnancy, tho a new western tradition is to do henna on mom's pregnant belly), or other such happy occasions in a woman's life.
Traditionally, henna is an art done by women on women. With that said, many men today also practice the art of henna and enjoy doing henna as well as wearing it (search "menna' for examples of more masculine henna designs). However, due to my own personal religious reasons I do not do henna for men.
4. What's in your henna?
Our henna paste is completely natural with no added chemicals, and will stain in shades of reddish-brown, varying from deep red, to a dark mahogany-brown (check out our 'Stains' gallery for example). At Henna Craze, we personally mix and package our henna cones, to insure that clients receive the darkest possible stain! After all, your products are only as good as the ingredients you make them with. Our ingredients are: fresh henna powder, lemon juice/tea/distilled water, sugar, and essential oils. There are no adverse reactions to your skin when using natural henna!
The color of the henna stain depends on several factors: 1.Quality of the henna paste and powder; 2. Your own body chemistry with henna; 3. Where on the body you put the henna; and 4. Aftercare
Quality of the henna paste: Good quality paste stains well every time, and is never watery or 'runny.' A true professional henna artist will make and use their *own* products, so they can insure that every client receives outstanding results. And the most important ingredient in excellent quality henna paste? Excellent quality henna powder -- fresh and well-sifted.
Your own body chemistry: As a general rule of thumb, always remember that henna is is activated by heat. Therefore, the warmer your body naturally is, the darker your henna stain will be.
Where on the body you put the henna: The henna stain seeps into the dead layers of your skin, so it only makes sense that the places that stain darkest are places where you have the 'thickest' layers of skin; both sides of hands, arms (below the elbow), feet, and legs will all stain in shades of dark brown. You'll get a brown color on your belly and very light on your back. Please remember, this is in general; some people do tend to get great color even on their back and bellies (again, it depends on your own body's 'chemistry' with henna).
5. Henna Aftercare, what's that?
Leave it on! Henna should be kept on the skin for a good 6 to 8 hours. Dried henna peices will fall off periodically and that is ok.
Keep it dry! Stay away from water on the henna'd skin for as long as possible - 18-24 hours is ideal. This will give you the BEST possible stain.
Keep it warm - henna loves heat so whatever you can do to stay warm is a great idea. Take a stroll in the sun, sit by a fireplace or space heater, or use a hair dryer to warm your hands!
Wait - henna takes time to 'bloom' on your skin. The henna stain starts off bright orange and steadily increases to a deep chocalate brown tone over 1 to 2 days AFTER you remove the paste!
6. Ok, I'm sold! How do I book a session?
CLICK the BOOK NOW button on the top right hand corner of this site. A deposit is required to book your session - $20 for individual sessions, and $50 for all others.
Private/individual and small group appointments, henna crown services, and {most} pregnancy henna services are held at Sumeyya's in-home studio in Villa Park, IL (60181). For Bridal and Party henna services, we are happy to come to you! We have a $200 minimum service fee for appointments that require travel, and our travel fee is $30- $50.00 to most locations within a 40 mile radius of 60181 - locations further away have a higher travel fee. Please contact us directly for a quote.
7. What is black henna?
Black henna is a paste made by mixing a little bit of henna, and a whole of things that are really bad for your skin, namely: PPD (a chemical found in black hair dye), charcoal, kerosene (yes!), and other chemicals. These chemicals can very easily seep into your blood stream and cause painful sores and permanent scarring, not to mention lead poisining. IT IS NOT SAFE; HENNA IS NOT BLACK and will always stain in shades of red and brown. WE DO NOT USE OR CONDONE THE USE OF BLACK 'HENNA'. To find out more info about black henna please visit: http://www.hennapage.com/henna/ppd/index.html