Bridal henna:
Applying bridal henna requires a lot of concentration and precision work. This takes some time. Depending on which henna style you choose and how full you want it, applying the henna takes between 1 and 4 hours. During the henna application, it is important that the bride sits quietly and does not move too much. Therefore, make sure that greetings, having a chat, taking photos, etc. happens before or after the henna application so that the decorations can be made beautiful and to your liking. It is best to apply the henna 2 to 3 days in advance, because natural henna needs 48 hours to develop into a beautiful deep red color. To ensure that your henna gets a beautiful colour, it is important not to apply creams and oils to your hands and feet 24 hours in advance. The fats will be absorbed into your skin, leaving the henna with nowhere to go and the colour will remain orange. After applying the henna, you can (when it starts to dry) dab/spray a mixture of lemon juice and sugar onto the areas to moisten the henna so that it can be absorbed even more into the skin. This action can also be done with Moroccan tea with extra sugar. The sugar ensures that the henna sticks to the skin and does not crumble off quickly. For a beautiful deep red colour, it is good to let the henna soak in for at least 6 hours. If you choose to sleep with the henna, you can wrap your hands and feet in old socks. The next morning you can scrape off the henna. You can easily do this with olive oil. After a day you can wash off the remains of the dry henna. The henna will be dark orange and as the day(s) progress you will see the henna becoming redder.
Bridal henna:
Applying bridal henna requires a lot of concentration and precision work. This takes some time. Depending on which henna style you choose and how full you want it, applying the henna takes between 1 and 4 hours. During the henna application, it is important that the bride sits quietly and does not move too much. Therefore, make sure that greetings, having a chat, taking photos, etc. happens before or after the henna application so that the decorations can be made beautiful and to your liking. It is best to apply the henna 2 to 3 days in advance, because natural henna needs 48 hours to develop into a beautiful deep red color. To ensure that your henna gets a beautiful colour, it is important not to apply creams and oils to your hands and feet 24 hours in advance. The fats will be absorbed into your skin, leaving the henna with nowhere to go and the colour will remain orange. After applying the henna, you can (when it starts to dry) dab/spray a mixture of lemon juice and sugar onto the areas to moisten the henna so that it can be absorbed even more into the skin. This action can also be done with Moroccan tea with extra sugar. The sugar ensures that the henna sticks to the skin and does not crumble off quickly. For a beautiful deep red colour, it is good to let the henna soak in for at least 6 hours. If you choose to sleep with the henna, you can wrap your hands and feet in old socks. The next morning you can scrape off the henna. You can easily do this with olive oil. After a day you can wash off the remains of the dry henna. The henna will be dark orange and as the day(s) progress you will see the henna becoming redder.
Bridal Henna
Body decoration:
Henna is used for body decoration and is mainly found in Indian, Arabic and African countries/cultures but has also spread to Western countries. The henna powder comes from dried henna leaves of the henna bush. A paste is made from this to decorate the hands, feet and other body parts.
In the above mentioned cultures it is customary for brides to decorate their hands and feet a few days before the wedding. In the past in Moroccan culture, hands and feet were completely smeared with henna paste, resulting in them being completely orange/red on the wedding day. This tradition is sometimes still maintained. Nowadays many brides opt for henna decorations.
Henna styles:
In the henna world, different henna styles are used that originate from different regions. For example, the regions of India and Pakistan have the Mehendi style. This is a beautiful, graceful style that features many flowers and curls. Sometimes images are also drawn in this style. Think of the Dulha and Dulhan, the Hindustani bride and groom.
The henna style called Fessi/Fessia is a traditional style from Morocco. A style with thin, straight lines and patterns. Because the lines are often diametrically opposed, a pattern is created and they often flow beautifully.
In the Arab countries like the Emirates, the Khaleeji style is often used. This is a style with thick lines. With these thick lines, flowers and curls are made.
In African countries like Somalia, black henna is often used and different types of decorations are made with it. This henna is prepared with different types of chemicals which makes the color jet black. This can be dangerous for people who are allergic to it and do not know it. It is therefore not recommended to just have black henna applied anywhere.
There is now a great solution for black henna, namely the natural variant called Jagua. Jagua gel comes from the Genipa Americana fruit that grows in the South American rainforest. The gel gives off a beautiful dark blue tattoo/black color and is completely naturally prepared. For more information, or to try it out yourself, you can visit the website: www.jaguahenna.com .