Alesha's Henna * Esoteric Body Art

Henna is a natural pigment.  The henna plant is a small shrub (Lawsonia inermis).  The leaves from the plant are dried and ground into a fine powder. The powder is mixed with other natural  ingredients - lemon, tea, sugur, eucalyptus oil and I'll stop there...  I can't give you my complete recipe (that will be passed down to my daugher).  The henna mixture is made into a paste and ready to apply to your skin. 

The history of henna dates back more then 5,000 years to the African nation of Egypt. Henna stains have been found on egyptian mummies.  It is an art form that is traditionally  practiced in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.  Each country has its own distinct style of artistry.

Henna Plant

African marriage Rituals. The henna displayed here is from National Geographic, vol. 196, no.5 November 1999, pages 88 and 89. Photographs by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher.  Notice that the henna design is black and the the tips of the nail and fingers are rust red. I'm only making an assumption but the henna design in black is not natural and it could possibly cause serious skin problems. Henna will never stain your skin black. The tips of her fingers appear to be henna.