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What is Mehendi?

The green leaves from Mehendi plant gives red color on the skin. Mehendi stands for the art of decorating palms, feet and other parts of the body with a paste of henna(mehendi). Ready made henna powder is available in the market. The henna powder can also be made by drying henna leaves in shade and grinding them to form a fine powder. Usually, the henna paste is mixed with many other ingredients that help to darken the color.

Mehendi is derived from a plant. So it is a herbal product which gives no allergic reaction. (one may get allergic reaction from the ingredient you mix ). Apart from a cosmetic, mehendi also has medicinal properties. According to ancient Indian medicine, it cools the body and is also used in aromatherapy. Henna gives softness, strength and shine if used on hair.

Mehendi plays a very important role in Indian marriages. It is believed that young girls who get dark color from mehendi will get a handsome groom. It also denotes prosperity and good luck. It symbolically says as the henna gives away her color to beautify someones hands, the bride should also be generous and kind to give up certain things to beautify the life ahead of her.....

Where on the body is Henna / Mehendi used?

Henna is used for decoration on hands and feet. It is also used to dye the hair. Henna is heat sensitive. The warmer the skin, the longer-lasting the dye. The stain lasts longest on the palm of the hand. The color is much lighter on the back of the hand. The bottom of the feet also takes mehndi well. If applied on the hair it dyes it to a reddish-brown color.

How to Apply Mehendi?

You can make your own powder by drying henna leaves in shade. It might take weeks for them to dry to a crisp and you need to grind them thoroughly. You may also buy henna powder from the market.

Take....

Henna powder sieved through a muslin cloth.

Well strained strong tea decoction.

Eucalyptus oil (few drops).

Strained lime juice.

Sugar (one table spoon).

Take the henna powder in a bowl, add the tea till it becomes a thick paste (similar to a dough). Add eucalyptus oil, sugar and lime juice and mix well to make it into a smooth and thin paste. Leave it covered over night or during the day if you prefer to apply in the night.

Make a cone....
Take a thick plastic cover or use any thick freezer bag - cut it into shape of rectange 7" X 4". Twist one corner of the cover to make a cone. Tighten the tip to make tiny hole. Hold the tip and fill the paste and tie the broader end tightly with a thread.

You also get readymade cones from the market.
Remember....
You should leave the mehendi to dry on your skin and keep it on for as long as possible (4 to 6 hours if possible - you may go to bed also with it). Scrape it after that. The color will become deeper if you leave it untouched by water for another 4 to 6 hours. A deep color may last upto two weeks. The coloration varies from person to person.