The leaves are dried and ground into a powder. Once the powder is mixed with a mild acid such as lemon juice or tea, it forms a paste.
In the Arabian Gulf the Henna paste is used as body art on the hands, nails, arms & feet.
The quality of the henna will determine how long the design will last, but usually it will be many months!
Henna is used for adorning brides before their wedding. Sometimes he henna applications can take days to complete.
The other main celebration for applying henna is during the Muslim celebration of Eid. There are great celebrations after the month of fasting (Ramadan) and having henna applied is one of the ways Muslim women celebrate.
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| Henna powder for sale at the local Souk |
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| A photo by David Dennis (Wikipedia) I absolutely love this henna photo. Two things I appreciate-camels and the intricate designs of the henna artist. Henna is apparently a banned product in the USA due to the chemicals in it-who knew! |
