Let Your Creativity Flow with Henna Tattoos

Forget your run of the mill temporary tattoos - Henna tattoos are a must to show off your creativity and spirit! While you may have seen these tattoos on others’ hands, arms, and feet, you may not know the story behind Henna tattooing or just how easy it is to create these beautiful and intricate designs yourself. Here at Silly Farm, we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn more about Henna tattoos and why you’ll absolutely love it!

What is Henna, Anyway?

Photo by India Nursery

Henna, a small flowering plant, has been used for centuries for perfume making, treating skin conditions, and temporary tattooing. While the exact origins of Henna tattooing are unknown, these tattoos have adorned women’s bodies across cultures and symbolize joy, luck, and elegance. It is said that Cleopatra would adorn herself in Henna tattoos to heighten her own natural beauty!

Face Fiesta Denver Henna Artist Leah Redell is a magical aritst and teaches on FABAtv to help you understand and learn Henna. 

Today, Henna tattoos, also known as mehndi, is widely used for celebrations and rites of passage, including birthdays, weddings, and holidays. Along with more traditional body paint options, Henna is widely offered at fairs and festivals. One of the real beauties of Henna is that you can learn and mix your own Henna when you have the right tools. We have a beginner henna Kit designed by Amerikan Body Art which includes everything you need to get started with quality Henna. Check out our Henna supplies section, and you’ll be rocking your own Henna in no time!

Why You’ll Love Henna

• Henna tattoos are the perfect accessory for festivals and meaningful celebrations. Whether you do your own body paint or visit a Henna artist’s festival tent, you will walk away with an amazingly intricate design, with a layer of meaning behind it. Choose vines and leaves for your Henna tattoo to represent devotion if you’re attending a wedding, or pick a delicate flower and petal design to symbolize pure happiness.

Above is  a Henna design by Nadine's Dreams done using Jagua which is another type of henna. The color typically stains a dark blueish color and the paste is also made from a plant. You can learn more about Jagua here 

• Unlike typical body paint, Henna tattoos can last anywhere from one to three weeks, so be prepared to get compliments on your fantastic body art long after day one! And for those who may be considering a real tattoo, your Henna body art will give you the chance to determine if some permanent ink is right for you.
• Anyone can become a Henna artist with the right tools! Silly Farm offers a wide variety of body paint kits for both children and adults to enjoy. Our Kids Henna Kit with Stencils is a great option for a child who is interested in Henna. With 15-20 different stencil to try, your child will feel like a true artist in no time. For more seasoned Henna tattoo artists, try out Silly Farm’s Festival Size Henna Body Art kit. The kit includes 100g of natural Jamila Henna Powder, a 20 ml essential oil blend, and the piping bags, applicator and instructions necessary for you to create up to 200 Henna tattoos!

Henna Safety and Good to Know

Say no to black Henna. Photo courtesy of Bristol Post .com 

• One very important thing to know about Henna, is that it is never Henna is a flower, that when grinded into a powder and mixed with sugar, lemon, and oils turns into a brownish colored paste. Popular tourist destinations are notorious for offering Black  Henna. What they are offering is a full of harsh chemicals and can be very harmful to the skin. Avoid "Black Henna" by all means.
• Opt for fresh Henna. Avoid the pre rolled cones you see sitting in the grocery stores at checkout. Fresh Henna should be stored in a refrigerator and kept cool when not in use. Its keeps the Henna more potent.  
• Henna is a natural dye and can "stain" the skin for up to 2 weeks. Because Henna is not a cosmetic, it is not removed the same as a cosmetic would be. When Henna is applied to the skin, and the Henna paste dries on the skin it leaves a "stain" behind. As days pass, the Henna begins to become darker on the skin. Certain areas on the body hold the stain and color longer than others. The less oily areas of the skin, tend to hold the color longer and better. As the skin begins to exfoliate, the Henna stain will lighten and the Henna will disappear. Henna is a temporary stain on the skin, but will stain clothing.
• Henna drying times range from 15 minutes to one hour depending on the humidity. The longer you leave the Henna Paste on the skin the more opportunity for the stain to become its darkest.
• Henna allergic reactions are uncommon, however there is always a possibility. If a reaction arises remove immediately.

We have several awesome Henna blogs on the way written by some amazing Henna professionals in the community. Stay tuned because there's so much more awesome on the way.

For over 30 years, Silly Farm has given new and seasoned face painters and artists a space to grow creatively by providing superior quality products and extensive online video tutorials. Visit Silly Farm's main page to shop our products and get painting!