About | Berkshire Henna

About Henna

What do you mean by "natural" and "safe" henna?

Do you do black henna?

You can find lots of info about safe, natural henna in Henna 101 by Remarkable Blackbird.

The quick version is that henna powder is made from the powdered leaves of the Lawsonia inermis (aka henna) plant. Henna leaf powder is mixed with water to make a paste, a little sugar to help it stick to the skin, and a little oil to help bring out the color. It dyes the skin reddish-brown. It takes about two days to reach its fullest, darkest color. It lasts about a week, give or take.

Safe henna paste is perishable: after a cone is made it needs to be used within a day or kept in the freezer until it is needed to prevent the dye from breaking down. True henna is fresh.

Everything else is either adulterated henna or is not henna at all.

"Black" henna isn't henna. It's a black dye that's not meant to touch your skin, ever. If you're brave, do an image search for black henna burns or black henna PPD. It's horrible. It can cause lifelong scarring and allergies. Trust me, don't get it. You could have a hundred great experiences with it and still get burned on the 101st time. Remember your vacation with photos, not with a hospital bill!

There are shelf-stable henna cones that you can find on just about every major online retailer and in many import shops. These contain stabilizers to prevent it from going bad, which isn't necessarily a problem, but when independently evaluated all shelf-stable cone brands that were tested have been found to contain levels of heavy metals far beyond what is safe for cosmetic use. Lead in particular is a popular additive to achieve a brighter, faster color.

Unfortunately there are no laws in the United States protecting you from bad henna.

Anyone can say they're a henna artist.

Anything can be sold as henna.

That means that you can't know for sure that your artist is knowledgeable or that their paste is safe. What you can do is always, always ask at least one of these questions -- even if you know the artist!

What color is your paste? (correct answer: red-brown)
Do you make it yourself? (yes, I do)
What's in your paste? (henna powder, sugar, oil, and some kind of liquid -- people have different preferences but they should be able to tell you without looking it up)
- (mine is organic Rajasthani henna powder from SaraHenna Seattle, organic sugar from Florida Crystals, Bulgarian lavender oil from Campden-Grey, and distilled water)
How long does it take to stain? (24-48 hours)
Can you do other colors? (No!!!!)
What if I pay more, can I have other colors? (Still no.)
But I really want black henna. (Still no.)
Other artists do black henna!! (...)
etc, etc, etc. You get the idea.

Many people who practice safe henna call it "natural" henna. Unfortunately "natural" as a buzzword doesn't mean anything -- poison ivy is found in nature, and so is arsenic, but lemons and orange carrots are not. We live in a complicated world. But if you see "natural henna" on someone's info, there's a good chance it's safe, true henna (and that the artist isn't a giant nerd).

About the Artist

How did you become a henna artist?

How long have you been doing henna?

More than any other questions, these are the two I get the most.

I guess you could say I started my henna journey in 2013. The first real henna I got was for my wedding. (I'm not counting stenciled, dangerous black "henna" I got on vacation once, long before I knew about henna safety.) I was lucky enough to find a magnificent artist who took the time to explain how to find safe, true henna.

"Even if you don't get your henna from me," Eve said, "then please at least promise you'll stick to natural henna? I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't make sure you knew how dangerous it can be to get the fake stuff."

I hired her right then. Integrity means a lot to me.

Of all the incredible chaos involved in staging a Catholic/Hindu wedding, my henna night stands out to me as an oasis of comfort and reflection. I got to spend a night with my sister and my new friend Eve, in my jammies, enjoying the peace that comes with the repetitive motion and soothing smell of henna application.

After that I was hooked.

I started trying henna for myself in 2016, mostly as a way to handle the stress of a recent move.

I was awful.

I was so awful that the first time Gaurav saw a design I had drawn on myself he asked if I had a rash.

But, practice makes progress.

I started taking henna seriously as a potential "side hustle" in 2017. I started taking classes, attending The Henna Society's yearly conference, and offering free henna at my local farmer's market to anyone brave enough to let me practice on them.

As time has gone by I've gotten a little less terrible with each year. Practice has made progress, and hopefully will continue for as long as I can hold a cone.

Do you have any training?
&
Do you have the required licensing?

Yes and no.

If you live in the United States, as of 2024 there are no laws protecting you from bad henna or a bad henna artist. Most safe henna artists I know have at least a few horror stories of events where there's been someone who's never held a cone before slopping unsafe henna onto people -- often advertising with photos of stolen designs they're not able to replicate and charging through the nose for it. Sadly, many event organizers and customers don't know safe from unsafe or experienced from inexperienced. It's frustrating but that's how life goes sometimes, eh?

So there's no licensing, no inspections, no way at all to guarantee an artist has the knowledge they say they have, or that the photos they're using are of their own work, or that their paste is safe. It's on the henna artist alone to ensure they have adequate knowledge and good materials. Like any honor system, you get all kinds.

(Tip: you should write your local reps about this. Henna isn't regulated because nobody thinks about it.)

This is partly why several years back some experienced, safe henna artists got together to create the International Certification for Natural Henna Artists. This is a long, difficult test of henna-related knowledge covering topics like history, culture, artistic styles, chemistry, biology, and safe hygiene. To pass the test you need to get a very high score -- you need to know you know your stuff, all of it, and know it well. IF an artist passes the written exam, they must then submit samples of their own work and explain how they make their henna paste.

If an artist passes all three hurdles, then they become an ICNHA member. I am ICHNA member #87498327, and I got my certification in 2017.

Is it a perfect system? No, of course not. But it's a tiny amount of accountability in an otherwise entirely unaccountable field. (BTW: no matter where in the world you are, you can look for a local ICNHA artist by using the member database search on the main page. I always recommend it to fans of henna who are planning to travel.)

In addition to the ICNHA, I've also attended the yearly Henna Society Conference many times since its inception in 2017. There I've had the chance to meet and talk with other safe henna artists while learning from top experts in our field, including experienced teachers from all over the world. I've been so, so lucky to be able to participate as many years as I have. No matter how much time goes by, I always come away with new skills and a renewed love for henna.

I hope my CV passes muster! But if you have more questions or want more information, please don't be shy to ask.