Henna Tattoo Recipe

Making a henna tattoo recipe is much easier than you might think. It's a lot of fun tattooing with henna with fantastic results.

Unlike a western tattoo which is permanent, henna will eventually fade and wash off. So what is henna? Henna comes from the plant Lawsonia Inermis which grows in Africa, Asia and Australia. Women in these regions have decorated themselves for centuries using this harmless dye which is absorbed by the skin and temporarily marks it but can also be used to colour wool, leather and hair.

Henna is completely harmless and can even be used on children's skin. However pregnant women should be wary of the essential oils that are put into the henna paste and avoid mehlabiya, teatree, cajput, clove and mustard Seed. By making your own henna tattoo recipe you will know exactly what is included in the ingredients. Add the essential oils to the henna paste and don't be tempted as some henna artists are to put the essential oils straight onto your skin - as this can cause irritation, redness and swelling.

Black Henna
Black henna is made with Phenyldiamine and is highly toxic, making it very dangerous, and should not be used. The results give you a black tattoo unlike natural henna whose results are a browny burgundy colour : another good reason to make your own henna and know what's in it.

We recommend using Ayur Rajasthani Henna (Mehandhi) Powder 200g

Henna Tattoo Recipe

• 25 grams henna powder
• 1tsps of cajput oil
• enough lemon juice to make a paste

The amounts are not exact as you can add more henna power to make a thicker paste or more lemon juice to make the paste thinner. Mix the henna and lemon juice together to form a paste which resembles yogurt. Leave to sit overnight. The mixture should look darker after being left to sit for a few hours. Now add one teaspoon of cajput oil to the mixture. Add some more lemon juice if required to thin the paste.

Ready to tattoo
Squeeze a little of the henna paste into an icing cone with a tiny head. Alternatively watch the video to discover how to make your own cone. A very thin paint brush can be used but the result will be much thicker lines and patterns. You can also buy small bottles Beachcombers! Henna Tattoo Blunt Stainless Steel Professional Applicator Bottle Set 1 Tip 2 Bottles

If you would prefer to buy ready to use henna paste pre packaged in a cone then we recommend Supreme Cone Henna (Mehndhi) 30g

Leave your henna to dry for at least 4-6 hours before washing. The longer it is allowed to dry the better the results.

The videos below will guide you step by step through the process of making your own henna tattoo recipe to applying and designing using the paste. Please watch them, Heather designs some amazing henna tattoos and makes it look easy.