Henna paste, which is used for henna tattoos, is made from a plant known as the henna bush (bot. Lawsonia). The dried leaves of this shrub are ground into a powder and mixed with selected oils to make a paste.
The great thing about a henna tattoo is that it is not permanent - unlike an engraved tattoo. The henna dye (Lawsone) is absorbed into the top layer of skin after application.
The color tone is strongest in the first 2-3 weeks and then loses its intensity from day to day until the henna tattoo has finally disappeared.
In our part of the world, henna tattoos experienced a real boom in 1998 with the music video "Frozen" by Madonna. The whole world watched her hands spellbound and wondered how these beautiful patterns were created.
In Islamic henna art, the application of henna is mainly limited to the hands and feet. In India, pictorial representations such as faces, birds and other animals are also used as motifs.
It is hard to imagine a Hindu wedding in northern India without the traditional mehndi ritual. The elaborately applied patterns and decorations have a very special meaning and are said to bring good luck and health to their wearers.
From Mumbai, India to Zurich, Switzerland - original Indian henna tattoos now also available from us!
