www.laminau.com
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Paypal shop
  • Gallery
    • Fun Henna Facts
    • Henna Hacks
    • Outfits With Henna
    • Blog
  • Videos
  • Contact

Getting a tattoo vs Henna

6/4/2018

0 Comments

 

Getting a tattoo vs henna

Picture
At some point in all our lives we all think about decorating parts of our bodies. Whether we use makeup such as eyeshadows, lipsticks and foundation that brings out the best of our skin colour.
Whilst there are some of us daredevils who choose the body art of tattooing there are some of us that will opt for the temporary methods. 
There are various methods such as temporary tatoos, transfer sticker tattoos also henna tattooing.
Let's explain some of the differences between them.  

Tattoing (Permanent) 

Tattooing is when a design is made by puncturing the skin with sharp needles injecting ink, dyes, and pigments into the deep layer of the skin. Here are some points to consider about tattoos:
  • Tattoos are permanent (so choose your designs wisely)
  • They can be very painful (depending on your pain threshold)
  • Trends of tattoos can change in future as fashion has a major influence
  • You may regret it and want it removed for example if you have your ex boyfriends name on any part of your body after a really bad breakup/cheating boyfriend (like who would still want that, right?) 
  • It can be very expensive to remove with laser treatments  
  • It could even cause infections if the tattoo place isn’t certified properly. Diseases such as the killer HIV from needles and equipment not being sterilised properly.  

Henna (Semi permanent/Temporary)
The ancient art known as 'henna' has become a growing trend these days and widely used across the world.
Henna is a plant that grows in very hot countries. It produces leaves which naturally contain a dye called ‘lawsonia inermis’. The leaves are harvested, set out in the sun to dry and grinded into a fine powder.
Most often this henna powder is then mixed with water and essential oil such as lavender oil then it’s left for an hour or 2 to let the magic happen. This magic being the scientific process of ‘dye release’ from the natural henna leaves. This turns the henna into a paste and is then put in a plastic bag or rolled up cone (plastic bags are easier and less messy) and then the henna paste is used to draw like a pen on any part of the body.
People make such pretty patterns such as flowers and butterflies or even their boyfriends name! 
​
The origins of henna come from the Middle East and Asia where women used it as part of being feminine, sensual and looking good. It was also used for haircare and medicine. 
​

  • Certified real henna powder should not be painful as there are no needles being used to puncture the skin (but make sure when choosing a henna powder, they do have certified labels to make sure they are honest and don’t contain allergic ingredients or have other powders mixed with them without you knowing!)
  • Henna powder has scientific healing and medicinal uses as it is a herb/plant
  • It is not permanent so you can just draw another design when it fades away. This may even help in times of when replacing a misbehaving boyfriend ...Haha! (just kidding, but you get the idea!) 
  • Trends with henna change, if only slightly altered but mostly henna is known for its floral patterns which will always stay in fashion as a base standard.
  • You can remove henna as it is just a temporary herbal stain on the skin
  • Henna paste can be stored differently, depending on each brand as it depends what else is inside of it (if any other chemicals added to it, extra powders, plants, artificial preservatives etc then yeah it will stay longer which is never good for anything you want to be putting on your skin!) but for our own henna as its simply green henna leaves crushed and we added lavender oil and water as given/instructed on our henna kit, we have tried and tested it, and it is still going strong after a month being in the refrigerator without all the extra of seal tight etc. But as all real organic things they do have a quicker expiration date, just imagine bread, milk etc.  Think of it as thanking your skin for being with you all these years by feeding it only real ingredients. 

0 Comments

Henna cones vs container bottles?

3/4/2018

0 Comments

 

Henna cones vs container bottles? which is better? 

Picture
Here are some good and bad points about both to consider...
  • Let's start with the basics, a cone shape bag has always been the original way to store and apply henna
  • Our ancestors must've used the cone shape bag for a good reason
  • Bottles may not squeeze enough henna paste out
  • I have read from other blogs and reviews that people do often complain about bottles tiring and hurt your hands and fingers from squeezing too much as you’re putting too much pressure on your bones
  • With the cone you can easily cut the tip of the cone to whatever thickness you require based on patterns, shapes, size of the body part being applied to. 
  • Bottles may not give evenly consistency than the original henna cones 
  • The cone shape bag is consistent in the downwards flow of the henna paste depending on your squeezing pressure as gravity takes its role leaving you more in control, ease and flow  
  • I have noticed bottles are known to either squirt out too much or too less henna, leaving you with a mess to clean up (just imagine a ketchup bottle) especially if the consistency of the henna is too thick or too watery 
  • It will last longer when you store it in a cone.  
  • With bottles having a tip, that tip can usually become clogged.
  • As above, the metal tip needle of the bottle applicator can mix with the henna and give a bad reaction to the skin, people with allergies should be careful of this one
  • Making henna and putting it into a cone can get messy 
  • It is very therapeutic and rewarding to make henna yourself and put it into a cone
  • And in the end, we have to remember, bottles are plastic so if kept in the fridge it will deteriorate over time and could effect the henna paste ​
These are the things which i have experienced, noticed and researched myself anyway, also with a background family heritage coming from the east it's hard not to know! 
Anyhow, if you know of any good or bad points to consider about both methods please share in the comments. I look forward to hearing other points. 
Picture
0 Comments

Henna aftercare tips for special occasions, partying, bridals

31/3/2018

0 Comments

 

Henna aftercare tips for when going out partying, bridal or any other special occasions.

Picture

​In order to achieve the best possible henna/ mehndi stain for a special day such as a party or wedding, it’s best you plan ahead and follow these tips to prepare you for your appointment:
 
  • ~ Shower and exfoliate your skin before the appointment as applying henna to a fresh layer of skin will help it last longer. Also the longer you can go without exposing the henna stain to water, the better the henna stain will last.

  • ~ Do not apply moisturizers, oils, tanning sprays or anything that will block your pores. Applying things like this to your skin can block the henna from staining well.

  • ~ Manicures and Pedicures should be done BEFORE your henna appointment! Exposure to water, massage, and chemicals can damage a fresh henna stain.

  • ~Waxing, sugaring or shaving must be done before the henna application and not after henna is applied or the color will fade.

  • ~If you are participating in the Indian Haldi/turmeric ceremony after henna application, attempt to wear clear gloves/clear wrap so as not to interfere with the henna pattern.

  • ~Avoid doing heavy household work. Wrapping isn’t required but it helps conserve heat and moisture, which helps to make the stain darker. It will also protect clothes/bed sheets if the paste is left on overnight
    ​

  • ~Body temperature plays huge part in color progression so make sure you are in a warm room after applying henna paste. ​

0 Comments

How much henna do i need?

26/3/2018

0 Comments

 

How much henna do I need?

The usual amount of henna that we all buy from online stores are 100g packets which would give us: 
10-12 henna cones each approximately 25 to 30 grams. It will be enough henna to do around 100 small designs or 2 full bridal henna applications.

However when we buy henna, its usually for ourselves to use on our own and only may need a small amount so we dont use up all our henna powder. So here is how to make a 25g amount.

Henna recipes to make henna designs  (Normal cone) 25g
  • Wear disposable gloves
  • Add 25g henna powder into disposable bowl
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (8ml) lavender essential oil
  • Water or lemon juice to desired texture
  • Mix then cover with clear wrap film
  • Leave in a warm place to release its organic natural dye. 23-30 Celsius (75-85 Fahrenheit ) is the preferred temperature for henna paste.
  • Leave for 2-6 hours if using water or 24 hours if using lemon juice.
  • After use, simply store away any left over henna in the refridgerator.
 
Recipe for a full bowl of henna (100g)
  • 100gram Henna powder
  • 40ml lavender essential oil
  • 20gram sugar
  • Water or lemon juice as needed (thicker or lighter paste)
  • Mix then cover with clear wrap film
  • Leave in a warm place to release its organic natural dye. 23-30 Celsius (75-85 Fahrenheit ) is the preferred temperature for henna paste.
  • Leave for 2-6 hours if using water or 24 hours if using lemon juice.
  • After use, simply store away any left over henna in the refridgerator.
For your first henna design be sure to check out our own henna stencils just to get you started here! ​ here is the all in one henna kit




 
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

March 22nd, 2018

22/3/2018

0 Comments

 

What is Body Art Quality? And the difference between hair henna

Picture
Picture
Picture
Body Art Quality henna is often referred to as BAQ henna which is to be applied on the skin.
Body art quality henna has absolutely no added chemical dyes, no added metallic salts, or any other ingredients that may harm your health or cause damaging reactions as synthetic dyes.
It is a pure henna powder that has a higher natural dye content than uses for hair henna.
Hair henna usually has to have other chemicals added to make it different hair colour shades etc.
Hair henna has a lower dye content (lawsone content at 1% or less) and is not as finely sifted, cleaned and sorted as the henna for body art quality.
Only real BAQ henna powder is a pumpkin orange colour to a light brown shade.
Henna for body art must have a finer sift, so artists can make fine patterns with deep long-lasting stains.
‘Lawsone’ (the red-orange dye that naturally occurs in henna leaves) normally ranges from 0.3% to 3% or higher at harvest.
Henna crops vary through the growing regions and vary from season to season.  With good packaging, in ideal conditions, the lawsone content expires very slowly but if the packaging allows moisture, light or heat to damage the henna, then it may quickly become worthless no matter how high the lawsone content is, so good handling of the henna powder and packaging is a must. 

0 Comments

March 17th, 2018

17/3/2018

0 Comments

 

Carrier oils vs essential oils

Picture
There are many different oils out there but when relating to beauty, skin care and aromatherapy there are the two you hear about and those are, essential oils and carrier oils.

What are Carrier Oils? 
Carrier oils are often used as a mixture to dilute the more potent essential oils. Most carrier oils are extracted from plants and have little to no aroma. Often, carrier oils also have benefits of their own (for example coconut oil is a great moisturizer) and can be matched with specific essential oils for added benefits when applied to skin. 
The most common carrier oils are olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and grapeseed oil. Other less common (and more expensive) carrier oils are argan oil, jojoba oil and emu oil.  
You must however, be aware of your own skin as some of these carrier oils come from nut based plants and could cause swelling of your skin if you have allergies. So we say most often the best non allergic and most basic carrier oil known is usually the grapeseed oil. It is also a very light oil which will rub into skin quicker and much deeper that’s why you will see most beauty therapists use it as the main massage oil when visiting a salon.

What are essential oils
An essential oil usually is the oil that carries a scent/fragrance from the plant that they were extracted from. Although they are not 'oily' really hence they are required to be diluted with some other medium, being water or carrier oil.
They are extracted most often through the use of distillation and stem form the non seed part of the plant.

The extraction process used to get the oils are usually different, but there are many exceptions. 
Essential oils are typically extracted by a method called, steam distillation, cold pressing or solvent extraction. But steam distillation is the most common. 
The common essential oils that are used are, lavender, peppermint, grapefruit, orange, lemongrass and so on. 
People can also use essential oils as a form of medicine for flu and sinus problems, for sleep, relaxation therapies and even for room perfumes/mists when diluted with water. 


Picture
0 Comments

Benefits of henna

17/3/2018

0 Comments

 

Benefits of henna

0 Comments

March 06th, 2018

6/3/2018

0 Comments

 

The best henna when choosing.

Picture
There are many types of henna powders out there. For henna to be used on the skin, you must use fresh high-quality body art quality henna also known as BAQ. It must have gone through testing processes and be certified so as not to cause any skin irritations.
Commonly used is henna to dye the hair. It is usually a different quality henna powder.
 
There are a variety of henna out there, some which have had quite bad news about them. Especially ready made ones. You may even find that some of the other henna powders out there are too good to be true. You see all the instagram posts about how dark the stain is etc and when you buy it yourself you find that when you try it yourself it is not as dark as theirs! Well, there are many factors to be considered for this,
It could be that their skin tone is different so please dont compare yourself to theirs.
Sometimes the henna artists will mix the blend with other powders known as ‘mixing the blend’ and ofcourse the henna is usually left on for a longer time period.
 
So to be extra safe incase of anyone having alergies out there, please make sure they have passed factory tests and gained relevant certificates (you can find out this by looking at the labels they have displayed) and always do patch tests everytime you use a new henna even if its one youve been using for a long time because its a scientific fact that your skincells replace themselves every 2/3 weeks so your new skin could have a different reaction especially to a new/old harvest of henna.
 
How to darken a henna stain the honest way.
If you yourself choose to darken the henna stain (as not everyones skin colour is the same) then there are many ways which we will come to at a later stage. For quick measures you could also add other plants to it but since you're doing it, atleast you know what has been inside it! just make sure thats the only plant thats in the packet and again not mixed with something else. 
 
Why do people add sugar when making henna paste?
Sugar...
Well, adding sugar to your henna powder makes the henna stay wet against the skin longer, stick to the skin better, and makes the henna more stringy. It also helps add to darken the colour.

The role of water or lemon juice  
In order to get the best stain from organic fresh henna, you need to mix it with either water or lemon. People even use tea!
Lemon juice is acidic which allows the lawsone dye to be released from the henna slowly.
Both methods are fine but water releases stain quicker in the organic henna powder where as lemon juice and tea takes abit longer to release dye.
 
Oils for henna 
Both lavender and tea tree oils have monoterpene alcohols (also known as terp) This helps release more of the lawsone dye in the henna leaves resulting in a darker stain. Adding lavender oil also adds a lovely relaxing scent to your henna and keeps your henna paste from expiring. Essential oils are very potent and strong. You should just stick to using the minimum amount of oil you need to create a good mix. Never add more than 1 ounce (30 mL) of oil per 100 grams of henna. Lavender oil is usually the most safest option for pregnant women aswell. Always read the labels before use though. ​

0 Comments

March 06th, 2018

6/3/2018

0 Comments

 

How henna powder is made

How henna powder is made.
 
Henna plant grows in semi-arid zones and tropical areas. It produces the most dye when grown in temperatures between 35 and 45 °C (95 and 113 °F).
 
Once the henna leaves are harvested, they are set out to dry in the sun.
The dust, twigs etc are removed from the leaves before they are grinded. Bags of dried henna leaves are then taken to grinding machines and kept in a temperature controlled environment for best results where the henna powder is cleaned from its impurities. This process is repeated until a hygienic silk smooth powder is obtained which is safe use on skin. The powder quality is re-checked and finally approved. It is then packaged and shifted to the warehouse where it is exported globally. ​
0 Comments

Lavender Essential oil blog

6/3/2018

0 Comments

 

Best oils for henna

Picture
Essential oils are concentrated extracts of many different plants and are widely used as a natural means of healing the body, mind and soul. Some essential oils are calming such as lavender, while as others can heal the skin and scalp, such as sweet orange.
Please keep in mind that some essential oils are not safe during pregnancy.
If using essential oils for other uses such as skincare, aromatherapy, always dilute them in a carrier oil such as grapeseed oil, Jojoba oil, coconut or olive oil as they are very concentrated and can cause irritation to the skin if not diluted. 
For henna uses on the skin essential oils function as a solvent in your paste and help the dye to attach to keratin in the skin. Most solvents that come to mind first are things like kerosene or turpentine. But they are not skin friendly and we don’t want them in our paste!
Essential oils improve the color and duration of henna, some more than other. Lavender is a perfect example.

0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Mother of 3 kids, Beauty therapist, Superwoman, Passionate in all things, a minimalist, love creating, designing.

    Archives

    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

​Terms

Privacy

Wholesale

Shipments
&
​Returns

Contact

Copyright © 2020 Laminau.
All rights reserved
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Paypal shop
  • Gallery
    • Fun Henna Facts
    • Henna Hacks
    • Outfits With Henna
    • Blog
  • Videos
  • Contact