1. The leaves of the mehndi plant are dried and ground to a powder.

2. The powder is mixed with lemon juice and oils to create a smooth paste. There are as many recipes for mehndi paste as there are people who make it!

3. The paste can be applied using a thin stick to draw on the skin. The most popular way to apply henna is with a cone. The paste is put inside the cone and a small hole is made a the tip. Some people use plastic or metal tips in their cones to help control the line.

4. The paste is left on 4 - 12 hours, often overnight.

5. When the dried paste is removed, it leaves behind an orange stain that gradually darkens over 2 days.

FAQ's

What colors does mehndi come in?
Shades of brown. Several things can affect the color: minerals in the soil where the plant is grown, the freshness of the powder, and the body chemistry of the person who is hennaed. Mehndi stains range from bright red-brown to cinnamon-brown to rich black-cherry-brown. Different parts of the body have different skin textures. The palms of the hands and the soles of the feet get the deepest mehndi color.

But I've seen black mehndi. Is that the same thing?
Mehndi only stains in shades of brown. Sometimes chemicals are added to make the color change. The chemical most commonly used to turn mehndi black is PPD, a hair dye. This chemical is toxic and was never meant to be used on skin. It can cause severe allergic reactions such as blisters. Natural mehndi is safe to use.

Why does the mehndi stain change color over time?
The stain starts out bright orange as soon as the paste is removed. As it interacts with the air and body chemistry, the color changes. The color also changes as the layers of skin go through their cycle of growth and shedding.