Uses of Henna or Mehndi

Mehndi is the hindi word for Henna. Henna is a plant that is found in India and in other countries like UAE, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh to name a few. In India, as a tradition, the application of henna on your hands and feet and also hair, is  termed as mehndi. 

In the Indian culture, Mehndi is applied by women on most festive occasions and is a must wear during a marriage.

In an Indian wedding, Mehndi is considered very auspicious and both the groom and the bride apply mehndi.  On the bride's palm the groom's name is usually written very intricately so that it blends with the mehndi design. The groom has to find his name on her mehndi. If he cannot find his name then it is said that the bride will have command on the marriage. A mehndi with a darker hue on the bride's hand symbolises love and a strong relationship. 

Mehndi has a  very cooling effect on one's body and can also be applied to dye hair.  Since its a natural dye, and does not contain any chemicals, its an alternative to using hair dyes and it certainly gives a beautiful reddish tinge to your mane . Mehndi can also be used to cover grey hair. I also apply mehndi  on my hair as well. My suggestion is given below. Mehndi can discolour your skin, so please use gloves for application to one's hair. It can stain your clothes as well, so do be careful. Everybody's hair type is different, so depending on whether your hair absorbs  or repels the mehndi, the colour is dependant on the duration of application of the mehndi.

Buy a good quality mehndi for your hair.

Some people use an iron pot to make this concoction, and soak the paste overnight. But I use a regular porcelain bowl to soak the henna paste overnight.

Should you want to use mehndi only as a conditioner, then apply coconut oil on your hair first and then apply mehndi and leave on for about an hour. Then wash it off until the water is clear.

Mehndi can have a drying effect, so do add a bit of coconut oil to the paste. Based on the length of your hair, take a few tablespoons of the powder, add yogurt, coconut oil, black tea bag and soak overnight. The paste should not be runny. Using a brush, apply the paste on your hair. Apply for 2 hours and then wash it off until the water is clear.  For best results, do not use shampoo on your hair after application of mehndi. Wash your hair with shampoo the following day. 

Mehndi as a temporary body art has become very popular. Children and adults  nowadays are very happy to use it. Check out Crayola's  Quick and Easy Body Art . A unique way to display your love for henna. The designs are beautiful. Its super easy to apply and absolutely no mess! 

I hope you enjoyed this post on the uses of Mehndi! Let me know if you used it on your mane!