Frequently Asked Questions
Henna (Lawsonia Inermis) is a flowering plant. The leaves of the Henna plant contain a natural and very effective coloring pigment: Lawsone. This Orange/Red dye releases as the leaves are crushed. Drying, milling, and sifting the Henna leaves into a fine powder maximizes the pigment (Lawsone) release.
Henna has been used to adorn bodies as part of traditional and holiday celebrations for many years now. In many cultures, it is regarded as a blessings, and applied for luck as well as joy and beauty. There are various stories and folk lores. In India, it is said that the deeper the colour of a bride’s henna stain color, the more her husband (some say mother-in-law) will love her!
Henna is completely painless and a temporary work of body art (as opposed to getting a tattoo which is permanent). Henna is, first and foremost, an adornment, a way of beautifying oneself (traditionally as preparation for a special occasion such as a wedding, engagement).
Henna/mehndi is traditionally applied on the hands and feet of women (and men in some communities) for special occasions like engagements/weddings. They are the two areas on the body that stain the darkest! With more cultures and people exposed to this beautiful art however, it can really be applied anywhere on the body depending on your preference.
Black henna is a paste made by mixing a little bit of henna, and a majority of things that are really bad for your skin, specifically: PPD (a chemical found in permanent hair dye), charcoal, kerosene and other chemicals. Chemicals such as these can cause lead poisoning, painful sores and permanent scarring. Henna is NOT black and when natural henna is used, it will always stain in shades of red and brown. Henna by Sushma does not use or encourage the use of black henna.
Henna stains typically fade in one to three weeks depending on the henna used, your skin and how much you wash the part where henna is applied. For longevity of henna color, we suggest less washing of the body part where henna is applied and less use of soaps and exfoliants.