Mixing oils with powdered henna plant leaves creates a paste-like substance that we know as henna. The leaves are not hard to obtain. Today these raw materials can be bought at local markets in North Africa and throughout the Arab world. In America, they can be ordered online and mailed to your home. The paste is applied directly to the skin using a paintbrush or a cone to squeeze it onto the skin like toothpaste onto a toothbrush. Henna is easy to manipulate and can be applied into a number of different designs. The henna then has to dry on the skin to transfer the color before washing it off. How dark the color left on the skin depends on the region where the henna is placed and the ratio of oil to henna leaves. Hands and palms tend to be the best place for henna to last the longest. On average, the design remains on the skin for a week before the color starts to fade away.
