The Glitter Bee

Henna Safety

Nothing is more important to Glitter Bee Henna than client safety and education. Given that there are not many henna artists here in the valley, many people are unaware of what henna really is, much less what questions to ask to ensure their artist is using high quality, skin safe henna paste. 

Whether you schedule an appointment with us in the future or not, I hope the information here helps you make informed decisions about your future interactions with this beautiful for of body beautification.

Pre-coned, natural henna paste is available in the shop too if you would like to create your own works of art.

01 // what even is henna?

Henna, in its original form is actually just a shrubby plant. The leaves from the henna lawsonia plant are dried and then ground into a fine powder. High quality henna powders are sifted multiple times to ensure the resulting paste is smooth and workable. There are lots of different recipes for making paste from this powder, but the necessities are a liquid (commonly water or lemon juice), sugar, and essential oils.

02 // How do i know if henna is safe?

The easiest way to identify unsafe, chemical henna is the way it’s stored. Natural henna is a perishable product and therefore, must be refrigerated.

Henna products that advertise a quick stain should also be avoided. Natural henna takes 4-6 hours to create it’s lovely, rich stain. The resulting stain should also have an ombre effect that gets lighter as it moves away from your extremities. The stain on your fingers, for example, will be darker than the stain on your wrist.

03 // Is that chemical henna really that bad?

In short, yes. It really is.

The premixed henna industry is grossly under regulated. As a result, there is no end to the list of awful ingredients that can be included. Some of the worst are PPD and even kerosene!

Possible side effects include:

• Rash

• Permanent Scarring

• Organ Failure

• Cardiac Arrest

The list goes on. The dangerous chemicals involved are often sensitizing, meaning that if you don’t have a reaction the first time you come into contact with it, you’re more likely to every time it touches your skin. Additionally, even when there are no outward reactions after use, there is ALWAYS an impact on your internal organs.

Please henna safely!

In order to provide a more personalized experience for each client, there are a number of variations on our recipe in regard to scent, but the basics never change. Another reason ingredients might change is for specific applications.

For example:

Prenatal appointment pastes are made with only lavender essential oil and we use only half the industry standard for an even gentler product. Henna crowns for women going through cancer treatments are done with a paste made with apple juice instead of lemon to keep the acidity levels lower and avoid irritating skin that’s more sensitive due to things like radiation treatments.

Our standard recipe consists of the following:

• Henna Powder

• Brewed Coffee or Organic Lemon Juice

• Brown Sugar

• Essential Oils