How to Make Henna Cone Paste

How to Make Henna Cone Paste

 

 

Gather your Supplies :
* Fresh Henna Powder, 20 grams or 1/4 Cup
* Bottled or Fresh Lemon Juice, strained
* Small Plastic or Glass Bowl
* Measuring Spoons
* Sugar
* Essential Oils (Tea tree, Cajeput, Lavender, Clove-oil etc), 1.5 teaspoons
* Plastic Sandwich Bag
* Applicator Bottle or Cone

This recipe is for 20 grams of fresh henna powder and will produce approximately 3 ounces of paste, enough for 75 small patterns, 3-4 cones.

1) Pour 20 grams of fresh henna powder into a small bowl.

2) Add 1/4 cup of strained fresh or bottled lemon juice.

When using any dye a second ingredient is needed to create the chemical reaction to release the dye molecule. Henna requires an acid to bring out the dye molecule contained within its leaves. Lemon juice is the perfect companion as it is very acidic, readily available, and very safe.

I do not recommended water to mix your paste. Some recipes call for many ingredients such as coffee, tea, water, tamarind, dried limes, cloves, and spices. None of these extra ingredients will make much of a difference in the staining power of your paste. You'll get a fabulous stain with just lemon juice and a great henna powder and high quality essential oils.

3) Stir the henna and lemon juice until they are completely mixed together and no lumps of dry powder remain. Then the paste will be thick, similar to mashed potatoes.

4) Sugar helps the paste stick to the skin by drawing moisture into the paste and prevents cracking and drying out of the paste. It also makes a silky smooth and creamy paste. Cajeput, tea tree, revensara, or lavender are all good choices. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. The essential oils will help to produce the deepest and darkest stain possible.

5) It will be lumpy and chunky at first. Keep stirring n then It will be smooth out and become silky.

6)Cover the paste with plastic wrap. Press the plastic wrap against the surface of the paste expelling any air pockets.

7) Let the paste sit in a warm place, around 75 ° to 85° Fahrenheit, for 24 hours to allow the dye to be drawn out of the henna leaves so it will stain your skin deeply and as strong as possible.

8) After letting the henna mature for 24 hours it is ready to be used. Check and adjust your consistency if desired.

Determining exact amounts of lemon juice required for henna paste is very difficult since the henna plants are grown in many different regions of the world. Depending on the location, weather, and time of year the leaves are harvested the recipe will need varying amounts of lemon juice. The paste should be smooth and creamy, similar to yogurt. If too much lemon juice is added the paste will be runny and your designs will bleed together. If the paste is too thick it will be difficult to squeeze the paste out of the applicator.

Add lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon at a time, mixing completely between each addition, until you reach the desired creamy consistency.

When your paste is the perfect consistency fill your applicators.