11/23/2008 Henna Energy by Mariko
Mariko Adams is a professional henna artist right here in Orlando.  She is one of the best henna artists I've ever encountered and has wonderful understanding of the art of henna. 

Sometimes you will find your henna is not as dark as another time you used the same henna (especially this time of the year when the temperature starts dropping).  Mariko had some wonderful thoughts in this.

"I ask myself some questions if I am not getting the henna color I am used to getting.

- When I was mixing the henna, did I put my positive energy intention good enough? (I also put energy stone on the henna while setting 12 hours)
- Am I using my henna for the right purpose-which is right feeling? right time?

Henna is absolutely the energy from the person I do henna on. I believe henna art is energy from of person's inner beauty.  I feel I am chanting while doing henna with person and bring their energy through the henna design.  When I do henna I really try not to think anything. When I think or talk henna design stops and hard to draw.  When I'm doing henna I totally feel person's energy and if that person is nervous I feel nervous and if that person is happy I feel great also. With many people it takes about 5 minutes to feel comfortable while drawing design and after that the design just flows out.

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful henna energy in this world!!!
Grateful thankful...
Love&Peace always, Mariko"

I feel she is absolutely right.  Positive energy is an important henna component.  My own attitude seems to have a direct connection with how my henna stain turns out.  I also find henna is a great way to make you feel better when you are feeling down.

Lose yourself in a henna design and not only does it make you feel better while doing the henna, but you have a beautiful lasting talisman of luck and protection.

11/17/2008 Henna & Temperature
This time of year I start getting emails from henna artists that are not getting as good of color as they typically do.  Henna can be picky about temperature and winter is a different set of challenges than summer. 

In summer, we have to be careful that we don't "cook" our henna.  We have to keep it out of sunlight and not let it get too warm.   When mixing henna powder in the summer dye release is often much quicker (often a just a few hours will yield good dye release).  This also means that the henna paste can lose it's dying abilities quickly, so you need to keep your henna cool.

In the winter (even here in Florida) we have to be more patient with our henna.  The same henna that would obtain full dye release in a few hours can take a full day or more in a cooler environment.  I find that if my house is less than 70 degrees I need to let my henna powder mix sit 24 hours or more.  I do this in stages.  I mix my powder with my liquid (lemon, tea mix, or whatever I am using that day) and let it sit overnight.  The next day, either in the morning or before work, I add sugar, essential oils, and any additional liquid if needed.  I let that sit again overnight and the next day I put the henna in applicators and cones for freezing.  Sometimes I don't freeze the cones until the next day.

I am always cold, so I have to work extra hard to get a good stain in the winter.  I get all my supplies together along with a candle, blanket, and cup of hot tea or glass of wine.   I do my henna while I am all wrapped up in my blanket and seal it with lemon sugar.  When my hands (or feet) get cold, I hold them over the candle.

This winter, keep temperature in mind while mixing and applying your henna.  Remember, body temperature is nearly 99 degrees.  Even 70 degrees is a significant difference in temperature.  Stay Warm!

10/10/2008 Henna Storage
Ever wonder how the heck to keep you henna and accessories when it's not being used? 

For henna accessories such as applicator bottles, pins, glitter, and the like, I use a fishing tackle box.  The dividers make perfect little compartments to store my applicator tips and bottles.

For mixed henna paste, I simply use a small Corning Ware container with a lid to store premixed paste in the refrigerator.  When I freeze henna, I first put the henna in empty applicator cones, so that I can thaw only as much henna as I need at a time.  I apply a label to the cone with the date and ingredients, then tape over the label.  I wrap the cones in a paper towel and put them in a Ziploc freezer bag.

When I need to bring henna out for an event, I simply grab my tackle box and a soft lunch box where I place my henna paste.  The lunch box leaves plenty of space for a couple of wash cloths and a bottle of witch hazel for cleaning skin.  It has a flat outside pocket where I keep my aftercare instructions.

So what's your henna set up?

6/23/2008 First Time Henna!

Kayla did her very first henna design using powder henna and on the back (one of the most difficult places to stain)!  It turned out beautifully!  She used Beachcombers powder henna and used the Tea Henna Mix Jr henna recipe below.

Kayla has been chosen as the current Henna Design Of the Moment winner, as well.  Great work, Kayla!

 

6/20/2008 Relax, Henna Is Fun!

Don't get too caught up in getting your henna perfect, especially if you are new to henna.  Henna is like cooking.  Two people can make the same recipe, but have different results.

Relax when you are mixing henna and don't worry about getting anything exact.  My Great-Grandmother (from Italy) takes four days to make her marinara sauce.  I take about an hour, lol!  My sauce isn't as good as her sauce, but it's still delicious and much less stressful on a Tuesday night.  Your henna mix doesn't have to be an intense-hard-core mixture every time you mix henna.  Try some super easy mixes sometimes.  You can get some decent color by mixing your henna powder with lemon juice and letting it sit for 4-6 hours.

The same goes for drawing your actual design.  If things aren't going well, wipe it off with water and start again.  You would be surprised at how nice a design will look once the henna paste is removed and the color has come up.

My point is, get in there and start doing some henna!  Remember the worst that can happen is your color doesn't get as dark as it could get, or you end up with a not-so-hot design.  So what?  Try it again!  Have FUN!

5/15/2008 New Henna Mixes!

I am LOVING this new henna mix so I want to share it with you!  I'm going to use a fake timeline to give you a realistic idea of the timeframe.   There is plenty of room for changing the instructions. They don't need to be followed to the letter.

Jody's Fabulous 4 Day Tea Henna Mix!
This one is a bit complicated and long to make, but I'm getting some amazing color with it.

Monday - Make lemon tea mixture
On the stove I heat lemon juice (about 2 or 3 cups, but the amount will vary greatly depending on the tea you use), loose Indian Black tea (about 3 or 4 heaping table spoons, but again depends), whole black cloves, cardamom seeds, and one cinnamon stick.

I heat that to a simmer for about 1/2 hour than I lower the heat to low so it's hot but not bubbling at all.  I leave it like that for another couple of hours then remove it from the burner and leave to sit overnight. If it cooks down too much add more lemon juice at any time.

Tuesday - First step of mixing henna
I strain the tea mixture (I actually use the same nylon that I use for straining my henna). I typically start with two 20 gram packages of henna which will make about 4 cones. Mix in the tea mixture just like you always do, keeping the paste thicker than you need. Apply plastic wrap over the henna so that the wrap is actually touching the henna and put the henna inside a kitchen cabinet (or any dark place that doesn't get too hot or too cold).

Take any left over tea mix and freeze it in an ice cube tray to make it easier to make your next henna mix. Once they are frozen I put them in a ziplock bag labeled with the date and ingredients. 

Wednesday - Adding oils/sugar
Stir your henna mix and add sugar (2 or 3 teaspoons). Add your oil. I've been loving tea tree and lavender lately.  I typically use about 10 or more drops of oil. Add additional lemon juice if you need to further thin the henna. Put plastic wrap back on henna and put it back inside a kitchen cabinet (or any dark place that doesn't get too hot or too cold).

Thursday - Ready to use
Strain your henna, add it to an applicator and you are ready to go!  I use the carrot bag from straining the henna paste to put the henna in cones to freeze.  Two 20 gram bags of henna will make about 4 henna cones.  I label the henna cones with the date and ingredients before freezing. It takes about 2 hours for one cone to thaw.


Tea Henna Mix Jr.
Similar mix but much quicker...

Monday - Make the same lemon tea mixture (use whatever you want, it doesn't have to be those exact ingredients, I sometimes add red wine). Simmer the tea for an hour or so (add more liquid when needed) and set aside to cool. Once cool, strain the tea and mix your henna, just like the Tuesday instructions above.

Tuesday - Use the Wednesday instructions above and add your sugar and oils. If you do this in the morning, you can use the henna in the evening, otherwise let it sit until Wednesday.


Hope these new henna mixes do well for you!  Email me with your mixes and I'll post them!

5/02/2008 Lavender & Tea Tree Oil Available

I have recommended adding tea tree and lavender oil to your henna mix for a long time.  I've been hearing from customers that they have a tough time finding high quality oils and when they do, they often have to pay high shipping costs.  Alright, you got it!  I've found a great supplier of high quality Australian tea tree oil and a very high quality French lavender oil and am offering it to you!

Now you can get your essential oils for henna when you get your Beachcombers! henna and you can add it to any order for no additional shipping costs.

Each bottle is 5 mL and is dark glass, so they will store well for up to three years.  Five mL is about 60 drops of oil.  Each bag of henna needs about 2-5 drops of oil, but you can add more or less depending on your tastes.  The oil is 100% pure uncut, so a little goes a long way.

BTW, we are also offering a new Henna Straining Kit so that you can strain your henna.  We found that people were having issues getting all the different components of the kit without spending excessive money so we put a kit together for you.  It contains 2 nylon stockings, 4 extra strong carrot bags, and a spatula.

I hope offering these oils and the straining kit is a convenience for you!  Continue to let us know what your needs are and we'll stock what we can. 

5/01/2008 Henna Really is a Natural Sun Block

You may have heard me mention that henna is a natural sun block in the past.  Well, here is proof! 

If you look closely at the foot on the left, you can see the reverse of the henna pattern that was on the skin before a couple of days vacationing at the beach.  The henna stain was barely visible when the wearer went on vacation to the beach.  The henna was done by Courtney, and she was kind enough to send pictures of the ultra cool sunblock results. 

Thanks again, Courtney!

4/29/2008 Henna Travel Tips

Last week we went to a eCommerce Business Summit in New Orleans, LA.  Aside from the fact that the summit itself was a wealth of information, allowing us to continue to improve your shopping experience with Beachcombers! Bazaar, I also did some henna testing!

We drove from Orlando FL to New Orleans in an old Miata with no air conditioning.  This means my henna was in a hot car for more than 10 hours!  I always tell people to put their henna in a cooler when doing henna outdoors to keep it fresh, but I purposely did not do that with my henna.  I never dreamed that the henna would still leave color after that kind of abuse, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that after 10 hours of driving in the trunk of a car in Florida, the henna still left color!  It wasn't great color, but it was acceptable color. 

< The picture to the left is of the henna the day after it was done.  The color changed from orange to a darker brown the next day, but I don't have pictures of that day.  The skin was not cleaned before I did the henna, but I was able to use a lemon sugar sealer.  Certainly NOT the best conditions to do henna, lol!

The heat did cause the henna to separate, and luckily I had a toothpick long enough to properly mix the henna in the applicator bottle.

I was reminded of how important it is to completely clean applicator bottle tips.  I thought I may be able to get away with using a straight pin to clean my stainless steel applicator tips without water, but I started getting clogs as the fresh henna mixed with the dried henna that was clinging to the inside of the tips.  I used hot water from the hotel tap and a straight pin to properly clean my henna tips and the clogs stopped.

Many thanks to my two guinea pigs...
Clarissa of TattooApparel.com and Andy of Debnroo.com.

4/17/2008 Henna Tattoo Tips

Vitamin E Oil
Courtney (Orlando henna artist) has been using Vitamin E Oil to keep her henna design moisturized.  We have likely learned by now that henna likes nice dry skin to develop color, but once your tattoo is set, if you don't keep the henna tattoo moisturized, the skin cells exfoliate quicker, thus fading your tattoo.

Henna Notebook
I always encourage people to keep a henna notebook.  I use mine to...

• Keep detailed notes on every batch of henna I make.  You'd be surprised how quickly you forget exactly what was in that last batch of henna that left really great color.
• Write down new henna mix ingredients you'd like to try out.
• Doodle henna designs and try out new designs.  My henna notebook is my little brainstorm area.
• Sometimes, people want a specific design hennaed on them.  I let them draw it out in my henna notebook.  I'll also pre-draw out a design for a customer if they are a little unsure of what they want.  This gets them excited about their henna tattoo!

I found some great notebooks for henna at Michael's Crafts for only $.50 in their clearance section!  They are 8.5" x 5.25", spiral bound, and have a great paisley floral design.  The notebooks are lined so it can help when drawing out a symmetrical design for the first time.  They also had matching note cards and Post Its.

Tea Tree Oil & Lavender Oil
These are my two favorite terping oils for henna and I suggest them often.  Apparently they are not always easy to find, so we've decided to start stocking them for you!  Keep your eyes out for us to add high quality tea tree and lavender oils to our site.  If you have not already signed up for the Preferred Clients list, I encourage you to do so, in order to get an email when they are available.

3/30/2008 Henna Tips From Beachcombers! Henna Workshop Participants
First, thank you all for coming to the workshop!  It was a great success and I had more fun that I thought possible while "teaching", lol!  I promised to create this follow-up info so that you'd have access to some of the things that came up in class, so here it is.


[ Colored Self Adhesive Wraps
SureFlexx Self-Adhesive Elastic Bandage

Courtney showed us a fantastic product to use for wrapping your henna, a self-adhesive elastic bandage called SureFlexx.  It's a great way to wrap your henna without looking like your broke something, lol!  It comes in a great selection of colors and is found at feed stores.  Apparently it is used for horses.  I found some online sources for it, Provico, and ValleyVet.  I have not ordered from them, I just did a Google search to find them.

Courtney found a local supplier here in Orlando that sells SureFlexx for $2.25 each or if you buy 4 or more rolls the price is then $2.00 each.

We briefly talked about decorating your henna with glitter paste and gilding paste.  I talked about using eye shadows and theater powder make-up to make your own gilding paste.   You just mix the powder with hair glue or very thick hard hold hair gel.  The gel should be thick enough that when turned upside down a slow bubble will work itself back up.  It should not be "pourable" gel.

Eyegasams Gilding Powder
Susan makes the very best gilding powder (Eyegasams) I've found and at a much better price than theater makeup.  Each pot of powder is only $7.50 each!  She is working on getting a website up soon, but you can contact her via email here.  If you dance at the YOU Center with Lacey, Susan always brings her powders to class so you can arrange to purchase them there.

If you are interested in loose glitter to sprinkle over your henna, I've found that extra fine scrap booking glitter work really well.  Don't use craft glitter that is made of metal because if it gets in your eye it can actually cut your eye.  The scrap book brand Stampendous has non-metal glitter.  I've bought this brand at Michaels Craft Store in the past, but the last time I was there I didn't see it.  I've emailed the company to ask where else we can get their glitter.

From Courtney...

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