Henna powder destined for colouring the hair & adorning the skin is made from the crushed leaves of the Henna Plant Lawsonia Inermis, a tall shrub-like plant that thrives in hot and dry climates. Much of the world’s henna powder comes from plants cultivated in Morrocco, Sudan, India & Pakistan, though it is grown in most North African & Middle Eastern countries as well.

The leaves used to produce henna powder are harvested when the plant flowers, and the pink and cream coloured flowers are also used to make perfume, scented oils and incense. To produce the finest quality henna powder the leaves are air-dried, out of direct sunlight, in order to preserve the staining properties. The dried leaves are then ground into a fine powder, ready for preparing henna paste. The dried powdered leaves can be stored in perfectly good condition for years, as long as henna powder is kept out of the light. Exposure to light destroys the lawsone, effectively ‘bleaching’ the henna powder and rendering it useless for staining purposes.

Although henna may have been in use throughout North Africa and the Middle East at the same time, it is thought that it was first used cosmetically in Lower Egypt (now Sudan) from where it spread throughout the regions of Africa and Asia where henna is still used traditionally today. It is known that the Moguls took henna cultivation and their intricate henna application skills to Pakistan and India in the sixteenth century. It has since spread throughout India and Bangladesh and gone on to Malaysia & Indonesia.
The exact route and timeframe that it took for the traditional knowledge and skills of henna preparation and application to spread across the Eastern World is unconfirmed. It is also possible that the plant’s cosmetic properties were discovered and utilised simultaneously in different areas across North Africa and Asia. You can be certain though, that every country in the Eastern World where henna is still in use today has a rich tradition of female henna application.

Though henna is used by women of different religions and cultures, who may live thousands of miles apart, many of the customs involving henna application are the same. For example, decorating the hands and feet to celebrate a wedding or a religious festival. A lot of women also have hennaed hands and feet for everyday cosmetic purposes, the style and artwork of this everyday henna application is never as elaborate as it is when applied for a special occasion though.

There are distinct differences in both the styles of design and the artwork itself from region to region. For example, henna artwork in Arabia tends to include large, bold, floral patterns and the style of application tends to adorn both the palm & back of the hands, whilst still leaving a good portion of the skin showing. Whereas henna artwork from Rajasthan in Northern India tends to include fine-line, intricate, paisley patterns and the style of application tends to mainly adorn the palm of the hand, completely covering the skin like lace.

Other Scientific Names
Lawsonia alba Lam. (no longer recognised as the scientific name)

Trade Name
Henna

Most Popular Common Names
Arab World; Henna, Henne, Hine, Hina, Hene, Heni
Pakistan, India & Bangladesh; Mendhi, Mehndi, Mehendi

Some Lesser Known Common Names
Burmese; Dan
Creole; Ene, Flè Jalouzi
English; Camphire, Egyptian Privet, Mignonette, Zanzibar Bark
Filipino; Cinamomo
French; Henné, Jalousie, Réséda de France
Indonesian; Inai, Pacar Kuku
Javanese; Pacar Kuku
Kashmir; Mohuz
Khmer; Krâpéén
Lao (Sino-Tibetan); Kaaw
Malay; Inai, Pacar Kuku
Sanskrit; Mendika, Ragangi, Raktgarbha
Somali; Erip
Spanish; Resedá
Swahili; Mheni, Mhina, Mkokoa, Mkokoa Muhina, Muina
Tamil; Marithondi, Maruthani
Thai; Thian Daeng, Thian Khaao, Thian King
Tigrigna; Elam
Vietnamese; Lâ Mòn, Nhuôm Móng Tay

Origin and Geographical Distribution
Lawsonia Inermis is native throughout the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent. It flourishes in sunny positions in heavy soils that hold moisture well – though it will grow almost anywhere in these regions. These days it is also widely cultivated in China, The West Indies and Australia as well as in its native countries.

Propagation Lawsonia Inermis grows wild throughout its native countries, and is also a common tree found in gardens and villages. However these days it is mainly cultivated on a large scale as it is a valuable cash crop. It is a perennial plant, and with the exception of the initial year, it can be harvested twice a year in April/May and October/November. Initial yields are low, but increase to around 1,700kg per hectare, and up to 2,000kg per irrigated hectare. For a good crop with a high Lawsone content in the leaves a temperature of around 25 degrees C is required, henna grown in lower temperatures may look the same, but will be produce far inferior quality henna powder, with a poor colour content. It is also important to dry the leaves fast and out of direct sunlight, to retain the colouring properties. It is after all the lawsone content that drives the market for this valuable cash crop, local people have used henna powder, chiefly as a cosmetic for thousands of years, hence its dispersal throughout North Africa, The Middle East & the Indian Subcontinent.