Henna: Difference between revisions

'''Henna''' is a reddish/brownish [[dye]] prepared from the dried and powdered leaves of the [[Lawsonia inermis|henna tree]].<ref>{{cite book|isbn= 978-0025054707|last1= Bailey|first1= L.H.|last2= Bailey|first2= E.Z.|year= 1976|title= Hortus Third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada|publisher= Macmillan|location= New York|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/hortusthirdconci00bail}}</ref> It has been used since at least the [[ancient Egypt]]ian period as a hair and body dye, notably in the temporary body art of [[mehndi]] (or "henna tattoo") resulting from the staining of the [[Human skin|skin]] using dyes from the henna plant. After henna stains reach their peak colour, they hold for a few days, then gradually wear off by way of [[Exfoliation (cosmetology)|exfoliation]], typically within one to three weeks.

Henna has been used in theancient IndianEgypt, Subcontinent[[ancient Near East]] and inthen the Egypt[[Indian subcontinent]] to dye skin, hair and fingernails, as well as fabrics including [[silk]], [[wool]], and [[leather]]. Historically, henna was used in [[West Asia]] including [[India]],the [[Arabian Peninsula]], and in [[Carthage]], other parts of [[North Africa]], [[West Africa]], and [[Central Africa]], the [[Horn of Africa]] and the [[Indian subcontinent]].

The origins of the initial human uses of henna remainare uncertain.; however, there are records that the plant was marketed in [[Babylonia]],<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qulwDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65|page=65|title=The Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia|author=R. Campbell Thompson|publisher=Cambridge University Press|date= 27 September 2018|isbn=978-1-108-08461-1 }}</ref> and was used in [[Ancient Egypt]] on some [[mummy|mummies]] to dye their hair, skin, nails, or funeral wrappings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The henna plant: Transcending time, religion and culture |url=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-henna-plant-transcending-time-religion-and-culture.html |access-date=27 November 2023 |website=www.nhm.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> It arrived in [[North Africa]] during the [[Punic people|Punic civilization]] through [[Phoenicia|Phoenician]] Diasporas where it was used as a beautification tool.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Henna in [[Bharat]] (India),North Africa and the Middle East {{!}} CSDT |url=https://csdt.org/culture/henna/middleeast.html |access-date=27 November 2023 |website=csdt.org}}</ref> [[Pliny the Elder]] wrote about its use in the [[Roman Empire]] as a medicine, a perfume, and a dye.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hennabysienna.com/henna-in-the-ancient-world.html|title=Henna In The Ancient World|work=Henna by Sienna}}{{cite web|url=https://www.loebclassics.com/view/pliny_elder-natural_history/1938/pb_LCL370.79.xml?readMode=recto|work=loebclassics.com|title=Natural History }}</ref> == History ==

Commercially packaged henna, intended for use as a cosmetic hair dye, originoriginated stillin uncertainancient Egypt and the ancient Near East and is now popular in many countries in South Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America. The color that results from dyeing with henna depends on the original color of the hair, as well as the quality of the henna, and can range from orange to auburn to burgundy. Henna can be mixed with other natural hair dyes, including ''[[Cassia obovata]]'' for lighter shades of red or even blond and [[indigo dye|indigo]] to achieve brown and black shades. Some products sold as "henna" include these other [[natural dye]]s. Others may include metal salts that can interact with other chemical treatments, or oils and waxes that may inhibit the dye, or dyes which may be allergens.

In Iran, Māzār ({{lang-langx|fa| مازار }}) is indicating a job title for a person whose work is associated with the [[milling (grinding)|milling]] or [[Mill (grinding)|grinding]] henna [[leaves]] and sell it in a powder form. This type of business is an old job still alive in some parts of [[Iran]], especially in the world recognized archeologically ancient "[[Yazd]]" province.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uk.lush.com/article/east-meets-west-rise-henna |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029232429/https://uk.lush.com/article/east-meets-west-rise-henna |archive-date=29 October 2018 |title=East meets West: the rise of henna |publisher=Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics UK }}</ref> The most famous one is a family owned business by "Mazar Atabaki" families resided in the land hundreds of years ago. Māzāri ({{lang-langx|fa| مازاری }}) is a place for milling henna mixed with other herbs.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

In [[Palestine (region)]], now in [[Israel]] and territories of the [[Palestinian National Authority]], some Middle Eastern and North African Jewish communities and families, also Druze, Christian and Muslim ones, host henna parties the night or week before a wedding, according to familial customs.<ref name="rosenhouse">{{cite journal |last1=Rosenhouse |first1=Judith |title=A comparative study of women's wedding songs in colloquial Arabic |journal=EDNA, Estudios de Dialectología Norteafricana y Andalusí |date=1 January 2000 |volume=5 |pages=29–47 |url=https://www.uco.es/ucopress/ojs/index.php/edna/article/view/7241 |access-date=31 August 2018}}</ref> The use of henna in this region can be traced as far back to the [[Song of Songs]] in which the author wrote, "My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Song of Solomon|1:14|NASB}}</ref> [[Sephardic Jews]] and [[Mizrahi Jews]], such as [[Moroccan Jews]] and [[Yemenite Jews]] who have immigrated to Israel, continue these familial customs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sharabi |first1=Rachel |title=The Bride's Henna Ritual: Symbols, Meanings and Changes |journal=Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies & Gender Issues |date=2006 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=11–42 |id={{ProQuest|197740785}} |doi=10.1353/nsh.2006.0014 |jstor=40326803 |s2cid=163092214 }}</ref>

In [[Malaysia]], henna ({{lang-langx|ms|inai}}) is used to adorn the bride and groom's hands before the wedding at a ''berinai'' ceremony.<ref>''Our Malaysia: Multi-cultural Activity Book for Young Malaysians: Creative! Informative! Fun!'' Kuala Lumpur: Arpitha Associates, 2005.{{page needed|date=July 2020}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=July 2020}}