How do I mix powdered henna?
Henna is a very personal thing and what works great for one person may not work well for someone else.  There is no right or wrong, and there are no exact measurements.  Henna is like cooking.  There are many ways to tweak a recipe to get better results and it takes time to find what you like best.  Experiment with your henna recipe to find what works best for you. 

Here are a couple of henna mixing recipes to get you started...
 

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Beachcombers Favorite Henna Recipe
THIS is the mix I suggest you use!
Easy Mix for Dark Henna Color

One hundred grams of henna powder will yield 75-150 henna tattoos depending on the size of the designs you create.  If you are new to henna, I suggest mixing smaller batches (25-30 grams), so you can play with your henna recipe to find what works best for you.

1.       Mix approximately equal parts henna and lemon juice (bottled lemon juice, such as RealLemon).  For 100 grams of henna, you will use 1-1.75 cups of lemon juice total in your recipe.  For the first step do not mix all the lemon juice.  Your henna should be thicker than you need, like thick mashed potatoes. 

Why?  The acid in the lemon juice releases the dye in the henna (lawsone).

2.       Apply plastic wrap over henna and press down so that the wrap touches henna paste to remove as much air as possible.  Set aside in a warm area to await dye release. 

Time for dye release:
It takes different amounts of time for different types of henna to release dye.  It can take anywhere from 4-48 hours (or longer) for dye release depending on the henna and the temperature.  The warmer the temperature, the quicker the dye release.  If it’s colder, it will take longer to achieve dye release.

Jamila Henna: generally has full dye release in 24-48 hours (no straining needed)
Rajasthani Organic: generally has full dye release in 6-24 hours
General Henna:  generally most henna’s release dye in 4-24 hours

Note:  Generally, the longer the henna takes to release full dye, the more stable the henna and the longer it will take the henna paste to start losing it’s dyeing abilities.

Ways to check for dye release: 
a.   When the top of the henna has a nice brown skin with the fresh green henna under the surface, your dye has been released. Double check these results with one of the below methods. 
b.  Place a paper towel on top of the plastic wrap.  When there is a nice orange stain on the paper towel, you have dye release.
c.  Place a small dot of henna on the palm of your hand.  Leave it for a few minutes and wipe it off. 
If there is a nice orange stain, you have dye release.

3.       Mix table sugar into the paste in a ratio of about 1 part sugar to 4, 5, or 6 parts henna paste.  This is optional.  You can mix your henna without sugar, but I find it is best with sugar.

Why?  The sugar makes the henna stay wet against the skin longer and stick to the skin better, thus helping you achieve a darker stain.  It also helps give your henna a great consistency.  You may find you like more or less sugar with different brands of henna. This is not absolutely needed, so feel free to try mixing your henna without sugar if you’d like. 

4.       Mix essential oils into the paste (equal amounts tea tree and lavender).  If you are mixing 100 grams of henna you can use anywhere from half of each bottle to all the oil provided.  If you are not using our oils, 1/3-1 ounce (60-150 drops) of oil will work well.

Why?  Both lavender and tea tree oils have monoterpene alcohols which will help release more of the lawsone dye in your henna resulting in a darker stain.  Adding oils also adds a lovely scent to your henna and helps with the texture of your henna.

5.       Mix henna completely. Add additional lemon juice if your henna needs to be thinned.  Add more henna powder if you need your henna paste thicker.  You are going for a texture of anywhere between yogurt and honey, depending on your personal taste.

6.       Place plastic wrap on henna again, and set aside for 4-24 hours to allow more dye to release.

7.       Strain the henna, if needed.  Generally all henna except Jamila henna will need to be strained to avoid clogs.  Place the henna in a carrot bag or sandwich baggie with the tip cut so that you can transfer the henna to applicator bottles or cones.

Tip: I fill individual cones with henna and freeze them so I always have fresh henna available.  One hundred grams of henna powder will create 10-12 standard size large cones (up to 24 small cones).  See storage information in the Beachcombers henna design book or at www.ShopHenna.com.

Substitution Ideas

• Lemon juice can be substituted for any acidic liquid such as...
  Pomegranate Juice
  Grapefruit Juice
  Red Wine
  Coke
  Ginger Ale
  Tea or Coffee
   
• Table sugar can be substituted with...
  Dextrose
  Fructose
  Molasses
  Do NOT use honey
   
• Mehndi oil (tea tree& lavender oil preferred) can be substituted with other
  aromatherapy grade* oils or mixtures of oils, such as...
  Tea Tree
  Cajuput (great substitute for Eucalyptus oil which is not my favorite)
  Frankincense
  Geranium Rose
  Orange
  Walnut (rather harsh, be careful)
   
  Tea tree oil helps bring out the best color, but doesn't smell as nice.  If you want to use tea tree oil, I suggest mixing it with lavender oil.

*Aromatherapy grade oil is the highest quality in oils.  Do not use cheap substitutes that may be mixed with chemicals.  Poor quality oils can result in a poor henna stain and can be dangerous.

Keep any unused henna refrigerated for up to a week.  For longer storage put it in an airtight container and freeze it.  More about henna storage here. 

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Beachcombers Super Easy Basic Mix
This mix leaves a good color and is super easy.

Ingredients Needed:

Powdered Henna
Lemon Juice (or Distilled Water, Coffee, or Black Tea can be substituted)
Mehndi Oil (Lavender, tea tree, etc..)
Henna Applicator (professional applicator, Moroccan syringe applicator, or empty cones)

Mix powdered henna with lemon juice (bottled juice is fine) and your chosen mehndi oil a little at a time until your paste is the consistency of baking soda toothpaste.  Mix thoroughly to remove any lumps.  It should be thin enough be able to be pushed through the opening of your applicator, but not so thin that it is runny.

Allow the mixed henna to sit in a warm place away from sunlight for a minimum of 4 hours or as long as overnight.  This allows for the henna to release its dye.  If you use the henna right away the henna dye will not be released and it will not leave a stain.  Once the henna is ready, add more lemon juice or mehndi oil, if needed, for desired consistency and transfer henna to your chosen applicator. Your henna is now ready for use.
 

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Jody's Fabulous 4 Day Tea Henna Mix!
This one is a bit complicated and long to make, but it's sometimes fun to do mix something a bit differently.  For perfect henna paste constantly, use the Beachcombers Favorite recipe above.

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.

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.  Feel free to toss in whatever other ingredients you want to try out.  I like to try something a little different each time I mix my henna.

I heat that to a low simmer for about 1/2 hour, then I reduce 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 during the heating process, add more lemon juice or water 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 my lemon tea mix is frozen, I put the cubes in a ziplock bag labeled with the date and ingredients of that particular mix. 

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 for 2 bags (40 grams) of henna powder.  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.

Keep any unused henna refrigerated for up to a week.  For longer storage put it in an airtight container and freeze it.


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

Monday - Make the same lemon tea mixture from the above 4 Day Tea recipe (use whatever you want, it doesn't have to be those exact ingredients). 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.

Keep any unused henna refrigerated for up to a week.  For longer storage put it in an airtight container and freeze it.

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Brenda's (of Bajidoo Art) How To Mix Perfect Henna Paste Videos
One of our local Orlando henna artists, Brenda of Bajidoo Art, has created a FANTASTIC "how to mix henna" video!

Henna Mixing Video Part 1


Henna Mixing Video Part 2

Brenda uses Jamila powder henna (Body Art Quality) and tea tree oil.  We have a discounted package price for Jamila henna, tea tree oil, and lavender oil.

...and, yes, we carry an exclusive line of Brenda's hand painted Bajidoo henna painted wood bangle bracelets.  Currently they are available at our store in College Park Orlando and a small selection of them on our website.
 

Additional henna tips can be found on our
New Henna Tips & Tricks page.

Tips to make your design last longer.

Henna Storage (keeping your henna fresh)
Improperly stored henna will lose it's ability to stain the skin.  Contact with air, heat, and humidity can degrade the dying process resulting in a poor stain or no stain at all.  There is nothing worse for a henna artist, than to spend her time on a beautiful design only to have little or no stain left on the skin.

Beachcombers Bazaar stores our henna products frozen to provide you with the freshest possible henna for your use.

Unopened Henna
Henna powder that is still sealed should be stored in a cool dry place away from light.  The refrigerator is fine, but not necessary.  For long term storage (3 months or more) I suggest tightly wrapping the henna and freezing it.

For henna paste, freezing your henna is the best option to keep it super fresh and leaving great color, though it tends to be more stable than you think.

Opened Henna
Once henna has been opened (both powder and pre-mixed) and exposed to air, it should be stored properly or it will lose it's staining abilities quickly.  If you plan to use your henna in a week or so, store it in the refrigerator.  An opaque container (Tupperware or such) is ideal to protect the henna from light and excessive humidity.   I have used henna from the refrigerator after 3 weeks and still had a good stain, but it is very risky to wait that long.  I suggest freezing any henna that will not be used within a week or so.

For longer storage, wrap henna paste or powder tightly and store in the freezer.  This will keep henna fresh indefinitely.  I suggest freezing henna paste in individual "servings" so you only thaw as much henna as you need.  I like to freeze my henna in single serving size cellophane cones or carrot bags, as it makes it easy to mix the henna after it has thawed and easy to fill cones or applicator bottles.

If you use applicator bottles with removable tips, be sure to remove the tips and wash them before storing your henna.  You can ruin your tips by storing them away dirty.  Learn how to clean your henna applicator bottles and tips here.

Thawing Frozen Henna
Thawing time will depend on how much henna has been frozen.  Single serving henna (single sized cones) typically thaw in 20 minutes.  Be sure that your henna is room temperature before using or you will not get a good stain.  Do not heat your henna in any way to thaw it. 

Be sure to mix your henna before using, as thawing can cause the henna to separate.

You can refreeze your henna without ill effects.

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Henna Tattoo Sealer and Wrap Information
The longevity and color of your henna tattoo depends on many different factors, the most prevalent being the amount of time the moist henna is in contact with your skin. If you apply your henna design, let it dry naturally and then scrape it off, you will get color; but for great color, you need to keep the henna moist and in contact with your skin longer than an hour or two. This is where a henna sealer comes into play.

To use a henna sealer, you should apply your henna design normally. Once the henna is set (meaning you can touch it) but BEFORE the henna is completely dry you can apply your henna sealer of choice.

Here are a variety of sealers you can try...

Lemon Sugar Sealer:

The lemon sugar henna sealer is all natural, inexpensive, and does a fantastic job. It is my henna sealer of choice when practical, but I tend to use other sealers more often. It is a heavy sealer, so you need to be extra careful if your henna design has fine delicate lines. It can also attract bugs if you are using lemon sugar sealant outside.

Mix together approximately 1 part sugar and 3 or 4 parts lemon juice.  This can be heated on the stove for easier mixing, if you'd like.  

Once your paste of your henna tattoo has a slight crust on top but is still wet under the crust, CAREFULLY apply mixture over top of the design (be sure you apply a very thin layer, you don’t want it to run) with a cotton ball.  A fine mist spray bottle works great to apply the lemon sugar sealer.  Apply heat every so often with a hair drier or a candle to help release the henna dye for better color.  Be VERY careful, do not burn yourself.  This additional heat is a big help to bring out the best color from your henna paste.

Leave henna and sealer on for at least 4 hours to overnight. When you are ready, gently scrape dried henna off. Do NOT wash off with soap or it will lighten your design. After all the henna has been removed, you can gently rub henna oil or olive oil over the design to remove the lemon sugar residue.

Avoid washing your henna tattoo with soap for a day.

Super Easy Spray Bandage Sealer:

Spray bandage makes a terrific henna sealer. It doesn’t make a mess and best of all there is no running of your henna, so you get a nice crisp henna tattoo. It also does not mess up fine delicate henna designs like other sealers can, and is great for large areas. It does have chemicals in it so be sure to check for allergies and is more expensive than other sealers.  I suggest using this outdoors as the chemical smell is a bit over powering.

After your henna design has set, but before it is completely dry apply spray bandage. Hold spray bandage 4-6″ away from your henna design and spray a light layer. Wait a few minutes or use a hair dryer to dry the sealer and spray another layer. Repeat if needed. As with all sealers, adding heat in intervals can help release the dye in the henna.

      
This henna design used one coat of spray bandage sealer.
Notice the henna tattoo is nice and crisp.

Hair Gel as a Henna Sealer:

Extra hard hold hair gel can be a nice henna sealer. If you get it in a spray pump it works well with large henna designs. Hair gel sealant is inexpensive and does a good job. Like lemon sugar sealant, hair gel can make your henna design run if it is too runny or you apply a thick layer. Take care to apply a very thin layer.

Not all hair gels will work. Choose a hair gel that is extra hard hold and that does not contain glycerin. Glycerin will make the hair gel stay tacky and not dry completely.  BIG mess!

Before henna is completely dry, CAREFULLY apply mixture over top of the design (be sure you apply a thin layer, you don’t want it to run) with a cotton ball. Apply heat every so often with a hair drier or a candle to help release the henna dye for better color. Be VERY careful, do not burn yourself.

Apply another layer of hair gel sealant if needed.


Henna Wrapping Techniques

This technique makes use of your body heat to release the henna dye properties and can yield amazingly good results. You know all the pictures you’ve seen of super dark henna tattoos? Those henna designs used good fresh mixed powder henna, with a sealer, and wrapped the henna design.

This design used the Beachcombers Favorite henna recipe with both lavender oil
and tee tree oil, a lemon sugar sealer, and was wrapped in saran wrap and tissue.

After you have a nicely sealed henna design, you can further enhance your henna tattoo color by wrapping your design. To wrap a henna design, first make sure the sealer is completely dry. You may want to consider two or three thin layers of sealer.

Wrap tissue paper, bathroom paper, or nonstick medical paper/tape around your henna design. This is to absorb any sweat or excess moisture that may make your henna design run.

After wrapping in paper, wrap the henna design with an ace bandage, plastic wrap, or a large glove or sock. This will trap your body heat in and keep the henna warm and moist -the perfect conditions for optimal henna tattoo stains.  The plastic wrap will yield the best results, as it traps more heat in.

This should help you get the best possible henna tattoo stain. Check out our trouble shooting guide for additional help.
 

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More Henna Tips

Tips to make your henna design last longer...

• Use a henna sealer such as spray bandage or lemon sugar sealant and keep henna on overnight.
• Chlorinated water (pools, spas) will fade henna very quickly (this includes tap water which often has high levels of chlorine) so stay away from these to avoid fading your henna design.
• Wear gloves when your henna tattooed hands come in contact with chemicals or soaps (when cleaning especially) and when washing your hair if possible.
• Use gentle soap when washing hands (stay away from any type of exfoliating soaps). 
• Apply henna oil or olive oil over your design before showering.
• If you must swim with your henna tattoo, use spray bandage sealer over your henna tattoo to protect it as much as possible from the water.

Lemon Sugar After-application Sealer Recipe
This will help get the darkest color and a long lasting design:

• Mix together approximately 1 part sugar and 3 or 4 parts lemon juice.  This can be heated on the stove for easier mixing.
• Before henna is completely dry, CAREFULLY apply a THIN layer of mixture over top of the design (be sure you apply a thin layer, you don't want it to run) with a cotton ball.  Apply lemon sugar as often as you'd like (I prefer 2-3 thin applications).
• Apply heat every so often with a hair drier or a candle to help release the henna dye for better color.  Be VERY careful, do not burn yourself.
• Leave henna and sealer on for at least 4 hours (best to leave on overnight and use a wrap as described above). Gently scrape dried henna off.  Do NOT wash off with soap and water or it will lighten your design.
• After all the dried henna has been removed, you can gently remove the lemon/sugar mixture by gently rubbing henna oil, olive oil, or lemon juice over the design. Do not use baby oil or any other petroleum-bases products.
• Avoid water on your tattoo for as long as possible.
• Avoid washing your henna tattoo with soap for 24 hours.

Super Easy Spray Bandage Sealer
Spray bandage makes a terrific henna sealer.  It doesn't make a mess and best of all there is no running of your henna, so you get a nice crisp henna tattoo.

• After your henna design has set, but before it is completely dry apply spray bandage. 
• Hold spray bandage 4-6" away from your henna design and spray a light layer. 
• Wait a few minutes and spray another layer.  Repeat if needed.
• OPTIONAL:  Apply heat every so often with a hair drier or a candle to help release the henna dye for better color.  Be VERY careful, do not burn yourself.
• Leave henna and sealer on for at least 4 hours (best to leave on overnight). Gently scrape dried henna off.  Do NOT wash off with soap and water or it will lighten your henna design.
• After all henna has been removed, you can gently remove the spray bandage sealer by gently rubbing henna oil or olive oil over the design. Do not use baby oil or any other petroleum-bases products.
• Avoid water on your tattoo for as long as possible.
• Avoid washing your henna tattoo with soap for 24 hours.

This henna design used one coat of spray bandage sealer. Notice the henna tattoo is nice and crisp.

What Kind of Henna Applicator Bottle is Right for Me?
Henna applicator bottles are normally the easiest way to apply henna, especially for someone new.  Beachcombers offers a fantastic selection of soft squeeze bottles and applicator tips that are interchangeable.

We have our soft squeeze bottles specially made for us, so they are soft and can be used with either Moroccan tips or Jaq tips (both tips require a coupler to work with the bottles).  We offer one ounce bottles and half ounce bottles.

1/2 oz Soft Squeeze Applicator Bottles
This is the bottle size I suggest for people new to henna. 
These are what is generally used for henna application.  They need to be refilled more often, but they are easier to work with and create less waste.

1 oz Soft Squeeze Applicator Bottles
These are nice if you need to do quite a bit of henna.  You'll save time with fewer refills, but you will have more waste and need to use more henna to keep it filled.

Now that you know about the bottle sizes, you need to select the applicator tips to use with your soft squeeze bottles.

Jaq Tips
These are the most common applicator tips and are offered in three fine to medium sizes, .05mm, .07mm, and .09mm.  Jaq tips are stainless steel and require a nip to work with our soft squeeze applicator bottles. 

Pros
Precise and reliable
Long lasting
Easy to use

Cons
Only 3 tips sizes
The nip must be pulled out of the bottle
   to refill the bottle with henna
If you don't take good care of them the tip
   can separate from the cone

Many henna artists started off using these tips and will use nothing else.  They are a classic option that does the job very well.
 

Moroccan Tips
These are a bit newer, and aren't seen as often.  I like to think of these as an upgrade to the Jaq bottles.  They used to be paired with squeeze bottles that were harder plastic than the Jaq bottles, but now we've had special syringe caps made that work with the softest squeeze bottles available.  If you are currently using Jaq bottles, our syringe caps and Moroccan tips will work with them!

We offer Moroccan tips in a polished stainless steel variety that is exclusive to us.  Moroccan tips require a syringe cap to work with our soft squeeze bottles.  We no longer offer the inferior plastic tips.

The polished stainless steel Moroccan tips are offered in five sizes from super fine to large, gauges 20, 19, 18, 16 & 14.
These are the tips I suggest for anyone looking to do henna for more than a few of times and the tips I personally use.

Pros
Precise and reliable
The polished stainless steel tips are polished on the inside of the tips as well. 
This allows the henna to flow beautifully.  Fantastic!
Five tip sizes available
The polished stainless steel tips offer the smallest possible size (20 gauge)
Easy to use
To refill bottle, just unscrew the syringe cap

Cons
I can't think of any cons regarding the polished stainless steel tips!

If you are unsure you can always try one of our combo applicator kits that contain multiple tips that can be used with the same bottles.

If you still have questions, feel free to email me, Jody, or to phone our toll-free line.  I'm always happy to help.

*Moroccan syringe tips are blunt syringes and are NOT used to pierce the skin. They are used for applying henna on TOP of the skin.


Henna Applicator Bottle Tips

• The 1/2 oz bottle holds one cone of pre-mixed Beachcombers henna
  with a bit of extra henna in the cone to refill the bottle.
• The 1 oz henna applicator bottle holds approximately 1.5 cones of pre-mixed Beachcombers henna and is great if you use larger amounts of henna or are applying henna to a number of people.
• The 1/2 oz bottle is ideal for using henna on a small amount of people. Consider getting extra bottles if you mix your own henna or you need to henna a large number of people.
• The 1 oz bottle is ideal for storing your mixed henna. Consider getting extra bottles if you mix your own henna.
• Be sure to keep the applicator full of henna. As the applicator empties, it becomes MUCH harder to squeeze.

Filling Henna Applicator Bottles
Filling professional metal tip applicator bottles and Moroccan syringe tip applicators can be simple. 

• For henna powder that you mixed:
  Put henna paste into one corner of a carrot bag (cake decorating bag) or sandwich baggie and cut the tip.  Squeeze henna into applicator bottle.
• For instant henna paste from a tube:
  Apply longest applicator tip and squeeze henna into bottle.
• Tap bottle often on a hard surface to settle henna and work out air bubbles as you fill.  Be sure to fill the applicator bottle completely.  If there is an air bubble or  the bottle is only partially filled it is much more difficult to squeeze.

NOTE: Remember to remove the nip from the professional Jacquard Bottles to expose the bigger opening in the bottle.  These tips can be tight.


 

Cleaning Henna Applicator Bottles and Applicator Tips
Your henna applicator bottles and tips can last for a long time with proper care, especially the stainless steel tips.  Care is the same for Jaq bottles & tips and Moroccan bottles & tips.

Avoid allowing henna to dry in your applicator tips.  If you can't clean your tips right away, put them in a cup of clean water until you can clean them properly. 

• Heat a small pot of water on the stove until it is hot, but you can still touch the water with your fingers. 
• While the water is warming, squeeze out any excess henna from your bottles and rinse the plastic squeeze bottles completely. 
• Place your applicator tips in the water (and the squeeze bottles if rinsing them did not remove all the henna) in the hot water and allow to soak for about 10 minutes or so.
• Remove your tips (one-at-a-time) from the pot of hot water and hold them under running water while using a straight pin to clean any bit of henna on the inside of the tips.  Dot this with each tip until it is completely clean and you can see all the way through the tip and water runs freely through the tip.
• Let air dry completely before putting away.  Do not put your tips or bottles away wet.

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How to Roll Henna Cones
We offer pre-cut cellophane (Mylar) triangles for rolling your own henna cones!  Woo hoo!  I know of no one that likes to cut cello triangles!

• Place the cellophane triangle printed side down and long edge facing you.
• Place a finger on the edge of the long side of the triangle in the middle.
• With your free hand pick up a corner (right or left) and twist it towards the finger that you have placed in the middle of the long side of the triangle.
• Continue to twist creating a cone.
• Once you have the cone, hold it with two fingers inside the cone.
• You can twist the cone to adjust its shape.
• The key to a good cone is a super pointy tip.
• Take a small piece of tape and carefully tape the loose cellophane edge about an inch or so from the pointy tip.  Use the Scotch brand red plaid transparent tape.  The frosted-style tape (green plaid) will not hold up to freezing or the essential oils used in henna.

Fill the cone halfway with henna using a carrot bag or a sandwich baggie.  You may need to shake the henna to be sure the paste gets down to the tip of the cone.

Fold in both corners of the cone creating a tab at the top of the cone. 
Fold down the tab and tape. 

Some people prefer using a rubber band to close their henna cones.

Cut the tip of the cone with scissors or nail clippers to make a very small opening, just enough so that a needle could pass through the hole. 

Any unused henna in the cone can be stored in the refrigerator for later use within a week.  For storage longer than a week, freeze your henna.  You can make extra henna cones and freeze them.  Thawing individual cones only takes about 20 minutes.

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How To Strain Your Henna Paste
Say good-bye to clogged applicator tips.  Straining your henna will give you the silkiest smooth henna you have ever used!  Best of all this method is mess free!

Due to request, we've created a kit that contains everything you need to strain your henna.

You will need:

• your mixed henna (either pre-mixed or the henna you mixed from powder)
• a knee high nylon stocking or panty hose
  (without reinforced toes)
• a strong carrot bag (for cake decorating)
• a cup (I like to use a large mouth coffee mug)

1.  Cut a small opening in the tip of the carrot bag (to release air).

2.  Place the carrot bag tip down inside your cup, folding the top of the bag over the mouth of the cup so that the carrot bag is acting as a liner for the cup.

3.  Stretch the stocking over the mouth of the cup (like a drum) so that the toe is over the cup.  You can use a rubber band to hold it in place if you need to.   If this is the first time you've used the stocking, you will want to
pre-stretch the stocking or it will be very difficult to push the henna through.  Do some serious stretching to the stocking if it's your first time using it!

4.  Carefully glop your mixed henna on the top of the stocking.

5.  Carefully remove the stocking from the cup, letting the toe of the stocking fall into the cup while holding the leg of the stocking.  This creates a "toe of henna" in the stocking.

6.  Remove the carrot bag from the cup while keeping the toe of the stocking inside the bag.

7.  Firmly grip the carrot bag above the "toe of henna" while still holding the leg of the stocking out of the bag.

8.  Slowly and firmly pull the stocking through where your hand is grasping the carrot bag, squeezing the henna out of the stocking and into the carrot bag.  You may need to knead the "toe of henna" to squeeze all of the henna out. 

The first time you use your nylon will be the hardest to squeeze the henna through.  After you've used the stocking once or twice it will be much easier to squeeze the henna through.  Take the extra time to stretch the nylon out well, before the first use.  Your hand muscles will thank you!

This should only take about 5-10 minutes.

The henna left in the stocking is the henna bits that would have clogged your applicators!   As an added bonus, the carrot bag makes it super easy to fill your applicator bottles.  As your bottles empty while you use them, you can continue to refill them using the carrot bag.  You may prefer to cut the opening in the carrot bag a bit larger to fill your bottles.

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