Artist

Henna Rising was founded by Robin Jaeckel. Robin was introduced to the art by her long time friend and cohort, Wendy Rover of Rovinghorse Henna in 2001. She holds a degree in Arts Administration and has taken her business experience and knowledge gained from running a software company for 13 years and being the director of a non profit arts center into Henna Rising. From there a passion was born as this art form spoke to her. Moving from “painting on herself because no-one could possibly want to live with this” to tagging all that came within reach. She is now the premier Henna Artist in the Rochester, NY and surrounding areas. She is currently in the process of certification through the ICHNA (the international certification of natural henna artists — A peer board of Henna Artists).

Henna

Henna is the common name for the plant lawsonia inermis and has been used as a natural dye for throughout history in many cultures. The henna paste is derived from the leaves of the plant which is ground to a fine powder and then mixed with various liquids to achieve the desired consistency. Henna Artists all have their own favorite mix. Most often these include lemon juice and essential oils.

Henna is known by many names such as: Henna, Heena, Mehendi, Mehandi, Mehndi and M’hendi.

Most commonly it was a ceremonial ritual marking a Bride’s passage into womanhood for her wedding ceremony but has also been an integral part of religious and ceremonial throughout the world often associated with Childbirth, rites of passage, religious celebrations as well as spiritual offerings for victory, luck, joy, special adornment or to prepare a body for burial.

Black Henna Warning

Natural Henna is red. Products called Black Henna are not natural Henna and can contain a very toxic and sensitizing chemical called Para-phenylenediamine (PPD). When para-phenylenediamine is used to make black temporary tattoos, often called “black henna”, it can cause blistering, open sores, scarring, and lifelong health problems. PPD based black hair dye should never be put straight on your skin, plain, or mixed with other material. Synthetic Black Hair Dye is illegal to put on skin, because that is not an approved use. Even when this dye is applied to hair, people must wear gloves, and they try to not get it on the scalp! PPD, Para-phenylendiamine can seriously injure people. Para-phenylenediamine is a strong sensitizer, transdermal toxin and potential carcinogen. Many people get itching, blistering and hair loss from using black hair dye on their hair.

Please visit the Henna page for more info on the dangers of “Black Henna.”

Henna Rising will NEVER use “Black Henna”. We guarantee that our Henna is made from all natural ingredients. Please let your henna artist aware of any allergies you may have. We will be sure to provide henna that is fresh and contains the correct essential oils for your needs.

Application and After Care for Henna

When applied for Body Art, the paste should remain on the skin for at least 4 hours. Longer is better. When the paste is removed the remaining stain is a bright orange color. Over the next 24-48 hours the stain will darken as it oxidizes into a rich mahogany red. It will stay vibrant and beautiful as it gradually fades away as your skin naturally exfoliates over the next 1-3 weeks. Remember the darkening process time when booking henna for special occasions and try to give yourself a couple of days before any special events for maximum darkness in your design.

For more info or if you just want to know of henna please visit the henna page.