Instagram.com/Dubaihennabysara
The art of henna is practiced across the globe for cultural and religious purposes. An intricate skill, many have adopted it creating their own unique designs. Originally made out of natural ingredients, some brands have infused theirs with harmful and sometimes toxic substances. The founder of Dubai Henna, Safa Munafer wants to make organic and safe henna readily available for everyone. Having launched Dubai Henna online, she wants to make sure that artists and lovers of henna are using 100% accredited ingredients. Here she opens up about her journey with henna and gives tips on getting the most out of your design.
What is your first memory of henna?
I did my cousin’s bridal henna when I was 8 years old. Although I was very amateur at that time, I am blessed to have someone trust me to do henna on their big day.
Why did you decide to launch an online henna store?
Having lived half of my life with henna, I always had a dream to serve the artistic community with authentic products. Soon after I moved to Dubai, I came across a lot of salons using chemically fabricated henna for their clients. They used to add unsafe hidden ingredients such as gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner, benzene, and PPD (paraphenylenediamine) to make the henna develop color quicker and darker. It is very difficult to find pure body art supplies, so I decided to create the best one-stop shop to buy all henna related products in one place. We have gone through comprehensive lab tests and received all necessary certificates and approvals for our products prior to the launch of Dubaihenna.com. Thereby, promising the artistic community of a one-stop-shop for your authentic and innovative henna products in the market.
What is your favorite henna to work with?
I love the traditional good old brown henna. That is our bread and butter when it comes to henna art. However, the world is changing, and so are we. New tastes, new trends, new fashion, and of course new henna products. I now love to play around and create amazing designs with Premium Water-proof white henna for luxury white/glitter look or Premium Jagua Henna for realistic tattoo look.
Talk to us about jagua henna?
Our premium Jagua Henna (or Hengua) is simply henna which is made from organic fruit to give a black temporary tattoo look.
Upon receiving a number of requests from all beautiful women in this region asking for black henna, I used to advise clients that there is nothing called black henna, the so-called natural black henna you find in the market contains a dangerous chemical called PPD (paraphenylenediamine) which can scar you for life. And the authorities too, have banned black henna in the market.
The demand for black henna made me think deep and later I came across a beautiful organic fruit called Genipa Americana, also known as Jagua, used by indigenous tribes in South America for over 2000 years as a form of temporary all-natural body art. This led us to create Jagua Henna. A series of comprehensive and certified lab tests took us three years to launch it. Our Premium Jagua Henna is the only product of its kind approved by the Dubai Municipality. It works like henna but rather than brown, Jagua Henna gives a black to dark blue color. They look and feel like a real tattoo and lasts one to three weeks. We have received an enormous response from the market since the launch.
What are your top tips for applying henna?
The application of henna is simple if you have practiced some artistic skills. Having the right product is very important as no matter how good your techniques are, without the right henna paste, your designs will not come out great.
Therefore, buying henna, you need to ensure that the henna you are going to buy gives a creamy texture with a thin point to draw well. Having a super creamy and flowy henna is the dream for any henna artist.
And, making henna last?
Henna sinks into the first layer of the skin and naturally fades away when your skin cells regenerate. Make sure your skin is free from oil or lotion before you begin. Keep paste if possible (at least four hours) before rubbing off from the skin. Make sure the henna is fully dried before you remove it. Scrape or wipe your henna, never wash your dried henna. Stay away from water for at least 12 hours as this is the time the color oxidizes. The stain will be mature and darken within 48 hours. Keep your skin moisturized with any lotion/moisturizer so that the skin does not get too dry.
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