NATURAL INK
IT used to be quite common to find henna plants growing in the yard. In the years when people were more self-sufficient (and before the proliferation of bottle hair dyes and nail polish), henna was planted along with herbs like pandan, lemongrass and curry leaf for regular household use.
The Malay and Indian communities both make use of henna as skin or hair dye. While the plant is not native to Southeast Asia, it grows very well locally. Henna application traditionally heralded a special occasion, such as a wedding ceremony. But it can also be a regular beautification practice for people who want to cover their grey hairs or decorate their hands.
Henna is available commercially as a powder, but traditionally, henna was used simply by plucking the leaves off the tree, pounding it into a paste, applying it and then waiting for the colour to transfer. Because it is a natural ingredient, it’s best to use freshly plucked leaves and apply the henna paste immediately.
Other factors that can affect the vibrancy of the reddish brown stain is the quality of the leaves and how long the paste remains on the body. Fresh henna paste on the palm for 30 minutes will result in a noticeable orange hue, but leave the paste on for several hours and the shade will be a more opaque red.
The henna will usually get darker in a few days, and then disappear in the weeks to come due to the body’s natural exfoliation process.