My name is Lily, I am a henna artist located in Dayton, Ohio. I  provide services for any event or occasion, or just for fun.

 

I began playing with henna in 1997. After three years of learning & practice, I began offering my services professionally in 2000.

 

I have had the honor of sharing my henna work with many wonderful people. I regularly travel to Universities throughout Ohio, Indiana & Kentucky to offer henna to students. I teach educational programs at libraries, galleries and participate in local art shows, festivals and benefits.

 

Henna skin art is the best party favor! Consider adding a henna artist to your next celebration. Your guests will enjoy a unique gift which will last from 1-3 weeks.

 

Henna is a natural dye derived from the shrub, Lawsonia Inermis. The shrub grows native in hot, dry, desert climates. The leaves are harvested, dried and ground into a powder. I use only high quality henna powder from Pakistan & India. The powder is mixed with a few simple ingredients to create a paste which is then applied to skin in various patterns. The paste stains the outer layer of skin and remains until dead skin cells are shed through exfoliation.

 

Henna itself is extremely safe, and all ingredients in my paste are safe for skin application. I typically add aroma therapy grade essential oils to my paste mix. I mix a fresh batch for each client so please let me know if you have any skin sensitivities or if you are pregnant. This allows me to adjust my mix accordingly.

 

Safety is most important to any henna artist worth her salt. All henna artists are not created equal. Be sure to check with your artist to be sure her mix contains no chemical additives. All ingredients in a henna paste mix should be edible aside from the essential oils.

 

You may have seen or heard of "black henna"  This is not pure henna but a chemical called Paraphenylene Diamine or PPD. This is a transdermal toxin. It is the main dye found in hair dye compounds. It can scar your skin permanently, cause immune system disorders and lifelong chemical sensitivities. There is no such thing as "black henna". Period. Natural henna will always stain your skin in various shades of reddish brown depending on your unique skin tone and body chemistry. Natural henna alone will never stain skin black. Ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My rates vary for different events. Please email or call to discuss your needs. For one on one appointments within the Dayton, Ohio area we can arrange a studio session or house call depending on the extent of henna you are looking for. For example, if you are expecting and would like your belly hennaed, or if you want full hands or feet designs, it usually works better for me to come to your location. This way you can remain at home and comfortable after the henna paste is applied, thus avoiding activities such as putting your coat on or driving, that may disturb the paste and ruin your design. Services start at $40. For events and parties, I charge an hourly rate which varies depending on the size of your guest list, the extent of henna designs you`d like to offer your guests and your location. A travel fee applies to locations outside of the Dayton area. Party packages are available starting at $225.00. To discuss your ideas, book an appointment  email me at Lily@ohiohenna.com or call 937.626.8013.

 

After care is simple. Leave the henna paste on your skin for as long as possible. Overnight is good if you can handle it. This is something we can discuss at application time. When it comes time to remove the dry paste, simply rub your hand over the dried paste, this will dislodge much of it. Please do this while standing in the bathtub, or over the sink or outdoors to avoid henna paste falling on the floor. Dry paste is pretty harmless but in the event it becomes wet again it can stain most anything. Continue removing the paste by picking it off. 

 

DO NOT wash the paste off with water! It is EXTREMELY important that you do not get the fresh stain wet within 6 hours of paste removal. Your stain will initially be an orange shade. This will deepen in color over the next couple days, reaching its peak color on day 3 or 4. If the fresh stain becomes wet with tap water before 6 hours after paste removal the color will not develop to its full potential. The stain will last from 1-3 weeks or more depending on where the design was placed on your body. Your skin is different throughout your body and some areas stain deeper than others. The stain will fade away as dead skin cells shed naturally. This is affected by clothing that rubs against the stain, scrubbing at the stain in the shower, lotions that contain certain chemicals and chlorinated water. A hot tub or swimming pool will zap your stain almost immediately. To moisturize your design please use vegetable or olive oil or cocoa butter. Do not use sunscreen, or anything containing mineral oil on your design. 

 

 

View my full gallery here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohiohenna/sets/72157594259741576/show/

 

Photos in which designs appear black in color were photographed while henna paste remained on the skin.

 

Visit me on myspace! www.myspace.com/thecosmictree