Before exploring today’s henna art, take a look at the history of henna!
For centuries, people in the dry regions of the Middle East and Southern Asia have applied henna all over their hands and feet as a cooling agent.
Once people discovered henna left a stain on the skin, it was used as a decoration by both the wealthy and the poor. The poor used henna because it was cheap and they couldn’t afford expensive jewelry, and the wealthy used henna because it was a new and different “trend.”
Historians are not sure exactly where henna was first used, but the debate is between Ancient India, North Africa, the Middle East, and Egypt. Regardless of who first used it, henna is most widely known for originating and being popularized by India at bridal events and weddings.
Nowadays, henna is used for a number of purposes including; hair dye, a cooling agent, nail polish, and as a fun decoration during festivals. The henna plant also has natural healing properties that strengthen nails, hair roots, and the skin, and the bark is used to treat jaundice
During weddings, it’s an age-old tradition for the bride and other guests to decorate their hands, arms, and even feet in the bride’s case, with intricate and beautiful henna designs. The bride also applies henna before the wedding to calm her down, and because it brings luck, happiness, and joy. Brides also believe that the darker the henna stain, the more prosperous the marriage. Another fun tradition is that the brides ask their henna artist to hide their own and their spouse's initials in the design.
In the past and even now, Henna is used in a variety of ways from painting designs on hands to dying hair. Below we have reviewed different brands of henna cones, one of the more modern ways to use henna!
Henna artists use a large selection of different cones while painting their beautiful designs. Here are some things that you need to know about different henna brands.
Zenia Henna Cone
The Zenia brand is exceptional and definitely our favorite. First of all, the henna’s consistency is perfect for artists as it is smooth, silky, and very easy to work with. This makes it a splendid cone for beginner and advanced artists alike.
The opening is also the perfect size and makes it easier to draw intricate flowers and vines. The stain was also beautiful, producing a dark stain in a relatively short amount of time.
Overall, a wonderful cone that we definitely recommend using for all your henna needs.
You can buy the Neha Cone: Here
Neha Herbal Mehandi Cone
The Neha Brand’s Henna cones are oil-based, resulting in henna that is very smooth and easy to use, making it a great cone for beginners.
However, to produce a dark stain with a Neha cone, the henna would have to stay on the skin for hours on end. This requires a boat-load of time, so if patience is not your cup of tea, Neha might not be for you. Try another cone!
You can buy the Golecha Cone: Here
Golecha Herbals Cone
This henna is water-based, resulting in a cone that produces thinner and more watery patterns. This cone is great for intricate designs and beginners. It also left a great stain with not much time on the hand.
In chillier conditions, the henna may sometimes partially freeze, making it slightly harder to use and squeeze out of the tube. So, make sure that you can take care of the henna’s temperature!
The Golecha henna checks all of our boxes of a great henna cone!
You can buy the Sapna Cone : Here
Sapna Mehendi Cone
The Sapna Henna cone is also water-based, like the Golecha cone. Yet, the Sapna henna cone has a much thinner consistency. This is likely due to the ratio of water to dried henna leaves.
Before using this cone, the tip needs to be cut off to create an opening. Other cones have caps, which you put in the pre-cut slit of the cones to prevent the henna from drying out. The caps offer more convenience, as the tip of the cone doesn’t accidentally become too big or small!
However, the stain really let us down. After 45 minutes the stain turned out to be extremely light, so we definitely won’t recommend this cone.
Sorry, we couldn’t find anywhere you could buy this cone online.
Rahat Henna Cone
All cones have their advantages and disadvantages and the Rahat cone has plenty of both.
This henna produces very thin lines which are great for intricate patterns and advanced henna artists. Yet, it might not be the best for beginners. For starters, this henna stains almost instantly which is not ideal for beginners because they most likely have to rub out their mistakes. The henna is also slightly hard to squeeze out which is tricky to deal with for someone just starting to learn how to do henna.
Overall, we would recommend this cone only if you are an intermediate or advanced henna artist.