Re: how long does paste last?
[ Follow-ups ] [ Post Follow-up ] [ The Henna Page Discussion Forum ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Heidi/Pangloss on February 05, 1998 at 19:49:56:
In Reply to: Re: how long does paste last? posted by Phoenix and Arabeth on February 05, 1998 at 11:42:33:
: : how long is mixed paste "good" ?? i recently did a piece that : did not turn out - i mixed the paste on Tuesday nite (henna, : black tea, eucalyptus oil) did an allergy test on Wednesday, got : good color, then did the actual piece on Sunday. it did not turn : out - even tho the paste was on 22 hours. : : any idea what the "shelf life" of all natural paste is? the : client and i were VERY disappointed and i don't want this to : happen again. : "Do not prepare large batches of henna paste way in : advance...the mixture may separate and not be usable. More : importantly, the dying potency rapidly deteriorates. The henna : will only make visibly dark patterns for a day or two after it : is mixed. Ideally it should be mixed 5-6 hours before use." : ---from The Henna (mehndi) Handbook, p. 15 : Mixing the night before is fine. Experience show that 3-4 days : of dying potency is about it (we also use lemon juice in the : paste...try this), anything after that is pushing the envelope : and risking your reputation as a competant henna artist. : Pre-mixed henna paste with a "shelf-life" have some sort of : chemical preservative, such as turpentine, which is toxic. The : FDA is beginning to seize import shipments of these products. : If you are serious about doing henna professionally, you should : own a copy of the Handbook (shameless plug, but also true: we : have a pile of letters of appreciation from pros who use it). : The Henna Handbook has the most extensive practical and : technical information available on the subject in one place. Our past has been lasting for over a week befroe it starts to lose it's ability to dye. If anything it dyes better if it has sat for a day or so. I've played around with old paste a week or so after a show, stirring it up because it does separate adding more powder if it's just too runny, and I've put this on myself left it for maybe 20 min. and it's left a dark brown stain. It could be the brand of henna we are useing. The greener the henna the better. Also I've found that if I don't add enough eucalyptus oil it doesn't hold up as well. I add about 1/4 tsp to a Tablespoon of henna. I think the amount of eucalptus oil is the key. Good luck
Follow-ups:
|