Camphor...useful, but tricky!

Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on November 10, 1999 at 17:06:55:

In Reply to: My camphor trial (disastrous ?) ... posted by Jewel on November 10, 1999 at 16:30:14:

Camphor oxidizes the henna so strongly that it can separate the henna
paste really fast. When I added a little camphor spirit just before I
hennaed, it was fine....though by the second hour of hennaeing, It
seemed that there was a problem with texture starting to happen. When
I added lots of camphor spirit 18 hours before hennaeing, the texture
was awful.

On the leg comparison that I did, its clear that the camphor-spirit
henna penetrated a little farther than plain henna. On my hand, the
plain henna is doing it's orange thing near the end of exfoliation,
but the camphor-spirit henna is still brown near the end of
exfoliation. That means that the camphor is oxidizing the henna
within the cell walls, and clear back in as far as it goes.

If you're doing camphor things, spirit or essential oil, definitely
try tiny amounts first, and just before you henna.

I went to pick up my camphor oil at the health foods store yestarday,
and they'd tried to order it from Wyndmere, (aromatherapy oils,
essential oils) and they said that they would'nt carry the stuff
because it was so potentially toxic. So, the shop is re-ordering it
from AuraCacia in 2 weeks...... I've found several sources saying
camphor oil, uncut, is potentially very dangerous on skin. It's
ability to readilly penetrate subcutaneous layers of skin and oxidize
makes it helpful to henna, but also causes problems.

Follow-ups:

• too much Re: Camphor...useful, but tricky! Jenna 22:29:48 11/10/99 (5)
  • what nature o' beastie? Natasha 23:43:25 11/10/99 (4)
    • Re: what nature o' beastie? Jena 01:21:17 11/11/99 (3)
      • Re: what nature o' beastie? Natasha 22:54:17 11/11/99 (2)
        • Re: what nature o' beastie? Jenna 11:06:12 11/13/99 (1)
          • Re: what nature o' beastie? aurora 20:17:58 12/27/00 (0)