LAWSONIA INTERMIS - SAY WHAT? 

A benign shrub, lawsonia intermis, is crushed into powder to make natural henna. Add a little water or eucalyptus oil and 'viola'! Find yourself and expert in the application of henna, and you're part of a little club of local tradition.

The intricate temporary tattoos that originated in Egypt according to most Arabic histories. The English name "henna" comes from the Arabic حِنَّاء (ALA-LC: ḥinnāʾ / pronounced [ħɪnˈnæːʔ] 

I know you love those fun facts you can use around the water cooler. 

When I first arrived in Morocco, I did a bit of the tourist circuit and because I was impatient was suckered into a henna tattoo in the infamous Place Jamaa El Fna in Marrakech. Paying twice as much as I should, I received a 5 minute application of black henna. While the artist and her crownies obviously talked badly about surrounding tourists. (that is a subject for another time) I watched the spectacle. (this is in no way a negative of all Moroccan people)

Black henna apparently should be avoided. Having found horror stories around the internet, about the permanent scarring, allergies and chemical reactions in the body. I was lucky this was not my case. I live in the heart of the sook with an international mix of people. One of whom I heard, direct from the mouth, a black henna horror story of the allergic reaction to black henna. During the preparation for her own wedding! And the subsequent marks of the henna shapes on her body for a year!

It may be that people are not educated about it, or its cheaper and easily accessible. But it is being applied to many visitors in the area. The agent of disaster in the mix is called, paraphenylenediamine, or PPD for short. PPD is a chemical that contains a compound that is derived from phenylenediamine, which is a toxic substance. Things we tend to avoid on or in our body.

This time myself and a house mate vistied the local home of a Moroccan family. One of the members of the family is an expert in henna. There are many different styles of henna application, coming from diverse histories and locations for 5000 years. India, Morocco and the Arab world. 

I opted for Beldi style application, you can see above. Small rectangular, linear and triangle designs make up the architecture. My housemate opted for Beldi and Sahara style. Including larger squares, moons, and shapes influenced from the local area. This time a much more pleasant experience. Though long, about an hour each for application, this is nothing compared to when someone is really preparing for a wedding or celebration. We took our time, visited with the family, had a post henna application of lemon juice, oil and garlic to secure the henna on our skin. Then enjoyed some fermented milk as a refreshment. Thanks to my housemate for the visit and introducing me to Fatima, Marwa and the rest of the family. Was beautiful!

While I'm sure our henna outing is riveting for you. If you have a chance, its a nice temporary way to participate in a ritual steeped in culture. Since Muslims are forbidden to have tattoos or permenant "destruction" of their body, henna is a great way to decorate your body, hair, nails, or even clothes.

It's a way to socialize, and connect with those around you in the process. 

Just take care to not get black henna. Below you can see an example of the scarring effects it can have. I just had to post one photo of it.

Real henna is a burnt orange color and is natural. Black henna is not henna. Hence the raised eyebrows, and "oh you should be careful about that" comments when I first had mine done in Marrakech.  

More on henna if you;re interested @ wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henna

Find your own henna recipes if you're interested at http://tattoo.about.com/cs/hennamenu/a/henna_recipe.htm