This blog has moved and I have a new website!

After hosting my blog on this platform for many years I've decided to use a new platform that is integrated with Free Hand Mehndi's new website. This blog will remain published but not updated until I determine the best way to continue using the blogger platform to further promote the art of henna.

Comments will not be responded to, I recommend that you stop by and leave your comments on the new blog located at http://www.freehandmehndi.net/blogs/news

I am excited to announce the relaunch of Free Hand Mehndi's online store http://www.freehandmehndi.net. It has been years since the original site closed and I am excited to be back in business. Please shop my new website at freehandmehndi.net where you'll find a full line of henna body art supplies, the new blog, and the new henna for beginners section.

I can't wait to connect share and inspire. Thank you for your support!

Insurance for Henna Artists?

Sorry for being super MIA these days. A lot going on on the home front. I finally got in my inbox and had some awesome emails and topics to cover. One topic I get questions on a lot is insurance and liability. I'm not a professional when it comes to law (laws will vary from state/state, country/country), so I always advise to consult a professional.

Henna as a body art is currently not regulated in the USA. It is not a requirement to have any sort of licensing or certificate to get out there and sling mud. There are mixed views on the topic. I'm of the opinion that it should be regulated, but not to point that it becomes expensive for those who have years of experience, and not to the degree of an esthetician.

So...on with the topic. I received the following email from a subscriber and below you can read both the email and my response. Let me know what you think. Leave a comment below if you agree, disagree, or have questions of your own.

My name is Ann Marie and I came across your blog while looking for the answer to a question, but checking out your blog, I think it was your video that showed me how to first make my own henna, so thank you for that!  I have been henna-ing for friends and small family/friends' parties for about six years, and I recently received an offer to henna at a local beach-bar. (I never actively pursued henna-ing for money because I am a teacher, I have a main income and I just love the art, not necessarily the money).  However, my reservation with doing henna for a public venue with strangers is that I am afraid of being sued if someone had a freak allergic reaction and blamed my for it.  

I know that a reaction to henna is rare, I myself have never seen one in anyone I have hennaed because I only use lemon, sugar, tea-tree oil and henna (rajasthani twilight).  However, I want to make sure I am covered.  Do you have any recommendations/advice to avoid such an incident or put my mind at ease?  I made a waiver that clients could sign, but would that be legally binding and fully protect me?

Thank you for any advice you might have, and thank you for your beautiful art!

and my response...

Hello Ann,

Great questions and I'll probably turn this into a blog post. Thank you for watching the videos, I'm glad they could be of benefit. 

The first thing is ensuring that your henna paste mixture is natural and free from added chemicals, and it sounds like you have that covered. Some people are sensitive to essential oils, but very few. If there's any reaction it would most likely be from oils if at all. Tea tree is a safe oil to go with. 

Now, as far as liability you would be responsible if anything should happen to one of your customers. There are two ways you can cover yourself.

1. Insurance 

2. A waiver

Insurance can be a tricky one because henna isn't regulated at the moment, and so it's hard to group us under cosmetology because we aren't regulated under that umbrella. It is still possible to get insurance though and it runs about $35-$40/month with your well known insurance companies. There is a company that insures clowns, henna artists, face painters, and entertainers http://www.specialtyinsuranceagency.com/vendor-insurance.html

If you don't plan to make henna a regular thing I wouldn't recommend going this route, insurance is expensive and will eat into your profits. 

The waiver is a good way to go, but you'll find that potential customers might hesitate. A waiver will not fully cover you and you could still be sued if someone should decide to do so. Children and teens cannot sign legal documents and you'll find many of them approaching your booth alone for henna. 

I've hennaed for 10+ years and only carried insurance part of the time. I've never been sued or threatened with a lawsuit. I always start with a customer by asking if they've every had henna before and if they have any sensitivities to the ingredients in my henna paste, if not I proceed. I henna children that are 8 or older and never henna children without their parents present and fully aware of what's going on. I'm sure you'll be fine and you might check to see if the event planners/organizers have insurance for the event and if you'd be covered under it. If you find yourself doing 10 or more events per year I'd recommend insurance, if not just have a waiver in your booth/table and make ingredients available to your customers should they ask. 

I hope this helps and if you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. 

MDH Henna Powder Review

Very rarely do I go out and blind purchase henna powder off the shelf. I did such a thing the other day for a whopping $5.99. The box doesn't note a harvest or expiration date, so there isn't a clear indication as to when it was harvested.

Knowing the harvest date wasn't really that important, because upon opening the box I discovered two extra ingredients in the henna powder. MDH's secret ingredients include green dye and sand!!! They must know this is the secret to making a henna artist happy (sarcasm). 

The green dye is added to old henna to give it a fresh harvested look, but even freshly harvested and milled henna isn't that green. The sand is added in place of actual henna powder. It gives the henna powder more weight, making it appear as though you have 100 grams of henna when you actually only have 80 grams (the other 20 grams is just sand). 

The green dye doesn't really cause too many issues but the sand makes it near impossible to apply a decent design. So after discovering the two extra ingredients I didn't see the need to test the stain or mix the paste as I normally would. 

MDH gets a big fat F in my book. 

Watch my review of MDH on YouTube!

Ramadhan Mubarak!

The blessed month of Ramadhan has arrived. With a sudden move and other stressors I didn't feel prepared. As I cooked my first suhoor of the month I had a feeling that everything would be ok. 

I have recorded some videos and have many topics to blog about, but it will happen at a much slower rate as I concentrate on other things. The blogging and vids should pick back up towards the end of Ramadhan. 

Ramadhan Mubarak to all who observe this blessed month. May this month be filled with growth, forgiveness, and a renewed strength. Ameen. 

Camille

Free Hand Mehndi 

Henna and Pregnancy Safety and Application Tips

I've been meaning to write this post for a while. In just a few short weeks we'll have a new addition to our family and it got me thinking about henna and safety with expectant mothers.

Let's start with the paste itself. Pregnant women are often sensitive to smells, and find their skin sensitive to new things as well. It's important to keep the ingredients in your paste simple and 100% natural. A simple mix of henna powder, lemon juice, essential oil (lavender, eucalyptus, or tea tree), and sugar if needed. If mama has developed a citrus sensitivity replace the lemon juice with water or delude the liquid (50/50 water/lemon juice). DO NOT use premixed store bought henna cones, and NEVER use black henna on a pregnant woman or any other woman. 

Before applying the henna ask the mother questions about sensitivities and her general health. If she's sensitive to certain oils or scents, avoid them. If she has a citrus allergy, avoid citrus. If her immune system is compromised or she is ill advise that this isn't the best time for henna. 

Application Tips

Advise mom to wear clothing that's comfortable and stretchy, and remind her to visit the ladies room before getting started. Ask the mother if it's ok to touch her belly. Many people assume it's ok to reach out and touch and it's not. Also we want to give mom a chance to get comfortable with us, so be calm and let mom give the ok to start.  

Do not have a pregnant mother lie down flat on her back. Instead apply the design with her sitting upright in a chair, reclined slightly, or in a zero gravity lawn chair. The zero gravity chairs are great, run about $60, have a wide seat, and have a high weight limit (250-300lbs). 

I think it's fun to center the design around the belly button, but that's not the only way, just a fun way. Use your pinky and ring finger to help steady your hand during application. 

Babies move and kick during application so be prepared for that. If the kicking and movement causes a disruption in application, take a break and wait for the active baby to relax. New voices and sensations can get babies moving so its best to let it pass if the movement prevents smooth application. 

Sometimes there's a crease or fold that develops on the underside of the belly. Be careful not to apply henna on that area, it will smash when mom moves. To see this fold watch mom sit and stand with her belly exposed. Not all pregnant women have that fold, but it's fairly common. 

Bring a mirror so mom can see her finished belly art. 

Let the experience be fun and enjoyable for all. If mom experiences any discomfort, nausea, skin discoloration on application site, itching or burning, it's best to stop immediately and remove the henna paste. 

It's important to do belly blessings responsibly. I hope these tips have been helpful. Enjoy and have fun!

Follow me on Instagram @freehandmehndi

Facebook @fhmhenna

YouTube @freehandmehndi

Hire Free Hand Mehndi for your belly blessing email fhmhenna@ gmail.com

A Culture Junkies Paradise! World Beat Festival Salem OR

This past weekend was insane fun coupled with insane heat. June 29th I attended the 16th annual World Beat festival in Salem Oregon. 

(Me with Mariko of Takafuji Dance Company)

It was the first time I've attended this festival and I'm glad I did. I'm a bit of a culture junkie. I love to travel to, eat, listen, and look at the many cultures that make the world this cool place that it is. World Beat festival made all of that possible just 45 minutes away from home. 

          (Takafuji Dance Company)

             (Chinelos de Morelos)

  (Native American Pow Wow Dancers)

  (Native American Pow Wow Dancers)

      (Chosho Yabe Calligraphy)

   (Titlakawan Traditional Aztec Dance)

The music, dancing, and other performance art were my favorite parts of the festival. I wish the food selection was a little more diverse. There was your typical festival food, and a few ethnic options. Some countries/cultures were only represented by one food vendor if at all. 

(Elephant ears so bad but so gooooddd)

There were plenty of art vendors on hand. I counted three henna artists all bunched in the same area (not good). Over all I loved the festival and hope to see more food verity next year. I wonder how festival organizers might encourage that? There was constant entertainment in a beautiful outdoor setting. 

(More Takafuji Dance Company, my favorite performers)

     (Chosho Yabe Calligraphy)

  (Native America Pow Wow Dancers)

    (Awesome incredibly large tee pee)

I highly recommend this festival. Pictured are my favorite performances. There was a lot I didn't see or didn't take pictures of because I wanted to sit back and enjoy. Oregon is such a diverse state with so much to offer. See you next year World Beat!

Select images were provided by Mason-Cruise Gallery. All images copyright 2013 Mason-Cruise and Free Hand Mehndi. 

Follow me on Instagram @freehandmehndi

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/freehandmehndi 

Please subscribe http://www.youtube.com/freehandmehndi 

What Inspires you?

I sat down with a henna cone, bare skin, and no idea what to apply. I looked around and ended up drawing inspiration from a piece of lace, a tile from Morocco, and Stevie Wonder (playing on the radio). 

Can you see each of my influences in this design? 

Polish used is Dream On by Sinful Colors. This color dries matte, not sure why. 

Follow me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/fhmhenna 

Stalk me on Instagram @freehandmehndi

Henna Party Floral Design

I know how much you love tutorials. Here's another video with a design perfect for henna parties. This design looks really cute embellished with glitter and rhinestones (after the henna paste has been removed).

As always, thanks for watching. If you haven't done so please subscribe to my youtube channel. If I reach 14,000 subscribers by the end of July I'll host a massive giveaway.

All content copyright 2013 Free Hand Mehndi

Stalk me on instagram @freehandmehndi

Follow me on facebook pretty please

Fabulous Florals getting a jump start on holiday henna

Before releasing ebooks I like to make sure all of the designs can be replicated using henna. Believe it or not, not everything looks good in henna. To prevent my pattern books from being filled with impossible designs I do a little test run.

Today I started testing out patterns for "Fabulous Florals". An ebook full of floral hand designs and motifs. This ebook is set to release just in time for the Eid ul fitr holiday in early August. 

The floral patterns look great with beautiful Eid attire and are beginner to intermediate in difficulty, allowing easy application for artists of all levels. 

Oh and that fab orange is "Courtney Orange" by Sinful Colors. About 90% of my polish collection is sinful colors. I can only describe this color as tangerine satin. Sinful Colors is super affordable and available at drugstores {1.99}.

Check me out on

Instagram @freehandmehndi

facebook 

youtube

A little something tribal

While stuck in bed feeling bleh I decided to get creative. This hand design is adapted from a foot design I've done many times in the past year. It's giving me an ethnic tribal vibe. What do you say?

Adding a little beauty twist to this post I popped on one of my fav nail polishes. It's almost a neon lavender which looks great on tan or darker skin tones. The color is "Fairytale" from the JulieG line manufactured by Jessie's Girl Cosmetics. I love the colors and quality in this line. The first coat is a little streaky so I always do two. It's long lasting and doesn't chip.