One of the first things most women experience upon arrival in Morocco is having their hands and even their feet stained with henna. Guys can have it done too although it is a more discreet application on the upper arm or the calf of the leg.
These temporary designs are stained on the hands, feet and other parts of the body with a natural paste made from the henna plant. It is not a tattoo and should not contain any harmful chemical additions to the plant-based paste. Good henna stains should be orangey-dark brown in color depending on the individual's skin, the season or temperature, and quality of the paste. It does have a strong, pungent odor but it is quite pleasant, never harsh or burning.
Henna staining is used in a variety of ways in Morocco that range from celebrations at the end of Ramadan to marriage ceremonies to special family occasions to just plain fun. It is considered very sexy, too, and people on the street will always smile and comment on your beauty when they see your henna.
Historically, henna stains in their various and infinite patterns kept away the evil eye. Traditionally, a bride will have the patterns painted on the tops and bottoms of her feet and hands, occasionally areas of the face, and sometimes in places that will be only visible to her new husband. Even today, the bride's female friends and family get together for a traditional henna party before the wedding - an elaborate celebration including music and dancing during which the bride and company are stained in anticipation of the big day. For several days after the wedding, a new bride is exempted from housework, thus prolonging her beautiful stains.
Henna patterns in Fez tend to be more floral with curving swirls and arcs while those further south around Marrekech tend to be geometric. They can be as light or as finely detailed as you wish or as artistic as the neqasha is able to make them. You can stain your fingernails or not, go solid on the bottoms of your feet. Be different and have it painted on your arm or you leg. In many of the henna souqs they sell the powders, the syringes and patterns so you can even take it home and get creative. Moroccan women also swear by putting it in their hair to keep it healthy and shining.
I have posted links on the side to a couple of good sites with information and photos of henna patterns. One is Henna Tribe and the other is Maison Kenzi. They're not Moroccan although Kenzi did learn her art here in Rabat medina and has an especially informative site for henna beginners. Check them out. Have some fun and bring out your 'inner beauty'.
And again, BEWARE the charlatans and make sure you know what you are getting before they put any kind of mixture on your skin. Poison chemicals can cause scarring!
The information below is an excerpt from this FDA site: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-tatt.html
Since henna typically produces a brown, orange-brown, or reddish-brown tint; other ingredients must be added to produce other colors, such as those marketed as "black henna" and "blue henna." So-called "black henna" may contain the "coal tar" color p-phenylenediamine, also known as PPD. This ingredient may cause allergic reactions in some individuals. The only legal use of PPD in cosmetics is as a hair dye. It is not approved for direct application to the skin. Even brown shades of products marketed as henna may contain other ingredients intended to make them darker or make the stain last longer.
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