Henna
Henna is a flowering plant and the sole species of the
Lawsonia genus. The English name "henna" comes from the Arabic حِنَّاء or, colloquially حنا, loosely pronounced as /ħinna/. The name
henna also refers to the dye prepared from the plant and the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes. Henna has been used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, and fingernails, as well as fabrics including silk, wool, and leather. The name is used in other skin and hair dyes, such as
black henna and
neutral henna, neither of which is derived from the henna plant. Historically, henna was used for cosmetic purposes in Ancient Egypt, as well as other parts of North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Near East and South Asia. It was also popular among women in Iberia and elsewhere in Europe during the 19th-century. Bridal henna nights remain an important custom in many of these areas, particularly among traditional families.