Pan-Anatolian
Lawsonia inermis
Henna · Henna · Kına
Anatolian henna — the plant of Kına Gecesi, the wedding-eve ritual still practised across the country.
Lawsonia inermis — kına in Turkish — is the plant of Kına Gecesi, the wedding-eve ritual in which the bride's hands are dyed with henna paste. The practice is at least a thousand years old in Anatolia.
On the hair and skin, the lawsone compound in the dried leaf binds to keratin and gives a long-lasting orange-brown stain. The traditional use mixes the powder with lemon water or yoghurt for the bridal night.
Properties: protein-binding, mildly conditioning, cooling. Traditional uses: hair dye, bridal hand pattern, scalp conditioner.
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