How do I make henna black like I see in “Africa Adorned” or in Persian miniature paintings?
You can transform the natural red henna on your palm or sole to velvet black by soaking your skin in a strongly reactive base. This is traditionally done in West and North Africa, and was done throughout medieval Persia and the Ottoman Empire. Stale camel urine, or bat urine was the most frequently used base to precipitate the henna to black. Our most available reactive base is generic household strength ammonia. This is potentially hazardous, so do this only with great care!
