Filipino Wedding Glossary › Henna
Henna
Pronunciation: HEH-nah
Origin: Plant-based dye (Lawsonia inermis) with cross-cultural use across South Asia, Middle East, North Africa, and parts of the Philippines
A reddish-brown plant dye used to draw temporary patterns on the skin, hair, or fingernails.
Henna is the dye made from the leaves of the Lawsonia inermis plant. It produces reddish-brown stains on skin, hair, and nails that fade over weeks.
In wedding contexts, henna is used in mehndi (South Asian) and inai (Tausug, Filipino-Muslim) ceremonies. Outside those traditions it is sometimes adopted as personal styling without ceremonial framing.
Quality varies. Cheap synthetic "black henna" is often adulterated with PPD (paraphenylenediamine), which can cause severe skin reactions. Use natural henna applied by an experienced artist.