Henna body art has become incredibly popular for people of all ages. Using henna as a hair dye is a natural alternative many people choose instead of harsh chemical dyes.

Henna body art and hair supplies can be found worldwide. In this hub is a list of suppliers in the US for people in the states who want to save on shipping and find reliable sources for all their henna needs.

Henna also has a shelf life, so you want to be sure to shop from a reputable source that isn't selling old stock just to get rid of it.  Some of these supplies also sell templates for those of you who don't think you have an artistic bone in your body.

My personal favorite is Mehandi.com linked to below. Mehandi along with several other excellent websites is run by henna artist and scholar Catherine Cartwright-Jones. She provides free instruction and information on henna hair and body application in the form of downloadable documents and videos at The Henna Page. If you want to learn how to mix and apply henna as well as find many beautiful patterns, then be sure to visit The Henna Page.

Mehandi.com also has information on indigo and Harquus body art. The indigo plant releases a blue dye that is used in body art create Celtic tribal designs similar to what some people believe was created with woad. Harquus is related to cosmetics from Africa. It is used for people who want black temporary tattoos but don't want to use the harmful "black henna" explained below.

I've always had great service from Mehandi.com.  I think their online ordering process could be better streamlined rather than pasting the order in an email, but I've always had a reply to my order within a couple of days.

Some suppliers claim to sell black henna.  Many people like the look of a black stain rather than the red and brown ones.  Don't be fooled however.  Black henna is really PPD, a chemical called para-phenylendiamine is syntheic and used mainly to produce black hair dye.  It's not safe on the skin and may cause blistering.

As far as I know, none of the suppliers I have listed sell black henna.  Just make sure to use caution when you're purchasing your own supplies.