Founded in 1997 by Jessica McQueen, Henna Caravan is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of Mehndi, a form of ancient body decoration that was rapidly dying out.

With a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from California College of Arts and Crafts Jessica creates beautiful custom designs inspired by the art of the African and European continents.

Stemming from her studies of South East Asian culture and art, Jessica developed a passion for the 9,000 year old art of henna. Her recent works include the American Volleyball Professional tournaments, Nissan Corporation, 'Market Week' at CaliforniaMart - L.A.'s fashion center, Santa Barbara Summer Discovery at UCSB, the Monterey County Fair, the world-renowned Gilroy Garlic Festival, and The Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas.

Various corporate, public, and private events, weddings, showers, birthdays, and other celebrations are included in Jessica's repertoire. She and her highly trained staff can accommodate any size event. From a single person private appointment to events with 160,00 attendants, every customer receives a personalized design that is hand drawn, allowing for individual expression. Traditional, fanciful, or contemporary patterns can fulfill even the most specific tastes.

Henna Customized For You
Henna Caravan is happy to create special designs for each event. We have designed strawberry anklets for the Strawberry Festival, Garlic Braids for the Gilroy Garlic Festival, volleyballs in rings of fire for AVP tournaments, as well as custom bridal henna and patterns for pregnancy. Please feel free to call or email us to discuss your specific needs.

What is Henna / Mehndi?
Mehndi is the word used for the beautiful stain left on the skin from the henna paste.

Henna is a plant that produces natural and safe dye from its leaves. The leaves are ground into a paste and applied to the skin. The dye is absorbed into the skink much like a lotion creating a temporary design that fades gradually. Henna Caravan uses only 100% natural red-brown henna enhanced with fragrant oils to achieve elegant and richly colored henna stains.

Henna is NOT black - 'black henna' may have dangerous dyes or chemicals added that can cause permanent scarring or internal damage. Please use only safe, natural red-brown henna.

What is Henna Used For?
Henna has traditionally been used in celebration of marriage, pregnancy and births. Though it is used in some religious practice and customs it is not sacred or religious in nature.

Some contemporary uses of henna include: