It has experienced a renaissance as a natural hair dye and for use in cosmetics. In Morocco , woolen shawls and ritual cloths of the Berber tribes from the AntiAtlas are decorated in orange by painting with henna. Some of these have recently been dated to the 16th and 17th centuries by the carbon-14 method. Henna is probably a native of the eastern part of India , but has been cultivated for many centuries through out the Near East and North Africa . The ancient Egyptians used henna for dyeing their nails, the palms of their hands, and even the soles of their feet. Henna dyes wool and silk with orange shade. The dye was used less as a textile dyestuff than a dye for hair and as a stain for nails, feet, hands and other parts of the body.
