Mehndi designes

Besides being the key ingredient in mehndi, henna has also been used to dye the manes and hooves of horses;  to color wool, silk, and animal skins; and to color men’s beards. Studies of mummies dating back to 1200 BC show that henna was used on the hair and nails
of the pharaohs. When the henna plant’s cooling properties were discovered it became very common for the desert people in India to paint their skin and cool down their body temperatures.