Henna Tattoo on the Beach • Free-Spirited

During the Christmas Holiday, we spent our vacation on a resort in Batangas, Philippines. It was very refreshing to be able to go to the beach again after a very long time. Today we will share with you one of the fun things you could experience during our stay here at the resort.

Before that, you could check out what we have been up to during our stay if you have the time.

In this place, there are a lot of vendors that sell souvenirs, food, fish and jewelry. One thing that caught my attention is this guy who is offering henna tattoos. Henna is derived from a plant and is used to color hair or skin and has been used since ancient Egypt. The most popular use of henna is body art a temporary tattoo that could last for 3 weeks.

If you do not want a permanent tattoo or are afraid to have a tattoo, this is the best option for you. When my kids saw me talking with the man, they asked me if they could have a tattoo. At first, I was a bit hesitant because I have read about horror stories with the use of henna tattoos. Real henna has a brown or reddish tint but the one that leaves a black color is dangerous. There is no natural black color for henna and it is usually mixed with a chemical called phenylenediamine (PPD). The chemical can cause an allergic reaction and can scar you for life.

I asked the man if the tint of the tattoo is black and if I could smell the ink. The man knew about the dangerous henna ink and said that the tint is brownish once finished. The dangerous ink has a chemical smell to it but his ink did not have that smell. He also mentioned that he does a lot of tattoos every day for a long time now. If he used a dangerous ink would have been thrown in jail already.

After a lot of interrogation, I allowed my kids to choose their design and they were so excited. The cost varies and depends on the difficulty of the design. He had a large photo album that contained hundreds of designs. Almost hard to choose what you would like to have tattooed on you.

The tree tattoo looks cool and I would have loved it but I decided just to skip having one. When I was a teenager I always wanted to have a real tattoo. After a lot of thinking I imagined one day, I would get tired of it and would want to take it off. I guess a tattoo is not for me to have something permanent on my skin. Still, I cannot tell the future. Maybe I would find a design so meaningful and would want it to be with me for the rest of my life.

I am very glad that the generation has changed when it comes to the perception of tattoos. Back when I was younger, most people kept saying that if you have a tattoo you might be branded that you came from prison. If you have a tattoo you are a bad person or even a drug addict. It is a form of art and the meaning is deep for each person. It has a meaning for each culture. Today people have a broader mindset and have accepted tattoos. But there are still some out there who discriminate when they see someone inked and I feel sorry for them.

Here is the design that my son selected. He wanted something tribal and it looks good. Although my daughter was teasing him that she saw someone with the same exact design.

My kid's cousin also wanted to have a tattoo and he wanted an anime logo.

He was able to find one but did not want the full design. He only requested the logo.

Some of you might be familiar with the Japanese anime One Piece.

The design was so simple and once it was finished I think he regretted just having the logo put on him. My kids were teasing him that he just wasted his money for such a small design. My kids sometimes love to tease a lot but do not escalate to have someone crying in the end. They are just playful. Anyway, I just told their cousin that it's ok as it will be gone after a few weeks. In the future, if you get older and want to have a real tattoo carefully choose what you would want.

Now for my daughter and she knew right away what she wanted. A design with three flowers and she wanted it on her back.

My daughter is ticklish and the man told her not to move or the design will turn out ugly.

She controlled herself even though she wanted to laugh so hard. She didn't want to have an ugly tattoo on her back for weeks. There is a saying here in the Philippines, "Tiis ganda" which translated is as "Suffer for beauty". So ladies out there every time you go thru a painful procedure for the sake of beauty just say "Tiis ganda".

The man was very skilled and I can tell that he does this for a living for a long time already. He barely looked at the copy of the design while working on her skin. After a few more minutes it was all done. My daughter wanted to go to the beach and have her new henna tattoo photo'd.

We walked towards the beach and she was proudly wearing the artwork on her skin.

Even though it would only last for two weeks she was very happy with it. She knows what she wants, she pursues her dreams and wants to experience the good and beautiful things that life has to offer. She asked me if I would allow her in the future if she wanted to have a real tattoo. I told her "That would be up to you, I am here to guide you but in the end, you would still be making your own decisions in life. Maybe I could help you with the design". We both laughed after that conversation.

That ends our story for the day and I hope you enjoyed your time with us.

What do you think about the henna tattoo? What design would you like to have on you?
We would love to hear about your tattoos if you have one and the stories behind them.
Until then hope to see you again soon. Stay safe. Cheers!

All photos are original and taken with

Lumix GX85 and 12-32mm