For those who don't know, henna (also known as mehndi) is a natural paste made from crushed leaves and twigs; which when applied to skin leaves an orange to dark brown stain that fades within one or two weeks.
During celebratory periods such as weddings, it is traditional in southern Asian cultures for women to have their hands and feet covered in henna.
Here are some tips and tricks you might find useful if you're applying henna for the first time.
Where to buy henna?
I always get mine from the Indian or Middle-Eastern shop, however if you can't find them, then henna is also available on most major online retail stores although it is more expensive there.
Applying henna
- Before you apply the henna I recommend you prep your skin. This means wipe off any lotion you might have or anything like that.
- Also if you have a suntan, the henna does not stain as effectively so apply the designs on a less tanned area, such as the palm of your hand instead of your wrist.
- From personal experience I find that the most intricate henna designs look the most effective, so don't shy away from lots of detail work and if you run out of design ideas below are some images for inspiration.
How to make henna darker
- For a darker design mix sugar, lemon and water together and apply with cotton swabs all over the henna once dried, this enables the henna to re-stain your skin resulting in a darker finish.
- I would also recommend not taking a shower within the next 15 hours of applying the design.
- After the henna has dried and crumbled/scratched off, don't be upset if it is a lighter color than you envisioned- henna does take 12-24 hours to darken and reach its final color before fading.
Thoughts? Comment below :)
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