Once your henna paste is finished being applied, you will want to make sure that your wet henna stays safe by avoiding bumping it. The henna paste will take 20-40 minutes to dry, depending on the thickness of the paste on the skin. Once the henna paste in just about dry OR completely dry you will want to ensure that the paste can stay on your skin for a minimum of 4 hours. Keeping the henna paste on for as long as possible will help the paste of keep staining the skin to allow a darker stain that will last longer.
There are three main methods to keep the henna on the skin:
- Boil a pot of water on the stove on high to allow the water to start streaming. Hover your hand over the steam at a safe distance so that your hand does not burn. Steam your skin intermittently for as many times as you wish. The steam is essentially bringing heat to the stain to develop a deep stain and rehydrate the paste to help it stick to the skin for longer.
- Mix a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice (or warm water if you have sensitive skin) and granulated sugar. Mix it very well until the sugar has dissolved. With this recipe, you are trying to make a simple syrup with to dab on the dry paste with a cotton ball. The simple syrup will help the paste adhere to the skin for longer.
- Take toilet paper and wrap it around the area that you have henna applied to. The thin and delicate tissue will allow for flexibility, soak up any moisture, breathability, and holding the henna close to the skin.
Once you are ready to remove the paste, you will want to follow the next steps:
- Apply a natural oil to the dried up henna paste you would like to remove. Ideally, the oil can be coconut oil, mustard oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, or baby oil. You will want to spread it over the area and let it sit for 30 seconds.
- Grab a butter knife or a credit card and use the dull side to scrape off the henna paste into a trash bin or toilet.
- Once majority of the paste is removed, apply more oil and spread a thin amount over the area again. Grab a paper towel and wipe away the excess oil to reveal your beautiful orange stain.
- Avoid washing your hands for the first 6 hours after you have removed the henna paste. Up to 12 hours away from water is even better! Once water has touched the fresh henna stain, it will stop the staining process and will start fading within 1 week.
Your henna stain will progress from an orange stain to a deep brown stain over the following 48-72 hours after removing the henna paste form the skin.
Tips to Achieve a Dark Henna or 50/50 Stain?
Prior to your appointment or applying your henna, you want to:
- Exfoliate the area of the skin where the henna will be applied. This allows for a smooth canvas and removes any dead skin.
- Avoid applying any oils/lotions/creams to the area at about 12 hours before the appointment. Applying oils or creams on the skin before henna application will cause a barrier between the henna paste and the skin, hindering the stain quality.
After your henna is applied:
- Try to keep the area or your body as warm as possible. Heat helps the henna stain darker on the skin!
- Try your best to keep the henna paste on for as long as you can. Longer the henna sticks to the skin = darker stain