Henna applied to skin ~ allow 20-30 minutes to dry. Keep on your skin up to 12 hours.
The henna stain will be a bright orange color after paste removal during the first 2-24 hours.
Your Henna Tattoo will develop into a reddish / brown color 2-3 days after application.
Your henna tattoo will last 1-4 weeks, depending placement and how well you take care of it.
The natural dye content within henna powder begins to release once it has been exposed to air and mixed with liquid through a process known as oxidation. Over time, usually a period of 24-48 hours, the henna paste will stain the darkest once it has peaked in dye release.Then staining power slowly deteriorates over time.
Henna stains your skin. The top layers of skin absorbs the henna dye. As your skin exfoliates, the henna stain will fade. The henna dye is also transparent, meaning it sits on top of your skin like a lens, adding color to your beautiful natural skin color. Every person's skin will reflect a slightly different shade. The henna stain color will always range from a bright pumpkin orange to a dark red or mahogany brown.
Henna stain results depend on the your skin type and where you place the design. Dry skin areas like hands and feet stain the darkest. Oily skin areas can be more difficult to achieve a dark stain. Henna stain results can also be effected by your body temperature. If you are cold, your pores contract, not allowing the henna to be absorbed into the skin, and will not result in a very dark color. It is best to keep warm after you receive henna! Henna paste also has the wonderful medicinal quality of dropping your body temperature, which will cool you off on a hot day!
To achieve the best henna stain possible, make sure you plan ahead and follow these tips to prepare for your appointment:
~ Manicures and Pedicures should be done BEFORE your henna appointment! Exposure to water, massage, and chemicals can damage a fresh henna stain.
~ Shower and exfoliate your skin before your appointment. Applying henna to a fresh layer of skin will help it to last longer. Also the longer you can go without exposing the henna stain to water, the better the henna will stain.
~ Do not apply moisturizers, oils, tanning sprays or anything that will block your pores the day of the appointment. Applying things like this to your skin can block the henna from staining as expected.
~ Henna stains best when your body temperature is warm. Make sure you are in a warm environment after receiving your henna design. Walking around outdoors on a cold foggy day in San Francisco may cause your henna to not stain very well!
~ Be still, allow 15 to 30 minutes for your henna to completely dry
~ Apply lemon/sugar aftercare ( provided by the artist ) to seal the henna paste onto the skin
~ Keep the henna on your skin for 4 to 12 hours. The longer the paste remains on the skin, the darker and deeper the henna will stain. The henna stain will develop over the next 12-48 hours
~ It is important to protect your henna tattoo from water for the first 24 hours. Do not use water remove henna paste. Use olive oil, or other natural oil to rinse off excess paste, if necessary. When showering within 24 hours after receiving henna, apply olive oil, or other all natural oil, to protect the henna stain while it is still developing
~ A henna tattoo will last 1 to 4 weeks, depending on placement and how well you take of it
~ Apply natural oils (like olive, sesame seed, coconut oil) to the henna stain to maintain and moisturize the skin area throughout the life of the stain. The exfoliation of your skin is what causes the henna stain to fade away.
~ Swimming in the ocean, soaking in hot tubs, using a loofah or shaving the skin area will cause the henna stain to deteriorate more quickly.
Do you want to look sexy and adorned at the hot springs?
Or do you want to be adorned after your hot spring adventure so the stain will last the longest?
I recommend booking your henna appointment 2 days before you plan to soak in the hot springs. As you may already know after reading about How Henna Works above, henna doesn't stain very well if it is exposed to water, especially abrasive water, within 24 hours after application.
It is best to do your henna on day 1, let it set and darken on day 2, then you're ready and looking good for the hot springs on day 3!
The stain may not last quite as long as it normally would f you don't soak in hot water, but you will certainly be looking good for your trip to the hot springs for about 2 to 5 days after application!
Henna will stain a nice dark rich red mahogany color if you can keep it intact on your skin for 12 hours, and if you can avoid contact with water for the next 24 hours.
Book your henna appointment at the end of your trip to the hot springs so that your henna tattoo can last as long as possible. Fresh henna will last 1-4 weeks depending on placement and how well you take care of it afterwards.
Schedule a private henna appointment at your location in Treasure Valley or meet with me in Lowman Idaho for lower rates!
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