Aftercare
Henna paste should be kept on the skin for several hours. Eden Henna recommends a minimum of 6 hours for an optimal stain. When you want to remove the paste you may apply vegetable oil to the paste to moisten it then gently scrape the paste off with the back of a butter knife. When the paste first comes off the design will be an orangey color. Over the next 24 to 48 hours the design will darken to a reddish brown hue. We recommend that you do not apply moisturizing lotion to the design while the design is darkening as it may hinder the process.
Tips for darker stain: Once the paste has dried the paste may be "sealed". Traditionally this was done with a mixture made of lemon and sugar. We use spray on hair gel at events. The dried paste may also be covered up with paper towel and masking tape, or just masking tape. We usually use the masking tape and paper towel method for in home appointments. If the design is kept warm and slightly moist the design will come out darker but be wary of keeping the paste too moist as this may lead to smearing. Henna paste will stain fabric if it is moist.
Avoid swimming in chlorinated pools as this will make the design fade away with in a couple of hours. If you must swim apply olive oil or waterproof sunscreen to the design before entering the pool. Bleach and any other heavy duty household cleaner will reduce the longevity of the stain.
Application of natural moisturizers such as shea or coco butter beginning two days after removing the paste can help keep the stain longer. Petroleum based moisturizers will make the design fade more quickly as they make your skin exfoliate more
About Henna
Henna is a plant that grows in India. The leaves are dried and ground into a fine powder that is mixed with certain ingredients to form a paste. This paste is applied to the skin much like decorative icing is applied to a cookie. Henna is hypoallergenic. Any allergies that may arise from henna present themselves in the form of sneezing and congestion, much like hay fever.
The henna paste used by Eden Henna contains henna powder, tea tree oil, lemon juice and sugar. If you have any concerns about the ingredients in our paste please contact us and we can discuss other options available. We will not henna children under 6 years of age.
The stain that the paste leaves usually lasts between 10 days and 5 weeks. The colour of the stain depends on where on the body the design is placed, aftercare and skin type. Henna stains the top layers of your skin, once the paste is off the stain remains a part of the skin cells so as your skin naturally exfoliates the design will fade. The stain is always some shade of reddy brown. Henna does not leave a black stain. Any henna that claims to leave a black stain may contain paraphenelyne diamine (PPD) or a temporary ink. This is not henna. PPD is dangerous and illegal for use on skin in Canada. Many temporary inks are allowed on the skin, but they only leave a stain for a couple of days.
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