4 steps to a temporary henna tattoo

Henna is perfect for people who want to experiment with tattoos but do not want a permanent one. They are beautiful and come from natural, plant-based pigments. Henna can be applied to different parts of body including hands, feet and hair.

How to apply henna

Step 1: Prepare the paste

The Henna leaves are first dried and crushed into a green powder form. It is then mixed with clove powder/oil, eucalyptus oil, and warm water making a thin paste. Warning: this paste has a strong fragrance; so while some people like it, others do not.

Tip: Henna powder can be purchased from any Indian Grocery store.  Mix it with tea liquid, Eucalyptus oil and cloves (Optional).

Step 2: Making an applicator

The Applicator is the tool that is used to apply the henna paint. It is a thin plastic, coned-shaped cylinder that is taped down the side and then filled with the paste.  It has a small nozzle at the bottom through which the henna is distributed.

Step 3: Applying Designs

We are now prepared to apply the designs to the body.  Just as there are many recipes to create the Henna paste, there are many different designs and ways to apply them. In India people put Henna oil or Eucalyptus oil before the application of the desired design. The cone is can be held like a pen, others use stencils, some even use brushes as applicators.

Step 4: After Care

•       Apply a syrup mixture made with lemon and sugar on the henna designs to make it stick and gain more color.

•        Next, without removing the syrup, apply Mustard oil.

•        Then stick tape onto the Henna application in order to avoid the shredding of the henna.

•       It is best to avoid water for the first day. If you need to wash the paste off, try using a bit of lemon juice or olive/corn oil to remove any residue instead of water for best results.

•       Rub your henna/mehndi with Henna after Care Balm or a natural vegetable oil before bathing or swimming to protect it from water. Corn, canola, or olive oil will work as well.

•        Avoid using any petroleum products such as baby oil or Vaseline as they will contribute to the demise of your stain.

•       Avoid excess rubbing of the area. Keep in mind that frequent washing, soaps, petroleum products (sunscreen, Vaseline, baby oil) and the rubbing of clothing and shoes on the design will cause your henna design to fade more quickly.

•       Avoid shaving over your henna tattoo. Shaving removes layers of skin so you may want to shave around your henna stain to keep it looking its best.

Once you have unwrapped and removed the dry henna paste you will see an orange-yellow stain left on your skin. The stain will deepen into a richer reddish-brown tone over the next 48 hours. Try to avoid contact with water as much as possible during the first 24 hours after paste removal as water can interrupt the oxidization and darkening processes of your henna stain. The tattoos usually stay for approximately 2-3 weeks.

By Shailja Agrawal