Please read and follow the guidelines below for the darkest and longest lasting stain possible.
Start with clean washed skin, and refrain from using lotions or oils the day you get your Henna or Glitter Body Art.
Get your manicure or pedicure a day or more before you get henna done. Avoid paraffin dip mani's and pedi's, as they can repel the henna stain for up to 3 weeks afterward!
After you've been hennaed, leave the henna on the skin for a minimum of 3-4 hours, longer if you can. The longer you leave the paste on, the darker the stain will be, and the longer your tattoo will last.
Heat helps the henna stain darker!!! After the tattoo is completely dry, you can steam your tattoo over hot water or a cup of tea. A heating pad or other safe heat source works wonders too. Wearing a sock or glove to bed, or wrapping the area with an ace bandage also helps to contain more heat.
Safely remove the paste by scraping off the dry henna using your fingernails, a credit card or the back of a butter knife. Please, do not use water to remove the henna paste!!
If some of the paste remains, rub any skin-safe oil onto it (such as olive or sweet almond oil - as long as it does not contain Vitamin E (tocopherol acetate) and “scrub” at it with a paper towel.
To ensure maximum color, try not get it wet or wash it for at least 24 hours. If the henna gets wet in the first 24 hours, it may stay orange, the stain will not mature, and your henna may never turn a nice brown! Keep it dry!!!
For the duration of your tattoo, try to avoid wetting the area or washing it with soap. You can easily do this by rubbing oil into your hennaed skin any time you are going to get it wet. Suggested oils: cocoa or shea butter, olive or almond oil, again, with no Vitamin E. Body butters and lotions are not thick enough.
This henna will first leave a pumpkin-orange stain on the skin, which will darken to a red-brown or milk-chocolate color over 48 hours. It's not gonna be dark right away!
Henna usually stays on the body for 7-10 days, and fades gracefully. The darkness and coloration varies from person to person, depending on placement of the tattoo, body heat and skin acidity of each individual.
Exposure to cleaning chemicals, chlorinated pools and hot tubs can bleach out your henna. Avoid these, and exfoliants or scrubs of any kind.