HennaLove After Care
The depth and stain of your henna depends so much on how you hold space for it in your daily life from the moment it blesses your skin and across the next 7-10 days (the average duration of a henna skin blessing!)
To get the best possible stain, please follow these basic care tips.
The first 24 hours are the most important!
LEAVE PASTE ON AS LONG AS POSSIBLE: Deepest stains occur when you can leave the henna on undisturbed for a minimum of 4-6 hours and up to 12 hours or overnight. For hand henna, hold a tennis ball or ball of crumpled paper in your hand and do not put it down … so it reminds you to use your other one!
FOR OVERNIGHT STAINING, WRAP WITH MEDICAL PAPER TAPE: Henna stains everything when it is warm and moist. If you want to sleep with it on, carefully cover with paper tape (purchase from a pharmacy). Do NOT use plastic wrap or it will rehydrate and smear.
SCRAPE PASTE OFF: Flake henna off with your fingernail or a dry washcloth into a sink or on the Earth. Use coconut or vegetable oil to remove any residue. DO NOT SCRUB as this will begin to sluff off the top stained layer of skin. Treat this part of your sweet body like you would a newborn babe!
PROTECT YOUR NEW HENNA: For the next 24 hours, be gentle with your henna – avoid exposure to soap, water, and scrubbing as well as abrasive or exfoliating activities. Avoid contact with bleach and cleansers. Think newborn babe: Deep loving care! If exposure to water is inevitable (shower, pool, ocean), coat your henna with a layer of coconut oil or natural balms to protect your design.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Henna arrives in stages. Across the first 72 hours, it will go from an orange brown stain and deepen into a bold earthy reddish brown stain that should last 7-10 days with deep care before it naturally begins to fade and disappear as your skin exfoliates across time. Stain quality and depth is unique to each person and the duration depends on how quickly your skin exfoliates and how well you protect it. It will even vary depending on what part of your body you chose for your unique earthen henna skin blessing.
Enjoy the sweetness of your unique henna design. It is a walking meditation if you wish to make it so. Setting a mindful intention as you receive your skin blessing and walking with it with consciousness is a delightful way to honor all of the steps needed to create lasting change in your life!
Blessings on your journey!
Got questions? Email us at info@ahastudiotherapy.com