How To Apply + Aftercare
Unthaw your henna, and be sure to apply the henna to clean skin free of oils and lotions. (Don't forget to REFREEZE when not in use). Leave the henna on for a minimum of 4 hours for a dark stain, and overnight for an even deeper stain. The longer the henna stays on the better, so you may achieve this by dabbing or spraying a lemon sugar mixture. You may also wrap your henna in mefix tape, but only when your henna design is bone-dry, or you run the risk of smudging it.
To remove, gently flake or scrape off the henna paste. DO NOT USE WATER to remove your henna. Using water within the first 12-24 hours of removal will prevent the stain from darkening to its full potential. Use a light oil to remove stubborn henna paste, and wipe off with a paper towel. Your henna will be a light orange when scraped but in 48 hours it will peak to its maximum color saturation, a deep mahogany red color. Note that henna stains the darkest where the skin is the thickest. Thus, henna applied to your palms and soles of your feet will stain the darkest, and other parts stain lighter in comparison.
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After removal, moisturize your skin with a light natural moisturizer like our aftercare oil, or shea butter. This will preserve it and protect it from water. Henna usually fades naturally as your skin naturally exfoliates, and as you wash your stain. Thus it can last from a week to about three weeks depending on how long the paste stayed on your skin, your aftercare, and how often you wash your design.
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While it is rare to have an adverse reaction to natural henna, we recommend doing a patch test before doing your full design.
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Note: These instructions and aftercare apply to jagua as well.