This week's post is going to be simple and to the point! It's all about how to take care of your bridal henna--actually, it's more about what you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT DO if you are getting henna done.
A bridal henna session typically lasts 3-5 hours. The artist works really hard to make sure your bridal henna is beautiful and perfect for your big day. The artist probably walks away with care instructions for you as well. We absolutely do, because we used to give out care cards and aftercare packages to all of our bridal clients, including a cute little gift.
The number one thing is to make sure you leave the henna paste on your skin for as long as possible without taking it off or exposing it to water. The longer you leave the paste on your skin, the deeper and darker the stain will be.
That is the most simple way to take care of any henna body art application. Just leave it on--don't worry, it will not stain your face because your skin is too thin on the face for the henna to give you a sleeping stamp. Yes, you may have henna crusties in your bed, but that is easily removable by shaking your sheet over the tub and then running the shower. All the dry henna paste will go down the drain, and any pieces on the floor can simply be swept of vacuumed up.
The one thing that you DO NOT WANT TO DO with your henna is to cover it with plastic! Just don't do it! Plastic WILL make you sweat because it does not breathe, and you will smudge your design. It will not be just a simple smudge that can be fixed--it will smudge and smush your design. If you don't believe us, take a look below.
This is the same bride from the first 2 photos. This is the back of her hands. Instead of leaving the design open and not covered, this bride decided to cover the design with saran wrap. The backs of the hands don't look as bad as the palms.
The palm design is completely ruined because of the plastic wrap. In the middle of the night, you sweat naturally, but when your body doesn't have away to breathe, your sweat just stays on your skin. This sweat re-moistens your henna, and makes it "bleed." The stain is beautiful, especially since this was just 1 day after the application, however, the design is a blotched mess!
JUST DON'T DO IT! Do not cover your bridal henna with plastic, no matter who says what, no matter what auntie says what, and no matter how worried you are about stamping your face with your design.
These are the things you SHOULD do with your bridal henna:
- Avoid water/washing for at least 24 hours
- Stay warm and dry--drink hot tea, sit by the fire, warm up your hands on a space heater
- Apply natural oils or an aftercare balm to your skin before AND after showering--basically, stay moisturized!
- Leave the paste on your skin for as long as possible without flaking or scratching it off.
- listen to the care instructions your bridal artist gives you for your bridal henna