So you’ve just received your BFF henna tattoo kit from Mihenna and invited your bestie over for a night of henna fun. How do you make sure the night will go off without a hitch? Lucky for you, we’ve got all the little secrets for making your henna night a success. Keep reading to find out what items you’ll need, how to make your henna tattoos last, and what to do if something goes wrong. For full-blown decor and ambiance, check out our post on how to throw a henna party too.
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Additional Items
When you order one of our henna tattoo kits, we’ll send you all the essentials for your body art:
- 1 cone of henna paste (organic and freshly pre-made)
- 1 vial of coconut oil
- 3 wooden spatulas
- 8 henna tattoo stencils (or 4 stencils)
- 1 booklet of step-by-step instructions
In addition to the kit supplies, you’ll likely need a few more things for the best possible henna night.
If your bestie is prone to the occasional clumsy moment, lay down some newspaper on your tabletop to catch any flying henna paste.
Use a pair of scissors to cut out your henna stencil. You can even cut out just pieces of the whole design to mix n match with other stencils for a truly unique henna tattoo.
As your henna paste dries, you can help it stay in place and avoid flaking all over your house by wrapping the area in plastic wrap. Wait about 20 - 30 minutes after applying before you do this or until the henna paste is no longer wet.
Apply the coconut oil and use a towel (probably not a towel you love in case of staining) to rub off the dried henna paste after at least 2 hours. If you have a particularly stubborn section, use a thin but blunt piece of metal (like the handle of a spoon) to scrape off the remainder.
Make it Last
The best part about henna tattoos is showing them off, of course. To help you keep flaunting for as long as possible, here’s a few ways to help your henna paste and your henna tattoos last.
If you and your henna partner can’t start henna-ing right away, pop the henna cone into the freezer to store it. The henna paste can stay good for up to 3 months in there!
When you open up the henna cone to start applying the paste, hang on to that little pin. It’s easy to lose track of, but if you have leftover henna paste, you can put the pin back in and save the cone in the freezer again.
There’s a few ways to help your henna tattoos last for around 3 weeks. Before you even apply the henna paste, remove as much dry skin as you can. It’s all about exfoliation!
Though we suggest a minimum 2 hour dry time, you can keep your henna paste on for 24 hours. The stain will be extra dark and last even longer.
After your remove the henna paste, avoid water for the first couple of hours while the henna tattoo sets. Keep moisturized with the coconut oil so that you’re skin, along with the stain, doesn’t flake off.
Oopsies
Maybe there comes a point in your henna fun night where you realize you should have wrapped your bestie in newspaper along with the table. Don’t worry - mistakes happen! We’ve got some solutions to save the day.
Henna paste sometimes ends up places you don’t want it to be, the important thing to keep in mind is that henna takes time to stain. Clean up right away to avoid stains setting in.
If you get henna paste on your clothes, don’t rub the paste in more, just blot and run the cloth under cold water. Then use a toothbrush to scrub laundry detergent into the stain. Keep scrubbing until you can’t visibly see the stain anymore. Rinse again under cold water. If you still see a henna stain in the fabric, try blotting the area with white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide (just a small amount to avoid fading the colors).
If you get henna paste on your skin outside of your design, wipe up the henna paste right away. Maybe you didn’t notice it until it had already stained, but you can still remove a set-in henna tattoo with a bit of elbow grease.
To remove a henna stain from your skin, mix together baby oil or olive oil with salt. The oil will help to break down the chemical reaction, and the salt will help to exfoliate; both working together to remove any henna tattoo mistakes. Use a cotton ball to soak up the oil/salt mixture and scrub the henna stain away. You’ll have to do quite a bit of scrubbing, but it will come out.