Among all the things during the wedding preparation, the most thing I am fussy about is the henna. I’ve touched base on the reasoning behind henna and my preferences here.
I (along with Mak and Jhon) do have an unpopular opinion on henna. We love our henna tints bright and/or reddish. What is popular and common is those dark stains; brown even close to black. No offence to other BTB, the first thing that comes to our head when we see dark colored finger tips, we think of frost bitten fingers. =P
I did go back and forth from DIY to engaging a henna artist but still refuse to pay more than S$100 for it. I was recommended 2 henna artists that are more affordable.
Inai by Rini (IG: #inaibyrini) & Rubyz Henna (FB: Rubyz Henna)
Too bad, was late with Inai by Rini as she is fully booked and as for Rubyz Henna, I was still 50/50 just because the fear of not having the stain I like even though she had sincerely and nicely share info on what makes the stain dark and what to do to avoid it.
Then, Mak bought henna powder at Pasar Geylang Serai and I took it as a sign to DIY. I am not very particular in designs (as long as they are not too intricate) and I happy to have it old school style, just capping at the fingers and toes with a circle on the palms of the hands.
You know what’s the best part? 1 packet is just S$1 lah!! That is minimum of S$79 savings! Lol Opps.. ter-auntie.
Since we still have a few months before the wedding, we decided to try and test the color for fun. I am no way shape or form a henna expert. Everything done is either from my mom’s knowledge with henna and trial and error. So for those who prefers a lighter or brighter stain because you prefer it so or you are doing it because your parents wants to, see my tried and tested henna experiments.
Note:
☀ All henna were removed once completely dried (longer stayed, darker it is)
☀ Rinsed with water only
☀ Colors WILL turn darker over 1-2 days before it hit its peak and fade naturally. It’s a matter what’s the initial color
☀ No additional oils or ointment were used
☀ Besides different body temperature, skin reaction, natural skin color also effects the henna stain.
☀ For some reason, if I look under natural light, it looks reddish. If under fluorescent light or under a shade, it looks brownish. Why? I dunno.
☀ I had a few designs in my mind. I used tape as a guide or to make sure I have perfect straight lines. I have shaky hands.
Henna Paste Test 1
This is just the basics, henna powder (from India) and asam jawa (Citrus helps to activate the henna). Amount of juice needed depends on the amount of powder used so you have to eyeball it.
The paste dries in 2-3 hours. The outcome of the first henna test was light orangey in color. Perfect for those who just want a light stain on their fingers.
Henna Paste Test 2
My sister had bought the paste for S$3.50. It claims to give a red stain so I tried. This henna stains REALLY fast, within seconds so be careful. I had it on for 1 hour. Color came out is beautiful red but the aftermath feeling sucks. My fingers shriveled a little and felt a little numb. I applied a little moisturizer to rid of the dried feeling. Suddenly I have the horrific thought of botched henna that ruins my skin!
Maybe it’s solely meant for nails and designs not to put as a glob on your fingertips. =P Since it has the fastest stain, there is no need to leave it on for too long. I think 30 minutes should be enough. It does not smell like henna too. It smells like ointment but the scent is not that strong. Another thing I dislike is that the stain is all blotchy and not unified. Yucks. Perhaps should’ve take out the paste and mix it even though it’s supposed to be ready to use. What else could explain the blotchiness?
My mom went secret chemist on me. She just randomly add lime juice AND a little bit sis’ henna paste from Paskistan on top of the first paste I did. She put on her fingers and it looked reddish so I tried on my own.
The paste dries in 2 hours. The color is more saturated and slightly reddish compared to the first henna trial which we liked. By far, our most preferred shade. I’m pretty sure we don’t have to be redundant with the asam jawa with lime juice though.
I tried all 3 types in 3 different days. By the end of the process, I was walking around like this. Haha Suka jadi orang gila? Well, You can literally see the different colors huh?
How to remove henna stains quickly
Henna stains usually naturally go away after 1 to 3 weeks depending on the stain darkness, skin and daily hand washing. Sometimes people don’t want that lingering stain or when it starts to disappear, it looks less appealing. Some BTB might want to keep the stain as long as they can because it’s a memory of their wedding day. To each her own.
There are many ways to remove henna stains quickly but here are the much safer ways. Note that stain removing still requires time and it’s impossible to remove it immediately. Henna stains only your skin cells so as your dead skin cells are removed, the stain is removed as well.
1. Hand Washing
There’s a reason your henna artist say, don’t wash your hand especially with soap 24 hours after henna peeling. Hand washing or the act of washing dishes or having showers naturally remove your dead skin cells. The often you get water on your hands, the more likely the stain will fade. Do not wash too often or your hands will get dry unless you always have a lotion ready to moisturize.
2. Scrub/ Exfoliate
Scrubbing or exfoliating your skin does increase the process as it helps promote removing of dead skin cells. Similar with constant washing, constant scrubbing will lead to dry skin so be careful.
3. Olive Oil & Salt
Mix olive oil & with a little bit of salt and soak in a cotton pad. Gently rub the cotton pad on your fingers and replace when needed. Both are great emulsifiers of henna stains. Since olive oils are moisturizing, you can safely use this often with breaks in between.
4. Exercise
Did I hear a groan? Lol If you are an active person who works out often on land or water, your henna stains will tend to remove faster due to all that sweating and removing of skin cells. Spending time under the sun also will increase the fade.
I mainly focused on normal daily hand washing, washing of dishes, showers and in between, I attempted at the olive oil + salt method which I refer to cleaning sessions. I rubbed the concoction on average of 30 minutes and you can see the difference in just 1 session. It took me 3-4 days to achieve that last photo.
Henna stains on your nails are harder to remove compared to skin. With the steps above, it may reduce the color but by the end of the day, the only way is to wait for your nails to grow and trim it.
***
Ooh! I found out a way to reduce the stain on your nails. Use those nail buffers as they make your nails smooth, it removes the top layers hence removing the stain too. Of course, do this sparingly because you don't want to over buffer your nails!
I (along with Mak and Jhon) do have an unpopular opinion on henna. We love our henna tints bright and/or reddish. What is popular and common is those dark stains; brown even close to black. No offence to other BTB, the first thing that comes to our head when we see dark colored finger tips, we think of frost bitten fingers. =P
I did go back and forth from DIY to engaging a henna artist but still refuse to pay more than S$100 for it. I was recommended 2 henna artists that are more affordable.
Inai by Rini (IG: #inaibyrini) & Rubyz Henna (FB: Rubyz Henna)
Too bad, was late with Inai by Rini as she is fully booked and as for Rubyz Henna, I was still 50/50 just because the fear of not having the stain I like even though she had sincerely and nicely share info on what makes the stain dark and what to do to avoid it.
Then, Mak bought henna powder at Pasar Geylang Serai and I took it as a sign to DIY. I am not very particular in designs (as long as they are not too intricate) and I happy to have it old school style, just capping at the fingers and toes with a circle on the palms of the hands.
You know what’s the best part? 1 packet is just S$1 lah!! That is minimum of S$79 savings! Lol Opps.. ter-auntie.
Since we still have a few months before the wedding, we decided to try and test the color for fun. I am no way shape or form a henna expert. Everything done is either from my mom’s knowledge with henna and trial and error. So for those who prefers a lighter or brighter stain because you prefer it so or you are doing it because your parents wants to, see my tried and tested henna experiments.
Note:
☀ All henna were removed once completely dried (longer stayed, darker it is)
☀ Rinsed with water only
☀ Colors WILL turn darker over 1-2 days before it hit its peak and fade naturally. It’s a matter what’s the initial color
☀ No additional oils or ointment were used
☀ Besides different body temperature, skin reaction, natural skin color also effects the henna stain.
☀ For some reason, if I look under natural light, it looks reddish. If under fluorescent light or under a shade, it looks brownish. Why? I dunno.
☀ I had a few designs in my mind. I used tape as a guide or to make sure I have perfect straight lines. I have shaky hands.
Henna Paste Test 1
This is just the basics, henna powder (from India) and asam jawa (Citrus helps to activate the henna). Amount of juice needed depends on the amount of powder used so you have to eyeball it.
The paste dries in 2-3 hours. The outcome of the first henna test was light orangey in color. Perfect for those who just want a light stain on their fingers.
My sister had bought the paste for S$3.50. It claims to give a red stain so I tried. This henna stains REALLY fast, within seconds so be careful. I had it on for 1 hour. Color came out is beautiful red but the aftermath feeling sucks. My fingers shriveled a little and felt a little numb. I applied a little moisturizer to rid of the dried feeling. Suddenly I have the horrific thought of botched henna that ruins my skin!
Maybe it’s solely meant for nails and designs not to put as a glob on your fingertips. =P Since it has the fastest stain, there is no need to leave it on for too long. I think 30 minutes should be enough. It does not smell like henna too. It smells like ointment but the scent is not that strong. Another thing I dislike is that the stain is all blotchy and not unified. Yucks. Perhaps should’ve take out the paste and mix it even though it’s supposed to be ready to use. What else could explain the blotchiness?
Henna Paste Test 3
My mom went secret chemist on me. She just randomly add lime juice AND a little bit sis’ henna paste from Paskistan on top of the first paste I did. She put on her fingers and it looked reddish so I tried on my own.
The paste dries in 2 hours. The color is more saturated and slightly reddish compared to the first henna trial which we liked. By far, our most preferred shade. I’m pretty sure we don’t have to be redundant with the asam jawa with lime juice though.
I tried all 3 types in 3 different days. By the end of the process, I was walking around like this. Haha Suka jadi orang gila? Well, You can literally see the different colors huh?
How to remove henna stains quickly
Henna stains usually naturally go away after 1 to 3 weeks depending on the stain darkness, skin and daily hand washing. Sometimes people don’t want that lingering stain or when it starts to disappear, it looks less appealing. Some BTB might want to keep the stain as long as they can because it’s a memory of their wedding day. To each her own.
There are many ways to remove henna stains quickly but here are the much safer ways. Note that stain removing still requires time and it’s impossible to remove it immediately. Henna stains only your skin cells so as your dead skin cells are removed, the stain is removed as well.
1. Hand Washing
There’s a reason your henna artist say, don’t wash your hand especially with soap 24 hours after henna peeling. Hand washing or the act of washing dishes or having showers naturally remove your dead skin cells. The often you get water on your hands, the more likely the stain will fade. Do not wash too often or your hands will get dry unless you always have a lotion ready to moisturize.
2. Scrub/ Exfoliate
Scrubbing or exfoliating your skin does increase the process as it helps promote removing of dead skin cells. Similar with constant washing, constant scrubbing will lead to dry skin so be careful.
3. Olive Oil & Salt
Mix olive oil & with a little bit of salt and soak in a cotton pad. Gently rub the cotton pad on your fingers and replace when needed. Both are great emulsifiers of henna stains. Since olive oils are moisturizing, you can safely use this often with breaks in between.
4. Exercise
Did I hear a groan? Lol If you are an active person who works out often on land or water, your henna stains will tend to remove faster due to all that sweating and removing of skin cells. Spending time under the sun also will increase the fade.
I mainly focused on normal daily hand washing, washing of dishes, showers and in between, I attempted at the olive oil + salt method which I refer to cleaning sessions. I rubbed the concoction on average of 30 minutes and you can see the difference in just 1 session. It took me 3-4 days to achieve that last photo.
Henna stains on your nails are harder to remove compared to skin. With the steps above, it may reduce the color but by the end of the day, the only way is to wait for your nails to grow and trim it.
***
Ooh! I found out a way to reduce the stain on your nails. Use those nail buffers as they make your nails smooth, it removes the top layers hence removing the stain too. Of course, do this sparingly because you don't want to over buffer your nails!
Pardon my lame attempt at nail buffering. I have those squarish types and I had difficulty getting at the edges so it turned out like that. lol Also, the picture was taken a few days after I tried buffering my nail. I thought I could make it proper eventually but this mak cik has no skill. This mak cik only know how to trim nails aje. I am pretty sure the outcome will turn out more proper for the rest of you. haha At least you can see the difference after I buffer my nail.
The point is, you can buffer/ smooth your nails to remove the henna. Patience and basic skill is needed though. Why would anyone want to remove it? Well, I personally don't fancy the color AND you won't have to deal with the receding stain. Maybe you do, then it's okay, it's your nails. hehe
I do this for SCIENCE! (okay, maybe not)
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