Extend the Life of Your Mehndi: Expert Tips for Long-Lasting Henna

The festive season is on the roll. Starting from the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the Indian festivals and the preparations for it has begun. This festive season serves as an excuse not only to buy clothes and eat food but it is also an excuse to beautify oneself. One of the most important beautifying item during the festive occasions is 'mehndi' or 'henna'.

Mehndi is a very important item in Indian festivals. There is a huge rush of women and girls on the eve of the festive season to apply designer mehndi on their palms. Decorative patterns are usually painted on hands using the powdered henna mixed with warm water. This mehndi designs fade within two to four weeks or even faster if the person has a lot of work to do with water.

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So, here are some tips to make mehndi last for a longer period of time.

• Before applying mehndi, wash the application area preferably with a toner or astringent. This helps to remove any additional oils from the skin.
• Apply thicker henna. Thicker lines penetrates into the skin and stay for a longer period of time.
• Leave the mehndi on skin for as long as possible. The longer the mehndi stays on skin, the darker it gets.
• Mix equal parts of lemon juice, sugar and warm it on a stove. When it cools down, apply this mixture over the mehndi with a cotton pad. Use a blow dryer to keep your palms warm every 30 minutes for two hours. Then scrape off the mehndi as well as the sugar syrup.
• Apply a light layer of vegetable oil on the mehndi design after scraping off the henna.
• Avoid using soaps for about 24 hours.

These are some simple tips to follow in order to make your mehndi stay longer.