Henna, better known as mehndi in India, holds high significance in Asian cultures and traditions. The elaborate Mehndi ceremony, which is a part of the wedding celebrations, is just a small indicator of its deep rooted significance in India. Henna is applied on the hands of both bride and groom as a pre-wedding ritual. There are many old wives tales associated with henna.
The folklore has it that the darker your henna turns out, the more your husband loves you. The shade of henna is also believed to be a sign of love and understanding that the bride is going to share with her mother in law. So, brides go to any length to get the darkest shade of henna. Here are some simple tips that will help you get the most beautiful henna ever:
Warmer you are, better would be the shade
The color comes out best when your hands are warm. So, sip a warm drink, or warm your hands with a steamer or a blower before you apply henna.
Keep it on for as long as you can
To get best results you should keep it on for at least 24 hours. Henna will give off its complete colour only after 48 hours.
Seal it up with a fixative solution
Henna tends to dry up quickly, and starts to come off. To seal it, use a mixture of sugar and lemon juice.
Apply some clove smoke or “laung bhaap”
Ancient wisdom suggests that smoke from cloves can render darkness to your henna. Just heat up some cloves in a flat pan, and when they start emanating a dark smoke, simply keep your hands against it, and apply smoke.
Do not wash, simply scrape it off
You should not wash your henna before 24 hours. Simply scrape it off with a butter knife or a similar blunt object. If you need to wash it, then apply olive oil or any other bleach-free moisturizer before you wet hands.
Image source:
Bhaven Jani photographer
Punjabi dharti mehndi designs
Dkreate Photography