How to Care For Your Henna Body Art
Leave the paste on for 4 to 6 hours. Or, wrap it with toilet paper, cover with a sock, and leave it on overnight. Designs not on the hands or feet can be covered with toilet paper and secured with medical tape while you sleep.
When ready, scrape or pick the dry paste off, or rub it off with vegetable oil. Try to keep the area dry for as long as possible -- 12 to 24 hours is best! If you must get your henna design wet, protect it with a wax-based lotion or lip balm. The wax will make it water resistant.
Immediately after scraping the paste off, the skin underneath will be bright orange. Over the next 24 hours, if kept dry, it will get darker and darker. The next morning, you will wake up with a dark, reddish-brown design on your skin! It will fade with exfoliation, so try not to scrub it unless you tire of it.
Note that henna is darkest on the palms and soles of the feet. Designs on the upper arm, back and belly can be 50% lighter in color.
The Henna Process
The following video shows the process of henna application by one of my favorite henna artists, Riffat. Henna goes on as a paste and can be further decorated with glitter, as in this video. The paste is left on for 6 to 8 hours, then both the paste and the optional glitter is removed, leaving a long-lasting design on your skin which fades with exfoliation.
Article: http://www.handfulofhenna.com/articles_aftercare.html
