A Guide to Henna

Henna is a traditional Indian form of body art! Though it may seem daunting at first, don't worry, it's actually quite simple. Follow this 3 easy steps for your perfect henna tattoo. 

Step 1: Snip the cone!  Applying a henna tattoo is kind of like piping icing; your cone will be the stylus. The closer to the end you cut, the skinnier your lines will be, allowing you to do more detailed work. The further up the cone you snip, you will get a thicker line, best for filling in designs.

Step 2: Apply the henna. It's going to be like piping icing or squeezing toothpaste out of a tube. Do whatever designs you feel so inspired to do; this is your art! If you're unsure where to begin, you can google henna designs for a nice jumping off point.

Step 3: Wait. Henna takes around 20 minutes to an hour to dry, depending on how heavy your lines were. How do you know it's dry? Easy: henna flakes off when it's done, leaving behind just your tattoo. There's no need to pick at it or scrape it off, it will fall off on it's own—that's how you know it's done.

An optional Step 4: If you want a stronger henna tattoo that will last longer, at around the 20/30 minute mark, when you notice the henna start to dry and crack, apply simple syrup to rehydrate it! You can make simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together and letting it cool.

You might find that your tattoo looks a little pale at first. Don't worry, it will grow darker given time. A henna tattoo can last anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks, depending on placement and how heavy the initial tattoo was. For example, a henna tattoo on your upper arm would last a lot longer that one on your hand, which is scrubbed at multiple times a day.

Okay! You're all set to give your own henna tattoo! That is, of course, assuming you have some henna. If not, don't worry, we have some for sale right here.