Henna stain
Also called: Henna colour and Henna result
The reddish brown colour left in the top layer of skin after henna paste is removed, which darkens over a day or two and fades within weeks.
The stain is the point of henna, and it follows a pattern. When the paste comes off, the design is a pale orange. Over the next day or two it oxidises and deepens to a red brown, and on the palms and soles it can reach a dark chocolate tone. Then it fades as the stained skin cells shed, usually gone within one to three weeks.
How dark it goes depends on the paste, how long it stayed on, body heat and where it is. Palms, fingers and soles stain darkest; the back of the hand and the forearm lighter; the upper arm lighter still. Most artists advise keeping the paste on for several hours, sealing it with a sugar and lemon mix as it dries, keeping the design away from water for the first day and rubbing in a little oil afterwards.
To remove a stain sooner there is no quick way: gentle exfoliation, warm water and time. A stain that appears black within an hour of removal is a warning sign that the paste was not natural henna.
