If you believe the old wives tale, ‘the darker your mehndi color, the more love your future husband holds for you’, you might be looking for quick & easy tips to darken your bridal mehndi. Even if you aren’t a firm believer in this tale, there is still a certain kind of anxiety built to get dark henna color on the big day! A darker mehndi color looks super pretty on bridal hands and amazing in pictures. Besides, there will be relatives ogling your bridal mehndi color as well. Let’s give them peace of mind as well.
Nowadays, most mehndi artists get their own henna cones, which already have ingredients that give a pitch red henna stain. So you don’t have to worry about henna not giving a proper color at all. However, you can deepen the color even more by using these simple ways! Read On!
Also See: 100+ Simple Mehndi Designs
Tips To Darken Your Bridal Mehndi
#1 Wash Your Hands Properly Before Application
Being a bride, you might be indulging in extensive moisturization for your skin! This means that you would be slathering it on your mehendi day as well. Although, any sort of moisturiser can create a barrier between your skin and mehendi and not let it absorb deeply.
Before you sit down for your mehendi application:
- Wash your palms, hands, and feet properly with soap and water.
- Pat them dry with a soft towel.
#2 Apply Premium Grade Eucalyptus Oil
Using a pure, good quality eucalyptus oil on your hands and feet before mehndi application can help set the henna better. It’s generally also added to mehendi paste for a darker stain.
After you properly wash your hands, take a few drops of eucalyptus oil and dab it on areas where mehndi will be applied. Buy a good brand of eucalyptus oil by clicking here.
#3 Let it Dry on its Own
It’s a tiring process to wait for henna to dry out. Bridal mehndi application takes 6-7 hours and you are bound to lose patience. Don’t get tempted to use a drier on your henna. This only lightens the color of your mehndi.
Give henna its sweet time to dry out. The best you can do is start early. Get a part of your henna done and let it dry first. Move around, eat and enjoy for a bit before getting the other part done.
Check Out: 35+ Latest Bridal Mehndi Designs For Full Hands
#4 Use Lemon & Sugar Mixture (in moderate amounts)
It’s customary to use a lemon and sugar mixture on bridal mehendi. This trick has been followed around for ages. Lemon is acidic in nature and lets henna release its dye. Sugar, along with lemon, helps in sticking the mehendi to the bride’s hands and feets for a longer time.
Be wary of it though! Too much of this mixture can actually lighten the henna color. You can dab it around 4-5 times maximum.
#5 Try Clove Steam
Yet another old age remedy to darken your bridal mehndi in no time. Here’s how to do it
- Put around 4-5 cloves on a tawa and turn on the stove.
- Place your hands over the pan.
- Keep them for around 30-40 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.
- Turn off the stove and repeat it three times for best results.
Be extra careful while doing this process. Your hands shouldn’t hurt from steam. And don’t let henna get dry out too much, otherwise it will start flaking. If you are keeping the henna overnight (& we highly suggest so), do the process just before going to sleep.
#6 Leave it on (if possible, Overnight!)
For seeing the best results, you have got to invest the hours. Mehndi application is an exhaustive process in itself and so is keeping it on. We suggest that you leave the henna on for at least 12 hours after the mehndi artist is done. Don’t plan any other function right after mehendi so you can rest and just take it easy!
If possible, keep the henna on overnight and scrape it off in the morning. Don’t tie anything on your hands though as it can lead to sweating which can lighten the henna color. Sleep as it is. Let the part that crumbles, crumble and remove the rest in the morning.
See: 51+ Simple Mehndi Designs For Kids
#7 Use Vicks or Tiger Balm
After you have left the henna for a while or overnight, gently scrape it off by rubbing both hands together or use a knife. Once that’s done, take generous amount of Vicks or Tiger Balm on your hands and rub it on your hands and feet.
Vicks contain menthol in it which draws heat to your skin and darkens your bridal mehndi color effectively.
#8 Or Mustard Oil!
You can also use mustard or pickle oil on your bridal mehndi instead of Vicks. Just like Vicks, mustard oil also works great by bringing heat to your mehendi and helps to darken it.
Another upside of mustard oil is it gets rid of the stickiness of lemon and sugar mixture comfortably.
#9 Tie a Plastic Polythene On Your Hands While Bathing
The number one rule to darken your bridal mehndi color is to avoid water and soap. But you will have to take a bath the next day, it’s hard to avoid these two mehndi color killers then.
To keep the contact with water and soap to minimal, we suggest you tie plastic polythenes on your hands with a rubber hand and don’t pour water on parts of your body where mehndi is applied. Use a loofah and body wash to rinse other parts of your body.
#10 Keep Your Hands Off Things That Can Make Them Dirty
Try and keep your hands away from anything that will make you wash them afterward. While eating something, use a spoon instead of your hands so you don’t have to wash them. Using soap and water on your hands, again and again, will only hinder the process of henna staining on your hands. You will have to be a little alert if you want that pretty dark bridal mehndi.
Check Out: Perfect Mehndi Design For The Sister Of The Groom
Henna starts leaving its darkest color 30-40 hours after application. That’s why mehendi is applied 2 days before the wedding day!
If you have got any more tricks to get a darken mehendi stain, leave your valuable suggestions in the comments down below.
