natural henna is perishable and must be stored in the freezer. take out the amount of cones desired (usually one is fine!), thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes before use. henna cones contain sharp pins—please keep these out of reach of children. to use, remove the pin and put it aside. hold the henna cone in your hand between your first finger and thumb as you would a pencil. gently squeeze the cone to apply the paste to the skin. more or less pressure will guide and control the flow of paste. when finished, reinsert the pin and return cone to freezer as soon as possible. you can use the cone over and over again. professionals try to minimize the number of times their cones are frozen, but for the average person practicing, it is usually fine. generally quality is maintained in the freezer for 6 months, but it is not harmful to use it past this date.

a helpful tip: as you use the paste, the cone becomes floppy. it is helpful to roll down the top of the cone and secure with tape to keep the cone feeling firm and full. it is easier for the hand muscles to work with a full cone.

yes! speed up dry time with a hair dryer on a warm setting—bonus that it helps warm the henna which deepens the stain. make sure to let the design fully dry. watch any little movements of the hand and fingers — smudges happen!

there are two options to seal your paste to help it stay on the skin as long as possible. of course you can also do nothing, however you may find that little bits of paste can tend to flake off as you use your hand throughout the day.

1) rosewater sealant spray: once your design is fully dry, hold the spray bottle 8-12 inches away from the design and mist 1-2 sprays. allow this to dry. re-mist periodically to prevent cracking and dryness. avoid over-saturating the paste. wrap your design in toilet paper before bed (only once the spray is dry).

2) instead of rosewater sealant, you can cover the design with a medical tape such as mefix or hypafix. this is not used in addition to rosewater sealant — choose one method or the other.

use revitalizing oil often for the life of your stain after the paste is removed to hydrate and protect the design. apply before and after water exposure. good aftercare is critical for a rich, long-lasting stain. your design will gently fade away in 1-2 weeks. feel free to use our oil as skin care just because you love it!

prep and aftercare are crucial for a dark stain. some say that the quality of stain is 50% good henna paste and 50% aftercare. here are some things that i have learned:

consider where you place your design. the stain is darkest on the distal body parts (hands/feet), and stains darker on thicker skin (palms/soles). these areas contain more keratin for the dye molecules to bind to. it also creates a lovely ombre effect as your design extends from your fingertips up your arm.

consider using a gentle exfoliator before applying paste.

apply henna to only clean skin - you can wash your hands first or do a quick wipe down with rubbing alcohol on a cloth or cotton ball.

staying warm is key! my hands are always cold, especially in the winter in new england! i use a hair dryer on a warm setting to dry the paste and use a heating pad to stay warm (follow general safety instructions, do not have your hand directly on the heat source, only 20 minutes at a time). some people will do a clove steam once the paste is dry. heat some whole cloves in a shallow pot of water until the water is steaming (does not need to boil). quickly pass your henna’ed hands above the steam a few times (use common sense here and safety first —you should not be touching the steam or the pot, which could cause serious burns).

keep the paste on the skin for as long as possible. we advise you to sleep with it on —the longer the better.

when ready, scrape off the paste (don’t wash!). stuck bits can be removed with natural oil (olive, coconut). enjoy the lovely scent of henna that remains throughout the day.

avoid water for the first 24-48 hours after the paste is removed. natural henna stain first appears orange and darkens over 48-72 hours to a vibrant cherry brown. the final stain color depends on skin tone, body chemistry, and quality of aftercare.

smudges happen — if you can remove the smudged bit or mistake as quickly as possible, you may be fine. if it is more than a minute, you may still have a smudge.

you can quickly use the tip of the cone to wipe away mistakes. q tips can also be helpful.

keep a tissue or rag close by for wiping the tip of the henna cone periodically in order to keep your design crisp and lines straight.

instead of placing the tip of the cone to the skin directly, learn how to drape - how to videos coming soon!

got clogs? this can happen naturally from the henna freezing and thawing on occasion. the artist uses triple sifted henna powder and takes further precaution to strain all paste before filling cones, so there should not be any plant matter causing a clog. check that the flow from the tip is clear — reinsert the pin and shift it around a bit to work out any kinks and try again.

got henna coming out of the back of the cone? this can happen on occasion, though we make every effort to prevent it when rolling and preparing cones. sometimes this happens because there is a clog. check the tip as previously explained. try to apply more tape at the end to help seal it up. make sure that you are rolling the cone down carefully and taping it periodically as you go to keep it feeling full. these actions usually correct any minor problems.

anyone can learn to do henna! you build skill by repetition which develops muscle memory. the more familiar your hands become with the cone and pressure needed to control the flow of paste, the more natural your lines and shapes will be. just keep practicing consistently — especially on yours or others’ skin.

if skin isn’t an option, watercolor paper works well as an alternative. it is absorbent and thick enough to hold the paste without warping. once the paste dries it can be scraped off without damaging the sheet. you can even frame or display your practice sheets for some unique artwork!

the best advice i can give you is to seek out a local artist who makes the paste herself. not only is it a more sustainable option, but you are supporting local artists, accessing the freshest paste, and can understand and trust the product you are buying.

here are some red flags when looking to buy henna cones:

1) same day shipping. the process of mixing henna paste takes 2 days, sometimes 3 in cold climates. when the ingredients are first mixed, the paste has to be set to dye release over 4-48 hours. the length of time depends on the liquid ingredient used (water, tea, and lemon juice are options) and the climate. henna paste kept on the counter in warm months can dye release in 12 hours. in the winter, this can take 24-48 hours. once dye release occurs, the paste is then mixed again to consistency, strained, and piped into cones.

2) big box online stores —these stores are not selling natural henna cones. though they are labeled “henna”, harmful chemicals, preservatives and/or dyes are added. they often have a chemical or unpleasant smell. they may stain very dark immediately, as opposed to natural henna which takes time to oxide and for the stain to develop over 48-72 hours. they may say the paste can be removed after only a short time, instead of a minimum of 4 hours. this “henna” may peel off the skin rather than flake off as natural henna does.

3) the stain washes off or only lasts a couple of days. natural henna permanently binds to the keratin in your skin cells, so no amount of washing is going to remove the stain. you can have a better or lower quality of stain depending on your aftercare (for example, you don’t leave the paste on for many hours, you wash it off instead of flaking it off, or you get it wet during the first day after removing the paste), but a natural henna stain cannot be removed with hand washing or hand sanitizers.

3) the seller does not share information about their ingredients, the process of mixing up paste, or any other details about natural henna, its history, and its use.

some green flags when looking to buy henna

1) sellers of only natural henna will share their ingredients and process. they explain how the henna stain develops and fades. they are knowledgable about henna, its history, its chemistry, and have detailed instructions for its care and aftercare.

2) the paste smells strongly of essential oils (we mix with lavender, but others might use cajeput, eucalyptus, orange, lemongrass, clove, etc).

3) natural henna must be left on for at a minimum of 4 hours but 6-12 is even better. the stains appears orange at first and darkens to brown over 2-3 days. the stain gradually fades over time as skin naturally exfoliates.

we only recommend using natural organic henna paste and are happy to provide new learners and long time artists with safe products.

contact us any time for any questions, problems, tips or concerns! there are also lots of great how to videos online.