14 Tips & Tricks To Make Your Mehendi Dark

Mehendi application is an innate part of Indian culture. Whether it's for a celebration such as a wedding or Karva Chauth or we apply it just for fun, mehendi is something special. And equally special is how dark a colour the mehendi leaves on the hands. Dark mehendi clad hands stand out from the rest.

There are also certain myths related to mehendi, especially for the brides-to-be. Some say that the darker the colour of the mehendi, the greater is the partner's love. Some say that darker the colour, greater is the mother-in-law's love. Needless to say, the dark colour of the mehendi is quite a thing.

Mehendi provides a soothing and cooling effect to the skin. Mehendi application takes time and effort, so why should we compromise on the colour? After putting in so much effort, one would surely expect a darker colour.

Although the colour of the mehendi largely depends on the body heat of a person, there are certain tips and tricks you can try for that bold and dark brown colour.

Tip 1: Wash Your Hands A While Before The Application

Start the mehendi application with clean hands. But keep in mind that you've to wash your hands at least 30 minutes before you start the application of the mehendi. It is very important to ensure that your hands aren't dirty for the application. So make sure to wash your hand and pat them dry about 30 minutes before you start applying the mehendi.

Tip 2: Essential Oil To The Rescue

We all know how beneficial the essential oils are. And they can prove to be useful for your mehendi too. The essential oil you need for this eucalyptus oil. Take around three drops of eucalyptus oil in each of your palms. Rub and massage your palms for about five minutes. Let it dry before you start the mehendi application.

Tip 3: Go For The Beauty Treatments Before The Application

If you want to go an extra mile for the occasion and go for beauty treatments like manicure, pedicure, waxing etc., make sure to do this before you apply the mehendi. This is because going for these treatments afterwards will scrape the top layer of the mehendi and make it look worn off and faded.

Tip 4: Don't Apply The Mehendi In A Rush

Whenever you apply the mehendi, make sure you have plenty of time and you are in no rush. It should be given the proper time that it requires to give a beautiful design and a darker colour. So, take out enough time for the application and don't be restless while applying the mehendi.

Tip 5: Control The Fluid Intake Of Your Body

You need to pay attention to the amount of fluids you're putting in your body before the application. This also plays a role in determining the colour of the mehendi. This doesn't mean that you need to take less fluids. Just take as much is required. Don't overdo it.

Tip 6: Ensure The Quality Of The Henna

It is very important to choose the right henna for application. We usually go for the cones available in the market or in the salons. These contain harmful chemicals that can harm the skin and might not give great colour. You can rather go for the mehendi powder available and make your own mehendi paste from it. You can add eucalyptus oil, tea leaves, sugar and tamarind extract in the mehendi to enhance the colour.

Tip 7: Let The Mehendi Dry Naturally

This fast paced life has made us so restless that we have no patience left. We want everything to happen in the snap of a finger. But remember, good things take time. After you've applied the henna don't be impatient and use blow dryer to expedite the process. The henna will give its best colour when you allow it to dry at its natural pace. Just sit back, relax and give it time to dry.

Tip 8: Apply Lemon & Sugar Mixture

This is a trick that almost all of us know and apply. But for those who don't, this is quite an effective way to ensure a darker henna colour. Squeeze a lemon and put 3-4 tsp of sugar in it and give it a stir. You don't need to dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice. Once your mehendi has dried, apply a thick coat of this mixture all over the mehendi with the help of a cotton ball and let it dry. Rub the hands together to peel off the mehendi later. This does make the hands very sticky but it is worth it.

Tip 9: Mustard Oil Or Pickle Oil Gets Rid Of Stickiness

After you've removed the mehendi by rubbing your palms together, take a tablespoon of mustard oil or pickle oil on your palms and gently massage it all over your mehendi. This trick comes in handy if due to the stickiness of the lemon and sugar mixture the mehendi doesn't peel off. The oil anyways helps to enhance the colour of your mehendi.

Tip 10: Use Cloves For Dark Colour

Cloves can also be used to impart a dark colour to your mehendi. For this, take a couple of cloves on a pan and heat the pan. Put your hands over the pan to let the smoke from the clove reach your palms. You need to be careful so as not touch the hot pan. Alternatively, you can use clove oil if that seems like a tricky method.

Tip 11: Use Lavender Oil For A Soothing Aroma

Another essential oil that can help you is lavender oil. You just need to need to gently dab a few drops of lavender oil over your mehendi, after it has dried down. This will help darken your mehendi while giving your hands a soothing aroma.

Tip 12: Using A Balm Can Help

Applying balm over the henna is also a very effective but lesser known trick to enhance the colour of the mehendi. Yes, we're talking about the balm you would use for headache and body ache. After the mehendi has dried, scrape it off and apply a thin coat of the balm all over your hands and massage it gently. This will ensure a beautiful and dark mehendi.

Tip 13: Avoid Water As Long As You Can

This one is difficult to follow but just as effective. You need to keep your henna-tattooed hands away from water as long as you can. This will give the darkest colour possible to your mehendi. Just take the help of someone when you need to use water like drinking or washing your face. And when you can't, wrap a polythene bag on your hands and you're good to go.

Tip 14: Wrap The Hands With Foil

Wrapping your hands with a foil or a bag will also do the trick to enhance the colour of your mehendi. You can use a foil paper after you've scraped the dried up mehendi off your hands. This ensures that your hands are protected, especially from water and hence helps to give you a darker mehendi colour.

Or you can wrap your hands in a bag, after the mehendi has dried. This helps to trap the body heat and deepen the colour of your mehendi.