The color will first be in the orange family, and get darker over 48 hours to an orange-brown, to maroon or chocolate brown depending on your skin tone and the location of the henna. Choose an area with thick skin like your hands, feet, or shoulder for a dark stain. Inner wrist, forearm, thighs, or upper arms produce more of an orange-brown stain.

​Black Henna Warning: Natural henna does not produce a true black "tattoo-like" color. If you encounter black henna claims beware that this product has caused severe burns and scarring because of the chemical PPD (para-phenylene-diamine) and other synthetics added to create black henna. Green Grotto does not use "black henna.” Some artists will combine jagua (a fruit extract from South America) with henna to create a darker stain, but I prefer to keep the traditional color.

Henna paste with pure ingredients is relatively safe, but there are rare cases of allergic reaction. We can perform a free patch test to determine whether or not henna is for you. It is safe for young children, but you’ll want to keep in mind that the paste takes 30 minutes or more to dry or it will smudge. People who have G6PD deficiency should never have henna applied because they may become anemic. Not enough is known about reactions people with ITP or TTP may have to henna. If you have any concerns about how henna may react with your known medical condition, please consult your physician prior to receiving any henna service.

Henna stains last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks depending on how long you leave the paste on your skin, the location of the design, and your aftercare. Exfoliate before your appointment, and avoid exfoliating your skin while you still want to keep the design. Choose an area that doesn’t come in as much contact with water or abrasive surfaces.

Exfoliate before your appointment, and avoid exfoliating your skin while you still want to keep the design. Consider how your clothes and jewelry might come in contact with the design while it’s drying.

The paste takes about 30 minutes to dry, and it’s important to remain still so that the design doesn’t smudge. Leave the paste on for as long as possible to achieve a long-lasting stain. Remove the paste by brushing the henna off with your hand. DO NOT WASH OFF. Avoid water for 24 hours. The color will first be in the orange family, and get darker over 48 hours to an orange-brown, to maroon or chocolate brown depending on your skin tone and the location of the henna. Avoid synthetic moisturizers, chlorine, salt water, hand sanitizer, and cleaning products.