How can I quickly wash henna off my skin without causing irritation?

Henna is a natural dye that has found wide application in everyday life: it is used to dye hair and apply unusual designs on the palms. Therefore, the question becomes relevant: how and with what to wash off henna from the skin if it accidentally gets in while working with curls or if the patterns made have already faded and are no longer attractive. There are several simple ways.

Available means

Dyeing your hair with henna helps strengthen the roots and make the curls thicker, but this natural dye can leave unpleasant reddish spots on the skin of your hands, forehead, and ears. There are several simple ways to get rid of them.

• Vinegar solution – a simple remedy for use at home. To prepare it, take a glass of vinegar and water, mix and wipe the stained areas with the resulting solution using a cotton pad. After the procedure, the skin is washed with warm water.

Advice

For delicate facial skin it is better to use 3% vinegar; 9% is suitable for hands. Vinegar cannot be used in its pure form: it will enhance the effect of henna.

• Alcohol or vodka. These are ready-made liquids for quickly cleansing the skin of henna: apply a small amount of alcohol (or vodka) to a cotton pad and wipe the stained areas. Next, you need to rinse them with water.

Any of these products can be found at home or purchased in a store.

Cosmetic methods

There are several other options to remove reddish spots from your skin.

• Lotions containing alcohol allow you to quickly get rid of traces of henna.
• Using nail polish remover is another effective way to remove stains. However, it is not recommended for use on the face.
• The scrub makes it possible not to completely cleanse the skin, but to make the red color a little lighter. It can be used in cases where the skin is very sensitive and prone to irritation from interaction with alcohol-containing substances. It is necessary to take a small amount of scrub and treat the painted areas.
• Sea salt. Acts on the principle of a scrub, removing paint along with skin cells. This method is not suitable for those who have inflammation or acne on their face.

Advice

Any of the listed products has a negative effect on the condition of the skin, so after treatment you should thoroughly rinse the painted area with water and then apply a greasy cream to it. For the face, it is best to make a nourishing mask.

The most effective means

To get rid of traces of henna staining at home, you can use the most powerful means, but it is important to remember that this is an emergency measure, since these substances are very harmful.

• Hydrogen peroxide. It is applied to a cotton pad, then used to wipe the stained skin. It is important to use a 3% solution, because a higher concentration can cause burns.
• Ammonia (10% solution). The procedure is the same.
• The following solution is even more effective: 1 tbsp. l. ammonia mixed with 5 tbsp. l. water and 5 tbsp. l.hydrogen peroxide, apply to the skin for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water.

These methods allow you to quickly remove henna from the skin, but they should be used infrequently.

Using Lemon Juice

A more gentle option is to treat the skin with a mixture of lemon juice and soda. To prepare it you will need:

• spoon of lemon juice;
• spoon of soda;
• water.

The components are mixed to a pasty state, applied to the desired area using a cotton pad or an old toothbrush, then rubbed into the skin. After this, the mixture must be removed with water. If there is no result, the procedure should be repeated, but not earlier than in a day.

Advice

Lemon juice in its pure form does a good job of whitening the skin, but in the case of a natural dye it has the opposite effect, enhancing the color. Therefore, it should not be used in its pure form.

Citrus fruits may cause irritation or an allergic reaction, so test on a small area of ​​skin before use.

Removing mehendi

Henna tattoos, so-called mehendi, are now very popular. They are applied to the palms, feet, even to the back and lower back. But what if you don’t like the drawing, are tired of it, or have partially washed away and now look ugly? There are several ways to remove henna.

• If the image has just been applied and the dye has not yet been absorbed, you should wash the area with warm running water, always using laundry soap.
• However, if time is lost and the henna has already dried, this method will not help; more radical solutions will be required. First of all, you should wipe the stained area with a cotton pad generously soaked in vodka, alcohol solution or medical alcohol.

After this treatment, the painted area is washed with soap and water and lubricated with a rich cream.

If mehendi has been on the body for several days and suddenly there is a need to remove the pattern, you can use the following methods.

• Warm bath. After sitting in the bath for a while to allow the skin to steam, the area with the tattoo should be thoroughly treated with a washcloth or belongings and rubbed vigorously. The procedure will make the pattern less noticeable; the henna will completely disappear after several times. You can clean the painted area using pumice, but this method cannot be called gentle - the upper layer of the epidermis will suffer. However, the dye will wash off quite well.
• Salt bath. If the design is applied to brushes, it can be washed using salt baths. To do this, dissolve 2 tbsp in a small bowl of water. l. sea ​​salt, place the brushes and wait until the water cools down. The pattern will become less noticeable.
• Salt mask. You can also remove henna from the skin using salt masks. This is done if the baths are uncomfortable - for example, when the pattern is located on the back. Making them is simple: moisten an old towel with saline solution (2 tbsp per liter), place it on the area with the pattern, wrap it with cling film and wait for at least half an hour, then rinse with water.
• A small mark or mark of henna can be removed with antibacterial soapapplied to a toothbrush. It is necessary to rub the stained area intensively and then rinse with water.

Some of the methods that allow you to remove traces of henna will be effective after several procedures.

Additional methods

Henna is not easy to wash off, so you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to use various methods.

• You can use vegetable oil heated in a steam bath. Using a swab, apply the oil to the painted area, then wrap it with cling film (if there are traces of henna on your palms, you can wear rubber gloves) and leave for 30 minutes. After this, the skin is washed with water and soap.
• Olive oil is mixed with cognac (for a small area, you can take 2 tablespoons of both), the mixture is applied to the skin, left to act for an hour, and washed.

Advice

Experts recommend using laundry soap in the last two cases; it allows you to quickly remove paint residues.

• Dentifrice helps remove even the most stubborn dye without damaging the skin of your hands. It is applied using an old toothbrush, rubbed vigorously, then removed. Palms must be wet before processing.

These methods will help remove henna from the skin, but you should not expect a quick effect; the procedures will have to be repeated several times.

Stain protection

It is very difficult to wipe off reddish stains, and the most effective methods are harmful to delicate skin. This is why precautions should be taken when working with natural dye.

• When dyeing hair, wear gloves only, they will protect your hands.
• Before the procedure, apply a thick layer of fatty cream, wax and Vaseline along the hair growth contour, carefully smear the ears and neck. These products are easier to wash off than henna stains.
• When applying a henna design to the body, you should have a wet rag or cotton pad on hand - if the line does not turn out as intended, you should remove it until the dye is absorbed.

These simple tips will help you avoid the problem and prevent unwanted areas of your body from staining.

What not to do

Wanting to get rid of reddish spots as quickly as possible, some begin to use all available means. However, it is important to know that the following substances cannot be used to remove henna from the skin:

• petrol;
• washing powder;
• acetone;
• solvent;
• wiper.

They are toxic and will have a very negative impact on the condition of the epidermis, so they should not be used.

Removing henna from the skin is quite problematic, but home methods allow you to do this, albeit with some effort. The main thing is not to use all the means at once.