Desi Nuskhe: 5 Natural Ways To Darken Your Bridal Mehendi

If you’ve ever been a part of a desi wedding, you must have witnessed the excitement around the colour of the bride’s mehendi. And that’s not only because the darker colour really brings out the intricate mehendi designs. It is believed that the colour of the bride’s mehndi is a reflection of her husband’s love. The darker the henna stain, the better! So if you’ve been wondering how to get dark mehndi, you have come to the right place! 

While mehndi being a reflection of your partner’s love may just be folklore, this beautiful tradition does have some cultural significance. Apparently, mehendi is believed to be a symbol of fertility and this is the reason why it is a significant part of wedding ceremonies. This age-old practice is also an integral part of Indian festivals like Karva Chauth. 

Although methods like using dye or chemically infused henna may yield quick results, they may end up hampering your skin. But don’t worry! There are several natural ways to give your mehndi a deeper, darker hue! 

Before you begin to design your mehendi, check out this funny wedding video.

5 Natural Remedies To Darken The Colour Of Your Mehendi

Here’s how to get a dark henna stain without using chemical or artificial ingredients! 

1. Eucalyptus Oil

This pleasant smelling essential oil will not only help darken your mehendi but also protect your skin from harmful chemicals. Rubbing a small quantity of essential oil before applying the mehendi will make your hands and feet greasy enough to make it easier to apply intricate designs on it. 

You Will Need:

• Eucalyptus oil

Method:

1. Wash hands and/or feet well. 
2. Take a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil and rub it over the parts where you are about to apply the mehendi. 

2. Lemon & Sugar Mixture

Perhaps the most tried and tested desi hack to darken your mehendi is the lemon-sugar mixture. It helps by making sure your mehendi sticks to your hand for a longer time, thus making it darker. The lemon juice also aids in dye release for a deeper henna stain. 

You Will Need: 

• Lemon juice
• Sugar
• Cotton ball

Method:

1. Mix the lemon and sugar in a bowl. Do not add water to the mixture. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before using the mixture. 
2. Once the mehendi is dry, take a cotton ball and soak it in the lemon-sugar mixture and gently apply it over. 
3. Make sure you do not rub too hard as this may scrape off the mehendi. 

Do not overuse the lemon-sugar mixture as excessive use may lead to discolouration. 

3. Fumes Of Cloves

Here is a way how to get darker mehndi colour with just one easily available ingredient! Clove fumes can help give your mehndi a gorgeous, lasting stain! You can use this method along with the lemon and sugar mixture for best results. This remedy can be used once you have removed the mehendi. 

You Will Need

• 8-10 pieces of cloves

Method:

1. Heat the cloves in a small size saucepan over medium flame until you see fumes. 
2. Place your hands over the pan for a few seconds exposing them to the clove fumes. 
3. Repeat the process 3-4 times. 

Alternatively, you may also rub a few drops of clove oil on your hand and feet to give your mehendi a darker colour. 

4. Balm

Here’s a simple solution for how to get dark mehndi colour for hands. Balms like Vicks Vapour Rub and Tiger Balm can work wonders for making your henna design darker. These balms contain active agents that help stimulate the colour development of the mehndi and make sure it penetrates deeper into the skin. The menthol present in these products helps in making your mehendi design appear darker.  They create heat under the skin and give the henna a richer colour. 

You Will Need:

• Vicks Vapour Rub or Tiger Balm

Method:

1. Scrape off the mehendi from your hands and feet after leaving it on for a few hours. 
2. Rub the balm on areas where you have applied the mehendi. 
3. Let it stay overnight. You will wake up to pretty and dark mehendi design the next day. 

5. Coffee Or Tea Mix 

This tried and tested remedy is another way how to get darker mehndi colour. The black and dark brown colours of tea and coffee help enhance the colour of the mehendi. This super simple hack will give your henna a gorgeous deep hue. 

You Will Need:

• Tea or coffee
• Water

Method:

1. Take some water In a bowl and soak the coffee or tea in it. 
2. Add and mix this mixture to your liquid mehndi before pouring it into the cones. 

Dos And Don’ts To Darken Your Bridal Mehndi

These natural remedies can help you with how to get dark mehndi. However, you need to put in a little more effort to get the desired results. Here are a few other tips you must keep in mind for a deeper and lasting henna stain. 

• Wash your hands thoroughly before applying mehendi to get rid of bacteria and dirt
• Do not apply any lotion or cream before putting on mehendi. To ensure that the henna is completely absorbed by the skin, there should be no layers on it
• Ideally, there should be a 24 hours gap before you expose your henna clad hands and feet to the water. Water may prevent the darkening of your mehendi by washing away its top layer and not allowing the colour to penetrate deep within the skin
• Make sure you are done with beauty treatments like waxing, manicure and pedicure before applying the mehendi. Alternatively, you can wait for 2-3 days after the application. Getting these beauty treatments done right after putting mehendi will result in scraping off its top layer and making it appear lighter 
• The darkest shade of mehendi can be seen after a few days of applying it. Thus, it is recommended to apply the mehendi a day or two before the function

• If you want a deep colour, keep the mehendi on your palms for 7-8 hours (or even overnight!) before rubbing it off. Keeping the henna for longer hours will help lock in the colour
• Once the mehendi is dry, ask someone to help you gently bandage your hands. This will not only make sure that the mehndi sticks to your hand but also prevent the shredding mehendi crumbs from making a mess on your bed! 
• Allow your mehndi to dry naturally. Do not shake your hands or use a hair dryer to hasten the process as this may smudge the design

It takes a lot of time and patience to apply bridal mehndi. However, all that effort will only mean something if the colour of your mehndi turns out to be dark and long-lasting. Follow these simple and natural remedies to darken your henna stain and ensure that the beautiful design stays intact for a longer time!