5 Ways to Remove a Henna Tattoo
Temporary henna tattoos have become quite popular these days. They are made with a natural dye derived from the leaves of the henna plant native to northern Africa, northern Australia and parts of Asia. The dye lasts for about two weeks before starting to fade. If you don’t like the appearance of a faded henna tattoo on your skin, you can try to remove it. Here are several quick and easy ways to get rid of a henna tattoo.1. Salt Water Soak
If simply washing your skin with soap and hot water (which should be your first step, by the way) doesn’t help, try soaking it in salt water. Sodium chloride will help dissolve pigment, making your henna tattoo lighter. Table salt should work just fine, but if you want additional skin benefits, try using sea salt or Epsom salt instead.
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2. Exfoliation
Pigment contained in henna doesn’t penetrate deeply into the epidermis, so henna dye stains only the outermost layer of your skin. If you remove dead cells with pigment from the surface of the skin, the tattoo will become much less visible. You can exfoliate your skin with a loofah or use your favorite body scrub. Don’t forget to apply a soothing moisturizer afterwards to prevent irritated, dry and flaky skin.
Check this out: How to Exfoliate Sensitive Skin
3. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a source of citric acid, which, like all other alpha hydroxy acids, has exfoliating and skin bleaching properties. To lighten a henna tattoo, simply cut a lemon in half and rub one of the halves gently on the area of the tattoo. If it doesn’t lighten the dye immediately, keep repeating the process regularly until the tattoo fades completely. Please keep in mind that you shouldn’t use this method if you’re allergic or sensitive to citrus fruits.
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4. Olive Oil
If you have dry or sensitive skin, try to remove henna with olive oil. Not only won’t it irritate your skin, it will also produce a moisturizing, nourishing and antioxidant effect. Soak a cotton pad in olive oil and rub it on your tattoo. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then remove the residue that hasn’t absorbed into the skin with a clean cotton pad or tissue. By the way, you can use coconut oil or baby oil instead of olive oil.
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5. Micellar Water or Makeup Remover
These products are specifically designed to break down and remove makeup, excess skin oil and other impurities, so they may help with getting rid of henna pigment, too, and do so in a very gentle way. Soak a cotton pad in micellar water or makeup remover and rub it over your henna tattoo. This should make it lighter. You may need to repeat the procedure a couple of times for a really visible result.
Check this out: 7 Things You Need to Know About Micellar Water
Bonus: What Not to Try
Some articles online recommend using hydrogen peroxide or even chlorine bleach to remove henna, but these substances are very irritating. They may leave you with blisters and chemical burns instead of your henna tattoo.
Other products that are sometimes recommended are whitening toothpaste and baking soda. They’re not so dangerous as hydrogen peroxide or chlorine, but they can still leave your skin irritated. Finally, a combination of lemon juice/vinegar and baking soda simply won’t work because acids and alkali neutralize each other.