Fancy Feet

Fancy feet anyone? 

This beautiful weather gets me excited for summer days, swimming pools, tans and exposed feet. Yes, I said exposed feet..lol! I have been a chronic fingernail biter ever since I could remember, so although my fingernails are not as pretty as I wish, I more than make up for it with my pretty toes!
I have always admired the beautiful colors and flowing fabrics of India. A few years ago I discovered the art of Mendhi. Mehndi is the Hindi word for Henna, henna painting and the resulting designs. Henna are crushed leaves that stain the skin once applied in paste form. The art of henna is used for special occasions, and more recently has crossed over into mainstream style. Last summer I had Mendhi done locally, after a pedicure. The henna "tattoo" lasts from anywhere to 3 weeks to 2 months depending on your type of skin. I have found tubes of henna for sale on the internet, and have ordered them to give myself henna designs whenever I feel like fancy feet! 

Herbal Henna Paste for sale online. This is what I use for my henna tattoos
.www.hennaindia.net

Tips on making your henna design last
Keep the paste on your skin for 4 hours minimum. This can be difficult since the paste will dry and start to flake off. You can spray or dab a mixture of lemon juice & sugar to moisten the paste and let the dye continue to seep out of the paste into your skin. Another way to keep paste on is to use a "liquid bandage" (such as "New-skin") or by wrapping the area with a thin breathable bandage (eg. gauze). Flexible micropore tape is ideal, but you can get by with toilet paper!

After removing the henna paste, do not get the area wet or wash within the first 24 hours. The henna 'dye' is just beginning to oxidize (darken) and by contacting the top layers of skin with water, soap, etc you will remove some of it.

Aftercare

• Do not apply suntan lotions or moisturizers to the area.
• Do not go swimming in chlorinated pools. To protect the stain, apply oil (eg. olive, vegetable or carrier oils like sweet almond oil) or cocoa/shea butter to the area to protect it.
• Also avoid contact with bleaches, exfoliants and alpha-hydroxy/anti-bacterial (acne) soaps. These will exfoliate your "dyed" skin cells quicker than normal.