Henna brows are a great way to make your eyebrows look their absolute best. Sometimes, however, you may want to remove henna from your eyebrows. Here are some tips to help.
There are 10 main ways to remove henna from eyebrows. These are:
- Steam
- Baking soda and lemon juice
- Oil and salt
- Micellar water
- Makeup wipes
- Antibacterial soap
- Rubbing alcohol
- Going for a swim
- Going to a salon
- Using bleach
What Is Henna?
Henna (Lawsonia inermis) can be either a tall shrub or a small tree. It is native to northern Africa, Asia, and northern Australia.
The leaves of the henna plant are used to make dye. Henna is probably best known for its use in dying the skin and hair.
It is, however, also used to dye fabrics (including silk and wool) and leather.
Henna vs black henna
Black henna (also known as neutral henna) can be made in one of two ways. The preferred way is to mix henna with indigo (from the plant Indigofera tinctoria).
The more common way, however, is to mix natural henna chemical dyes.
These usually contain para-phenylenediamine (PPD). This can trigger a very unpleasant reaction with potentially serious consequences.
If you are thinking of using black henna, it is, therefore, vital to be totally clear on how it’s made.
10 Easy Ways To Remove Henna From Eyebrows Fast
Here are ten easy ways to remove henna from your eyebrows – fast and easy:
1. Steam
Steam is an amazing cleanser.
It cleans right down into the depths of your skin’s pores. If you act within 24-48 hours of your henna brows treatment, steam may be all you need.
After that, steam may do a lot to boost other methods to remove henna from eyebrows.
Instructions
- If you already have a facial steamer, just use it as usual.
- If you don’t, boil some water and put it in a bowl.
- Then put your face over the bowl and cover your head and the bowl with a towel.This helps to keep the steam in.
- Hold your face over the bowl until the steam is gone.
2. Baking soda and lemon juice
Baking soda is abrasive. Lemon juice is a mild acid and hence can be used as a bleach. It does, however, need to be diluted first.
You will need
- Warm water
- Lemon juice
- Baking soda
Instructions
- Use half a cup of warm water to two teaspoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of baking soda.
- Apply this to your eyebrows using a foundation brush or toothbrush.
- Leave for 1-2 minutes and wash off gently with warm water.
For completeness, you can use vinegar instead of lemon juice. It will have the same effect but the smell will be very different.
3. Oil and salt
Oil is known for its ability to break down henna dye. In fact, the main reason henna eyebrows fade naturally is due to the natural oils in your skin.
So adding it to your beauty regime will help remove the henna from your brows much faster.
This is because salt is a gentle abrasive and hence can help to rub henna off the surface of the skin. Sugar will work too but salt has additional benefits for the skin.
Ideally, you should use oil that can be great for your skin.
Coconut oil is generally the best option as it cleanses and moisturizes at the same time.
Olive oil is also quite a good cleanser and very moisturizing.
It can, however, be too rich and heavy for some people.
Ingredients
- Salt
- Oil of choosing
Instructions
- Use about one cup of (melted) oil to three or four tablespoons of salt.
- Dab it onto your eyebrows. Foundation sponges are good for this.
- If you’re using a cotton swab, soak it in water first. This will stop the valuable oil from being soaked up by the swab instead of your skin.
- Rub the scrub gently into the brow area and then leave for 1-2 minutes.
- Wash off and pat dry gently.
If you want, you can wash off the scrub using a loofah for extra cleaning. You may, however, find that this is a bit too much.
4. Micellar water
Possibly the single biggest reason why micellar water has become so popular is that it does a great job of removing makeup while still being gentle on the skin.
It’s also good at removing regular dirt and oil.
Micellar water can do a decent job of removing henna from eyebrows on its own.
If, however, you combine it with an oil-based moisturizer then you’ll get even more henna-removing power.
If you add salt (or sugar) as well, then you can get real, deep cleaning.
5. Makeup wipes
Look specifically for makeup wipes that are advertised as being good for removing eye makeup.
Then double-check online reviews to make sure that real-world users agree.
Any makeup wipe that actually does a good job of removing eye makeup will probably do a decent job of removing henna from eyebrows.
6. Antibacterial soap
Antibacterial soap tends to have high alcohol content.
Some brands of antibacterial soap also have exfoliating scrubbing beads. Both of these can be very effective at removing henna.
Keep in mind, however, that antibacterial soap tends to be very drying.
If you’re going to try this approach then use plenty of moisturizers.
Your best options are likely to be coconut oil and/or olive oil but use them without salt (or sugar).
7. Rubbing alcohol
Rubbing alcohol can be extremely effective at removing henna from the eyebrows.
The main problem with it is that it’s extremely drying.
If you’re going to try using alcohol to remove henna from your eyebrows then you’re definitely going to need to layer on the moisturizer afterward.
8. Going for a swim
If you’re specifically looking to remove henna from your eyebrows then you ideally want to go swimming in a pool.
That “swimming-pool smell” is chlorine. It’s a strong chemical and your aftercare advice for making your henna eyebrows last will be to avoid it.
If, however, your aim is to remove henna from your eyebrows, then going for a swim in a chlorinated pool may be all you need to get the job done.
It will certainly give it a good push along.
Wild swimming is also good
Your next best option is to go swimming in the sea or ocean. These contain salt.
This is an abrasive so it can help to rub off the henna dye. Even going for a swim in freshwater can be helpful.
Water is a very effective cleanser, especially when it’s moving. Moving water can literally rub off dirt.
This is part of the reason why washing machines get clothes so clean.
As a rule of thumb, you will want to have your head in the water for at least 30 minutes.
Given that you’ll need to come up to breathe, you should probably be looking at 45 minutes to an hour of actual swimming.
9. Going to a salon
If you really want to remove henna from your eyebrows as quickly and effectively as possible, then your best option may be to go to a salon.
Salons that offer henna eyebrows will generally have professional-grade products to remove henna from eyebrows.
If you can’t get to a salon, then you might want to try a regular hairdresser or anywhere that trains people on how to perform henna brows.
They might be able to help or at least offer some guidance on how best to remove the henna from your brows.
10. Using bleach
You can get home-bleaching kits for the hair on your face.
These are generally intended for unwanted chin and/or lip hair. They can, however, be used on your eyebrows.
This approach should usually be a last resort because any mistakes could seriously damage your eyes.
If you do choose to use facial bleach then make sure that you do a patch test first. Only proceed if it comes up completely clear.
If you do proceed, follow the instructions for use exactly even if they do not appear to make sense.
Always put safety first
Apply the bleach very carefully.
Ideally, you usually want to apply the bleach when you are lying down as this will generally minimize the likelihood of it dripping down into your eyes.
Make sure you know what to do if any bleach does get into your eyes.
This will be on the packet. If necessary, put relevant supplies near to where you are doing your bleaching.
For example, if the packet advises that you need to rinse the bleach out of your eyes, keep some water right beside you.
How To Fade Henna Eyebrows
If you just want to fade your henna eyebrows, then you can use any of the approaches mentioned above.
You would just use less of them so that the henna becomes faded, rather than completely removed.
Another option would be to use makeup to disguise the strength of the color.
Simply using eyebrow gel and/or eyebrow pencil can be enough to neutralize henna by at least one tone. If you want to go further then add mascara.
This essentially paints the eyebrow hair. It can therefore give a stronger effect than either eyebrow gel or eyebrow pencil.
Your last option is to use foundation probably in combination with pressed powder.
With this approach, you’re essentially aiming to cover the henna on the eyebrow skin rather than on the hair.
In fact, you need to be careful to avoid covering the brow hair too thickly as this can replace one problem with another.